Antarctic ecosystems are undergoing change at unprecedented levels. In this lesson, students will use real data to evaluate the effect of climate change on Antarctic fish. Denise Hardoy created this lesson plan after joining Dr. Anne Todgham’s team studying Antarctic Fish Development Under Future Ocean Conditions in October/November of 2019.
Denise Hardoy created this resource after spending five weeks embedded with Dr. Anne Todgham’s team studying the effects of climate change on Antarctic fishes in 2019. This lesson addresses one of the most difficult aspects of science for students - making sense of data.
Objectives
Success Criteria
* Given a graph, students will write an analysis paragraph of a
I believe it is important to show my students what real science is… and that is how I found myself in Antarctica studying Antarctic Fish Development Under Future Ocean Conditions.
The PolarTREC program pairs teachers with research scientists for a symbiotic expedition. Scientists get a voice and a larger audience through the educator, and the educator
Scientists in Siberia are seeing trends of more severe and widespread wildfires. By observing and measuring larch forests, they are trying to understand how the forests are changing. What do these trees need to survive? Are they getting what they need? Students will plant lodgepole pine seeds providing some with all the necessary components for survival and others missing
Scientists in Siberia are seeing trends of more severe and widespread wildfires. Larch seeds are dispersed by wind. Experimentation is currently underway to determine distances larch seeds can disperse from viable, mature larch trees. Students will explore how various types of seeds are dispersed to get what they need to survive.
Timeframe: 90 minutes
Grade: K-2
Students will learn to:
* Observe and record weather patterns
* Process data by creating graphs/charts
* Compare actual weather data from the Siberian Arctic to local weather patterns, draw conclusions and make future predictions concerning weather patterns.
Big Idea
Why do people need to track weather over time?
Lesson Preparation
You will need a thermometer, tracking calendar, and
The Importance of Teacher/Researcher Collaboration
Collaboration such as this offers a window into the science rarely seen by teachers and their students. It allows the public/students to experience, in real-time, relevant data collection of the 21st century. Furthermore, experiences such as these demonstrate the universal factors of the scientific process. It does not matter if we are practicing science in
Mount St. Mary's College in Los Angeles profiles one of its alumni, teacher Cristina Solis who also happens to be a PolarTREC alumnus. Read about her journey to become an educator and her participation in a PolarTREC study of microbial activity in thawing arctic permafrost near Barrow, Alaska.
Students will conduct a demonstration that will help them gain a better understanding of the water cycle and runoff in a watershed. They will be able to replicate arctic and non-arctic watersheds by varying the size of the watershed. They will be able to visualize the difference in runoff by creating hydrographs of these different locations.
Students will investigate the breadth and depth of science taking place in the Polar Regions by reading and learning about one PolarTREC expedition and sharing it with the class.
Objectives
* To expose students to the wide variety of science happening in the Polar Regions
* To help students understand the process of science by examining one