Physical Science Collection
Explore physical science in the polar regions.
Welcome to the Physical Science Collection, a library of resources for educators and the public interested in learning more about the non-living systems in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. The field of physical science includes but is not limited to physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, and other sciences that analyze the nature and properties of energy and nonliving matter.
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 Physical 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.
Web Link
Updated:
November 8, 2011 - 2:15pm
Excerpt:
Teacher's Domain is an online educational service with two related components — Collections and Courses — that help teachers enhance their students' learning experiences and advance their own teaching skills. This collection was built to celebrate the International Polar Year. Learn about the...
Grade Level:
All Ages
Updated:
March 14, 2012 - 12:11pm
Excerpt:
The Arctic Climate Modeling Program (ACMP) provides curriculum-based arctic resources for use with K-12 students. Resources include inquiry-based classroom lessons, a student network for observing arctic weather (S.N.O.W.) , digital lectures, and an interactive multimedia learning system (on DVD...
Grade Level:
All Ages
Title:
NASA Salinity Video
Updated:
November 28, 2011 - 12:45pm
Excerpt:
Salinity plays a major role in how ocean waters circulate around the globe. Salinity changes can create ocean circulation changes that, in turn, may impact regional and global climates. The extent to which salinity impacts our global ocean circulation is still relatively unknown, but NASA's new...
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
NASA Salinity Video
Title:
NASA: Drain the Ocean Video
Updated:
November 28, 2011 - 12:45pm
Excerpt:
NASA video depicting "Draining the Ocean"
Grade Level:
All Ages
Updated:
February 20, 2013 - 3:55pm
Excerpt:
A collection of eight videos focusing on the topic of climate change in the Arctic.
Videos are from the 2007 ARCSS Synthesis Workshop, the 2007 Arctic Forum, and the 2008 Arctic Forum.
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Updated:
October 26, 2011 - 2:13pm
Excerpt:
The Bridge is a growing collection of the best marine education resources available on-line. It provides educators with a convenient source of accurate and useful information on global, national, and regional marine science topics, and gives researchers a contact point for educational outreach. The...
Grade Level:
All Ages
Title:
Comparing the Poles
Updated:
October 26, 2011 - 2:36pm
Excerpt:
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution offers a comprehensive comparison of the polar regions with sections specific to physical features, seasons, weather, ice, plants and wildlife, human impacts, global warming, and science.
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
Comparing the Poles
Updated:
October 26, 2011 - 12:08pm
Excerpt:
With credit to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, this interview with Dr. Timothy Shank explains the importance of hydrothermal vents to the survival of deep sea organisms in the Arctic. The link will open a page with Dr. Shank's video as well as his biography.
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Updated:
February 20, 2013 - 4:39pm
Excerpt:
This National Geographic database is currently growing and will be updated frequently. Find multimedia activities aligned with national standards, educational projects, and more. Navigate iconic National Geographic maps with new interactive features and tools for creating custom materials that can...
Grade Level:
All Ages
Updated:
October 26, 2011 - 4:33pm
Excerpt:
This information is a resource on everything Antarctica created by 3 students in a Thinkquest project, collaborating internationally - Oliver Strebel, Robert Merki and Ho Lik Man.
Grade Level:
Elementary and Up
Title:
Polar Books Collection
Updated:
November 28, 2011 - 12:45pm
Excerpt:
A book collection for all ages from the United Nations Environment Programme. This collections page allows you to select a book and read a more detailed description.
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
Polar Books Collection
Title:
Earths Polar Regions - NESTA
Updated:
December 14, 2011 - 7:00am
Excerpt:
Do you wonder what Earth's Polar Regions are like? Where do polar bears live? Where do penguins swim? Why does the Sun never shine in winter in the Arctic? Why does aurora occur near the Earth’s Poles? How big are the Earth’s ice caps, and are they changing? The Earth’s Polar Regions are hosts to...
Grade Level:
All Ages
Title:
Polar Regions Maps
Updated:
October 27, 2011 - 10:40am
Excerpt:
Large, small, and diverse file type maps of the Arctic and Antarctica from the Perry-Castañeda Library
Map Collection. The collections of the University of Texas Libraries are the result of more than one hundred years of continuing commitment by librarians, faculty, students, and private donors to...
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
Polar Regions Maps
Updated:
February 20, 2013 - 3:55pm
Excerpt:
This video, available from National Geographic, is an overview of the earth and life science properties of the Arctic Ocean.
Grade Level:
All Ages
Updated:
February 28, 2012 - 3:36pm
Excerpt:
Polar science is a topic both your students and you can get into. This publication gives you a variety of angles to choose from in implementing a study of polar science. This resource was created under a National Science Foundation Grant by Middle School Portal 2: Math & Science Pathways.
Grade Level:
Elementary and Up
Updated:
November 15, 2011 - 9:27am
Excerpt:
This is a television interview from USCG Healy via satellite phone to a television station in Dayton, Ohio.
Grade Level:
All Ages
Updated:
February 21, 2013 - 12:03pm
Date:
Sat, 02/25/2012
Excerpt:
PolarTREC teacher Juan Botella is interview by a local news station about his work on the NB Palmer. Juan discusses ocean circulation and changes affecting marine organisms. Video and article included.
Grade Level:
All Ages
Related Expeditions:
Seawater Property Changes in the Southern Ocean
Related Members:
Updated:
March 1, 2012 - 4:35pm
Date:
Fri, 02/03/2012
Excerpt:
Local news interviews PolarTREC teacher Nell Herrmann about her expedition to Palmer Station, Antarctica. The take a visit to her classroom as well. Video and written article are included.
Grade Level:
All Ages
Related Members:
Updated:
March 5, 2012 - 5:57pm
Excerpt:
The Permafrost Observatory was established at Barrow under the auspices of the International Arctic Research Center (IARC). The observatory was established to compare present permafrost temperatures with those obtained during the 1950s and early 1960s by Max Brewer.
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Updated:
March 5, 2012 - 6:02pm
Excerpt:
NPR and National Geographic teamed up to create an animated video series that begins with the basics of Carbon as an element and with 5 episodes draws the links between carbon and our warming planet. This is a part of the Climate Connections Series
Grade Level:
Elementary and Up
Updated:
March 5, 2012 - 6:16pm
Excerpt:
In this video adapted from KUAC-TV and the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, learn how one-celled organisms in permafrost may be contributing to greenhouse gas levels and global warming. Investigate how soil microbes, once thought to be dormant in cold temperatures, may...
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Title:
Global Methane Inventory
Updated:
March 6, 2012 - 10:59am
Excerpt:
NASA GISS Institute on Climate and Planets education tools on Global Methane Inventory. This resource gives an introduction to the methane cycle as well as lessons, projects, research, and reference materials.
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Link:
Global Methane Inventory
Updated:
March 12, 2012 - 2:48pm
Date:
Wed, 03/30/2011
Excerpt:
NBC Learn, in partnership with the National Science Foundation, explores the impact that climate change is having on our planet. In this video, IARC's Dr. Katey Walter Anthony and IARC affiliate Dr. Vladimir Romanovsky are interviewed about permafrost, methane, and their impacts on the environment...
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Updated:
March 12, 2012 - 3:00pm
Date:
Sun, 01/29/2012
Excerpt:
What are the chances of abrupt releases of, say, 1 Gt of methane in the Arctic? What would be the impact of such a release? This scientific article offers detailed explanations of the stability of methane, impacts of hydrates, and data provided by NOAA and IPCC. Strong bibliography for this...
Grade Level:
High school and Up
Updated:
March 20, 2013 - 10:35am
Excerpt:
Icy IPY activities can be downloaded in word documents and tried in your classroom. From 'Blubber Gloves' to 'Experiments with Ice and Snow', there are a wealth of different activities to introduce students to the Polar Regions or complement their existing knowledge of the Poles.
The International...
Grade Level:
All Ages
Updated:
March 29, 2012 - 5:33am
Date:
Mon, 03/01/2010
Excerpt:
The Polar Resource Book - Polar Science and Global Climate: An International Resource for Education & Outreach - was written to ensure that the efforts catalyzed by the International Polar Year (IPY) will continue to inspire educators, students, and emerging polar researchers with a shared...
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
Pearson Bookshop
Title:
Frontier Scientists
Updated:
May 15, 2012 - 6:04am
Excerpt:
Frontier Scientists puts you in the front row to observe breaking scientific news from leading Arctic scientists in Archaeology, Geology, Anthropology, the Humanities, Biology, Marine Biology, Ecology, Chemistry and more. Many videos on Arctic science are available from their website.
Grade Level:
All Ages
Updated:
June 15, 2012 - 10:34am
Excerpt:
Arctic Research Mapping Application. ARMAP is a suite of online, interactive maps and services that support Arctic science. Learn more about research projects in your region of interest or scientific discipline. Explore available data or possible collaborations. Use the online mapping tools to...
Grade Level:
High school and Up
Title:
Basics of Polar Geology
Updated:
April 3, 2013 - 9:30am
Excerpt:
Rocks and minerals make up the earth around us. But what exactly are rocks and minerals? What is the difference between them? How do they form? Where are they found?
This article provides content knowledge about minerals, the three types of rocks, the rock cycle, and polar geology as well as...
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
Basics of Polar Geology
Updated:
December 13, 2012 - 9:52am
Date:
Thu, 12/13/2012
Excerpt:
SpaceWeather.com is an excellent tool used to predict space weather events like the Northern Lights and solar activity levels.
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
SpaceWeather.com
Related Expeditions:
Updated:
April 2, 2013 - 4:26pm
Excerpt:
Ice Stories is a project from the San Francisco Exploratorium as 'Dispatches from Polar Scientists' as an outreach effort from the 2007-08 International Polar Year. The Antarctic Geology focuses on mountains in East and West Antarctica. Be sure to check out the videos associated on the website "...
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Title:
Mountain Building Processes
Updated:
April 3, 2013 - 9:37am
Excerpt:
National Earth Science Teachers Association website, Windows to the Universe, presents the basics on mountain building processes.
Grade Level:
All Ages
Updated:
April 3, 2013 - 9:58am
Excerpt:
The Roof at the Bottom of the World: Discovering the Transantarctic Mountains comprehensively documents the 1,500-mile length of the Transantarctic Mountains. It is the first atlas of the most remote mountain range on Earth. The presentation is historical, following a narrative of the voyages and...
Grade Level:
All Ages
Updated:
April 3, 2013 - 10:08am
Excerpt:
This website is an overview on the Transantarctic Mountains with information on geography, geology, mechanisms for formation, issues, and additional references.
Grade Level:
High school and Up
Updated:
April 3, 2013 - 10:13am
Excerpt:
This website is an overview of the TAMSEIS project addressing the questions of the Transantarctic Mountain origins and the structure of the East Antarctic craton.
Grade Level:
High school and Up
Updated:
May 25, 2013 - 4:28am
Excerpt:
POLENET (The Polar Earth Observing Network) is a global network dedicated to observing the polar regions in a changing world.
