Students complete a physical puzzle based on a scientific poster about Bowhead Whales. Students then research the content of the poster and present their findings.
Objective
To familiarize students with:
* the scientific method
* real polar scientific posters
* real polar scientific research
* real polar scientific terminology
* real polar scientific technology
* real polar
Follow the Polar Expedition is a booklet designed for students to help them learn about the 2012 Chukchi Sea Offshort Monitoring in the Drilling Area (COMIDA) Hanna Shoal Ecosystem Study with PolarTREC teacher Deanna Wheeler. The expedition is August 5-25, 2012, aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter.
The booklet has terms used on the ship as well as several activities
Students decorate polysterene cups later to be submerged in the ocean. Subsequent activities have students consider the effects of water pressure and depth with respect to their cups.
Objective
Students will determine mass and volume of a styrofoam cup. They will calculate the density and research the depth of the Bering, Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. They will
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
Students will observe how soils and rocks of different densities behave in wind and in water. They will make predictions and careful observations as they learn about sediment transport and sediment rates in streams and rivers.
A young marine biologist from Portugal shows the science, the beauty and the importance of the polar regions to the planet from a research cruise en route to Antarctica. Film is primarily in Portuguese with some English.
Permafrost is a key cryospheric component and of global interest for better understanding climate change. This short film presents an overview of permafrost on Earth and focuses on the International Polar Year (IPY) activities of a research group from the University of Lisbon and its international partners. Video narration in Portuguese with English subtitles.
Students will engage in a hands-on activity to help them consider what students in a tropical climate do to prepare for recess compared with students who live in the interior of Alaska.
Objectives
Students will:
* Compare what students in a tropical climate do to prepare for recess with students who live in the interior of Alaska.
* Learn
What happens to the salinity in the Bering Sea during ice and no ice conditions? Does it change throughout the year and at different depths during different seasons? Create a model of the Bering Sea in ice conditions. Change the conditions based on seasonal changes to explore the effects of runoff on salinity.
This activity is meant to help students authentically learn the scientific method through comparing and contrasting oral history (storytelling) as a way to pass along information and solve problems with the scientific method. It also helps connect the students' cultural identity with the curriculum.
Objective
Compare and contrast oral history traditions to the scientific method as a