Discover the diversity in the Earth Science Collection.
Discover the diversity in the Earth Science Collection.

Welcome to the Earth Science Collection, a library of resources for educators and the public interested in learning more about the diverse science disciplines that help us understand the earth's unique polar regions. The field of earth science has overlap into many disciplines and can include geology, oceanography, glaciology, and meteorology.

The Collection includes individual activities, lesson plans, journal entries, videos, and presentations that will educate the next generation about this complex field of study. All materials are created and compiled by world-class educators participating in authentic scientific research in the polar regions through PolarTREC expeditions.

The Earth Science Collection is utilized as class material in the Cyber-based Interdisciplinary Science Education Professional Development Courses offered through the University of Alaska- Fairbanks in conjunction with PolarTREC. The collection is funded by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States and the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs.

National Science FoundationArctic Research Consortium of the United StatesUniversity of Alaska- Fairbanks


Displaying 101 - 125 of 265

Overview

Students will investigate what a carbon footprint is and calculate their own personal carbon footprint. Finally, students will develop ways to reduce their carbon footprint.

Objectives

  • Students will know that the principles of chemistry underlie the functioning of biological systems.
  • Students will know that carbon, because of its ability to combine in many ways with
Lesson
Arctic
Less than a week
Middle School and Up
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Introductions to Dr. Hansen's TAMNNET Team working on seismology and tectonic history of the Transantarctic Mountains.

Video
Antarctic
Less than 1 period
All Aged
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Dr. Lee Cooper presents his research at the 2012 Arctic Ocean Ecosystem Workshop in Barrow, Alaska on arctic ocean processes and how these relate to oceans around the world.

Presentation
Arctic
Middle School and Up
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This article in the suburban Chicago newspaper The Daily Herald, describes the WISSARD project and it's science objectives. The article highlights the work of NIU professor Dr. Ross Powell, John Winans, and graduate student Timothy Hodson.

Article
Antarctic
All Aged
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The Antarctic Sun published this news article about the WISSARD Project that PolarTREC Teacher Mike LeBaron is with at McMurdo Station. The article provides a brief overview of the project and some history about the projects origins.

Article
Antarctic
All Aged
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Powerpoint presentation given at 2012 North Carolina Science Teachers Association professional development conference "Catch the Wave". Co-presenters Nick LaFave and Susan Steiner presented their PolarTREC experiences and information about PolarTREC.

Presentation
Arctic
Middle School and Up
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Presented Powerpoint slideshow including two interactive activities for two 90 minutes sessions of North Carolina New Schools Common Practices Symposium. The presentation included activities I've used in the classroom based on the PolarTREC experience, as well as images from the summer at Toolik.

Presentation
Arctic
All Aged
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Senior Scientist Anne Jensen gave a presentation about cultural resilience and sustainability at the 2012 Arctic Ocean Ecosystem Workshop in Barrow, Alaska. Read more about her archaeological work here.

Presentation
Arctic
Middle School and Up
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PolarTREC teacher Elizabeth Eubanks hosted a webinar from Costa Rica with Arctic Tundra Dynamics team from Barrow, AK. They are completing similiar research at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica.

Event
About 1 period

Teacher Elizabeth Eubanks recently returned from a research trip to Costa Rica along with Steve Oberbauer, a professor of biological sciences at Florida International University. In 2008, they had traveled to Barrow, Alaska to study the role of global warming on Arctic ecosystems as part of a PolarTREC exition. In Dr. Oberbauer's words, "Elizabeth was so good in Alaska, I

Article
All Aged
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PolarTREC teacher Tim Spuck presented on his experience with the IceBridge project, monitoring Greenland's glaciers and how they are being affected by climate change.

Article
Arctic
All Aged
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Susan Steiner, Science Teacher at Macon Early College High School, returns from her summer in the tundra

Article
Arctic
Elementary and Up
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Article posted in Western Carolina University's alumni magazine Class Notes section about Susan Steiner's expedition to Toolik Field Station, Alaska.