The project is focused on collecting GPS and seismic data from autonomous systems deployed at remote sites spanning much of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets. GPS and...
Grade Level:
Elementary and Up
Updated:
April 3, 2013 - 10:26am
Excerpt:
Founded in 1984 with support from the National Science Foundation, IRIS is a consortium of over 100 US universities dedicated to the operation of science facilities for the acquisition, management, and distribution of seismological data. This weblink is directed to their education and public...
Updated:
April 3, 2013 - 10:30am
Excerpt:
UPSeis (pronounced "up size") is a program created to teach young people (and not-so-young people) more about the planet we live on and how it works. The UPSeis program is divided into two parts: this web site and a school program.
Title:
IRIS-PASSCAL Polar Equipment
Updated:
April 3, 2013 - 10:39am
Excerpt:
The seismic equipment that is being used for TAMNNET (studying the Transantarctic Mountains) was specially engineered for use in polar climates. Polar projects commonly require a level of support that is several times that of seismic experiments in less demanding environments inclusive of very...
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Updated:
April 12, 2013 - 4:14pm
Excerpt:
PolarTREC researcher Samantha Hansen shares this resource as a background to her work and information on geologic processes.
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Related Members:
Samantha Hansen
Updated:
April 12, 2013 - 4:19pm
Excerpt:
Class notes and detailed information on mountain building. PolarTREC researcher Samantha Hansen shares this resource as a background to her work and information on geologic processes. Created by John C. Butler, July 29, 1995. Credit to: John Butler jbutler [at] uh [dot] edu
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Related Members:
Samantha Hansen
Updated:
April 12, 2013 - 4:22pm
Excerpt:
How Physical Processes Form Physical Features. PolarTREC researcher Samantha Hansen shares this resource as a background to her work and information on geologic processes.
Grade Level:
Elementary and Up
Related Members:
Samantha Hansen
Updated:
April 12, 2013 - 4:25pm
Excerpt:
Antarctica's Gamburtsev Province Project (AGAP) provides an overview of antarctic geologic information.
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Updated:
April 12, 2013 - 4:59pm
Excerpt:
What kind of rocks make up Antarctica? What geological processes are occurring today? What rock and mineral resources exist there? Learn more from this website. For a more generalized review of Antarctica you can also start here
Grade Level:
All Ages
Title:
Permafrost lab
Updated:
April 23, 2013 - 10:11am
Date:
Wed, 04/03/2013
Excerpt:
The Geophysical Institute Permafrost Laboratory (GIPL)
The Permafrost Laboratory deals with scientific questions related to the circumpolar permafrost dynamics and feedbacks between permafrost and global change. At the Permafrost Laboratory, data related to the thermal and structural state of...
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
Permafrost Lab
Related Members:
Lesson
Title:
Geologists in Training
Updated:
April 3, 2013 - 9:31am
Excerpt:
Overview
The study of rock and sediment layers, or stratigraphy, can be used to introduce students to the fundamental principles of geology and to lead into the idea of geologic time. In this lesson, students are introduced to Nicolas Steno's 3 major laws of stratigraphy: the law of original...
Completion Time:
About 1 period
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Related Expeditions:
Kuril Islands Biocomplexity
Related Members:
Misty Nikula
Updated:
March 6, 2012 - 3:51pm
Excerpt:
Overview
Students are presented with an actual series of tundra photos, which they use to develop a hypothesis for which sort of ground cover will have the most/least permafrost depth. Then they are given a set of actual data and use this to test their hypothesis
Objective
Students will:...
Completion Time:
Less than a week
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Related Expeditions:
Updated:
March 5, 2013 - 7:16am
Excerpt:
Overview
In this activity, students diagram the carbon cycle. A lot of the concepts presented here are necessary in order to fully understand the greenhouse effect and global warming. This lesson is presented as an activity to do before embarking on a study of the greenhouse effect and global...
Completion Time:
About 1 period
Grade Level:
High school and Up
Related Expeditions:
Prehistoric Human Response to Climate Change
Title:
Do You See What Icy?
Updated:
February 24, 2013 - 11:17am
Excerpt:
Overview
This lesson answers the question: How does ice floating on the ocean act as it melts?
Objective
Students will learn about temperature, salinity and their effect on density.
Students will learn that ocean currents are caused by differences in densities as a result of temperature and...
Completion Time:
About 1 period
Grade Level:
Elementary and Up
Updated:
February 21, 2013 - 11:26am
Excerpt:
Overview
Through activities, video observation, experimentation and the construction of a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) students will learn about the chemical and physical properties of sea ice.
Objectives
Students will be able to answer main questions of where sea ice is, how it is formed,...
Completion Time:
More than a week
Grade Level:
All Ages
Updated:
February 21, 2013 - 12:00pm
Excerpt:
Overview
Textbooks say that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and can make earth's climate hotter. Try this lab to see if carbon dioxide gas can really act like a greenhouse.
Objectives
Students should be able to make a hypothesis, perform an experiment, analyze data and write a conclusion...
Completion Time:
Less than a week
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Related Expeditions:
Atmospheric Conditions and Arctic Climate
Updated:
July 24, 2012 - 6:45am
Excerpt:
Overview
Humans are creative. They try to solve problems in original ways. For example, some scientists are thinking of ways to decrease the amount of greenhouse gases in the air. Other scientists are thinking of ways to limit the amount of sun that reaches Earth so that the Earth won’t get so...
Completion Time:
Less than a week
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Related Expeditions:
Atmospheric Conditions and Arctic Climate
Title:
Polar Projects
Updated:
February 22, 2013 - 11:24am
Excerpt:
Overview
Students chose a research project, from one of seven suggested projects, to complete in class with a partner. Upon completion they will present their information to the class.
Objectives
Students will present a scientifically accurate project on a topic related to the PolarTREC Winter...
Completion Time:
More than a week
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Related Expeditions:
Winter Sampling
Related Members:
Title:
The Incredible Shrinking Cup
Updated:
June 12, 2012 - 8:26am
Excerpt:
Overview
Students decorate polysterene cups later to be submerged in the ocean. Subsequent activities have students consider the effects of water pressure and depth with respect to their cups.
Objective
Students will determine mass and volume of a styrofoam cup. They will calculate the density...
Completion Time:
Less than a week
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Related Expeditions:
Winter Sampling
Related Members:
Title:
Sea Ice Impact
Updated:
February 21, 2013 - 12:10pm
Excerpt:
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...
Completion Time:
More than a week
Grade Level:
High school and Up
Related Members:
Carin Ashjian
Updated:
April 26, 2013 - 6:03am
Excerpt:
Overview
Students will conduct a demonstration that will help them gain a better understanding of the water cycle and runoff in a watershed. They will be able to replicate arctic and non-arctic watersheds by varying the size of the watershed. They will be able to visualize the difference in runoff...
Completion Time:
Less than a week
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Related Expeditions:
Nutrient Transport in Arctic Watersheds
Related Members:
Melissa Barker
Title:
Feasting on Faults
Updated:
May 13, 2013 - 4:08pm
Excerpt:
This student lesson focuses on plate tectonics and large-scale system interactions, utilizing PolarTREC teacher Brian DuBay's Transantarctic Mountains expedition videos.
Objectives: The student will investigate, make observations, and analyze geologic processes of plate tectonics.
Key concepts...
Completion Time:
About 1 period
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Related Expeditions:
Tectonic History of the Transantarctic Mountains
Related Members:
Activity
Title:
Pumping Carbon
Updated:
March 19, 2012 - 11:40am
Excerpt:
Overview
This activity allows students to participate in a physically interactive dramatization of the oceanic biological pump.
Objective
The purpose of this activity is to develop a conceptual understanding of how the biological pump moves carbon through the oceans.
Preparation
Background...
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Title:
Sediment Tubes
Updated:
March 20, 2013 - 10:35am
Excerpt:
Students will observe how soils and rocks of different densities behave in wind and in water. They will make predictions and careful observations as they learn about sediment transport and sediment rates in streams and rivers.
Completion Time:
About 1 period
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Title:
Polar Week Unit Plan
Updated:
June 18, 2012 - 6:38am
Date:
Sun, 03/18/2012 - Sat, 03/24/2012
Excerpt:
This polar-themed unit plan provides a resource for teachers looking for ways to integrate a variety of challenging lessons and activities into their curriculum. The lessons touch on a variety of subject areas including language arts, math, and science. The unit is designed for a 3rd grade class...
Completion Time:
More than a week
Grade Level:
Elementary and Up
Updated:
November 2, 2012 - 6:40am
Excerpt:
Purpose
To apply prior knowledge of chemistry to the acidification of our oceans. This can be a computer lab or library based activity
Procedure
Set up a glass tank in your classroom and grow a population of algae in water. Local pet supply stores will most likely give you some for free from...
Completion Time:
About 1 period
Grade Level:
Elementary and Up
Event
Updated:
March 6, 2012 - 3:28pm
Date:
Mon, 05/16/2011
Excerpt:
PolarConnect event with John Wood and Dr. Sue Natali participating in the Carbon Balance in Warming and Drying Tundra expedition in Healy Alaska. There were some technical difficulties in the archive, so you can access Part 1 of the archive here and Part 2 of the archive is here.
Link:
Wimba Archive
Related Members:
Updated:
March 21, 2012 - 2:53pm
Date:
Thu, 07/14/2011
Excerpt:
Private PolarConnect Event held between PolarTREC Teacher Jim Miller, researcher Elliot Friedman, and Jim's class in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Jim and Elliot are working in Barrow, Alaska.
Link:
Wimba Archive
Related Expeditions:
Microbial Activity in Thawing Arctic Permafrost
Related Members:
Updated:
April 3, 2012 - 6:08pm
Date:
Thu, 03/29/2012
Excerpt:
This one hour presentation is part of the C-ISE Physical Science professional development course. Elizabeth Webb in Healy, Alaska explains the carbon balance in warming and drying tundra.
Completion Time:
About 1 period
Related Members:
Updated:
August 31, 2012 - 9:32am
Date:
Wed, 04/04/2012
Excerpt:
This 1 hour event is for educators interested in learning more on natural methane cycling, terrestrial methane studies in the polar regions, and Mr. Friedman's work with microbial electrochemical technologies. This event is part of the CISE online professional development course.
Completion Time:
About 1 period
Related Members:
Elliot Friedman
Updated:
August 31, 2012 - 9:32am
Date:
Mon, 04/09/2012
Excerpt:
This is a one hour PolarConnect event with PolarTREC teacher Amber Lancaster and her research team aboard the RV Nathaniel B Palmer. They are studying the collapse of the Larson B Ice Shelf in Antarctica and its impact on the ecosystem of the Weddell Sea. Note: Due to satellite phone connection...
Completion Time:
About 1 period
Related Expeditions:
Impacts of the Larsen Ice Shelf System on the Weddell Sea
Related Members:
Updated:
August 31, 2012 - 9:32am
Date:
Mon, 04/16/2012
Excerpt:
In this one hour presentation, PolarTREC teacher John Wood explains the scientific work in the Carbon Balance in Warming and Drying Tundra expedition from Healy, Alaska.
