Module IX Response

Essential Question: How are climate, terrestrial ice, and Alaskan indigenous cultures all connected?

Changes in temperature of the Earth's climate interact to create terrestrial ice. Thousands of years ago this was not such a big ordeal, but with the current population of Earth growing at rapid rates humans are impacting the the climate more than ever before. The TD video Documenting Glacial Change discusses how most glaciers around the world have retreated since 1900, and that "the retreat is probably linked to global warming, whose effect on ice could have potentially serious consequences for humans. Accelerated melting of valley glaciers could produce catastrophic flooding followed by long-term drought, which would affect hundreds of millions of people who rely on stable glaciers to provide water for agriculture and their drinking supply."

Extend:
At the beginning of this module was the discussion on the planet's supply of water. I found a chart of the distribution of the Earth's water from the USGS site. Along with information below, I thought this would have some interesting value in the classroom. While I am not sure how much my third graders would be able to visualize and understand what it means - they might still find it interesting.

Using the analogy that 1,000 drops of water represent all of the water on Planet Earth:

• 972 drops are in the oceans and inland seas
• 21 drops are in glaciers
• 6 drops are in ground water and soil moisture
• Less than 1 drop is in the atmosphere
• Less than 1 drop is in lakes and rivers
• Less than 1 drop is in all living plants and animals

Using the analogy that 1,000 ice crystals represent all of the glacier ice on Earth, the global distribution of ice is:

• 914 crystals are in Antarctica
• 79 crystals are in Greenland
• about 4 crystals are in North America (with about 1 crystal is in Alaska)
• about 2 crystals are in Asia
• less than 1 crystal is in South America, Europe, Africa, New Zealand and Irian Jaya

One of the resources from this module that was particulary interesting to me was the TD video Climate Change and the discussion about all of the dramatic changes from the last 10,00 years that are more easily understood from the ice core samples taken in Greenland: "Looking back in time the last 10,000 years have been marked by dramatic changes such as century long cold spells and decades of drought - which were nothing when compared with what came before them: average yearly temperatures that fluctuated wildly, creating climate shifts within a human lifetime that are nearly unimaginable."

The TD video Earth's Cryosphere: Antarctica focused on how the antarctic region is changing and stated that "as the temperatures increase there are a growing number of melt ponds. As the heavy melt water forces its way into cracks, ice shelves weaken and can ultimately collapse." Ice shelves that have been around for tens of thousands of years are cracking in a matter of weeks, which is frightening and should be a wake-up call to those who question the reality of global warming and the actual carbon footprint of Earth's current population.

Evaluate:

• In response to some of the resources from this module, one that I particularly loved was a part of the NASA Operation Ice Bridge Blog where a first grade class wrote in their questions - and they were answered right on the blog! The implications for how engaging this type of use of technology can be for students in simply mind boggling.
• I found this interesting diagram of Alaska Native and Western Ways of knowing in an article on the Alaska Native Knowledge Network.
  

Module VIII Response

Essential Question: How are Arctic sea-ice, climate, and culture all connected?

Water is one of the single most important elements in regulating the climate and life on Earth. This module focused on the cryosphere, or the portions of the Earth's surface where water is in solid form, including sea ice, lake ice, river ice, snow cover, glacier, ice caps and ice sheets, and frozen ground (including permafrost). (While we have been learning about various aspects of the concepts for weeks, I found it interesting the different names associated that didn't automatically register for me: such as lithosphere and cryosphere. I did know atmosphere and hydrosphere.) The cryosphere is essentially the earth's cooling system.

The glaciers are melting, Arctic sea ice has shrunk dramatically in the past few decades - and the results could be profound and viscious cycle. This climate change appears extrememly rapid by historical standards. If the temperature and quantity of fresh water from the Arctic Ocean were to change, this crucial of the land and atmosphere and ocean cooling the Arctic would be disrupted.

