The Greenland Subglacial Tremor Project started its work two years ago, planning logistics and travel for an expedition to Western Greenland. The field experience was delayed for two years due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. We finally deployed to Ilulissat, Greenland to study how glacier meltwater influences the speed and amount of ice flow and the rate
This PolarConnect event with teacher Erin Towns and researcher Dr. Sarah Das was broadcast live from Ilulissat, Greenland on 10 May 2022. The team was working on the Greenland Subglacial Tremor Project.
Jennifer Heidrich of the Warming and Removals in Mountains of Northern Canada expedition and Erin Towns of the Greenland Subglacial Tremor Project, have teamed up to create a podcast. Both educators teach at Edward Little High School in Auburn, Maine.
Sun Journal article coverage of two Edward Little High School teachers's, Jenn Heidrich and Erin Towns, both selected for PolarTREC expeditions. Jenn Heidrich was selected to go on an expedition in Yukon, Canada, and Erin Towns was selected to go on an expedition to Ilulissat, Greenland.
This lesson focuses on the diffusion of gas molecules across the cuticle membrane of sea spider legs and the role body size plays in the ability of sea spiders to uptake gases. Students construct model sea spider legs of varying diameters and use them to investigate the relationship between surface area-to-volume ratios and diffusion.
Ice that forms in the polar oceans is an important driver behind the global climate. This ice is physically different from frozen precipitation in a number of different ways. In this brief inquiry activity, students make qualitative observations about two types of ice cubes and deduce ice composition based on their observations. This activity may serve as an introduction to
Impacts of a field experience on teaching high school science
Early in my teaching career, I learned that authenticity is essential in creating working relationships with my high school students. By showing them that I am a human being with experiences, ideas, dreams, and opinions, I’m able to connect in ways that invite their attention as I teach skills
Humans hold special relationships with the natural resources by which they are surrounded. These connections are increasingly being challenged by changing climate patterns, availability of resources, and societal changes. In this activity students will investigate the cultural importance of an Arctic plant or animal. Each student will create a carving and research traditional uses, geographic range, and natural history
I was a member of the Chukchi Borderlands: Hidden Ocean 2016 expedition, funded through the NOAA Ocean Exploration Program, on board the US Coast Guard Cutter Healy. A majority of the six-week mission was based above the Arctic Circle. This expedition brought together many discipline components to provide a better picture of marine biodiversity and conditions in the Chukchi Borderlands