One of the most important indicators of our warming climate is the extent and thickness of polar sea ice. Currently satellites measure the extent of polar sea ice but it takes more sophisticated equipment aboard a low-flying plane to actually measure the thickness of sea ice. This lesson will show students how this is done.
Antarctic educator, Mark Walsh, created this video for the PolarTREC 2013 spring online professional development course. This video uses the concept of Density to explore how mountains are built as well as how to throw a good Cinco de Mayo party at McMurdo Station Antarctica. He uses the Dr. Samantha Hansen's Transantarctic Mountains work as an example of mountain building.
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 include:
a) how geologic processes are evidenced in Antarctic mountains;
b) tectonic processes (compressional, tensional, and transversal forces).
Adapted by Michelle Brand Buhanan for
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.
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.
Permafrost is a key cryospheric component and of global interest for better understanding climate change. This short film presents an overview of permafrost on Earth and focuses on the International Polar Year (IPY) activities of a research group from the University of Lisbon and its international partners. Video narration in Portuguese with English subtitles.
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 Sense.