Glacier National Park is the poster child for climate change, according to Melissa Sladek, science communications specialist for the Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center and National Park Service.

“Temperatures are warming here two times faster than the rest of the planet,” Sladek said. “It’s the most rapid change we’ve seen. Species able to adapt in the past may not be able to now.”

Glacier National Park has experienced a decline in glaciers from 150 to 25, with predictions they will be gone by 2030, according to the United States Geological Survey.

This is one reason why the park was the site of study for 15 teachers from around the country for a grant-funded climate change teacher workshop. In late June the teachers hiked around the park learning and observing alpine, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems to learn from experts and develop climate literacy curriculum.

“Given the science behind what’s happening here, we give them curriculum tools and techniques to teach in the classroom,” Sladek said.

Teachers learned that although climate change may be inevitable, the rate has been accelerated by human actions, she said. Reducing human impact on the environment is one of the lessons the research learning center hopes to impart to students through service-learning projects, whether it’s making observations and doing activities in a state park, community park or a backyard. Sladek said the purpose is for students to ask, “what’s happening where I live?” and then take action.

Living in a location teeming with a seemingly endless supply of natural resources may be difficult for people to see any impact.

 “It’s difficult for children in our area to realize that some of these beautiful resources are limited because we live in such a precious environment — it’s water everywhere, mountains, lots of animals — we don’t realize how fragile it is,” said Somers sixth-grade science teacher Holiday Madich. “The awareness activities let them know their behaviors do have an impact on the longevity and well-being of species in our habitats,” she said.

When children realize their actions can make a difference, it’s empowering, Madich said.

“Doing the right thing and being proactive empowers them and in turn gives them self-esteem,” Madich said. “An example is using things that take less time for nature to clean, being cognizant that we have options in energy choices.”

On the last day of the workshop teachers split into groups to brainstorm ideas for service learning projects. During the year, teachers will post activities to www.parksclimatechallenge.org, a site for teachers to collaborate on the topic.

For middle-school science teacher Lisa Haider’s students at Harvest Prep in Minneapolis, expansive natural areas are scarce.

“My kids are inner-city kids. Most of them are living in 90 percent poverty,” Haider said. “I would be very surprised if my students have been to any national parks, so this is an opportunity to bring back to them some of the information of what’s happening in the national parks. We’ve taken on a couple of environmental learning trips where it’s the first time they’ve seen fireflies or heard frogs.”

She has learned a lot about climate change.

“I knew that the glaciers were disappearing, but had no idea how fast, or how much, until they showed old photos from the 1900s and photos taken now in the exact same spots of glaciers,” Haider said.

By teaching the impacts of climate change in Glacier National Park, she hopes to engage them in learning about changes impacting Minnesota.

The repeat photographs, part of a Geological Survey project, is a key visual for students to grasp of the impact of climate change, which is why Stephanie Samuel, a first-grade teacher at Sage Canyon Elementary in San Diego, had the idea of creating another visual — having her young students carry around trash bags filled with everything they throw away over a week.

“It will be real literal — this is what I’m contributing to our landfills. From there, we could take the things out that we can recycle and what we can we clean up and reuse,” Samuel said.

The activity may be part of a unit Samuel formulated titled “How big is my [carbon] footprint?” In this age group, Samuel said students already are learning the difference between climate and weather. One of her service learning project ideas was to have students walk to school and wear buttons with the questions, “Ask me why I walked to school today” or “Ask me how big my footprint is.”

“This would be an opportunity for them to talk to others about how they want to help the planet,” Haider said.

Learning about climate change includes subjects other than science, such as mathematics and social studies, said Laura Law, an education specialist with the National Park Service. Education trunks offered materials covering a two-week unit on climate change for teachers.

Law outlined how social studies may be taught using the lessons.

“One lesson is focused on why people are talking about policy and making laws over energy,” Law said. “A second lesson in the trunk correlates perfectly to the industrial revolution.”

The National Park Foundation, Glacier Institute and Glacier National Park organized the Climate Change Teacher Workshop through grants from the National Park Foundation.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.