Year 11 Pre-Diploma Biology

Assignment (Wednesday 22
nd
, Thursday 23
rd
, Homework & Thursday 6
th
November)
This will not be easy but give it a try !y ho"e is that you will all #ome u" with something di$$erent
that #an be shared with us all, to give a wide variety o$ su""ort data%
This is all about the way seasons #hange naturally & eg% s"ring, summer, autumn, and winter or
rainy and dry seasons & and the way #hanges are ha""ening be#ause o$ global warming% 'hanging
seasons #reate #onditions u"on whi#h animals and "lants de"end and are ada"ted, maybe $or
hibernation, or $or breeding, or $or $lowering and $ruiting, et#% The "resent #hanging o$ the earth(s
#limate is #reating #haos amongst "lants and animals, whose #ustomary seasons are no longer
syn#hronised with their needs%
The "hoto#o"ied sheets are about seasonal #hanges and the s#ien#e o$ )H*N+,+-., and then
in$ormation about the ways on whi#h di$$erent data is being a##umulated by s#ientists% The shared
"ages in -oogle #ontain news items o$ e/am"les o$ what #limate #hange is doing to animals%
.ou will need to read these "ages and then %%% your end "rodu#ts will be0
1 2 short summary that e/"lains how rising tem"eratures, #hanging rain$all "atterns and #hanges
in seasonal #y#les #an a$$e#t "lants and animals% (This is Checkpoint 4.6 on the first page%)
.ou might like to get on the internet & 3ust a little & and add some data and $a#ts% There are
some e/#ellent "henology sites in#luding the 45 *nvironmental 'hange Network (*'N) & "ut
that in -oogle%
This summary should be ma/imum hal$ a "age and will show that you understand the essential
#on#e"ts%
2 6eview the di$$erent ways in whi#h the eviden#e $or global warming is being #olle#ted% These
in#lude tem"erature re#ords, evaluation o$ "ollen, the study o$ bog beetles, tree7ring analysis
(dendro#hronology), i#e thi#kness measurements, and lots o$ other eviden#e, some very
interesting and unusual, whi#h you might $ind on the internet% The *'N "rovides some
$as#inating data about the 45% htt"088data%e#n%a#%uk8environmental9indi#ators%as"
3 )rodu#e a s"e#i$i# "ie#e o$ resear#h0 Either: Take 3ust one o$ these ways in whi#h the eviden#e
is assembled and get dee"er into it by resear#hing through the internet%
Or: .ou might like to take 3ust one organism ("lant or animal) $or whi#h you have been able to
#olle#t re#ords $rom the internet, and make an analysis o$ those re#ords and their signi$i#an#e%
Whi#hever you #hoose, generate about 1 "age o$ resear#h% 6emember to a#knowledge your
resour#es & bibliogra"hy%
This is all very, very interesting This is #ontem"orary biology at its best : know that it will not be
easy, be#ause : am asking you to be s"e#ialists, but : believe in you
;ohn +sborne
+#tober 2<1=