Let's create continuous conversations about climate change education: Spreading the Sediment of Science!

Warming Up to Adaptation: Big Bend National Park

Provided by: National Park Service |Published on: April 27, 2021

Videos Grades 6-8, 9-12

Synopsis

This video explains how ecologists, climate change scientists, and park rangers used future climate projections to redesign Big Bend National Park's water infrastructure to accommodate warmer temperatures and more frequent droughts.
Students will learn that water is a limiting factor in the Chisos Basin in Big Bend National Park and that planning for future droughts instead of looking at historic rain patterns is essential to provide adequate water in the future.

Subjects: Biology

Authors: National Park Service

Region: North America, USA - South, United States, Texas

Languages: English

Positives

This video shows the decision-making process for a complex climate change problem.
A link to the audio-described version of the video is available in the video description section.

Additional Prerequisites

This video is part of a series from the National Park Service. Teachers can find a link to the video "Warming Up to Adaptation Series Introduction" in the video description section.

Differentiation

While watching the video, social studies or career studies classes could identify the speakers' professions. Students could research the type of education and experience needed for each profession.
Before viewing the video, science classes could research Big Bend's ecosystem, climate, and changing environmental conditions on the Big Bend National Park website.
Science or language arts classes could have students write an abstract or summary paragraph about the video and connect it to lessons about the water cycle, global warming, and changing weather patterns.
Other resources on this topic include this ClimateScience course on climate adaptation, this lesson and activity on droughts, and this activity on temperature and precipitation as limiting factors.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

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Resource Type and Format