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
The report is written by teacher participants upon return from their field expedition portion of the PolarTREC program. It summarizes the benefit of the expedition to the teacher, a description of activities, and a summary of how teachers plan to link this experience in classrooms and communities. This is a public document that will be posted in teacher portfolios and
Newsday reporter Jennifer Smith blogs dispatches from Toolik Lake, Alaska about science underway at the research station, including the work of researcher Amanda Koltz on predatory spiders.
In this one hour webinar, PolarTREC teacher Nick LaFave conducts live event for students and the public on his work at Toolik Field Station studying Predatory Spiders with researcher Amanda Koltz.
In the field with Michael Sheriff of the Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks. Tagging squirrels near the Atigun River, North Slope, Alaska. Video by Nick LaFave.
In this one hour webinar, PolarTREC teacher Nick LaFave conducts professional development for teachers on his work at Toolik Field Station studying Predatory Spiders with researcher Amanda Koltz.