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
Students create a life size model of a bowhead whale based on information they have collected.
Objective
Students will be able to organize specific technical information from a variety of resources to develop a "blue print" or pattern to create a life size model of a bowhead whale.
Procedure
Introduction to project, student research on whale
This lesson was written for a Photography I course, to be taught in a lab with access to either a darkroom or computers/printers. The class has already spent ample time getting used to the basics of photography, learning to use their cameras as a creative tool, just as a painter might use a brush. This lesson could easily
In part two of this two-part lesson students work in pairs to explore the effects of temperature on ocean stratification using a simple plastic shoebox-sized container in which they create a mini-ocean environment. Students will apply what they learn in the lab setting along with information gained in several online articles to a basic understanding of the Global Conveyor
In part one of this two-part lesson students work in pairs to explore the effects of salinity on ocean stratification using a simple plastic shoebox-sized container in which they create a mini-ocean environment. Students will apply what they learn in the lab setting along with information gained in several online articles to a basic understanding of the Global Conveyor
Have you ever wondered how polar scientists do it? How do they really know if the planet is losing vast quantities of ice anyway? You can use pictures from satellites to monitor the surface from year to year, but the vast majority of ice is hidden from view, buried beneath the surface in some of the most inhospitable and
This lesson investigates the impact of melting and freezing arctic sea ice on the properties of salinity, temperature and density that contribute to the stratification of ocean waters. This lesson combines several learning approaches including a hands-on lab, a web-quest and collaboration with other students.
Objectives
1. Students will be able to explain and demonstrate how Arctic