I completed this module in the 3 hour laboratory section of my 2nd term biology for majors course; which focuses on ecology and evolution.

I've attached the modified version of the module that I used for my students, which excludes the temperature anomaly sections. We completed this module during a 3 hour lab towards the end of the quarter. Students worked in pairs.

Students already had experience using Microsoft Excel to make figures from previous labs. To facilitate the activities, I introduced the term phenology, and asked students to discuss why we should care about changes in phenology. Next, I reviewed independent and dependent variables, line graphs versus scatter plots (why we use different types of graphs for different types of data, and what the slope of a line actually tells us (an indicator of rate). I did this review informally as an interactive “chalk talk” on the white board; drawing figures on the board and asking students questions (and asking them to sketch out figures on the board) instead of doing a formal powerpoint talk.

I was happy with the shortened version of the lab, and I think it would have been too much for students to complete the entire, unabbreviated lab within a 3 hour period.

Students submitted their figures online, and turned in the lab handout the following week at the beginning of lab.