Index of Data Activities
This page curates the data activities we have that support learning for both exams and the experimental needs of the course. The activities can also be found directly in the relevant activities topics. In true ESS fashion, though, many could be applied to different topics.
Data Activity - Data Skills - Topic 1.1 - Smoking
Topic 1.1 considers perspectives, seeking to understand the complexities behind our decision making and actions. In this activity you will consider some data on smoking habits. Answers may be found HERE.
Data Activity - Topic 1.1 - Do people care about climate change?
Topic 1.1 considers perspectives, seeking to understand the complexities behind our decision making and actions. In this activity you will consider some data on how much people care about climate change....
Data Activity - Graph Skills - Topic 1.2 - Plastics
Topic 1.2 considers systems. In this activity you will look at data about plastics. Plastics are the largest, most harmful and most persistent fraction of marine litter, accounting for at least 85% of...
Data Activity - Data Skills - Topic 1.3 - Food waste
Topic 1.3 covers sustainability and sustainable development. In this data activity you will look at data on food waste around the world. Answers may be found HERE.
Data Activity - Graph Skills - Topic 1.3 - Sustainability
Topic 1.3 covers sustainability and sustainable development. In this data activity you will look at data on the Living Planet Index. Answers may be found HERE.
Data Activity - Topic 2.1 - Breeding like rabbits!
Topic 2.1 looks at individuals, populations, communities, and ecosystems. This data activity asks you to consider the rabbit population in Australia, an extreme example of an invasive species exceeding...
Data Activity - Graph Skills - Topic 2.2 - Global Biomass
Topic 2 is ecology, the science of the relationships among living organisms (including humans) and their physical environment. This activity asks you to consider the Earth's biomass. Answers to this activity...
Data Activity - Graph Skills - Topic 2.3 - CO2 and Methane
Topic 2.3 looks at how human activities affect nutrient cycling and the sustainability of environmental systems. This data activity looks at the carbon footprint of different foods. Answers may be found...
Data Activity - Topic 2.3 - Forests as Carbon Stores
Human activities such as cutting down forests are disrupting the balance of the carbon cycle, releasing huge amounts of greenhouse gases and contributing to climate change. This activity asks you to consider...
Data Activity - Data Skills - Topic 2.3 - Fertiliser
This data activity is related to Topic 2.3 which considers biogeochemical cycles. It looks at the use of fertilisers. Answers for this activity can be found HERE.
Data Activity - Kite diagram
This activity guides you through the construction of a kite diagram, a useful way of graphing data collected along a transect. Answers are provided here: Data Activity - Kite diagram (Answers)
Data Activity - Graph Skills - Topic 3.1 - Disappearing butterflies
Pollinator insects – bees, wasps, beetles, flies, ants and butterflies – play an important role in agriculture. This activity asks you to consider data on butterfly populations in the UK. Answers...
Data-based activity - Topic 3 - Snakes on Guam
The data-based activity is about the introduction of the Boiga irregularis (Brown Tree Snake) on Guam and its effect on fauna. You can find the answers here: Data-based activity - Topic 3 - Snakes on...
Data Activity - Topic 3.2 - Biodiversity Loss
Topic 3.2 considers how humans impact biodiversity. This activity looks at data from Switzerland, a country known as a haven of pristine nature − a reputation which now you might question. Biodiversity...
Data Activity - Topic 4.2 - Clean Water
Topic 4.2 looks at water scarcity and access to clean water. This activity asks you to consider data on who has access to clean water around the world. Answers to the activity may be found HERE.
Data Activity - Topic 4.3 - Farmed fish
The average person now eats almost twice as much seafood as half a century ago. This has significantly increased pressure on fish stocks across the world. Topic 4.3 looks at aquatic food production systems....
Data-based activity - Topic 4.3 - Shrimp Aquaculture
This data-based activity asks you to consider data on different types of shrimp farming systems in Vietnam. The answers may be found here: Data-based activity - Topic 4.3 - Shrimp Aquaculture (Answers)
Data-based activity - 4.3 - MPAs
This data-based activity is about coral reef fish in the Philippines in marine protected areas. You can access the answers here: Data-based activity - 4. 3 - MPAs - Answers
Data Activity - Topic 4.4 - Guppies on Prozac
Topic 4.4 covers how pollution affects the sustainability of environmental systems. This activity asks you to consider data on how guppy fish are affected by Prozac in waterways. The answers to the activity...
