These resources are appropriate for teaching undergraduate students skills in designing a study, conducting background research, and interpreting data.

Credits: RichardBH via Flickr
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Lilac flowers

What can a Lilac Tell us About Climate Change?

Grades: Undergraduate

In this activity, your students will use the Spring Index Maps and USA-NPN Visualization tool to explore the timing of spring between their location and other areas of the country. They will also explore the overlap of phenology between two species in a single year.

Indoor activity; 60 minutes 

Credits: Brian Powell
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observer looking much too closely at a cactus

Mapping and Graphing your Phenology Observations

Grades: Undergraduate

In this activity, your students will develop their own research field site, learn to make observations and collect data outdoors, build their own dataset, and then will learn how to plot, analyze, and draw comparisons of that data. 

Outdoor activity; At least 7 class periods

Credits: Frances Benjamin Johnston via Wikimedia
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historic photo of wildflowers

Phenology Snapshots 

Grades: Undergraduate

In this activity, your students will conduct an investigation using historical photographic records to determine whether the timing of plant phenophases has changed in their own communities.

Indoor activity with some field trips; 3 class periods