Mongolia Education

Explore the Ring of Darhad in northern Mongolia alongside the Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation team and enhance your students’ understanding of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). This unit follows the Ring of Darhad Mongolia Wolverine Expedition and includes seven standards-based lessons that align with both the traditional National Standards and Common Core Standards Initiative. Filled with hands-on and inquiry-based activities, these lessons will guide you and your students through the biodiversity of the mountainous northern Mongolian ecosystem while applying wildlife ecology research techniques to your own local schoolyard.

Lessons on ecosystems, biodiversity, wildlife ecology, and climate change were provided by the Montana Institute on Ecosystems (IoE) (http://montanaioe.org) via its CLimate In My Backyard (CLIMB) curriculum series (http://eu.montana.edu/CLIMB)

The lessons can be completed in any order and can be taught independently and outside of the unit. For those following the Ring of Darhad Mongolia Wolverine Expedition in live time during Spring 2013, it is recommended that lessons are completed in sequential order. Lesson seven can be completed at the end of the unit, or completed in portions after each of the other lessons to complement lessons one through six. Each lesson is approximately one hour long and has options for adapting the lessons to different age groups and extending the learning.

Discover the mission of the Ring of Darhad Mongolia Wolverine Expedition and the planning that was required to make this journey a success. “Meet” the members of the team through short videos and start to uncover and appreciate how exciting adventures like this can support science.

Explore northern Mongolia and the Darhad region, including its location, topography, and people. Trace the expedition’s route on a map, learn about resupply points and compare American culture with the Mongolian culture through research.

Learn more about the Darhad region’s ecosystem and how its species are interconnected through games and diagrams. Students will explore how the wolverine’s survival depends on the health of the entire Darhad ecosystem through research.

Explore how scientists gather data on wildlife and the techniques they use in the field. Investigate signs of life and search for evidence of life in your own schoolyard.

Discover how biodiversity is calculated by using candy, then calculate biodiversity of a model of northern Mongolia. Research species that live in the Ring of Darhad and play a whole-class game to explore the biodiversity of the region.

Study various climates around the world by exploring global data and comparing different cities. Identify how your actions contribute to climate change and how the wolverine is affected by warming temperatures. Take action to help protect the wolverine.

Become an adventure scientist by examining the biodiversity of your schoolyard. Use a field journal to plan and prepare for your adventure, collect data in the field, and draw conclusions from your findings. NOTE: This lesson’s activities can be completed after each corresponding lesson or as a whole project at the end of the unit.