In a “March Madness” game of survival of the fittest, will your microbe and its genes survive the test of changing conditions on Planet Earth and beyond? Students choose genes from a “toolbox” and pit their microbe against their classmates’, using critical thinking and argument writing to determine the microbe with the best chance of success. Based on PolarTREC
Biodiversity is a central concept in understanding ecosystem functioning. Students explore how biodiversity is measured, impacted and can shift due to environmental changes to develop their understanding. Based off of the Microbial biogeography studies that Dr. Byron Crump is doing in the Arctic and around the world.
Objectives
* Understand the role and importance of biodiversity in
Analogs are used in science investigations to better understand systems we can’t access ourselves. In this lesson, students explore the Dry Valleys of Antarctica to better understand microbial communities on early Earth and what might have been possible on ancient Mars. Students will examine photographs, written descriptions, and artistic renderings of early Earth, the Dry Valley lakes, and
PolarTREC teacher Emily Dodson participated in a scientific expedition in the summer of 2014 at Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. Emily’s book is a telling of the science story behind the teams work and Emily’s participation as an educator and field assistant on the PolarTREC expedition.
Author/Credit
To contact Emily <emily.snowden [at] fayette.kyschools.us>
The report is written by teacher participants upon return from their field expedition portion of the PolarTREC program. It summarizes the benefit of the expedition to the teacher, a description of activities, and a summary of how teachers plan to link this experience in classrooms and communities. This is a public document that will be posted in teacher portfolios and
First person article written by Lauren about how her undergraduate experience tied into her PolarTREC expedition to the Arctic. Published in the Colorado College alumni bulletin.
The report is written by teacher participants upon return from their field expedition portion of the PolarTREC program. It summarizes the benefit of the expedition to the teacher, a description of activities, and a summary of how teachers plan to link this experience in classrooms and communities. This is a public document that will be posted in teacher portfolios and
This article summarizes the research of cyanobacterial mats in Lake Joyce during the 2014 field season. It describes the importance of the mats to better understand Earth history and understanding of other planetary systems. Additionally, it describes the sediment trap experiement that will conclude in the next field season.
The Loretto Earth Network News e-pub newletter features a recap of Lauren Watel's expedition to Toolik Field Station. Access the online archive in the LEN News - Summer 2014, page 7.
On 6 October 2014, Capital Public Radio in Sacramento, CA interviewed Dawn Sumner, Tyler Mackey and Lucy Coleman on connections between the research in Lake Joyce, Antarctica, and work by the Mars Curiosity rover. To listen to the interview, click here.