Natural Inquirer – Vol. 14 No. 1
Is the Earth's environment changing over time? In the past few years, most scientists have agreed on at least one thing about the changing environment. They have agreed that measured and recorded changes in Earth’s weather patterns over the past 100 or more years point to a warming of Earth’s surface greater than they would have expected from normal cycles. In this edition of Natural Inquirer, you will learn about the effect that this may have on animals, plants, and forests.
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Highlights
- 6 Articles
- 13 Activities
- Lesson Plan
- 20 Scientists
- Glossary
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The scientists in this study were interested in three common periodic changes in sea surface temperatures, called oscillations. In particular, the scientists wanted to see how wildfires over the past...It’s a Small World: How Oceans and Climates Can Affect Wildland Fires Thousands of Miles Away
The scientists in this study were interested in three common periodic changes in sea surface temperatures, called oscillations. In particular, the scientists wanted to see how wildfires over the past... -
The scientists in this study were interested in trees that live in the Eastern United States. They wanted to explore how the habitat of these trees might change in the...Moving on Up: The Possible Impact of Climate Change on Forest Habitats
The scientists in this study were interested in trees that live in the Eastern United States. They wanted to explore how the habitat of these trees might change in the... -
The scientists wanted to know if the information gathered by satellites was as good as the information they would get if they gathered it in person. The scientists in this...The GLAS Is Half Full: Satellites and Changing Tropical Forests
The scientists wanted to know if the information gathered by satellites was as good as the information they would get if they gathered it in person. The scientists in this... -
The tree line is the edge of a habitat at which trees are capable of growing. In this study, the scientists wanted to examine dead trees that they found above...Back to the Future: Using Dead Trees to Predict Future Climates
The tree line is the edge of a habitat at which trees are capable of growing. In this study, the scientists wanted to examine dead trees that they found above... -
If the temperature of a stream rises too high, the animals that live in the stream may find it difficult to survive. Big changes in a stream’s daytime temperature as...Did They Make the Gradient? Climate and Stream Temperatures Now and Into the Future
If the temperature of a stream rises too high, the animals that live in the stream may find it difficult to survive. Big changes in a stream’s daytime temperature as... -
Wolverines, the largest terrestrial member of the weasel family, are difficult to find because they live in areas far from humans and human development. Therefore, not much is known about...There’s Snow Place Like Home: Tracking the Range of Wolverines Over Time
Wolverines, the largest terrestrial member of the weasel family, are difficult to find because they live in areas far from humans and human development. Therefore, not much is known about...
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Test your knowledge on archeology, biomass, and dendrochronology.Word Search – Climate Change
Test your knowledge on archeology, biomass, and dendrochronology. -
See if you can unscramble the words to create a sentence from this edition of the Natural Inquirer.Word Scramble – Climate Change
See if you can unscramble the words to create a sentence from this edition of the Natural Inquirer. -
Give each student or group a copy of the THIEVES chart reproduced at the end of the lesson plan PDF. You may either write the questions on the board, or...Lesson Plan – THIEVES Chart Guided Reading
Give each student or group a copy of the THIEVES chart reproduced at the end of the lesson plan PDF. You may either write the questions on the board, or... -
The question you will answer in this FACTivity is: How do yearly weather conditions affect the way a tree’s growth rings look? The objective of this FACTivity is to learn...FACTivity – It’s a Small World
The question you will answer in this FACTivity is: How do yearly weather conditions affect the way a tree’s growth rings look? The objective of this FACTivity is to learn... -
The question you will answer in this FACTivity is: What is the geographic distribution of a particular tree species?FACTivity – Moving on Up
The question you will answer in this FACTivity is: What is the geographic distribution of a particular tree species? -
The question you will answer in this FACTivity is: How can a series of Landsat images help scientists estimate a forest’s age over time?FACTivity – The GLAS Is Half Full
The question you will answer in this FACTivity is: How can a series of Landsat images help scientists estimate a forest’s age over time? -
The question you will answer in this FACTivity is: How does dendrochronology help us understand the environment in which a tree lives?FACTivity – Back to the Future
The question you will answer in this FACTivity is: How does dendrochronology help us understand the environment in which a tree lives? -
In this FACTivity, you will answer the following question: Does the movement of water affect its temperature?FACTivity – Did They Make the Gradient?
