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
Journal article about Lesley Urasky's PolarTREC expedition, Glacial History in Antarctica, published in "In the Trenches", the news magazine of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers.
An article about Lesley Urasky's PolarTREC expedition, Glacial History in Antarctica during the 2010-2011 research season that appeared in the University of Wyoming's Alumnews.
During Lesley Urasky’s expedition, “Glacial History in Antarctica”, the team collected rock samples which were taken back to the University of Washington to be dated using cosmogenic (exposure) dating. This method of radiometric dating measures the ratio of isotopes of Beryllium (9Be:10Be) produced by the interaction of cosmic rays with minerals in rocks. This lesson will introduce the student to
Given sets of graphable data students will show that various viewpoints can be supported depending on how data is presented and interpreted. These may or may not be accurate or relevant representations of data results over time. This lesson contains basic graphing components, interpretation of information and communication to others of findings depicted in graphs. Teachers may choose
Online version of The News & Observer news paper article highlighting Gerty Ward's participation in a PolarTREC expedition on the Beaufort Sea. Gerty will be working with Rick Krishfield and other scientists on a Canadian icebreaker studying ocean currents and more!