This lesson plan is designed to teach students about the importance of the benthic community in the shallow portions of the Arctic and how climate change may affect their respiration. One of the dominant benthic animals in the Arctic, the bivalve Macoma sp., is an important food source for higher trophic level organisms such as walrus and Spectacled Eiders
Feature story on David Walker's Carbon in the Arctic expedition and permafrost science in the Spring 2020 issue of The Classroom Teacher, the quarterly magazine of the Texas Classroom Teachers Association. Article begins on page 12.
This lesson plan is designed to teach students about benthic biodiversity in the Arctic by analyzing data from the Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO). Although you can’t see them from the surface, the organisms found on the ocean floor are important indicators of ecosystem health and provide information about productivity. Students will explore sites throughout the Bering and Chukchi Seas
This activity was prepared by David Walker (LASA High School) and Rose Cory (University of Michigan), based on work conducted at Toolik Field Station in Alaska. The purpose is to introduce students to Van Krevelen diagrams, which are used to interpret results of high resolution mass spectrometry and characterize the compound classes present in complex organic mixtures. Students will
This activity was prepared by David Walker (LASA High School) and Rose Cory (University of Michigan), based on work conducted during summer 2019 at Toolik Field Station in Alaska. The purpose is to expose students to photooxidation, one of the main pathways by which organic molecules in Arctic streams are oxidized into carbon dioxide. Different teas will be used
PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) is a professional development program that pairs K-12 teachers in the United States with polar researchers. Teachers engage in field research and develop long-term relationships with scientists in order to better understand the scientific process and implement the skills and knowledge they have gained into the classroom. The goal
The work of professor Bryon Crump, graduate student Natasha Christman, and PolarTREC teacher David Walker is highlighted in the weekly newsletter of the Oregon State University College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (On the Horizon).
KUT (Austin's NPR Station) news report (video, article, and radio) on PolarTREC teacher David Walker's Carbon in the Arctic expedition. The story aired on Morning Edition and Texas Standard in late-September, 2019.
PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) is a program that pairs US educators with field research experiences in polar regions. The program is managed by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS) and receives funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Polar Programs. The long-term vision of PolarTREC is "to create