In a “March Madness” game of survival of the fittest, will your microbe and its genes survive the test of changing conditions on Planet Earth and beyond? Students choose genes from a “toolbox” and pit their microbe against their classmates’, using critical thinking and argument writing to determine the microbe with the best chance of success. Based on PolarTREC
Analogs are used in science investigations to better understand systems we can’t access ourselves. In this lesson, students explore the Dry Valleys of Antarctica to better understand microbial communities on early Earth and what might have been possible on ancient Mars. Students will examine photographs, written descriptions, and artistic renderings of early Earth, the Dry Valley lakes, and
On 6 October 2014, Capital Public Radio in Sacramento, CA interviewed Dawn Sumner, Tyler Mackey and Lucy Coleman on connections between the research in Lake Joyce, Antarctica, and work by the Mars Curiosity rover. To listen to the interview, click here.
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 will use the TAMMNET project and accompanying PolarTREC resources to learn about seismology in the Antarctic, culminating in the creation of an annotated map using google maps.
Objective:
Students will understand the different ways mountain ranges are formed, and appreciate the questions unanswered about the Transantarctic Mountains. Students will also appreciate the ingenuity required for doing research in
Nature creates its own density column in marine systems, which is extremely important for the triggering of the spring bloom of phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are an important food source for all organisms- from microscopic zooplankton to large marine mammals such as walrus and whales. The different salinities (and therefore, different densities) of water help to stabilize the water column (by limiting
In this activity students learn about varves, annual sediment layers found in lakes. Students will analyze authentic varve data from New England in order to correlate data from three different geographic locations .
Objective
Students will analyze authentic varve sediment data and create a graph of varve thickness. Students will use their results to make inferences about
This website has a treasure trove of resources for you to create innovated lessons using the best resources available. The resources have been selected from those suggested by users from around the country. You also appreciate the way the resources have been categorized so that you can easily search for what you want.
This website is the research website for snow and ice research in both the Arctic and Antarctic. You will also find Education links along with the latest detail in polar research.