Article
Arctic
All Aged
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The attached PowerPoint is an introduction to thermal stratification and turnover in lakes, and interpretation of temperature profile data. The stand-alone presentation can be used to complement a lesson in Earth Science.

Credit: Julia West at jwest [at] oakmeadow.com

Presentation
Arctic
Middle School and Up
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This is a stand-alone PowerPoint presentation on glacial erosion features that could be used to complement a lesson in Earth Science.

Credit: Tammy Orilio at tammyorilio [at] gmail.com

Presentation
Arctic
Middle School and Up
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This is a stand-alone PowerPoint presentation about sediments that could be used to complement an Earth Science lesson.

Credit: Turtle Haste haste [at] aps.edu

Presentation
Arctic
Middle School and Up
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This one hour webinar is part of the International Polar Week celebrations sponsored by APECS, ARCUS and PEI. The presenters are young scientists that work in the Polar Regions. They shared information about their work as well as how they became interested in polar science.

Event
Arctic
About 1 period

Overview

This inquiry-based activity can be done using the slides of the attached PowerPoint presentation, or using a smart board. The slides describe the phases of the Inquiry Based Learning, step by step. The reference model is the "BSCS 5E model" (Bybee W. et al., 2006).

Objectives

Students will learn about global warming through inquiry-based learning and experimentation

Lesson
Arctic
Less than a week
Middle School and Up
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Science360 News focuses on the latest developments in scientific research. This link provides a short video on the 2012 Joint Science Education Program (JSEP). JSEP brings high-school students from diverse countries to Arctic research sites to experience hands-on science. Provided by the National Science Foundation.

Web Link
Arctic
All Aged

Objective

Just as the increase in atmospheric CO2 is causing the global air temperture to rise, the container with the added CO2 will trap more heat inside and will show a higher internal temperature.

Overview

This activity/demonstration can be used directly following lessons on greenhouse gasses and their effects on warming the atmosphere by allowing shortwave UV energy

Activity
About 1 period
Elementary and Up
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Fall 2012 Polar Week Flagship Activity!

We hope that this activity will be completed by a multitude of classrooms, students, scientists, and teachers around the world in celebration of International Polar Week - a global celebration of the Polar Regions during the equinoxes each year. Please find more information about this activity, including translations in many languages at [Flakes

Activity
Arctic
About 1 period
All Aged
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Purpose

Glaciers are slow-moving masses of ice that exist where more snow falls than melts. They occupy about 10% of the Earth’s land, mostly in Greenland and Antarctica. Here, glaciers can be as much as 2 miles thick and weigh more than millions of tons. As they move, glaciers can widen and deepen valleys, flatten forests and grind boulders

Activity
Arctic
About 1 period
All Aged
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Purpose

To learn about the effects of air pollution on Sea Ice. This can be a library/computer lab-based activity.

Procedure

Teacher: 1. Mix up a 3.5% solution of NaCl. Make enough "sea-ice" cubes for each pair of students 2. Make another class set of ice cubes with tap water. Leave the ice in the freezer until after the

Activity
Arctic
Less than a week
Middle School and Up
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Overview

Wilderness Research Foundation (USA) has developed two teaching modules based on a project we conducted in the Antarctic Peninsula in January 2010. They're available free for any educator interested in reviewing them for classroom use. The project concerned the collection of soil samples for the potential corroboration of a new conception of the carbon cycle. The principal investigator

Activity
Antarctic
Less than a week
Middle School and Up
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Overview

This lesson investigates the impact of melting and freezing arctic sea ice on the properties of salinity, temperature and density that contribute to the stratification of ocean waters. This lesson combines several learning approaches including a hands-on lab, a web-quest and collaboration with other students.

Objectives

1. Students will be able to explain and demonstrate how Arctic

Lesson
Arctic
More than a week
High school and Up
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