Data-based activity - 4.4 - Water quality
This data-based activity asks you to consider data on the water quality of a (hypothetical) lake in Switzerland. You can find the answers here: Data-based activity - Topic 4 - Water quality - Answers...
Data-based activity - Topic 1.3 & 5.2 - Food Footprints
This data-based activity asks you to consider data on different types of food. You can find the answers here: Data-based activity - Topic 1.3 & 5.2 - Food Footprints (Answers)
Data Activity - Topic 5.2 - How many harvests left?
Claims that the world has only 100, 60, or even 30 years of harvests left often hit the headlines. These claims are exaggerated, but soil erosion is a significant global problem. This activity looks at...
Data Activity - Topic 6.2 - Rising sea levels
Topic 6.2 considers how climate change is impacting ecosysems. This includes sea level rise (SLR). This activity asks you to consider data relating to the rising sea level, which impacts the land along...
Data Activity - Topic 6.2 - Sinking methane
Topic 6.2 looks at climate change. This activity asks you to consider some data on methane - where it comes from and where it is absorbed. Answers for this activity may be found HERE.
Data Activity - Topic 6.3 - Renewable Energy
Topic 6.3 asks how human societies can address the causes and consequences of climate change. In this activity you will consider some data on the move to using renewable sources of energy for electricity...
Data Activity - Topic 6.4 - Air-conditioning
Topic 6.4 considers the role of stratospheric ozone in protecting the biosphere from UV radiation and how certain substances destroy ozone molecules. This data activity looks at alternatives to air-conditioning...
Data Activity - Topic 6.4 - Ozone-depleting Substances
Topic 6.4 looks at how human activity has impacted the world's ozone layer. This data activity considers data on the use of ozone-depleting substances and the impact of the Montreal Protocol. Answers...
Data Activity - Topic 6.4 - UV Radiation & Skin Cancer
Topic 6.4 covers the ozone layer and UV radiation. In this data activity you will look at data on skin cancer. Answers may be found HERE.
Data Activity - Topic 7.2 - Energy Sources
While energy brings us massive benefits, it also has its downsides. This activity asks you to consider some data on both renewable and non-renewable energy sources, in line with Topic 7.2. Answers for...
Data-based activity - 7.2 - Power
This data-based activity asks you to consider data on different types of electricity power plants. You can access the answers here: Data-based activity - Topic 7 - Power - Answers
Data Activity - Topic 7.3 - Solid domestic waste
Topic 7.3 asks us to consider how societies can sustainably manage waste. This activity asks you to consider data from the US on municipal solid waste from 1960 to 2018. The answers for this activity...
Data-based activity - Topic 8.1 - Comparing cities
This data-based activity asks you to consider population demographic data on two very different cities. The answers can be found here: Data-based activity - Topic 8.1 - Comparing cities (Answers)
Data-based activity - 8.1HL - Dependency ratios
This data-based activity asks you to consider some data on the dependency ratios of different countries. You can find the answers here: Data-based activity - Topic 8.1HL - Dependency ratios (Answers)
Data Activity - Topic 8.1 - We the People
Topic 8.1 considers changing human populations. This activity asks you to examine data on how the world's population has changed, and is expected to change in the future. The answers to the activity may...
Data-based activity - Topic 8.2 - Urban green spaces
Urban green spaces have been shown to help reduce temperatures in a city. This data-based activity asks you to consider how much green space different cities have. The answers can be found here: Data-based...
Data-based activity - Topic 8.2 - Urban vs rural
This data-based activity asks you to consider data on urban and rural populations. The answers may be found here: Data-based activity - Topic 8.2 - Urban vs rural (Answers)
Data-based activity - 8.3 - Air pollution
This data-based activity asks you to consider data on the number of deaths from air pollution in different countries and the world overall. You can find the answers here: Data-based activity - Topic 8.3...