Completion Time:
About 1 period
Related Members:
Updated:
August 15, 2012 - 4:22pm
Date:
Thu, 05/31/2012
Excerpt:
This is a one hour webinar is part of the Polaris Project 2012, conducted by Max Holmes and John Schade. In this session Andy Bunn, professor at Western Washington University, presents a lecture on the history and science of climate change.
Completion Time:
About 1 period
Related Members:
Updated:
April 17, 2013 - 4:59pm
Date:
Tue, 04/16/2013
Excerpt:
This one hour webinar is part of the online polar professional development course on physical science for educators. Dr. Hansen focuses on her research of the tectonic history of the Transantarctic Mountain in Antarctica.
Completion Time:
About 1 period
Link:
Watch on YouTube
Related Expeditions:
Tectonic History of the Transantarctic Mountains
Related Members:
Video
Updated:
October 26, 2011 - 1:22pm
Excerpt:
This YouTube video lecture discusses the seasonal stratification and destratification of the world ocean, in other words, the formation of the seasonal thermocline!
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Updated:
November 4, 2012 - 7:09am
Excerpt:
This lecture discusses the seasonal cycle of the physics of the upper ocean at tropical, temperate, and polar latitudes.
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Title:
Why Do Ice Cubes Float?
Updated:
January 15, 2013 - 11:42am
Excerpt:
Ever wonder why ice cubes float? I can tell you why ice floats in two words. Archimedes' Principle. Of course, Archimedes' Principle takes a bit more explaining. Let's make sense of it with science! This has been presented by Bayer Corporation's national education program, Making Science Make...
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Link:
View on YouTube
Updated:
October 26, 2011 - 1:30pm
Excerpt:
This lecture discusses factors that affect seawater density, a most important quantity with implications for ocean circulation and productivity.
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Updated:
October 26, 2011 - 1:31pm
Excerpt:
This lecture introduces physical oceanography, the study of the physics of the world ocean.
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Title:
Arctic Sea Ice Animation
Updated:
March 13, 2013 - 5:44am
Excerpt:
From NASA, in this animation, the Arctic sea ice and seasonal land cover change progress through time, from September 1, 2009 when sea ice in the Arctic was near its minimum extent, through March 30, 2010. The animation plays at a rate of six frames per day or ten days per second.
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
View Original
Updated:
March 6, 2012 - 3:10pm
Date:
Wed, 02/08/2012
Excerpt:
At the CREEL permafrost tunnel outside Fairbanks, AK. Our guide, Art, explains a potential issue with the carbon balance in soils as the permafrost thaws as we traveled underground to see it the changes.
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
Watch on YouTube
Updated:
May 7, 2012 - 5:51am
Date:
Mon, 01/05/2009
Excerpt:
Tunnel Man is a super hero who lives in Ice Tunnels, and teaches children and adults about the unique geomorphology of Alaska. Tunnel Man is played by Kenji Yoshikawa, a Research Associate Professor for the Institute of Northern Engineering at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Tunnel Man's...
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
View Original
Updated:
March 7, 2012 - 5:55pm
Date:
Fri, 04/10/2009
Excerpt:
Tunnel Man is a super hero who lives in Ice Tunnels, and teaches children and adults about the unique geomorphology of Alaska. Tunnel Man is played by Kenji Yoshikawa, a Research Associate Professor for the Institute of Northern Engineering at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Tunnel Man's...
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
View Original
Updated:
March 7, 2012 - 6:00pm
Date:
Thu, 09/10/2009
Excerpt:
Tunnel Man is a super hero who lives in Ice Tunnels, and teaches children and adults about the unique geomorphology of Alaska. Tunnel Man is played by Kenji Yoshikawa, a Research Associate Professor for the Institute of Northern Engineering at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Tunnel Man's...
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
View Original
Updated:
March 7, 2012 - 7:28am
Date:
Fri, 01/15/2010
Excerpt:
University of Alaska Fairbanks Professor Katey Walter Anthony takes us onto a frozen lake in Fairbanks, AK to demonstrate why methane gas has "exploded" onto the climate change scene.
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Updated:
March 5, 2012 - 5:35pm
Date:
Fri, 02/26/2010
Excerpt:
In an explosive clip from the BBC's landmark series, scientists drill into a frozen lake to ignite methane gas that is trapped in bubbles beneath the surface. Do greenhouse gases pose a signficant threat to our planet? Dr Iain Stewart assesses the dangers.
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
Elementary and Up
Updated:
March 5, 2012 - 5:39pm
Date:
Thu, 03/04/2010
Excerpt:
Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks are studying the East Siberian Arctic Shelf region and finding the seafloor there holds vast stores of frozen methane and is showing signs of instability and widespread venting of the powerful greenhouse gas. In this video University of Alaska...
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
High school and Up
Updated:
June 1, 2012 - 11:41am
Excerpt:
View sequential still images of thermokarst (thawed permafrost) at Horn Lake in northern Alaska during the summer of 2010. The video was made by researchers studying the responses of Arctic landscapes to permafrost degradation.
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
All Ages
Related Expeditions:
Nutrient Transport in Arctic Watersheds
Updated:
April 2, 2013 - 4:51pm
Excerpt:
This short video provides an overview of the types of rocks found in Antarctica and what we can learn about Antarctica from polar geology. This video is designed to accompany the September 2008 issue of the free online magazine, Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears. The magazine is a professional...
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
Watch on YouTube
Title:
TAMNNET Team Introduction
Updated:
April 3, 2013 - 10:59am
Date:
Sun, 11/11/2012
Excerpt:
Introductions to Dr. Hansen's TAMNNET Team working on seismology and tectonic history of the Transantarctic Mountains.
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
Watch on YouTube
Related Expeditions:
Tectonic History of the Transantarctic Mountains
Related Members:
Title:
TransAntarctic Scenery
Updated:
April 3, 2013 - 12:04pm
Excerpt:
Flying through the Eisenhower Range, Priestley Glacier, and Mario Zuchelli
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
Watch on YouTube
Related Expeditions:
Tectonic History of the Transantarctic Mountains
Related Members:
Brian DuBay
Updated:
April 3, 2013 - 11:04am
Date:
Tue, 11/20/2012
Excerpt:
Dr. Samantha Hansen and the team building and installing seismometers in Antarctica.
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
Watch on YouTube
Related Expeditions:
Tectonic History of the Transantarctic Mountains
Related Members:
Updated:
April 3, 2013 - 12:12pm
Date:
Mon, 11/26/2012
Excerpt:
Installing Seismic Stations on Glacial Ice with crevasses in Antarctica
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
Watch on YouTube
Related Expeditions:
Tectonic History of the Transantarctic Mountains
Related Members:
Updated:
May 6, 2013 - 6:23am
Date:
Sat, 12/01/2012
Excerpt:
Helicopter flights in Antarctica with annotations on specific geographic and geologic features.
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
Watch on YouTube
Related Expeditions:
Tectonic History of the Transantarctic Mountains
Related Members:
Updated:
April 3, 2013 - 3:07pm
Date:
Thu, 12/06/2012
Excerpt:
Working at Terra Nova, Antarctica. This is the Italian Base where PolarTREC teacher Brian Dubay and his team continued their study of the Transantarctic Mountains.
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
Watch on YouTube
Related Expeditions:
Tectonic History of the Transantarctic Mountains
Related Members:
Updated:
December 26, 2012 - 3:33pm
Date:
Wed, 11/21/2012
Excerpt:
This local TV interview is about PolarTREC teacher Liz Ratliff heading to South Pole Station, Antarctica to work with the IceCube project.
Completion Time:
Less than 1 period
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
View on YouTube
Related Expeditions:
IceCube In Ice Antarctic Telescope 2012
Related Members:
Liz Ratliff
Image
Title:
CTD Plots
Updated:
November 21, 2011 - 1:16pm
Excerpt:
CTD Data plots from the Winter Sampling Expedition. CTD is an acronym for Conductivity-Temperature-Depth. It is a device that measures the salinity, temperature, depth in a vertical profile from the surface. The data comes from the Chukchi Sea.
Related Members:
Chantelle Rose
Article
Updated:
January 5, 2012 - 12:26pm
Date:
Mon, 12/05/2011
Publication:
The Urbana Daily Citizen
Excerpt:
PolarTREC teacher Chantelle Rose wrote a guest column for the The Urbana Daily Citizen. This is the third in a series of guest columns planned to cover the local teacher's trip to the Arctic.
Grade Level:
All Ages
Related Expeditions:
Winter Sampling
Related Members:
Chantelle Rose
Updated:
February 14, 2012 - 9:35am
Date:
Wed, 02/08/2012
Excerpt:
Tara Hastings, WDTN Meteorologist visited Graham High School to talk with PolarTREC teacher Chantelle Rose about her Winter Sampling expedition. A video interview will remain as an external link to WDTN webpage.
Grade Level:
All Ages
Related Expeditions:
Winter Sampling
Related Members:
Updated:
February 22, 2013 - 11:06am
Date:
Tue, 02/14/2012
Publication:
Centre Daily Times
Excerpt:
Article describes PolarTREC Nell Herrmann's expedition to study seafloor organisms and ocean conditions at Palmer Station, Antarctica.
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
Source
Related Members:
Updated:
February 22, 2013 - 11:24am
Date:
Tue, 11/08/2011
Publication:
Medhill Reports - Northwestern
Excerpt:
Using samples from a field site at Alaska's Hess Creek, researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute and the U.S. Geological Survey collaborated to study how permafrost-dwelling microbes generate greenhouse gases as their...
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Link:
Source
Updated:
March 6, 2012 - 3:23pm
Date:
Mon, 11/07/2011
Excerpt:
Melting permafrost in a warming world could mean lots of greenhouses gasses, especially methane, released into the atmosphere. But it also means an unusual community of soil bacteria coming out of hibernation, so to speak. A new study looks at what those permafrost microbes do, exactly, as their...
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Title:
Arctic Methane and Warming
Updated:
March 12, 2012 - 2:37pm
Date:
Thu, 03/04/2010
Publication:
Time Magazine
Excerpt:
Methane in arctic permafrosts being studied by University of Alaska professor. This article describes methane's potential impact on global climate change.
Grade Level:
High school and Up
Updated:
March 12, 2012 - 2:55pm
Publication:
Nature
Excerpt:
The Permafrost Network and scientists describe the changes in permafrost and the affects on carbon, methane, and other environmental factors
Grade Level:
High school and Up
Updated:
March 12, 2012 - 3:27pm
Date:
Wed, 09/05/2007
Publication:
University of the Arctic Curriculum
Excerpt:
The Circumpolar World introduces students to the landscape, peoples and issues of the circumpolar region.
