Global Ups & Downs: Changing Sea Level (6-12)
Overview of the box
Concepts and Standards
Lessons:
1 Consequences
of global warming
2 Experimenting
with ice melt
3 Glacial evidence
4 Fossil evidence
Activities:
1 Reefs, limestone, &
sea level change
2 What about fossils?
3 Foraminifera &
changing sea level
4 Foraminifera &
climate change
5 Using isotopes to track
sea level change
6 Sea level change &
mass extinctions
5 Impacts of topography
6 Impacts on ecosystems
Online resources
Student Web Page
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Lesson 4: Fossil Evidence

Activity 4

Foraminifera and Climate Change

Materials / Preparation

  • A computer with internet access and a printer
  • Print a Climate Analysis worksheet for each student.
  • Calculators for each pair of students.

Grouping

Groups of two

Teacher tips

A key concept that must be introduced here is the special characteristic of shell formation in Neogloboquadrina pachyderma, a species of foraminifera that build a shell that coils in different directions (to the left or to the right) depending upon the water temperature in which they live – right coil in warm waters and left coil for cool waters. Their fossils allow us to determine the ocean temperatures at various times. This concept should be introduced at the beginning of the activity. With this information, students can study climate change by recording and interpreting data about coils from a collection of fossils from various time periods.

To obtain more information about this topic check out Climate Analysis Using Planktonic Foraminifera.

Students will need to know how to make percentages. You may want to review this process with them as you introduce the activity.

Procedure

  1. Class discussion: What can we tell about previous sea levels by looking at forams?
  2. Tell students that some forams are particular about water depths and others respond to water temperature. Neogloboquadrina pachyderma, is a species of foraminifera that build a shell that coils in different directions (to the left or to the right) depending upon the water temperature in which they live – right coil in warm waters and left coil for cool waters. These forams float freely in the waters, which is referred to planktonic.
  3. Hand out the Climate Analysis worksheet and review the instructions. Provide each pair of students with calculators to help them determine percentages. Although the first sample is done for the students, you may want to work through another sample to make sure students understand what they are to do. Have students work in pairs to complete the activity.
  4. Discuss their results. Ask students to briefly share what they learned from this activity.

Resources used

Climate Analysis Using Planktonic Foraminifera
http://www.teachingboxes.org/catalog.jsp?id=DLESE-000-000-004-904