Connections in the food web and small changes can have huge consequences; the effects of climate change are especially vulnerable to the Arctic marine ecosystem because sea ice is the primary habitat for many of the species. Colder or warmer temperature could disrupt the breeding and feeding cycles, and because the Arctic ecosystem is not extremely diverse it is less resilient and extremely fragile - and will be impacted greatly by even the smallest changes.

As for the cultural connections of those who subsist from the sea-ice such as the Inupiat people of northern Alaska, simply put - their subsistence way of life is being threatened. Their hunting and fishing season is cut shorter due to the melting ice and warmer temperatures. Thin, shifting ice also makes it very dangerous for whale hunters. Helicopters have been called to rescue whaling crews from ice that is significantly thinner than it used to be. This all relates back to albedo as well as the warming and release of more greenhouse gases - it is all interconnected and one thing affects everything else, like a domino effect. The native people of Alaska (as well as other indigenous cultures) have an intimate relationship and understanding of the environment, and must be included in the decision making process of what happens in the Arctic. These issues affect the survival of their cultures - and it is their way of life.

(Side Note: I enjoyed the experiment of the ice cubes in the cup of water and predicting/observing to see what happens. Perfect for my third graders who are learning about the changing states of matter!)

Extend:

After briefly looking at my classmate Fran's blog, I started thinking about conservation and what people can do to reduce global warming. Thus, a personal story: In the last 12 months, my old work site of Sand Lake Elementary School was rebuilt and we are now moved into and teaching from our new school (pic below).
I am not sure what kind of thought or planning went into using sustainable resources, but I don't believe it was much - and I would like to see this changed. There are some things like lights that go off automatically after being left on for an extended amount of time, but I wonder if there are any other things in place that will save energy. So I started looking around the internet, and found The Center for EcoLiteracy which states that green school design is cost effective, healthy, and better for education. But if school district's (like mine) that represent a microcosm of society are not setting an example for the generation of tomorrow, who will?

One more interesting resource:
The Green Schools Healthy Schools Project

A note on resources in this module:

• There were many good resources in this module, but the ones that I appreciated the most were the TD resources that discussed the impacts of climate change on cultures that have depended on Arctic sea-ice for millions of years.
• Also, the Steve MacLean: Conservationist video was amazing - filled with great information as well as beautiful images of animals in this Bering Sea ecosystem, not to mention he can be a role model for Alaska Native students as well as students interested in careers in science. Great resource!
• I also was watching a segment on the science channel titled Planet Earth: The Future, about the future of endangered wild animals and places; in which polar bears were beginning to hunt more difficult prey due to the melting of the ice caps and inability to hunt seals and other animals as usual. Everything is connected, and the more I learn about the situation of Alaska as it relates to more global issues - the more I recognize and see it all around me. Bravo!
  

Module VII Response

Essential Question: How is Earth's climate connected to its geological, biological, and cultural systems?

The Earth's climate is interdependent to its geological, biological, and cultural systems - which is the same idea that we keep coming back to each module: everything is connected. Photosynthesis, carbon, all of these finely-tuned processes evolved along with our planet - and allowed us to do the same. In this module I learned all about the element carbon, and how it is central to our existence and evolution, and changing climate. Every time we drive our cars or burn coal for electricity we are adding more CO2 to into the atmosphere, and more carbon dioxide means our atmosphere is able to absorb more heat. Most scientists agree that the Earth's global temperature will continue to rise as long as we continue to burn fossil fuels (Global Warming: The Physics of the Greenhouse Effect). The part about all of this I found to be the most frightening is that carbon dioxide emissions are changing the environment not just for us, but for future generations (Global Warming: Carbon Dioxide and the Greenhouse Effect). Additionally, over the past two centuries the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by nearly 25% - which a has some scary implications if you think about it...