Grade Level:
High school and Up
Updated:
March 12, 2012 - 3:34pm
Date:
Wed, 09/05/2007
Publication:
University of the Arctic Curriculum
Excerpt:
This module gives a general overview of environmental issues that affect the Arctic, including climate change related themes. Compiled by Ake Bjorke, Lars Kullerud UNEP/GRID-Arendal, and Olav Hesjedal
Grade Level:
High school and Up
Updated:
March 12, 2012 - 3:38pm
Date:
Wed, 09/05/2007
Publication:
University of the Arctic Curriculum
Excerpt:
The Circumpolar World introduces students to the landscape, peoples and issues of the circumpolar region. This module gives a brief introduction to the physical features and processes of the Arctic region and highlights the significant factors that influence those features and processes. Developed...
Grade Level:
High school and Up
Updated:
March 12, 2012 - 3:50pm
Publication:
The Biology of the Polar Regions
Excerpt:
Chapter 2 of The Biology of the Polar Regions. An accessible supplementary text suitable for both senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in polar ecology.
Grade Level:
High school and Up
Updated:
August 28, 2012 - 11:43am
Date:
Thu, 04/26/2012
Publication:
The Wanderer
Excerpt:
Kevin Tavares and his fourth graders at Old Hammondtown School in Massachusetts built a website to share what they were learning with the rest of the world. Mr. Tavares installed a location tracking device on the page that assigns a red dot to the country of each visitor. The students wanted to get...
Grade Level:
All Ages
Link:
The Wanderer
Related Expeditions:
Updated:
February 20, 2013 - 4:40pm
Publication:
Frontier Scientists: A Nature Network Blog
Excerpt:
This article describes the remarkable efforts of a team of scientists to extract cores from deep under a frozen lake in Siberia, Russia. PolarTREC teacher Tim Martin joined the project which will provide an astounding record of past climates preserved in layers of lake bed sediment. The sediment,...
Grade Level:
All Ages
Updated:
February 21, 2013 - 11:21am
Date:
Wed, 06/13/2012
Publication:
NASA - Online Feature
Excerpt:
In mid-April 2012, five teachers from Denmark, Greenland, and the United States, were given the experience of a lifetime. The teachers lived, worked, and flew alongside airborne polar scientists in Greenland, and saw firsthand how remote data are collected on NASA’s Operation IceBridge. In the...
Grade Level:
All Ages
Related Expeditions:
Airborne Survey of Polar Ice
Related Members:
Updated:
October 17, 2012 - 6:49am
Date:
Tue, 05/03/2011
Publication:
Syracuse.com: The Post Standard
Excerpt:
Jeff Peneston, Liverpool High School science teacher and PolarTREC 2008 alumnus was introduced as the New York State Teacher of the Year at an event in the White House Rose Garden that was televised nationally on cable TV. The article describes the awarding of this honor by President Barack Obama...
Grade Level:
All Ages
Related Expeditions:
Oden Antarctic Expedition 08
Related Members:
Updated:
October 22, 2012 - 9:41am
Date:
Fri, 10/19/2012
Publication:
Mooresville Weekly
Excerpt:
An article from the Mooresville Weekly, Mooresville, North Carolina, on Mike LeBarons upcoming departure to McMurdo Station to work on the WISSARD Project with researcher Ross Powell of Northern Illinois University.
Grade Level:
All Ages
Related Members:
Updated:
December 26, 2012 - 3:46pm
Date:
Sat, 11/03/2012
Publication:
The Gaston Gazette
Excerpt:
The Gaston Gazette article outlining PolarTREC teacher Liz Ratliff's upcoming expedition to South Pole Station, Antarctica with the IceCube project.
Grade Level:
All Ages
Related Expeditions:
IceCube In Ice Antarctic Telescope 2012
Related Members:
Liz Ratliff
Updated:
March 6, 2013 - 3:15pm
Date:
Fri, 04/12/2013
Publication:
San Francisco Examiner
Excerpt:
This San Francisco Examiner talks with the PolarTREC teacher Amber Lancaster in Antarctica and her marine biology students back in San Francisco and the impact of the experience on their lives.
Grade Level:
All Ages
Related Expeditions:
Impacts of the Larsen Ice Shelf System on the Weddell Sea
Related Members:
Amber Lancaster
Updated:
February 28, 2013 - 11:14am
Date:
Fri, 01/25/2013
Publication:
Lake County News Sun
Excerpt:
Article describing PolarTREC teacher Mark Buesing's upcoming expedition to Greenland in April to participate in NASA’s Operation IceBridge, a six-year mission to map polar ice.
Grade Level:
All Ages
Updated:
March 4, 2013 - 11:00am
Date:
Wed, 02/13/2013
Publication:
Chicago Tribune
Excerpt:
Chicago Tribune article describing PolaTREC teacher Mark Buesing's expedition to Greenland with NASA's Operation IceBridge.
Grade Level:
All Ages
Related Members:
Mark Buesing
Updated:
April 9, 2013 - 6:05am
Date:
Wed, 03/20/2013
Publication:
PRNewswire-USNewswire
Excerpt:
Press release about the launch of Operation IceBridge's 2013 season of research activity and science flights over Arctic ice sheets and sea ice. Operation Icebridge will undertake survey flights over land and sea ice in and around Greenland and the Arctic Ocean through early May in order to...
Grade Level:
All Ages
Related Expeditions:
Airborne Survey of Polar Ice 2013
Title:
Effects of experimental warming of air, soil and permafrost on carbon balance in Alaskan tundra
Updated:
April 26, 2013 - 6:16am
Date:
Thu, 07/01/2010 - Sun, 05/01/2011
Publication:
Global Change Biology (2011)
Excerpt:
A scientific report describing the results of the CiPEHR Experiment as of 2011. This report attempts to answer these questions:
(1) Does ecosystem warming cause a net release of C from the ecosystem to the atmosphere?,
(2) Does the decomposition of old C that comprises the bulk of the soil C pool...
Grade Level:
High school and Up
Link:
Effects of experimental warming of air, soil and permafrost on carbon balance in Alaskan tundra
Related Expeditions:
Related Members:
Title:
Vulnerability of Permafrost Carbon to Climate Change: Implications for the Global Carbon Cycle2
Updated:
May 6, 2013 - 8:40am
Date:
Mon, 09/08/2008 - Sat, 04/27/2013
Publication:
http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/36312
Excerpt:
This scientific article, focuses on one of the largest pools of global carbon that is, the organic C stored in permafrost (perennially frozen) ground, and on the vulnerability to change under an increasingly warmer climate.
Grade Level:
High school and Up
Related Expeditions:
Carbon Balance in Warming and Drying Tundra 2013
Related Members:
Ted Schuur
Updated:
May 1, 2013 - 4:51pm
Date:
Tue, 04/30/2013
Publication:
Phys.Org
Excerpt:
Article describing the final stages of this year's Operation IceBridge, the NASA campaign to maintain and expand on Arctic ice measurements. Along with PolarTREC teacher Mark Buesing, the IceBridge team has successfully completed a variety of aerial measurements on sea ice, sub-ice bedrock and...
Grade Level:
All Ages
Related Expeditions:
Related Members:
Mark Buesing
Polar Profile
Title:
Julie Katch
Updated:
July 25, 2012 - 7:02am
Excerpt:
Excerpt from Katey Shirey's PolarTREC journal about Julie Katch, a draftsman working in Antarctica:
I returned to McMurdo Station from the South Pole and got my new room assignment, a shared 5 bed berth in the main station building. I arranged to meet up with my new friend Julie Katch whom I'd met...
Related Expeditions:
IceCube In-ice Antarctic Telescope 2010
Related Members:
Presentation
Title:
Surface Current Measurements in the Northeast Chukchi Sea Using Shore-Based High-Frequency Radar
Updated:
November 20, 2012 - 12:18pm
Date:
Fri, 05/18/2012 - Thu, 05/24/2012
Excerpt:
Rachel Potter presents her research on the use of radar to measure surface currents in the top 2 m of the water column in the Chukchi Sea. The information gained from her research allows her to determine where water is going and how fast it is flowing, which can aid in issues of search and rescue,...
