The Arctic Ocean Curriculum Unit was created by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States with funding from the North Pacific Research Board. This project aimed to update and revise existing Arctic Ocean-related lesson plans originally created by PolarTREC program teacher alumni. The format used lends itself to the changes in education - providing student-facing slide decks that allow
Kahoot! based quizzes that are focused on climate change. The suite of quizzes includes a quiz about climate change in the Arctic and Antarctica. These quizzes are created by Columbia University and the National Oceangraphic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that is free for teachers. Teachers will need to create a login to use the
By rolling a die, students will simulate a molecule of carbon’s movement with in the carbon cycle. This is a fun, active way to introduce students to the carbon cycle and/or to review the cycle and identify carbon sinks and sources.
Students experience the carbon cycle as CO2 molecules or as stored carbon and travel the path of
This activity works best for students who don't have a lot of lab experience and learn best through hands on activities. It allows them to not only investigate an aspect of global warming (rising sea levels), they will also get practice with making predictions and writing a hypothesis as well as understanding basic scientific concepts such as water
This presentation, given by Matt Druckenmiller at the 2012 Arctic Ocean Ecosystem Workshop in Barrow, Alaska presents information on both the science and local knowledge of ice conditions off the coast of Alaska. His research considers whether a reduction or change in the variability of sea ice has an effect on the feeding patterns and thus body size of the
Senior Scientist Anne Jensen gave a presentation about cultural resilience and sustainability at the 2012 Arctic Ocean Ecosystem Workshop in Barrow, Alaska. Read more about her archaeological work here.
This First Grade unit on the bowhead whale has been created to support the knowledge of children living within a whaling community. The unit focuses on the basic components of understanding the bowhead in a more scientific manner. Although my students know the bowhead in a uniquely intimate way because of their environmental and subsistence circumstances, our goal
The CIMSS/UW-Madison Global and Regional Climate Change course for G6-12 science teachers has been translated to Spanish and is now available online. The translation was done by Juan Botella, a native Spanish speaker who teaches high school science in Madison, WI and a former PolarTREC teacher. Read more about Juan here: http://www.polartrec.com/member/juan-botella
This polar-themed unit plan provides a resource for teachers looking for ways to integrate a variety of challenging lessons and activities into their curriculum. The lessons touch on a variety of subject areas including language arts, math, and science. The unit is designed for a 3rd grade class but can be adapted for other grade levels. A helpful media list
People have lived in the Arctic for many millennia, developing skills, strategies, and community knowledge to survive polar conditions. The attached flyer, produced by the International Polar Year (IPY) Programme Office, summarizes some of the present issues of concern for residents of the Arctic, including issues of health, food security, community well-being, resource development, and place in the global economy