On a different note, as I didn't really understand a whole lot about carbon before this module I found the TD video Capturing Carbon so fascinating (not to mention I just love the idea of an "energy penalty," see pic of referee at right). I really enjoyed this resource though; perhaps because so many of the science concepts in this course are so over my head, or perhaps there was something in it that just resonated with me (like the father creating a system to capture carbon dioxide from an experiment that his own daughter came up with!). Clearly you cannot use more energy to create something than you are actually creating yourself! If their synthetic tree produces more CO2 to run than it can capture - well, what's the point?! Can they somehow reduce the amount of energy they use? FASCINATING!! Then, how to capture CO2? Top secret! Amazing. Overall, I think it is just that we hear about wind mills and there is such a "green" revolution going on all around us but it is not everyday that the entire process of how these things are discovered and manipulated to work is put in front of you. I think even my third graders would find this interesting, albeit may be a little over their heads...

The positive feedback loop discussed in the Soil Microbes and Global Warming TD resource was rather interesting, especially because "Changes in the Arctic landscape are provoking concern about the future, not just for the peoples of the north, but for all the earth's inhabitants." It made think more about the connection of the people and cultural aspects affected by all of the climate change occurring.

La'ona DeWilde experiences traveling to villages and teaching locals how to do mapping and take water samples and data is a wonderful example of how Alaska Native people can learn to interact and combine their knowledge with the Western science world, that will benefit and help both groups. Makes me think of one of the questions from the module that related "shining two lights on the same path." Lastly, change is an immediate concern for those whose traditional life ways depend on the land and its wildlife - especially in Alaska. (Alaska Native Teens Help Researchers)

A note about a few resources:

• I really enjoyed the link to the www.Good.is site, it proved to be a very interesting source. After perusing it a little more just now (nothing like a good distraction), I found an article (or entry or whatever it is called) about a group of Portlanders who have perhaps taken a few steps in the right direction of solving the whole carbon problem with their "virtual commune," Bright Neighbor. Check it out for more information.
• NOVA's Origins website had an interesting interactive section titled A Brief History of Life with some great pictures and descriptions where you can explore the past 4.5 billion years of life in just a few minutes!
• Global Warming: The Physics of the Greenhouse Effect was easy to understand and explained the greenhouse effect very well.
• Arctic Climate Modeling Program seems like a great resource, I plan to look into it more to see if it might be something that I could use for my Final Project.

Module VI Response

Essential Question: How are the Earth, atmosphere, and cultures all connected?

The main topic of this module, the atmosphere, gives the greatest evidence to support that we (the cultures of people that live on this Earth) are all connected. The fluid nature of the atmosphere affects both the Earth and the cultures on it interchangeably. These different layers of gases trapped in our atmosphere and encircling our planet are multifunctional - they guard us from the intensely warming heat and energy of the sun, they are involved in the process that brings contaminants from one part of the world to the other, and they influence the winds and forces of nature that create weather systems that affect cultures all over the world. I especially appreciated this concept of understanding the trophosphere we live in as not just gases, but as a fluid. In effect, we live at the bottom of an ocean of air. Just like water, air has turbulence." Tips of mountains on Earth affect the direction the air/wind flow, tornadoes are likened to whirlpools of the ocean, and clouds are likened to waves. (Reveal Earth's Ocean, National Geographic) The cultures that live on Earth are in a constant relationship with these things daily. The Contaminants of the Food Chain TD resource has some frightening implications for the people of the Arctic regions. Climactic conditions from the different pressure systems carry large air masses filled with pollutants from industries all over the world to be pumped up to the artic, especially in the winter and the spring - all in a matter of days! These toxins are absorbed into the Arctic food chain, and the animals at the top of the food chain have such high levels of environmental toxins and PCB, it leads one to wonder about the various ways in which it must in some way be transmitted to the humans that hunt and eat those animals...not to the mention the scare of the Arctic haze!

