This lesson plan transports students to two field sites outside of Fairbanks, Alaska to investigate the interconnected relationships between climate change and permafrost. Students will use authentic field data from site photographs, soil temperature, and thaw depth measurements to draw inferences. An ESRI StoryMap, faux field journal, and 360 site images are used to engage students in the inquiry
Dayton's News Program, Fox 45 in the Morning, talks with teacher Chantelle Rose directly from the Arctic about her oceanographic PolarTREC expedition and follow-up involvement with the 2012 Arctic Ocean Ecosystem Workshop in Barrow, Alaska.
Students chose a research project, from one of seven suggested projects, to complete in class with a partner. Upon completion they will present their information to the class.
Objectives
Students will present a scientifically accurate project on a topic related to the PolarTREC Winter Sampling expedition.
Lesson Preparation
Introduce students to the PolarTREC website. Any expedition could be selected
PolarTREC teacher Chantelle Rose wrote a guest column for the The Urbana Daily Citizen. This is the final installment in a series of guest columns planned to cover the local teacher's trip to the Arctic.
Article about PolarTREC teacher Chantelle Rose's icebreaker-based expedition to collect some of the first winter information on the biology, chemistry, and physical oceanography of the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas.