This module contains a sequence of activities designed for an undergraduate ecology lesson on stage-structured population models or life tables that use published data. Two versions are provided: Version A emphasizes stage-structured population models and asks students to construct matrix models using data from a common garden experiment with two locally-adapted subspecies the a biennial plant, Gilia capitata. Version B focuses on life tables and survivorship curves by comparing the Gilia capitata data with data on Bighorn sheep and Monk seals. Both versions contain an initial introductory activity and an optional follow-up activity in which students conduct a sensitivity analysis to determine effects of climate change (version A) or conservation scenarios (version B).