The Effects of Climate Change on Agricultural Systems
5-hour Unit
Target Audience: 6th-12th Grade Students
As the climate changes, increased temperatures and extreme events are predicted in the southwestern United States, which could impact crop productivity and food security. We partnered with the USDA Southwest Climate Hub to design an engaging, fun, and scientifically rigorous education unit aligned with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. This unit is freely available and intended for use by anyone, especially educators of 6-12th grade students. The unit consists of five activities and was designed to be conducted over five days (or five hours). Each activity can also stand alone however, and the unit need not be completed in its entirety.
Click the icons below to watch brief instructional videos to learn how to conduct select lessons from the Effects of Climate Change on Agricultural Systems Unit.
Farms on the Table: Making Farmland Decisions in a Changing Climate
To learn about challenges associated with agricultural production under climate change conditions, students play a game in which they make management decisions for a farm and evaluate the effects.
Educator guide (PDF)
Farms on the Table handout (PDF)
Farms on the Table presentation (PowerPoint)
Farms on the Table (instructional video)
Interacting Adaptations: Trade-Offs in the Agriculture Industry
Students conduct research on agricultural adaptations to climate change, create posters, and carry out a gallery walk to analyze the interconnectedness of adaptations.
Educator guide (PDF)
Actors and Impacts handout (PDF)
Interacting Adaptations handout (PDF)
Reference Sheet handout (PDF)
Impact Cards (PDF)
Actor Cards (PDF)
Interacting Adaptations presentation (PowerPoint)
Interacting Adaptations (insructional video)
Wilt it be Productive? Modeling an Adaptation to Climate Change
To evaluate an agricultural adaptation to climate change, students conduct an experiment to test the effectiveness of a model shade structure in reducing transpiration from spinach leaves under lights.
Educator guide (PDF)
Wilt it Be Productive? and Don’t Be a Loser! handout packet (PDF)
Set of Don’t Be a Loser! game cards (PDF)
Wilt it Be Productive? presentation (PowerPoint)
Wilt it Be Productive? (instructional video)
Washed Away: Climate Change and Farmland Soil Quality
Students see a demonstration of the erosion of topsoil on a farm by an extreme precipitation event and then use a soil nutrient test kit to conduct an experiment to analyze and compare the nutrients of the topsoil and lower layer. Students also use SoilWeb, a web-based tool, to investigate soil characteristics of agricultural land in three areas and at their own location.
Educator guide (PDF)
Washed Away handout (PDF)
Washed Away presentation (PowerPoint)
Washed Away (instructional video)
Get Out and Graze (GO AG!): Criollo vs. Angus Cattle in a Changing Climate
Students learn about heritage livestock as they play the roles of Angus and Raramuri Criollo cattle grazing on a rangeland under abundant and then limited forage conditions caused by climate change.
Educator guide (PDF)
Compare and Contrast handout (PDF)
Get Out and Graze handout (PDF)
Histogram Extension Activity handout (PDF)
Labels for far and close “grazing site” bags (PDF)
Location map for each grazing site station (PDF)
Get Out and Graze presentation (PowerPoint)
Get Out and Graze (instructional video)