In this FACTivity, you will answer the following question: Does the movement of water affect its temperature? -
The question students will answer in this FACTivity is: What is the range of an animal?FACTivity – There’s Snow Place Like Home
The question students will answer in this FACTivity is: What is the range of an animal?
Glossary
View All GlossaryClassroom Review Board
Counselors Michael James, Sanjay Rema, and Katie McMichael’s Student Reviewers
- Memorial Park Day Camp
- Athens, GA
Editorial Review Board Comments
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Keith Aubry
One of my most interesting and exciting science experiences occurred last winter when I traveled around the island of Tasmania (which is part of Australia). This was my first opportunity...View Profile -
Johnny Boggs
My favorite science experience is having the opportunity to continuously explore how and why our environmental system works the way it does. Growing up as a kid, I used to...View Profile -
Peter Brown
My favorite science experience was certainly the earliest I can remember. I grew up on the Navajo Indian Reservation in northern Arizona. When I was in second grade, I rode...View Profile -
Diane Delany
When I was a little girl I loved to collect things in nature. I collected rocks, shells, bird nests, and pine cones. I collected them everywhere I went. I would...View Profile -
Eileen Helmer
I have two favorite science experiences. The first was collecting field data on horseback in Costa Rica after a hurricane caused landslides that blocked most of the roads. The second...View Profile -
Emily Heyerdahl
My favorite science experience is solving ecological puzzles about past wildland fires using tree rings. Just as when I was a young woman, I like being outside all summer collecting...View Profile -
Louis Iverson
My favorite science experience is finding out new (to me) patterns, trends, or functions of nature. It really is amazing how organisms interact with other organisms and their environment! One...View Profile -
Thomas Kitzberger
My favorite science experience is scouting large unexplored areas in search of evidence of past fires from old trees. It is like time traveling to find an old tree with...View Profile -
Stephen Matthews
My favorite science experience is coming up with new research questions based either on my current work or a new area of ecology. Then I like to go out and...View Profile -
Kevin McKelvey
My favorite experience was digging out a wolverine snow-den in Glacier National Park. To study wolverines, scientists capture wolverine kits (baby wolverines) and put tracking instruments on them. These instruments...View Profile -
Steve McNulty
My favorite science experience is when I am analyzing data and learn something that no one else has ever known before. It’s sort of like being the first person to...View Profile -
Connie Millar
Recently, I had a great science treasure hunt in the wild lands of Nevada. We were looking for the lowest elevation living bristlecone pine. The bristlecone pine is known for...View Profile -
Matthew Peters
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Analyst: A Geographic Information System, or GIS, is a system that collects, stores, manages, and presents information that is linked to a specific place on Earth....View Profile -
Anantha Prasad
My favorite science experience is combining what I have learned and gaining insights. For example, I like to look at information about climate change, topography, where different plant and animal...View Profile -
Dar Roberts
My favorite science experience was climbing a 44-meter tall tower to access tree canopies. I had a $70,000 instrument strapped on me to measure how light changes from the ground...View Profile -
Will Summer
My favorite science experience is being outside during a rainstorm. As a forest hydrologist, I study what happens to water from the time it falls from the sky until it...View Profile -
Ge Sun
My favorite science experience is getting my ideas and study results published in scientific journals. That way, they will be recorded and hopefully used by future generations to understand their...View Profile -
Emrys Treasure
My favorite science experience happens almost every day. I learn something new by testing my beliefs about how the natural world works. These are often quite simple observations about the...View Profile -
Thomas Veblen
My favorite science experience is learning what tree rings can tell us about the history of insect outbreaks on trees.View Profile -
Robert Westfall
Dr. Millar and I were searching for pika in a boulder field on Warren Bench, above Mono Lake, California. Pikas are small mammals in the same family as rabbits. We...View Profile
Standards addressed in this Journal:
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ESS2.A-M2
The planet’s systems interact over scales that range from microscopic to global in size, and they operate over fractions of a second to billions of years. These interactions have shaped Earth’s history and will determine its future.
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ESS2.C-M1
Water continually cycles among land, ocean, and atmosphere via transpiration, evaporation, condensation and crystallization, and precipitation, as well as downhill flows on land.
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ESS2.C-M2
The complex patterns of the changes and the movement of water in the atmosphere, determined by winds, landforms, and ocean temperatures and currents, are major determinants of local weather patterns.