Grade Level:
Middle School and Up
Updated:
April 2, 2013 - 5:00pm
Date:
Sat, 03/03/2012
Excerpt:
A one hour webinar by Dr. Samantha Hansen on geology and seismology in Antarctica as part of a webinar series for IRIS Core Programs. (www.iris.edu)
Grade Level:
High school and Up
Link:
Watch on YouTube
Related Members:
Samantha Hansen
| Type | Title | Excerpt | Completion Time | Grade Level | Link |
Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Web Link | The Polar Earth Observing Network (POLENET) | POLENET (The Polar Earth Observing Network) is a global network dedicated to observing the polar regions in a changing world. The project is focused on collecting GPS and seismic data from autonomous systems deployed at remote sites spanning much of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets. GPS and... | Elementary and Up | The Polar Earth Observing Network | 25 May 2013 | |
| Lesson | Feasting on Faults | This student lesson focuses on plate tectonics and large-scale system interactions, utilizing PolarTREC teacher Brian DuBay's Transantarctic Mountains expedition videos. Objectives: The student will investigate, make observations, and analyze geologic processes of plate tectonics. Key concepts... | About 1 period | Middle School and Up | 13 May 2013 | |
| Article | Vulnerability of Permafrost Carbon to Climate Change: Implications for the Global Carbon Cycle2 | This scientific article, focuses on one of the largest pools of global carbon that is, the organic C stored in permafrost (perennially frozen) ground, and on the vulnerability to change under an increasingly warmer climate. | High school and Up | Permafrost Carbon and Climate Change | 6 May 2013 | |
| Video | Helicopter flights in Antarctica | Helicopter flights in Antarctica with annotations on specific geographic and geologic features. | Less than 1 period | All Ages | Watch on YouTube | 6 May 2013 |
| Article | NASA's IceBridge finishing up successful Arctic campaign | Article describing the final stages of this year's Operation IceBridge, the NASA campaign to maintain and expand on Arctic ice measurements. Along with PolarTREC teacher Mark Buesing, the IceBridge team has successfully completed a variety of aerial measurements on sea ice, sub-ice bedrock and... | All Ages | NASA's IceBridge finishing up successful Arctic campaign | 1 May 2013 | |
| Article | Effects of experimental warming of air, soil and permafrost on carbon balance in Alaskan tundra | A scientific report describing the results of the CiPEHR Experiment as of 2011. This report attempts to answer these questions: (1) Does ecosystem warming cause a net release of C from the ecosystem to the atmosphere?, (2) Does the decomposition of old C that comprises the bulk of the soil C pool... | High school and Up | Effects of experimental warming of air, soil and permafrost on carbon balance in Alaskan tundra | 26 April 2013 | |
| Lesson | Water Cycling: Movement through Watersheds and Water Tracks | Overview Students will conduct a demonstration that will help them gain a better understanding of the water cycle and runoff in a watershed. They will be able to replicate arctic and non-arctic watersheds by varying the size of the watershed. They will be able to visualize the difference in runoff... | Less than a week | Middle School and Up | 26 April 2013 | |
| Web Link | Permafrost lab | The Geophysical Institute Permafrost Laboratory (GIPL) The Permafrost Laboratory deals with scientific questions related to the circumpolar permafrost dynamics and feedbacks between permafrost and global change. At the Permafrost Laboratory, data related to the thermal and structural state of... | All Ages | Permafrost Lab | 23 April 2013 | |
| Event | Dr. Samantha Hansen and the tectonic history of the Transantarctic Mountains | This one hour webinar is part of the online polar professional development course on physical science for educators. Dr. Hansen focuses on her research of the tectonic history of the Transantarctic Mountain in Antarctica. | About 1 period | Watch on YouTube | 17 April 2013 | |
| Web Link | Discovering Antarctica - Geology | What kind of rocks make up Antarctica? What geological processes are occurring today? What rock and mineral resources exist there? Learn more from this website. For a more generalized review of Antarctica you can also start here | All Ages | Discovering Antarctica - Geology | 12 April 2013 | |
| Web Link | Geologic Information about Antarctica | Antarctica's Gamburtsev Province Project (AGAP) provides an overview of antarctic geologic information. | Middle School and Up | Geologic Information about Antarctica | 12 April 2013 | |
| Web Link | How Do You Make and Break a Mountain | How Physical Processes Form Physical Features. PolarTREC researcher Samantha Hansen shares this resource as a background to her work and information on geologic processes. | Elementary and Up | How Do You Make and Break a Mountain? | 12 April 2013 | |
| Web Link | Introduction to Mountain Building | Class notes and detailed information on mountain building. PolarTREC researcher Samantha Hansen shares this resource as a background to her work and information on geologic processes. Created by John C. Butler, July 29, 1995. Credit to: John Butler jbutler [at] uh [dot] edu | Middle School and Up | Introduction to Mountain Building | 12 April 2013 | |
| Web Link | Mountain Building and Plate Tectonics | PolarTREC researcher Samantha Hansen shares this resource as a background to her work and information on geologic processes. | Middle School and Up | Mountain Building and Plate Tectonics | 12 April 2013 | |
| Article | NASA Begins New Season Of Arctic Ice Science Flights | Press release about the launch of Operation IceBridge's 2013 season of research activity and science flights over Arctic ice sheets and sea ice. Operation Icebridge will undertake survey flights over land and sea ice in and around Greenland and the Arctic Ocean through early May in order to... | All Ages | NASA Begins New Season Of Arctic Ice Science Flights | 9 April 2013 | |
| Video | Working at Terra Nova, Antarctica | Working at Terra Nova, Antarctica. This is the Italian Base where PolarTREC teacher Brian Dubay and his team continued their study of the Transantarctic Mountains. | Less than 1 period | All Ages | Watch on YouTube | 3 April 2013 |
| Video | Installing Seismic Stations on Glacial Ice | Installing Seismic Stations on Glacial Ice with crevasses in Antarctica | Less than 1 period | All Ages | Watch on YouTube | 3 April 2013 |
| Video | TransAntarctic Scenery | Flying through the Eisenhower Range, Priestley Glacier, and Mario Zuchelli | Less than 1 period | All Ages | Watch on YouTube | 3 April 2013 |
| Video | Building and Installing Seismometers | Dr. Samantha Hansen and the team building and installing seismometers in Antarctica. | Less than 1 period | All Ages | Watch on YouTube | 3 April 2013 |
| Video | TAMNNET Team Introduction | Introductions to Dr. Hansen's TAMNNET Team working on seismology and tectonic history of the Transantarctic Mountains. | Less than 1 period | All Ages | Watch on YouTube | 3 April 2013 |
| Web Link | IRIS-PASSCAL Polar Equipment | The seismic equipment that is being used for TAMNNET (studying the Transantarctic Mountains) was specially engineered for use in polar climates. Polar projects commonly require a level of support that is several times that of seismic experiments in less demanding environments inclusive of very... | Middle School and Up | IRIS-PASSCAL Polar Equipment | 3 April 2013 | |
| Web Link | Education for the Budding Seismologist | UPSeis (pronounced "up size") is a program created to teach young people (and not-so-young people) more about the planet we live on and how it works. The UPSeis program is divided into two parts: this web site and a school program. | Education for the Budding Seismologist | 3 April 2013 | ||
| Web Link | IRIS - Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology | Founded in 1984 with support from the National Science Foundation, IRIS is a consortium of over 100 US universities dedicated to the operation of science facilities for the acquisition, management, and distribution of seismological data. This weblink is directed to their education and public... | IRIS - Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology | 3 April 2013 | ||
| Web Link | TransAntarctic Mountains Seismic Experiment (TAMSEIS) | This website is an overview of the TAMSEIS project addressing the questions of the Transantarctic Mountain origins and the structure of the East Antarctic craton. | High school and Up | TransAntarctic Mountains Seismic Experiment (TAMSEIS) | 3 April 2013 | |
| Web Link | Introduction to the Transantarctic Mountains | This website is an overview on the Transantarctic Mountains with information on geography, geology, mechanisms for formation, issues, and additional references. | High school and Up | Introduction to the Transantarctic Mountains | 3 April 2013 | |
| Web Link | The Roof at the Bottom of the World | The Roof at the Bottom of the World: Discovering the Transantarctic Mountains comprehensively documents the 1,500-mile length of the Transantarctic Mountains. It is the first atlas of the most remote mountain range on Earth. The presentation is historical, following a narrative of the voyages and... | All Ages | The Roof at the Bottom of the World | 3 April 2013 | |
| Web Link | Mountain Building Processes | National Earth Science Teachers Association website, Windows to the Universe, presents the basics on mountain building processes. | All Ages | Mountain Building Processes | 3 April 2013 | |
| Lesson | Geologists in Training | Overview The study of rock and sediment layers, or stratigraphy, can be used to introduce students to the fundamental principles of geology and to lead into the idea of geologic time. In this lesson, students are introduced to Nicolas Steno's 3 major laws of stratigraphy: the law of original... | About 1 period | Middle School and Up | 3 April 2013 | |
| Web Link | Basics of Polar Geology | Rocks and minerals make up the earth around us. But what exactly are rocks and minerals? What is the difference between them? How do they form? Where are they found? This article provides content knowledge about minerals, the three types of rocks, the rock cycle, and polar geology as well as... | All Ages | Basics of Polar Geology | 3 April 2013 | |
| Presentation | Geologic Structure at the Bottom of the World: Highlights of Antarctic Seismology | A one hour webinar by Dr. Samantha Hansen on geology and seismology in Antarctica as part of a webinar series for IRIS Core Programs. (www.iris.edu) | High school and Up | Watch on YouTube | 2 April 2013 | |
| Video | Antarctic Rocks: Telling Polar Stories | This short video provides an overview of the types of rocks found in Antarctica and what we can learn about Antarctica from polar geology. This video is designed to accompany the September 2008 issue of the free online magazine, Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears. The magazine is a professional... | Less than 1 period | All Ages | Watch on YouTube | 2 April 2013 |
| Web Link | Ice Stories - Antarctic Geology | Ice Stories is a project from the San Francisco Exploratorium as 'Dispatches from Polar Scientists' as an outreach effort from the 2007-08 International Polar Year. The Antarctic Geology focuses on mountains in East and West Antarctica. Be sure to check out the videos associated on the website "... | Middle School and Up | Ice Stories - Antarctic Geology | 2 April 2013 | |
| Web Link | Icy IPY! - Polar Classroom Activities from the International Polar Year | Icy IPY activities can be downloaded in word documents and tried in your classroom. From 'Blubber Gloves' to 'Experiments with Ice and Snow', there are a wealth of different activities to introduce students to the Polar Regions or complement their existing knowledge of the Poles. The International... | All Ages | 20 March 2013 | ||
| Activity | Sediment Tubes | Students will observe how soils and rocks of different densities behave in wind and in water. They will make predictions and careful observations as they learn about sediment transport and sediment rates in streams and rivers. | About 1 period | Middle School and Up | 20 March 2013 | |
| Video | Arctic Sea Ice Animation | From NASA, in this animation, the Arctic sea ice and seasonal land cover change progress through time, from September 1, 2009 when sea ice in the Arctic was near its minimum extent, through March 30, 2010. The animation plays at a rate of six frames per day or ten days per second. | Less than 1 period | All Ages | View Original | 13 March 2013 |
| Article | San Francisco teacher's polar trip explores cool science | This San Francisco Examiner talks with the PolarTREC teacher Amber Lancaster in Antarctica and her marine biology students back in San Francisco and the impact of the experience on their lives. | All Ages | S.F. teacher's polar trip explores cool science | 6 March 2013 | |
