Grade level:  4th – 5th grades

Skills: Number comparison & fraction

Related environmental issues: Climate Change

Area level: National, State, Regional, Household

Climate change impacts on the Earth’s animal and plant species. Especially migratory birds are vulnerable to the effect of climate change. Some birds such as Baird’s Sparrow are projected to lose all of their habitats and disappear. It is reported that of the 588 North American bird species studied, 314 species are at risk from climate change. Of the 314 species at risk from global warming, 126 of them are projected to lose more than half of their habits by 2050, and the rest of 188 of them are projected to lose more than half of their habitats by 2080.

1. How many bird species are not at risk from climate change?
2. Is the number of the bird species at risk from climate change more than 1/2 of the birds studied or less than 1/2 of the birds studied?
3. Which has more species, the birds that are projected to lose more than half of their habits by 2050 or the birds that are projected to lose more than half of their habits by 2080?
4. Is the number of the bird species that are projected to lose more than 1/4 of of the total birds studied or less?

Source: National Audubon Society. “It’s time to act” & National Audubon Society, Birds and Climate Change Report

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Answer keys

1. 274 (588-314=274)
2. More than 1/2
3. Birds that are projected to lose more than half of their habits by 2080
4. Less than 1/4