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ESS2.C-M3
Global movements of water and its changes in form are propelled by sunlight and gravity.
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ESS2.C-M4
Variations in density due to variations in temperature and salinity drive a global pattern of interconnected ocean currents.
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ESS2.C-M5
Water’s movements—both on the land and underground—cause weathering and erosion, which change the land’s surface features and create underground formations.
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ESS2.D-M1
Weather and climate are influenced by interactions involving Sunlight, the ocean, the atmosphere, ice, landforms, and living things. These interactions vary with latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography, all of which can affect oceanic and atmospheric flow patterns.
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ESS2.D-M2
Because these patterns are so complex, weather can only be predicted probabilistically.
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ESS2.D-M3
The ocean exerts a major influence on weather and climate by absorbing energy from the Sun, releasing it over time, and globally redistributing it through ocean currents.
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ESS3.B-M1
Mapping the history of natural hazards in a region, combined with an understanding of related geologic forces, can help forecast the locations and likelihoods of future events.
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ESS3.C-M1
Human activities have significantly altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging or destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of other species. But changes to Earth’s environments can have different impacts (negative and positive) for different living things.
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ESS3.C-M2
Typically as human populations and per capita consumption of natural resources increase, so do the negative impacts on Earth unless the activities and technologies involved are engineered otherwise.
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ESS3.D-M1
Human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature (global warming). Reducing the level of climate change and reducing human vulnerability to whatever climate changes do occur depend on the understanding of climate science, engineering capabilities, and other kinds of knowledge, such as understanding of human behavior, and on applying that knowledge wisely in decisions and activities.
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ETS1.B-M1
A solution needs to be tested, and then modified on the basis of the test results, in order to improve it.
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ETS1.B-M2
There are systematic processes for evaluating solutions with respect to how well they meet criteria and constraints of a problem.
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ETS1.B-M4
Models of all kinds are important for testing solutions.
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ETS1.C-M1
Although one design may not perform the best across all tests, identifying the characteristics of the design that performed the best in each test can provide useful information for the redesign process—that is, some of the characteristics may be incorporated into the new design.
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ETS1.C-M2
The iterative process of testing the most promising solutions and modifying what is proposed on the basis of the test results leads to greater refinement and ultimately to an optimal solution.
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LS1.B-M3
Plants reproduce in a variety of ways, sometimes depending on animal behavior and specialized features for reproduction.
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LS1.B-M4
Genetic factors as well as local conditions affect the growth of the adult plant.
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LS1.C-M1
Plants, algae (including phytoplankton), and many microorganisms use the energy from light to make sugars (food) from carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water through the process of photosynthesis, which also releases oxygen. These sugars can be used immediately or stored for growth or later use.
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LS1.C-M2
Within individual organisms, food moves through a series of chemical reactions in which it is broken down and rearranged to form new molecules, to support growth, or to release energy.
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LS2.A-M1
Organisms, and populations of organisms, are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving factors.
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LS2.A-M2
In any ecosystem, organisms and populations with similar requirements for food, water, oxygen, or other resources may compete with each other for limited resources, access to which consequently constrains their growth and reproduction.
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LS2.A-M3
Growth of organisms and population increases are limited by access to resources.
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LS2.B-M1
Food webs are models that demonstrate how matter and energy are transferred between producers, consumers, and decomposers as the three groups interact within an ecosystem. Transfers of matter into and out of the physical environment occur at every level. Decomposers recycle nutrients from dead plant or animal matter back to the soil in terrestrial environments or to the water in aquatic environments. The atoms that make up the organisms in an ecosystem are cycled repeatedly between the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem.
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LS2.C-M1
Ecosystems are dynamic in nature; their characteristics can vary over time. Disruptions to any physical or biological component of an ecosystem can lead to shifts in all its populations.
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PS3.B-M2
The amount of energy transfer needed to change the temperature of a matter sample by a given amount depends on the nature of the matter, the size of the sample, and the environment.
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PS3.B-M3
Energy is spontaneously transferred out of hotter regions or objects and into colder ones.
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PS3.D-M1
The chemical reaction by which plants produce complex food molecules (sugars) requires an energy input (i.e., from sunlight) to occur. In this reaction, carbon dioxide and water combine to form carbon-based organic molecules and release oxygen.