| Lesson | Ecological Cycles Part 2 – Draw an illustrated diagram of the carbon cycle | Overview In this activity, students diagram the carbon cycle. A lot of the concepts presented here are necessary in order to fully understand the greenhouse effect and global warming. This lesson is presented as an activity to do before embarking on a study of the greenhouse effect and global... | About 1 period | High school and Up | 5 March 2013 | |
| Article | Libertyville Teacher Heading to NASA Polar Project | Chicago Tribune article describing PolaTREC teacher Mark Buesing's expedition to Greenland with NASA's Operation IceBridge. | All Ages | Libertyville Teacher Heading to NASA Polar Project | 4 March 2013 | |
| Article | Libertyville teacher tapped by NASA | Article describing PolarTREC teacher Mark Buesing's upcoming expedition to Greenland in April to participate in NASA’s Operation IceBridge, a six-year mission to map polar ice. | All Ages | Libertyville teacher tapped by NASA | 28 February 2013 | |
| Lesson | Do You See What Icy? | Overview This lesson answers the question: How does ice floating on the ocean act as it melts? Objective Students will learn about temperature, salinity and their effect on density. Students will learn that ocean currents are caused by differences in densities as a result of temperature and... | About 1 period | Elementary and Up | 24 February 2013 | |
| Lesson | Polar Projects | Overview Students chose a research project, from one of seven suggested projects, to complete in class with a partner. Upon completion they will present their information to the class. Objectives Students will present a scientifically accurate project on a topic related to the PolarTREC Winter... | More than a week | Middle School and Up | 22 February 2013 | |
| Article | Warming Arctic Wakes Up Methane and Microbes | Using samples from a field site at Alaska's Hess Creek, researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute and the U.S. Geological Survey collaborated to study how permafrost-dwelling microbes generate greenhouse gases as their... | Middle School and Up | Source | 22 February 2013 | |
| Article | Teacher Nell Herrmann Leaving for Antarctica | Article describes PolarTREC Nell Herrmann's expedition to study seafloor organisms and ocean conditions at Palmer Station, Antarctica. | All Ages | Source | 22 February 2013 | |
| Lesson | Sea Ice Impact | 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... | More than a week | High school and Up | 21 February 2013 | |
| Web Link | Interview on Shipboard Expedition to Antarctica | PolarTREC teacher Juan Botella is interview by a local news station about his work on the NB Palmer. Juan discusses ocean circulation and changes affecting marine organisms. Video and article included. | All Ages | Interview on Shipboard Expedition to Antarctica | 21 February 2013 | |
| Lesson | Can Carbon Dioxide Act Like a Greenhouse Gas? | Overview Textbooks say that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and can make earth's climate hotter. Try this lab to see if carbon dioxide gas can really act like a greenhouse. Objectives Students should be able to make a hypothesis, perform an experiment, analyze data and write a conclusion... | Less than a week | Middle School and Up | 21 February 2013 | |
| Lesson | Chill Out- All About Ice in the Bering Sea | Overview Through activities, video observation, experimentation and the construction of a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) students will learn about the chemical and physical properties of sea ice. Objectives Students will be able to answer main questions of where sea ice is, how it is formed,... | More than a week | All Ages | 21 February 2013 | |
| Article | Embedded Educators: Teacher Research Experience in Greenland with Operation IceBridge | In mid-April 2012, five teachers from Denmark, Greenland, and the United States, were given the experience of a lifetime. The teachers lived, worked, and flew alongside airborne polar scientists in Greenland, and saw firsthand how remote data are collected on NASA’s Operation IceBridge. In the... | All Ages | NASA Icebridge - Arctic 2012 | 21 February 2013 | |
| Article | Sunken Treasure Under Lake El'gygytgyn | This article describes the remarkable efforts of a team of scientists to extract cores from deep under a frozen lake in Siberia, Russia. PolarTREC teacher Tim Martin joined the project which will provide an astounding record of past climates preserved in layers of lake bed sediment. The sediment,... | All Ages | Frontier Scientists: A Nature Network Blog | 20 February 2013 | |
| Web Link | National Geographic Education Resources | This National Geographic database is currently growing and will be updated frequently. Find multimedia activities aligned with national standards, educational projects, and more. Navigate iconic National Geographic maps with new interactive features and tools for creating custom materials that can... | All Ages | National Geographic Education Resources | 20 February 2013 | |
| Web Link | National Geographic Video - Arctic Ocean | This video, available from National Geographic, is an overview of the earth and life science properties of the Arctic Ocean. | All Ages | National Geographic Video - Arctic Ocean | 20 February 2013 | |
| Web Link | ARCUS Internet Media Archives - Climate Change Collection 2009 | A collection of eight videos focusing on the topic of climate change in the Arctic. Videos are from the 2007 ARCSS Synthesis Workshop, the 2007 Arctic Forum, and the 2008 Arctic Forum. | Middle School and Up | ARCUS Internet Media Archives- Climate Change Collection 2009 | 20 February 2013 | |
| Video | Why Do Ice Cubes Float? | Ever wonder why ice cubes float? I can tell you why ice floats in two words. Archimedes' Principle. Of course, Archimedes' Principle takes a bit more explaining. Let's make sense of it with science! This has been presented by Bayer Corporation's national education program, Making Science Make... | Less than 1 period | Middle School and Up | View on YouTube | 15 January 2013 |
| Article | Teacher Bringing South Pole to Classroom | The Gaston Gazette article outlining PolarTREC teacher Liz Ratliff's upcoming expedition to South Pole Station, Antarctica with the IceCube project. | All Ages | Teacher Bringing South Pole to Classroom | 26 December 2012 | |
| Video | Liz Ratliff heads to the South Pole | This local TV interview is about PolarTREC teacher Liz Ratliff heading to South Pole Station, Antarctica to work with the IceCube project. | Less than 1 period | All Ages | View on YouTube | 26 December 2012 |
| Web Link | Space Weather Prediction Website | SpaceWeather.com is an excellent tool used to predict space weather events like the Northern Lights and solar activity levels. | All Ages | SpaceWeather.com | 13 December 2012 | |
| Presentation | Surface Current Measurements in the Northeast Chukchi Sea Using Shore-Based High-Frequency Radar | Rachel Potter presents her research on the use of radar to measure surface currents in the top 2 m of the water column in the Chukchi Sea. The information gained from her research allows her to determine where water is going and how fast it is flowing, which can aid in issues of search and rescue,... | Middle School and Up | 20 November 2012 | ||
| Video | Ocean Physics Video - Seasonal Cycles | This lecture discusses the seasonal cycle of the physics of the upper ocean at tropical, temperate, and polar latitudes. | Less than 1 period | Middle School and Up | Ocean Physics Video - Seasonal Cycles | 4 November 2012 |
| Activity | Acidity and Climate Change in the Arctic | Purpose To apply prior knowledge of chemistry to the acidification of our oceans. This can be a computer lab or library based activity Procedure Set up a glass tank in your classroom and grow a population of algae in water. Local pet supply stores will most likely give you some for free from... | About 1 period | Elementary and Up | 2 November 2012 | |
| Article | Teacher Takes Scientific Expedition to Antarctica | An article from the Mooresville Weekly, Mooresville, North Carolina, on Mike LeBarons upcoming departure to McMurdo Station to work on the WISSARD Project with researcher Ross Powell of Northern Illinois University. | All Ages | Teacher Takes Scientific Expedition to the South Pole | 22 October 2012 | |
| Article | Liverpool High School teacher Jeff Peneston honored by President Obama at White House | Jeff Peneston, Liverpool High School science teacher and PolarTREC 2008 alumnus was introduced as the New York State Teacher of the Year at an event in the White House Rose Garden that was televised nationally on cable TV. The article describes the awarding of this honor by President Barack Obama... | All Ages | Liverpool High School teacher Jeff Peneston honored by President Obama at White House | 17 October 2012 | |
| Event | Elliot Friedman and Terrestrial Methane and Microbiology | This 1 hour event is for educators interested in learning more on natural methane cycling, terrestrial methane studies in the polar regions, and Mr. Friedman's work with microbial electrochemical technologies. This event is part of the CISE online professional development course. | About 1 period | 31 August 2012 | ||
| Event | Amber Lancaster and the LARISSA Project Expedition | This is a one hour PolarConnect event with PolarTREC teacher Amber Lancaster and her research team aboard the RV Nathaniel B Palmer. They are studying the collapse of the Larson B Ice Shelf in Antarctica and its impact on the ecosystem of the Weddell Sea. Note: Due to satellite phone connection... | About 1 period | 31 August 2012 | ||
| Event | John Wood and the Carbon Balance in Tundra Expedition | In this one hour presentation, PolarTREC teacher John Wood explains the scientific work in the Carbon Balance in Warming and Drying Tundra expedition from Healy, Alaska. | About 1 period | 31 August 2012 | ||
| Article | Students Take Their Education Global | Kevin Tavares and his fourth graders at Old Hammondtown School in Massachusetts built a website to share what they were learning with the rest of the world. Mr. Tavares installed a location tracking device on the page that assigns a red dot to the country of each visitor. The students wanted to get... | All Ages | The Wanderer | 28 August 2012 | |
| Event | Polaris Project Session Five: Public Presentation | This is a one hour webinar is part of the Polaris Project 2012, conducted by Max Holmes and John Schade. In this session Andy Bunn, professor at Western Washington University, presents a lecture on the history and science of climate change. | About 1 period | 15 August 2012 | ||
| Polar Profile | Julie Katch | Excerpt from Katey Shirey's PolarTREC journal about Julie Katch, a draftsman working in Antarctica: I returned to McMurdo Station from the South Pole and got my new room assignment, a shared 5 bed berth in the main station building. I arranged to meet up with my new friend Julie Katch whom I'd met... | 25 July 2012 | |||
| Lesson | Human Creativity and Climate Change | Overview Humans are creative. They try to solve problems in original ways. For example, some scientists are thinking of ways to decrease the amount of greenhouse gases in the air. Other scientists are thinking of ways to limit the amount of sun that reaches Earth so that the Earth won’t get so... | Less than a week | Middle School and Up | 24 July 2012 | |
| Activity | Polar Week Unit Plan | This polar-themed unit plan provides a resource for teachers looking for ways to integrate a variety of challenging lessons and activities into their curriculum. The lessons touch on a variety of subject areas including language arts, math, and science. The unit is designed for a 3rd grade class... | More than a week | Elementary and Up | 18 June 2012 | |
| Web Link | Arctic Research Mapping Application | Arctic Research Mapping Application. ARMAP is a suite of online, interactive maps and services that support Arctic science. Learn more about research projects in your region of interest or scientific discipline. Explore available data or possible collaborations. Use the online mapping tools to... | High school and Up | Arctic Research Mapping Application | 15 June 2012 | |
| Lesson | The Incredible Shrinking Cup | Overview Students decorate polysterene cups later to be submerged in the ocean. Subsequent activities have students consider the effects of water pressure and depth with respect to their cups. Objective Students will determine mass and volume of a styrofoam cup. They will calculate the density... | Less than a week | Middle School and Up | 12 June 2012 | |
| Video | Influences of Thermokarst Failures in Arctic Landscapes | View sequential still images of thermokarst (thawed permafrost) at Horn Lake in northern Alaska during the summer of 2010. The video was made by researchers studying the responses of Arctic landscapes to permafrost degradation. | Less than 1 period | All Ages | Influences of Thermokarst Failures in Arctic Landscapes | 1 June 2012 |
