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Biomes vary on a number of scales. Because they are so diverse, the
way we use them to produce resources, such as food, also varies.
Dry, desert-like areas produce less than regions that receive high
levels of rainfall and sunlight. Studying biomes can help us to
understand our world better.
Our choice of fieldwork locations is usually limited to accessible
places near school. However, we can use virtual fieldwork as a viable
alternative to investigate research questions.
Your task is to conduct a virtual
fieldwork inquiry using Google Earth
and resources to answer a research
question that you design.
PART 1: Introduction
A research question is an overarching idea you want to investigate. Refer to page 122 of the
Good Humanities 9 textbook for more information. Write your chosen research
question in the box below:
How humans change the aquatic
biome
Once you develop a research question you will need to write a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an
Write your
‘educated guess’ about what the answer to the research question might be.
hypothesis about the research question in the space below
(minimum 50-100 words):
Humans affect aquatic by polluting a lot of plastic releasing harmful chemicals in rivers and habitats ocean
Wetlands are dredged and filled in to accommodate urban, industrial, and agricultural development. Cities,
factories, and farms create waste, pollution, and chemical effluent and runoff that can wreak havoc on
reefs, seagrasses, birds, and fish. For the past 50 year
PART 2: Collecting and presenting
your data
Here are some web links that might help when exploring your chosen question.
Visit the Timelapse – Google Earth Engine to see a 34-year timelapse of the entire
planet -
o Read an article about this timelapse data at Timelapse: Landsat Satellite
Images of Climate Change, via Google Earth Engine.
Go on a virtual nature tour with Google Earth.
Visit BiomeViewer to view interactive data on the Earth’s biomes, anthromes,
temperature, rainfall and terrain.
Use National Geographic’s MapMaker website to generate maps with a vast range
of filters.
Discover world population change over time using World Population | An Interactive
Experience - World Population.
This is not an exhaustive list. You should try to find other websites and resources that are
relevant to your research question.
Depending on your research question, it may be worth deciding a certain area of the world
to focus on.
Collect and present your data below. You should include at least five
distinct pieces of data (or datum) that will help you draw conclusions
about your research question (more than five is recommended). This
could take the form of tables, graphs, sketches, photographs, videos, maps etc. You could
create these yourself for this document, copy & paste them in or embed them:
Datum 1
Explain what this piece of data is. What does it show us?
This Prichard shows how oil spills from factories into the ocean
Source:
Datum 2
Explain what this piece of data is. What does it show us?
In this graph, you can see how pollution is affecting the water from 1880 to 2020
Source:
Datum 3
1
Explain what this piece of data is. What does it show us?
An image showing how much pollution there is in that country can be seen in this image
Source:
Datum 4
Explain what this piece of data is. What does it show us?
Prichard explains how factories pollute air and water
Source:
Datum 5
https://youtu.be/nZjMRq9tev8?si=YDJeeJ4vODsSqCgh
Explain what this piece of data is. What does it show us?
As you watch this video, you will learn how much aquatic impact it has on animals and
aquatic plants
Source:
Datum 6 (optional)
Explain what this piece of data is. What does it show us?
Source:
Datum 7 (optional)
Explain what this piece of data is. What does it show us?
Source:
PART 3: Analysing your data and
drawing conclusions.
Using the data you collected while on your virtual fieldtrip, consider
how this information helps you to answer the research question.
Does it support your hypothesis? Or are you beginning to change
your mind? Complete the following tasks:
1. Overall, does that data you collected support your hypothesis? Was
your hypothesis correct? Why/why not? If your hypothesis was not
correct, what does that data suggest instead? (at least 100 words)
I believe that data supports my hypothesis because it is based on real-life
events. I hope that my data is accurate. If the hypothesis is proven to be
incorrect, then the data suggests that there may be other factors or variables
that are affecting the outcome.
1. Specifically refer to at least three pieces of data from your research
and explain how they support or contradict your hypothesis. (at
least 30 words each)
a. https://oceanconservationtrust.org/ocean-advocacy/think-ocean/ways-
to-think-ocean/ There is a lot of information here about the impact
humans have on the environment. All information about that is provided.
b. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Human_impact_on_marine_life#:~:text=Human%20activities%20affect
%20marine%20life,ocean%20acidification%20and%20ocean%20warming.
For this like it give good information
c.
d.
e.
4. Which methods were the most successful for collecting data to
answer the research question? Why? (at least 50 words)
I use this the most because it discusses how humans have impeded
the aquatic biome. This helps me a lot because it gives me a lot of
information.
https://oceanconservationtrust.org/ocean-advocacy/think-ocean/ways-to-
think-ocean/
and the like name is ocean conservation trust
5. Which methods were the least successful for collecting data to
answer the research question? Why? (at least 50 words)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Human_impact_on_marine_life#:~:text=Human%20activities%20affect
%20marine%20life,ocean%20acidification%20and%20ocean%20warming.
This like help me
6. What changes to your fieldwork approach would you suggest to
future Year 9 students completing this task? (at least 50 words)
Future Year 9 students completing this task should plan ahead, be observant,
collect reliable data, analyse it thoroughly, consider alternative hypotheses,
collaborate with others, and follow safety guidelines to ensure a safe and
successful fieldwork experience.
PART 4: Extension
Design a second mini research question that compares or contrasts with what
you found out for your first investigation.
This might be a question that directly follows from something you found out
while completing the above. It might be a question that requires you to
investigate a different type of biome or part of the world. It might be a
question that digs deeper into what you investigated above, e.g. suggesting
solutions to issues you found out about while researching your original
question.
Come up with a hypothesis, find relevant data, draw conclusions, and clearly
present it all.
My second mini research question is ocean warming.
Most of heat energy from global warming goes into the ocean, and not into the
atmosphere or warming up the land. Scientists realized over 30 years ago the
ocean was a key fingerprint of human impact on climate change and "the best
opportunity for major improvement in our
understanding of climate sensitivity is
probably monitoring of internal ocean
temperature.
Marine organisms are moving to cooler
parts of the ocean as global warming
proceeds. For example, a group of 105
marine fish and invertebrate species were
monitored along the US Northeast coast and
in the eastern Bering Sea. During the period
from 1982 to 2015, the average centre of
biomass for the group shifted northward about 10 miles as well moving about
20 feet deeper.
Marine ecosystems are being affected by
increasing ocean temperatures. The Indian
Ocean, for instance, has been experiencing a
decline of up to 20% in marine
phytoplankton over the past six decades,
according to a study. One of the largest
concentrations of marine phytoplankton
blooms occurs during summer in the western
Indian Ocean.