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PS3.D-M2
Cellular respiration in plants and animals involve chemical reactions with oxygen that release stored energy. In these processes, complex molecules containing carbon react with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and other materials.
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PS4.B-M1
When light shines on an object, it is reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through the object, depending on the object’s material and the frequency (color) of the light.
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PS4.B-M2
The path that light travels can be traced as straight lines, except at surfaces between different transparent materials (e.g., air and water, air and glass) where the light path bends.
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PS4.B-M3
A wave model of light is useful for explaining brightness, color, and the frequency-dependent bending of light at a surface between media.
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Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
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By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
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Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
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Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.
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Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics.
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Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic.
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Analyze the author's purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text.
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Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).
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Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
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Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.
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Global Connections
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People, Places, and Environments
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Science, Technology, and Society
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Time, Continuity, and Change
What Is a Natural Inquirer Journal?
A Natural Inquirer journal is a collection of 4-8 articles on a related science topic. Journals are written for a middle school audience, but they can also be adapted for both high school students and advanced upper elementary students. Some journals are particularly suited to high school students; you can find our grade level recommendations in the tags on the product page or by filtering journals by grade level.
Journals include:
- Four to eight articles based on published, peer-reviewed research papers; the articles keep the research paper format (see more below) but are written in language students can understand.
- A FACTivity for each article, which is an activity to complete after reading the article. The FACTivity helps reinforce major science concepts from the article. These activities are designed to be easy to implement, with few material requirements and options for adapting them for your audience or available resources. Some articles in a journal may have two FACTivities.
- A short “Welcome to the journal” article about key background information and science concepts that unify the articles included in the journal
- A glossary of new terms for each article and the introductory materials.
- A list of related Natural Inquirer publications for each article as well as outside references.
- Standards correlations, including Next Generation Science Standards, addressed in the articles and the FACTivities.
Journals may also include additional essays (called spotlights), other activities (like crossword puzzles or vocabulary challenges), and more.
Reading Modes
Journals are available in three different formats:
- Hard copies can be ordered from the website and shipped, all free of charge.
- PDF versions of the printed journal can be downloaded free on the website. The PDF version directly replicates the content and layout of the printed version. You can also download individual articles as pdfs.
- The “Read Distraction Free” option allows the individual articles to open in their own window, without the rest of the website being visible. These articles can be found under the “Articles” tab. This version allows readers to scroll to particular sections of the article using the sidebar menu on the left side of the screen. This version also has interactive Reflection Sections and Number Crunches. Students can enter their answers, submit them, and then receive the correct answers to double-check their work. Submitted answers are not saved on the website and will disappear once the window is closed.
What's in a Natural Inquirer Article?
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Meet the Scientists
This section introduces the scientists (and others) who worked on the study. In their own words, they each share a memorable science experience, a favorite research project, or something they learned during the course of their education or research.
Use this section to:
- Introduce kids to the variety of people who work in science
- Introduce kids to the variety of scientific fields and give brief descriptions of science-related jobs
- Explore ways that people interact with science every day
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) applications:
- Science and Engineering Practices
- Crosscutting Concepts: Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.
Other resources:
Many of the scientists and engineers featured in this section are also featured on our collector cards. Learn more about their work, how they got interested in their fields, and interesting projects they worked on. Cards can be printed as posters, too.
Thinking About Science
This section briefly describes a concept about science or scientific research. This overview can touch on topics like
- study type (longitudinal study, quantitative vs. qualitative data),
- behaviors of scientists (conducting literature reviews, collaborating with other specialists, replicating earlier studies),
- the practice of science (the scientific method, engineering design, data collection, randomization, controls and variables),
- or other aspects of science (bias, correlation vs. causation).
Use this section to:
- Reinforce steps in the scientific method and the process of science
- Encourage students to think about the practice of science and what it can and cannot tell us
- Consider the many types of scientific study and what information each type can provide
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Science and Engineering Practices
- Life Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.
Other resources:
You can use key words to search for other or related scientific topics on our website (e.g. “longitudinal study,” “bias,” or “sampling”).
Thinking About the Environment
This section provides a brief overview of a topic or concept in environmental/life science. The topic or concept is directly related to the research study that follows. Examples of topics include the carbon cycle, the water cycle, habitat fragmentation, phenology, biodiversity, and ecosystem services.
