What's Killing Minnesota's Moose?
Videos
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Biology
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by Vox
What it is
- This video describes the decline of moose populations in northern Minnesota, details the ecological reasons behind this problem (including shifting populations of parasites and predators), and highlights the effects on the native Anishinaabe (or Ojibwe) people.
- Wildlife biologists share their research results linking the moose decline to climate change and interviews with Anishinaabe or Ojibwe individuals reveal their cultural connection to (and reverence for) the moose.
Teaching tips
Positives
- Scientific research with multiple lines of evidence are clearly provided to describe the declining moose populations in Minnesota.
- Indigenous voices are highlighted throughout the video, describing the impact that climate change has on their historic way life.
Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with predator-prey relationships.
- Students should be able to describe cause and effect relationships in ecological problems.
- There may be a commercial before and during the video.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Consider having students create a concept map that highlights the problem of declining moose populations and the various causes of this decline that are all a result of climate change.
- Have students choose to research another animal that is affected by climate change and explain the ecological reasons for the decline.
From the scientist review
This resource is a 10-minute video presenting the historic dependence of the Anishinaabe or Ojibwe indigenous communities in Minnesota on moose populations, which are currently experiencing a startling population decline. This resource presents compelling evidence that points to changes due to increasing temperatures, rather than overhunting, as the cause of moose population decline. This is a very well-produced resource and is recommended for teaching.
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