| Web Link | Frontier Scientists | Frontier Scientists puts you in the front row to observe breaking scientific news from leading Arctic scientists in Archaeology, Geology, Anthropology, the Humanities, Biology, Marine Biology, Ecology, Chemistry and more. Many videos on Arctic science are available from their website. | All Ages | Frontier Scientists - Arctic Science Videos | 15 May 2012 | |
| Video | Tunnel Man - Episode 2 - Permafrost Monitoring | Tunnel Man is a super hero who lives in Ice Tunnels, and teaches children and adults about the unique geomorphology of Alaska. Tunnel Man is played by Kenji Yoshikawa, a Research Associate Professor for the Institute of Northern Engineering at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Tunnel Man's... | Less than 1 period | All Ages | View Original | 7 May 2012 |
| Event | Elizabeth Webb and Carbon Balance in Permafrost | This one hour presentation is part of the C-ISE Physical Science professional development course. Elizabeth Webb in Healy, Alaska explains the carbon balance in warming and drying tundra. | About 1 period | 3 April 2012 | ||
| Web Link | Polar Resource Book - Polar Science and Global Climate: An International Resource for Education and Outreach | The Polar Resource Book - Polar Science and Global Climate: An International Resource for Education & Outreach - was written to ensure that the efforts catalyzed by the International Polar Year (IPY) will continue to inspire educators, students, and emerging polar researchers with a shared... | All Ages | Pearson Bookshop | 29 March 2012 | |
| Event | Jim Miller and Microbial Activity in Thawing Permafrost | Private PolarConnect Event held between PolarTREC Teacher Jim Miller, researcher Elliot Friedman, and Jim's class in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Jim and Elliot are working in Barrow, Alaska. | Wimba Archive | 21 March 2012 | ||
| Activity | Pumping Carbon | Overview This activity allows students to participate in a physically interactive dramatization of the oceanic biological pump. Objective The purpose of this activity is to develop a conceptual understanding of how the biological pump moves carbon through the oceans. Preparation Background... | Less than 1 period | Middle School and Up | 19 March 2012 | |
| Web Link | Arctic Climate Modeling Program | The Arctic Climate Modeling Program (ACMP) provides curriculum-based arctic resources for use with K-12 students. Resources include inquiry-based classroom lessons, a student network for observing arctic weather (S.N.O.W.) , digital lectures, and an interactive multimedia learning system (on DVD... | All Ages | Arctic Climate Modeling Program | 14 March 2012 | |
| Article | Introduction to the Polar Regions | Chapter 2 of The Biology of the Polar Regions. An accessible supplementary text suitable for both senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in polar ecology. | High school and Up | Introduction to the Polar Regions | 12 March 2012 | |
| Article | Circumpolar World - Geography and Physical Processes | The Circumpolar World introduces students to the landscape, peoples and issues of the circumpolar region. This module gives a brief introduction to the physical features and processes of the Arctic region and highlights the significant factors that influence those features and processes. Developed... | High school and Up | Circumpolar World - Geography and Physical Processes | 12 March 2012 | |
| Article | Circumpolar World - Environment and Global Climate Change | This module gives a general overview of environmental issues that affect the Arctic, including climate change related themes. Compiled by Ake Bjorke, Lars Kullerud UNEP/GRID-Arendal, and Olav Hesjedal | High school and Up | Circumpolar World - Environment and Global Climate Change | 12 March 2012 | |
| Article | Introduction to the Circumpolar World | The Circumpolar World introduces students to the landscape, peoples and issues of the circumpolar region. | High school and Up | Introduction to the Circumpolar World | 12 March 2012 | |
| Web Link | Potential Methane Releases in Arctic and Changing Climate | What are the chances of abrupt releases of, say, 1 Gt of methane in the Arctic? What would be the impact of such a release? This scientific article offers detailed explanations of the stability of methane, impacts of hydrates, and data provided by NOAA and IPCC. Strong bibliography for this... | High school and Up | Potential Methane Releases in Arctic and Changing Climate | 12 March 2012 | |
| Article | Permafrost Thaw Affecting Carbon and Methane | The Permafrost Network and scientists describe the changes in permafrost and the affects on carbon, methane, and other environmental factors | High school and Up | Permafrost Thaw Affecting Carbon and Methane | 12 March 2012 | |
| Web Link | NBC Learn Video on Permafrost and Methane Impacts | NBC Learn, in partnership with the National Science Foundation, explores the impact that climate change is having on our planet. In this video, IARC's Dr. Katey Walter Anthony and IARC affiliate Dr. Vladimir Romanovsky are interviewed about permafrost, methane, and their impacts on the environment... | Middle School and Up | NBC Learn Video on Permafrost and Methane Impacts | 12 March 2012 | |
| Article | Arctic Methane and Warming | Methane in arctic permafrosts being studied by University of Alaska professor. This article describes methane's potential impact on global climate change. | High school and Up | Arctic Methane and Warming | 12 March 2012 | |
| Video | Tunnel Man - Episode 4 - Geomorphology | Tunnel Man is a super hero who lives in Ice Tunnels, and teaches children and adults about the unique geomorphology of Alaska. Tunnel Man is played by Kenji Yoshikawa, a Research Associate Professor for the Institute of Northern Engineering at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Tunnel Man's... | Less than 1 period | All Ages | View Original | 7 March 2012 |
| Video | Tunnel Man - Episode 3 - Active Layer Monitoring | Tunnel Man is a super hero who lives in Ice Tunnels, and teaches children and adults about the unique geomorphology of Alaska. Tunnel Man is played by Kenji Yoshikawa, a Research Associate Professor for the Institute of Northern Engineering at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Tunnel Man's... | Less than 1 period | All Ages | View Original | 7 March 2012 |
| Video | Hunting for Methane with Katey Walter Anthony | University of Alaska Fairbanks Professor Katey Walter Anthony takes us onto a frozen lake in Fairbanks, AK to demonstrate why methane gas has "exploded" onto the climate change scene. | Less than 1 period | Middle School and Up | 7 March 2012 | |
| Lesson | Permafrost Thaw Depth and Ground Cover | Overview Students are presented with an actual series of tundra photos, which they use to develop a hypothesis for which sort of ground cover will have the most/least permafrost depth. Then they are given a set of actual data and use this to test their hypothesis Objective Students will:... | Less than a week | Middle School and Up | 6 March 2012 | |
| Event | John Wood and Carbon Balance in Warming and Drying Tundra | PolarConnect event with John Wood and Dr. Sue Natali participating in the Carbon Balance in Warming and Drying Tundra expedition in Healy Alaska. There were some technical difficulties in the archive, so you can access Part 1 of the archive here and Part 2 of the archive is here. | Wimba Archive | 6 March 2012 | ||
| Article | Permafrost and Methane-Munching Soil Bacteria | Melting permafrost in a warming world could mean lots of greenhouses gasses, especially methane, released into the atmosphere. But it also means an unusual community of soil bacteria coming out of hibernation, so to speak. A new study looks at what those permafrost microbes do, exactly, as their... | Middle School and Up | Permafrost and Methane-Munching Soil Bacteria | 6 March 2012 | |
| Video | Engineer Explaining Carbon in Permafrost | At the CREEL permafrost tunnel outside Fairbanks, AK. Our guide, Art, explains a potential issue with the carbon balance in soils as the permafrost thaws as we traveled underground to see it the changes. | Less than 1 period | All Ages | Watch on YouTube | 6 March 2012 |
| Web Link | Global Methane Inventory | NASA GISS Institute on Climate and Planets education tools on Global Methane Inventory. This resource gives an introduction to the methane cycle as well as lessons, projects, research, and reference materials. | Middle School and Up | Global Methane Inventory | 6 March 2012 | |
| Web Link | Soil Microbes and Greenhouse Gases | In this video adapted from KUAC-TV and the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, learn how one-celled organisms in permafrost may be contributing to greenhouse gas levels and global warming. Investigate how soil microbes, once thought to be dormant in cold temperatures, may... | Middle School and Up | Soil Microbes and Greenhouse Gases | 5 March 2012 | |
| Web Link | Its all about Carbon - NPR Video Series | NPR and National Geographic teamed up to create an animated video series that begins with the basics of Carbon as an element and with 5 episodes draws the links between carbon and our warming planet. This is a part of the Climate Connections Series | Elementary and Up | Its all about Carbon - NPR Video Series | 5 March 2012 | |
| Web Link | Permafrost Observatory at Barrow, Alaska | The Permafrost Observatory was established at Barrow under the auspices of the International Arctic Research Center (IARC). The observatory was established to compare present permafrost temperatures with those obtained during the 1950s and early 1960s by Max Brewer. | Middle School and Up | Permafrost Observatory at Barrow, Alaska | 5 March 2012 | |
| Video | Frozen Methane from Seabed and Terrestrial Sites | Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks are studying the East Siberian Arctic Shelf region and finding the seafloor there holds vast stores of frozen methane and is showing signs of instability and widespread venting of the powerful greenhouse gas. In this video University of Alaska... | Less than 1 period | High school and Up | 5 March 2012 | |
| Video | BBC Explore - Exploding Methane Gas Bubbles | In an explosive clip from the BBC's landmark series, scientists drill into a frozen lake to ignite methane gas that is trapped in bubbles beneath the surface. Do greenhouse gases pose a signficant threat to our planet? Dr Iain Stewart assesses the dangers. | Less than 1 period | Elementary and Up | 5 March 2012 | |
| Web Link | Teacher Nell Herrmann Heads to Antarctica | Local news interviews PolarTREC teacher Nell Herrmann about her expedition to Palmer Station, Antarctica. The take a visit to her classroom as well. Video and written article are included. | All Ages | Teacher Nell Herrmann Heads to Antarctica | 1 March 2012 | |
| Web Link | Science and the Polar Regions Introduction | Polar science is a topic both your students and you can get into. This publication gives you a variety of angles to choose from in implementing a study of polar science. This resource was created under a National Science Foundation Grant by Middle School Portal 2: Math & Science Pathways. | Elementary and Up | Science and the Polar Regions Introduction | 28 February 2012 | |
| Article | Chantelle Rose - Back from the Arctic | Tara Hastings, WDTN Meteorologist visited Graham High School to talk with PolarTREC teacher Chantelle Rose about her Winter Sampling expedition. A video interview will remain as an external link to WDTN webpage. | All Ages | Teacher Back from the Arctic | 14 February 2012 | |
| Article | Graham Teacher on Expedition in the Arctic - Part Three | PolarTREC teacher Chantelle Rose wrote a guest column for the The Urbana Daily Citizen. This is the third in a series of guest columns planned to cover the local teacher's trip to the Arctic. | All Ages | 5 January 2012 | ||
| Web Link | Earths Polar Regions - NESTA | Do you wonder what Earth's Polar Regions are like? Where do polar bears live? Where do penguins swim? Why does the Sun never shine in winter in the Arctic? Why does aurora occur near the Earth’s Poles? How big are the Earth’s ice caps, and are they changing? The Earth’s Polar Regions are hosts to... | All Ages | Earth's Polar Regions - NESTA | 14 December 2011 | |
| Web Link | Polar Books Collection | A book collection for all ages from the United Nations Environment Programme. This collections page allows you to select a book and read a more detailed description. | All Ages | Polar Books Collection | 28 November 2011 | |
| Web Link | NASA: Drain the Ocean Video | NASA video depicting "Draining the Ocean" | All Ages | NASA: Drain the Ocean Video | 28 November 2011 | |
| Web Link | NASA Salinity Video | Salinity plays a major role in how ocean waters circulate around the globe. Salinity changes can create ocean circulation changes that, in turn, may impact regional and global climates. The extent to which salinity impacts our global ocean circulation is still relatively unknown, but NASA's new... | All Ages | NASA Salinity Video | 28 November 2011 | |
