This lesson describes how decomposition happens, and the role of microorganisms in this process. The animation, which runs for 3:23 minutes total time, covers information that students may or may not be familiar with. Here is one suggestion for working your students through the animation. By actively taking notes during the animations, students can engage in a dialogue with the
Through investigation, you will determine which solution has the highest density.
Objective
To determine, through experimentation, which of a variety of solutions has the highest density.
Preparation
Background: The waters of the ocean are constantly moving in many different ways. The surface of the ocean rises and falls in rhythm. These movements, in the form of
In this introductory lesson, students read an article about Arctic Ocean ecosystems and then play a board game in which they take on the role of researchers.
Objectives
The purpose of this introductory activity is to:
* Identify the main components of complex arctic ecosystem and describe predator/prey relationships between phytoplankton, ice algae, zooplankton, bowhead whales, polar
Students are designated as the water or ocean currents, zooplankton, and bowhead whales. The zooplankton are informed that they are at the mercy of the currents. The currents are given instructions as to where to go during different times of the year (map). The whale pod is told that they need to breathe (raise hands above head to indicate
Students experiment with a “blubber glove” to experience how insulation affects heat transfer, and how the adaptation of blubber helps penguins as well as seals, whales and walruses survive in bitterly cold waters.
As the homepage of the website describes, "The beauty of the Arctic, its precious and fragile nature, its critical role in maintaining a stable climate for the planet, and the rapid rate of change that is occurring there must all be conveyed to the general public. Here, through digital story telling, we put a human face on science, life, societies
Stacy Kim is a benthic ecologist; she studies the animals that live on and in the seafloor and how they interact with one another in a community. Follow Stacy through blogs, videos, and more via the Ice Stories website.
John Whiteman says that most of his fun comes from thinking about how events outside an animal affect events inside an animal. For his PhD research, he’s studying how warm weather during summer can make hunting difficult for polar bears, forcing them to make seasonal adjustments such as living off of their own body fat. He’s also investigating how these
This website provides information on the Arctic ground squirrel including facts and pictures explaining the adaptations the squirrel has to survive the harsh Arctic winters.
Taken from website:
Today an international team of scientists funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and supported by its Office of Polar Programs and the U.S. Antarctic Program is researching how penguins are coping with a rapidly changing climate, as well as to equally profound changes caused by commercial fishing.
Researchers have come to Ross Island to study penguin