Use this section to:
- Provide important background information to help students understand the research study
- Serve as a quick reference during reading or class instruction
- Connect the research article with other activities or media on the same topic
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.
Other resources:
You can use key words to search for more resources on life or earth science topics on our website (e.g. “habitat,” “carbon,” or “genetics”).
Introduction
This section begins the scientific article format. Much like the published, peer-reviewed study this article is based on, the introduction provides background information for the study – what is currently known and what remains unknown. The introduction culminates in the question(s) the study hopes to answer.
The introduction is also the first section with a Reflection Section. This section includes two or three questions to help kids reflect on what they’ve just learned in the Introduction. If they are using the online distraction-free reading mode, they can answer these questions directly on the website.
Use this section to:
- Review important background information that kids need to understand the study
- Connect the study to the concepts addressed in the Thinking About Science and Thinking About the Environment sections
- Understand research questions and hypotheses, including generating their own hypotheses given what they already know
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.
Other resources:
Use one of the guided reading lesson plans to help kids follow the format of a scientific paper.
Methods
This section is the nuts and bolts of the study design – the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the research. Contained within the Methods section are usually maps of the study location or the set-up of study plots, as well as details about what data was collected and how.
The Methods section also ends with a Reflection Section – two or three questions to help students think through what they just read. These questions are interactive on the distraction-free reading mode.
Use this section to:
- Show students how experiments and studies are designed and carried out
- Explore sampling methods and randomization
- Introduce various data collection tools (e.g. camera traps, surveys, insect collection tools, weather stations, etc.)
- Explain bias and how studies are designed to remove bias
- Help students gain experience with map reading
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.
Other resources:
Many Methods and Findings sections contain Number Crunches, which are simple math exercises designed to help students interact with the data from the study.
Findings
This section summarizes the data collected during the study. The Findings section usually includes data tables or graphs and highlights the significant data points from the study. This section often mentions statistical analysis or the use of computer programs to model or analyze the data, though these methods are only discussed generally.
The Findings section also ends with a Reflection Section – two or three questions to help students think through what they just read. These questions are interactive on the distraction-free reading mode.
Use this section to:
- Have students practice reading and interpreting graphs and tables
- Compare results between variables and controls
- Explain the concept of statistical significance
- Discuss how no data or negative results still provide valuable information
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.
Other resources:
Search the website for “map” or “graph” to find activities where students can practice making and reading maps and graphs.
Discussion
This section concludes each article. In it, we summarize the main findings of the scientists’ study. Additionally, we present the scientists’ ideas about the limitations of their study, the big-picture impacts of their research, and the scientists’ plans for future study or action.
The Discussion section ends with a Reflection Section – two or three questions to help students think through what they just read, especially general take-aways from the study. These questions are interactive on the distraction-free reading mode.
Use this section to:
- Discuss what conclusions can and cannot be drawn from the available data
- Explain the difference between correlation and causation
- Explore study limitations and opportunities for further study
- Brainstorm ways the study findings could be applied to real-world situations
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.
Other resources:
Use the “Designing Your Own Study” resource page for videos of scientists discussing their own research studies. The page also includes educator resources to help students plan their own scientific studies.
Additional Resources on the Website
On the website, we pair each journal with a variety of other resources, as well. Use the tabs on the product page to browse through the following:- Related activities, including the FACTivity for each article
- An “About” essay that gives some larger context for the research the scientists conducted or more information about the science topic from the journal
- A glossary of all boldfaced terms from the journal
- A “Scientists and Collaborators” page that lists the people involved in the studies in the journal; click on a researcher to reach their bio page and see what other articles they might be featured in
- A “Related Content” page that lists both Natural Inquirer resources about similar topics and also outside reference materials
Article Selection and Review
Natural Inquirer partners with the USDA Forest Service, so we source research studies by Forest Service scientists that have been peer-reviewed and published in reputable journals. Some of our articles have also been created in collaboration with scientists from other Federal agencies, such as U.S. Geological Survey and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, universities, and other non-profits.
All journal articles are reviewed by scientists who conducted the original research study to verify scientific accuracy. Journals are also reviewed by student editorial review boards of middle or high school students before publication. Additionally, all journals are reviewed by the Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture before publication.
Every journal article includes a citation of its source study. Many educators pair the original research paper with our article to help more advanced students learn how to read formal research papers. The journal article then serves as adapted primary literature, bridging the two articles.Lessons
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Give each student or group a copy of the THIEVES chart reproduced at the end of the lesson plan PDF. You may either write the questions on the board, or...
