Fish Bowl Biomes: Hands-on Education of Biomes, Climate and Climate Change

 

Rachel A. Jones & Brianna R. Wright

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2015, Volume 36

Abstract

Non-major science students often have a difficult time conceptualizing how climate works and how it may change over time. There are few hands-on climate and climate change labs that are appropriate for non-major undergraduate students. We have developed a ‘fish bowl biome’ exercise to help students consider climate and how it may change in response to a variety of factors. At the beginning of this lab students hypothesize how climate differs in biomes around the globe, and then circulate around the lab to document temperatures from digital readings in eight separate ‘fish bowl biomes’: marine, freshwater, polar desert, taiga, grassland, desert, rainforest, and city. We then modify some of the environments before discussing climate change in detail. Near the end of lab, students take final temperature readings and then graph their findings and develop conclusions prior to discussion. This exercise allows students to be actively learning to understand how climate works. It models the nature of science as they experiment to investigate climate and change over time

Keywords:  climate change, active learning, biome

University of Oregon (2014)