| Image | CTD Plots | CTD Data plots from the Winter Sampling Expedition. CTD is an acronym for Conductivity-Temperature-Depth. It is a device that measures the salinity, temperature, depth in a vertical profile from the surface. The data comes from the Chukchi Sea. | 21 November 2011 | |||
| Web Link | Television Interview- Local Teacher at Arctic Circle | This is a television interview from USCG Healy via satellite phone to a television station in Dayton, Ohio. | All Ages | Local Teacher in the Arctic Circle | 15 November 2011 | |
| Web Link | Teachers Domain - Polar Sciences Collection | Teacher's Domain is an online educational service with two related components — Collections and Courses — that help teachers enhance their students' learning experiences and advance their own teaching skills. This collection was built to celebrate the International Polar Year. Learn about the... | All Ages | Teachers Domain - Polar Sciences Collection | 8 November 2011 | |
| Web Link | Polar Regions Maps | Large, small, and diverse file type maps of the Arctic and Antarctica from the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection. The collections of the University of Texas Libraries are the result of more than one hundred years of continuing commitment by librarians, faculty, students, and private donors to... | All Ages | Polar Regions Maps | 27 October 2011 | |
| Web Link | Antarctica - Terra Incognita Index | This information is a resource on everything Antarctica created by 3 students in a Thinkquest project, collaborating internationally - Oliver Strebel, Robert Merki and Ho Lik Man. | Elementary and Up | Antarctica - Terra Incognita Index | 26 October 2011 | |
| Web Link | Comparing the Poles | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution offers a comprehensive comparison of the polar regions with sections specific to physical features, seasons, weather, ice, plants and wildlife, human impacts, global warming, and science. | All Ages | Comparing the Poles | 26 October 2011 | |
| Web Link | Bridge: Marine Education Resources | The Bridge is a growing collection of the best marine education resources available on-line. It provides educators with a convenient source of accurate and useful information on global, national, and regional marine science topics, and gives researchers a contact point for educational outreach. The... | All Ages | Bridge: Marine Education Resources | 26 October 2011 | |
| Video | Ocean Physics Video - Introduction to Physical Oceanography | This lecture introduces physical oceanography, the study of the physics of the world ocean. | Less than 1 period | Middle School and Up | Ocean Physics Video - Introduction | 26 October 2011 |
| Video | Ocean Physics Video - Seawater Density | This lecture discusses factors that affect seawater density, a most important quantity with implications for ocean circulation and productivity. | Less than 1 period | Middle School and Up | Ocean Physics Video - Seawater Density | 26 October 2011 |
| Video | Ocean Physics Video - Seasonal Thermoclines | This YouTube video lecture discusses the seasonal stratification and destratification of the world ocean, in other words, the formation of the seasonal thermocline! | Less than 1 period | Middle School and Up | Ocean Physics Video - Seasonal Thermocline | 26 October 2011 |
| Web Link | Studying Deep Sea Organisms- Interview with Timothy Shank | With credit to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, this interview with Dr. Timothy Shank explains the importance of hydrothermal vents to the survival of deep sea organisms in the Arctic. The link will open a page with Dr. Shank's video as well as his biography. | Middle School and Up | Studying Deep Sea Organisms- Interview with Timothy Shank | 26 October 2011 |
| Title | Excerpt | Completion Time | Grade Level | Link | Updated | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Article | NASA's IceBridge finishing up successful Arctic campaign | Article describing the final stages of this year's Operation IceBridge, the NASA campaign to maintain and expand on Arctic ice measurements. Along with PolarTREC teacher Mark Buesing, the IceBridge team has successfully completed a variety of aerial measurements on sea ice, sub-ice bedrock and... | All Ages | NASA's IceBridge finishing up successful Arctic campaign | View Resource | May 1, 2013 - 4:51pm | |
| Event | Dr. Samantha Hansen and the tectonic history of the Transantarctic Mountains | This one hour webinar is part of the online polar professional development course on physical science for educators. Dr. Hansen focuses on her research of the tectonic history of the Transantarctic Mountain in Antarctica. | About 1 period | Watch on YouTube | View Resource | April 17, 2013 - 4:59pm | |
| Article | San Francisco teacher's polar trip explores cool science | This San Francisco Examiner talks with the PolarTREC teacher Amber Lancaster in Antarctica and her marine biology students back in San Francisco and the impact of the experience on their lives. | All Ages | S.F. teacher's polar trip explores cool science | View Resource | March 6, 2013 - 3:15pm | |
| Web Link | Permafrost lab | The Geophysical Institute Permafrost Laboratory (GIPL) The Permafrost Laboratory deals with scientific questions related to the circumpolar permafrost dynamics and feedbacks between permafrost and global change. At the Permafrost Laboratory, data related to the thermal and structural state of... | All Ages | Permafrost Lab | View Resource | April 23, 2013 - 10:11am | |
| Article | NASA Begins New Season Of Arctic Ice Science Flights | Press release about the launch of Operation IceBridge's 2013 season of research activity and science flights over Arctic ice sheets and sea ice. Operation Icebridge will undertake survey flights over land and sea ice in and around Greenland and the Arctic Ocean through early May in order to... | All Ages | NASA Begins New Season Of Arctic Ice Science Flights | View Resource | April 9, 2013 - 6:05am | |
| Article | Libertyville Teacher Heading to NASA Polar Project | Chicago Tribune article describing PolaTREC teacher Mark Buesing's expedition to Greenland with NASA's Operation IceBridge. | All Ages | Libertyville Teacher Heading to NASA Polar Project | View Resource | March 4, 2013 - 11:00am | |
| Article | Libertyville teacher tapped by NASA | Article describing PolarTREC teacher Mark Buesing's upcoming expedition to Greenland in April to participate in NASA’s Operation IceBridge, a six-year mission to map polar ice. | All Ages | Libertyville teacher tapped by NASA | View Resource | February 28, 2013 - 11:14am | |
| Web Link | Space Weather Prediction Website | SpaceWeather.com is an excellent tool used to predict space weather events like the Northern Lights and solar activity levels. | All Ages | SpaceWeather.com | View Resource | December 13, 2012 - 9:52am | |
| Video | Working at Terra Nova, Antarctica | Working at Terra Nova, Antarctica. This is the Italian Base where PolarTREC teacher Brian Dubay and his team continued their study of the Transantarctic Mountains. | Less than 1 period | All Ages | Watch on YouTube | View Resource | April 3, 2013 - 3:07pm |
| Video | Helicopter flights in Antarctica | Helicopter flights in Antarctica with annotations on specific geographic and geologic features. | Less than 1 period | All Ages | Watch on YouTube | View Resource | May 6, 2013 - 6:23am |
| Video | Installing Seismic Stations on Glacial Ice | Installing Seismic Stations on Glacial Ice with crevasses in Antarctica | Less than 1 period | All Ages | Watch on YouTube | View Resource | April 3, 2013 - 12:12pm |
| Video | Liz Ratliff heads to the South Pole | This local TV interview is about PolarTREC teacher Liz Ratliff heading to South Pole Station, Antarctica to work with the IceCube project. | Less than 1 period | All Ages | View on YouTube | View Resource | December 26, 2012 - 3:33pm |
| Video | Building and Installing Seismometers | Dr. Samantha Hansen and the team building and installing seismometers in Antarctica. | Less than 1 period | All Ages | Watch on YouTube | View Resource | April 3, 2013 - 11:04am |
| Video | TAMNNET Team Introduction | Introductions to Dr. Hansen's TAMNNET Team working on seismology and tectonic history of the Transantarctic Mountains. | Less than 1 period | All Ages | Watch on YouTube | View Resource | April 3, 2013 - 10:59am |
| Article | Teacher Bringing South Pole to Classroom | The Gaston Gazette article outlining PolarTREC teacher Liz Ratliff's upcoming expedition to South Pole Station, Antarctica with the IceCube project. | All Ages | Teacher Bringing South Pole to Classroom | View Resource | December 26, 2012 - 3:46pm | |
| Article | Teacher Takes Scientific Expedition to Antarctica | An article from the Mooresville Weekly, Mooresville, North Carolina, on Mike LeBarons upcoming departure to McMurdo Station to work on the WISSARD Project with researcher Ross Powell of Northern Illinois University. | All Ages | Teacher Takes Scientific Expedition to the South Pole | View Resource | October 22, 2012 - 9:41am | |
| Article | Embedded Educators: Teacher Research Experience in Greenland with Operation IceBridge | In mid-April 2012, five teachers from Denmark, Greenland, and the United States, were given the experience of a lifetime. The teachers lived, worked, and flew alongside airborne polar scientists in Greenland, and saw firsthand how remote data are collected on NASA’s Operation IceBridge. In the... | All Ages | NASA Icebridge - Arctic 2012 | View Resource | February 21, 2013 - 11:21am | |
| Event | Polaris Project Session Five: Public Presentation | This is a one hour webinar is part of the Polaris Project 2012, conducted by Max Holmes and John Schade. In this session Andy Bunn, professor at Western Washington University, presents a lecture on the history and science of climate change. | About 1 period | View Resource | August 15, 2012 - 4:22pm | ||
| Presentation | Surface Current Measurements in the Northeast Chukchi Sea Using Shore-Based High-Frequency Radar | Rachel Potter presents her research on the use of radar to measure surface currents in the top 2 m of the water column in the Chukchi Sea. The information gained from her research allows her to determine where water is going and how fast it is flowing, which can aid in issues of search and rescue,... | Middle School and Up | View Resource | November 20, 2012 - 12:18pm | ||
| Article | Students Take Their Education Global | Kevin Tavares and his fourth graders at Old Hammondtown School in Massachusetts built a website to share what they were learning with the rest of the world. Mr. Tavares installed a location tracking device on the page that assigns a red dot to the country of each visitor. The students wanted to get... | All Ages | The Wanderer | View Resource | August 28, 2012 - 11:43am | |
| Event | John Wood and the Carbon Balance in Tundra Expedition | In this one hour presentation, PolarTREC teacher John Wood explains the scientific work in the Carbon Balance in Warming and Drying Tundra expedition from Healy, Alaska. | About 1 period | View Resource | August 31, 2012 - 9:32am | ||
| Event | Amber Lancaster and the LARISSA Project Expedition | This is a one hour PolarConnect event with PolarTREC teacher Amber Lancaster and her research team aboard the RV Nathaniel B Palmer. They are studying the collapse of the Larson B Ice Shelf in Antarctica and its impact on the ecosystem of the Weddell Sea. Note: Due to satellite phone connection... | About 1 period | View Resource | August 31, 2012 - 9:32am | ||
| Event | Elliot Friedman and Terrestrial Methane and Microbiology | This 1 hour event is for educators interested in learning more on natural methane cycling, terrestrial methane studies in the polar regions, and Mr. Friedman's work with microbial electrochemical technologies. This event is part of the CISE online professional development course. | About 1 period | View Resource | August 31, 2012 - 9:32am | ||
| Event | Elizabeth Webb and Carbon Balance in Permafrost | This one hour presentation is part of the C-ISE Physical Science professional development course. Elizabeth Webb in Healy, Alaska explains the carbon balance in warming and drying tundra. | About 1 period | View Resource | April 3, 2012 - 6:08pm | ||
| Activity | Polar Week Unit Plan | This polar-themed unit plan provides a resource for teachers looking for ways to integrate a variety of challenging lessons and activities into their curriculum. The lessons touch on a variety of subject areas including language arts, math, and science. The unit is designed for a 3rd grade class... | More than a week | Elementary and Up | View Resource | June 18, 2012 - 6:38am |
Location:
Mario Zucchelli (Italian Base)
More:
Read full journal
Location:
McMurdo Station
More:
Read full journal
Location:
McMurdo Station
More:
Read full journal
Location:
McMurdo Station
More:
Read full journal
