Lord of the Rings - A Study of Tree Rings

Demonstrate to your middle school science learners how chalk breaks down in a weak acid. Discuss what affects acidic rain might have on ecosystems. Lab groups then choose one of two questions: "How does acid precipitation affect an...

Individuals analyze tree rings to determine the health of an ecosystem. They then look at otoliths of fish, hard calcium carbonate structures located behind the brain, in the same manner. 

You'll find everything but the kitchen sink here ... or just a carbon sink. In the activity, pairs or groups of middle school learners go outside and measure a tree's circumference and height to estimate its carbon storage potential and...

Students examine tree rings to determine its age.  In this tree ring lesson, students examine core tree samples, identify the tree rings, and then determine its age. Students complete a worksheet, deciding which of the two core...

Open with a discussion on weather and climate and then explain how tree rings can provide scientists with information about the earth's past climate. Pupils analyze graphics of simulated tree rings from various US locations for the...

Hidden hundreds of feet above the ground in the redwoods of Northern California is a whole world that was just waiting to be discovered. This video tells the story of Stephen Sillett who, inspired by his grandmother, set out to...

The question isn't whether trees can communicate with each other, but how their communication works. Learn about the intricate communication network between trees and the fungus in the soil, and how the relationship goes beyond a...

This is a set of lessons where middle schoolers investigate tree rings and what scientists can learn from them. They measure tree rings and correlate the data to precipitation patterns in order to make predictions about the climate. For...

Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park includes whitebark pines that are over 1,200 years old, meaning they have been there since before medieval times. The second lesson of five details how to read tree rings for climate change and...

Research the impact that changes in biotic or abiotic factors might have on an ecosystem. Debate for or against the changes and take action in the community. This resource ideally follows stream studies that young ecologists may have...