Lesson Plan – THIEVES Chart Guided Reading
Give each student or group a copy of the THIEVES chart reproduced at the end of the lesson plan PDF. You may either write the questions on the board, or... -
In this lesson plan, students will read a Natural Inquirer article and write a letter to the scientist, asking for clarification on at least four questions. Note: This lesson plan...Lesson Plan – Write A Scientist
In this lesson plan, students will read a Natural Inquirer article and write a letter to the scientist, asking for clarification on at least four questions. Note: This lesson plan... -
The goal of this lesson plan is to help students identify key concepts and develop their own interpretations of what they read. It includes 42 open-ended questions for them to...Lesson Plan – Questions Only
The goal of this lesson plan is to help students identify key concepts and develop their own interpretations of what they read. It includes 42 open-ended questions for them to...
Project Learning Tree
If you are a PLT-trained educator, you may use “Living with Fire,” “Trees as Habitats,” “Trees in Trouble,” “Our Changing World,” “Tree Cookies,” “Then and Now,” “Every Drop Counts,” and “In the Driver’s Seat” as additional resources. If you are a trained Project WILD educator, you may use the activity “Shrinking Habitat” as an additional resource.
Related Resources from The Natural Inquirer
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Welcome to Natural IQ, a sister publication of Natural Inquirer. Natural IQ is a regional publication and focuses on environmental research in the Southern United States.Natural IQ – Vol. 1 No. 1
Welcome to Natural IQ, a sister publication of Natural Inquirer. Natural IQ is a regional publication and focuses on environmental research in the Southern United States. -
Investi-gator is a sister publication to Natural Inquirer serving students in grades 4 or higher. This Investi-gator edition focuses on the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The scientists...Investi-gator (Pacific Northwest Research Station) – Vol. 1 No. 2
Investi-gator is a sister publication to Natural Inquirer serving students in grades 4 or higher. This Investi-gator edition focuses on the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The scientists... -
Welcome to the ClimateChangeLIVE distance learning adventure! The U.S. Forest Service and 26 federal and NGO partners bring climate learning to you through a series of webcasts, webinars, and online...Climate Change LIVE
Welcome to the ClimateChangeLIVE distance learning adventure! The U.S. Forest Service and 26 federal and NGO partners bring climate learning to you through a series of webcasts, webinars, and online...
Additional Resources
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USDA: Climate Hubs StoryMaps
Explore StoryMaps by region to learn more about how climate change is affecting different areas of the United States and what land managers are doing in response.Visit Website -
NOAA: 2024 Climate Literacy Guide
Climate Literacy: Essential Principles for Understanding and Addressing Climate Change presents information that is important for individuals and communities to know and understand about Earth’s climate, the impacts of climate change, and solutions. Principles in the guide can serve as discussion starters or launching points for learning about the climate crisis and what’s being done to address it across the world. The guide aims to promote greater climate literacy by providing this educational and communication framework of principles and concepts.Visit Website -
USDA Forest Service: Conservation Education
Through Conservation Education, the Forest Service provides a variety of educational resources and programs for individuals of all ages to learn about the environment and our nation’s forests and grasslands. Through these hands-on, interactive learning opportunities, students, educators, and parents can explore how to become a responsible steward of our natural resources. There are also a variety of resources for teachers and parents to engage youth in environmental education and for exploring careers in conservation.Visit Website -
USDA Forest Service: Climate Change Resource Center
The Climate Change Resource Center (CCRC) is a web-based, national platform that connects land managers and decision makers with useable science to address climate change in natural resources planning and management. Current and expected climate changes have serious implications for ecosystems and the benefits they provide.Visit Website -
Climate Change Atlas
The Forest Service's official Climate Change AtlasView Resource -
EPA’s Climate Change Website
Understanding and addressing climate change is critical to EPA's mission of protecting human health and the environment. EPA tracks and reports greenhouse gas emissions, leverages sound science, and invests in America to combat climate change.Visit Website -
FIND Outdoors
Our story is rooted in education about the forest. Our passion is to help people become inspired. Our goal is to help people connect with nature. Our drive is to help people learn through discovery. Through forest-inspired nature discovery, we help people FIND Outdoors.Visit Website