On a different note, I thought it was interesting how the Alaska Native pilots merge their traditional knowledge with western science by taking knowledge from the Western world and apply it to what they know to make them stronger, more knowledgeable pilots. (I also found the lyrics of the Native song at the end of the the Alaska Native Pilots TD resource wonderful: "Everything is beautiful, the younger generations are looking back, up in the moon I swing, everything is beautiful.")

Extend:
To the right is a screen shot I took that illustrates an atmospheric phenomenon we learned about in this module and some in the past. I would use this near-real time weather information to help my third graders understand weather systems, especially as they are currently learning about weather, temperature, wind, and precipitation. They would love to see the cloud cover move from one area to another, and while they may not grasp it completely it will still help them visualize as well as be engaging.

One of the other resources I found useful as it related to this module is the TD resource, Expedition 8 Crew Talks to Students in Japan. I think my students would really connect to and appreciate hearing the comments of the astronauts to actual students!

Another resource I use is a resource that my school subscribes to (sorry, it is NOT a free resource!) that I frequently use to help students visualize science concepts (including their invisible atmosphere!) is BrainPOP. BrainPOP is a research supported creation that used animated, curriculum-based content that engages students, supports educators, and bolsters achievement - not to mention my students LOVE it. It has quizzes that can be printed out and given to students individually or fun electronic quizzes that can be done after watching the educational video segments, and there are even ideas for experiments (see below) relating to the concepts explained in the video segements. Valuable resource!

Evaluate:

• Vertical Structure of the Atmosphere was interesting, easy to use, and not too advanced for my third graders.
• The National Geographic video on YouTube, Reveal Earth's Atmosphere
  
• I was happy to see that this module had included a link to National Geographic, as it is a site that I have used in the past and found great resources to supplement various aspects of my curriculum (particularly a unit on animal habitats). However, if I am being brutally honest I must say is that it can sometimes be a little complicated to navigate and/or find specific resources due to the way that they are arranged and connected. But if you are willing to spend some time researching, it is well worth it!
• Another useful resource was the "Helpful Hint" posted at the end of Part II that explained that the four questions that came before it came from the Teachers' Domain interactive resources linked to the video. I have used the "Background Essay" previously earlier to help me better understand some of the science that is a bit um, over my head - but I had not yet thought about how I could use the discussion questions with my students. I now realize that most of the discussion questions linked to resources that we are using for this class are too complex for third grade, but now I know that when I find resources that are appropriate for my students I should definitely be looking at the discussion questions as well!
• I really enjoyed the YouTube Weather School resource. It helped me to summarize and understand some of what I consider the more complex things we have been learning about in more simple terms. I think my third graders could understand and grasp quite a few of these when explained this way:
  

1. What goes up, must come down
2. The sun is the driving force of the weather
3. Cold air is dense, warm air is less dense
4. Air flows from high to low pressure. (the "vacuum cleaner" effect)
   
5. Air is a fluid trying to achieve equilibrium
6. Winds blow anti-clockwise around low pressure & clockwise around high pressure (reverse these for the Southern hemisphere)

Module V Response

Essential Question: How are climate, cultures, and oceans all connected?

Explain & Extend

Climate, cultures, and oceans are all connected because they are c-o-n-n-e-c-t-e-d through the climate and oceanic systems that have occurred for millions of years. In a nutshell, both coming from Western scientists as well as indigenous peoples are accounts of global warming or the melting of polar ice caps - which in turn affect the climate, the cultures of people affected by these changes, as well as the ocean. This module taught us a significant amount of information about about how oceans are absorbing all of the extra green house gases that are emitted and trapped in the atmosphere, as well as the different ways that solar energy arrives at the Warth's surface, affecting land and ocean differently. I now have a much better understanding of how land has a much lower heat capacity than water and cools and heats easily and quickly. The Earth's oceans appear to play such a large part in the equation because they heat and cool so much slower than land, thus are affected differently but also are able to absorb energy differently. That is about as scientific as I am going to get this go around, as it is all still very new and challenging for me. This module I chose to focus on the angle of how cultures are affected by these changes, and attempted to tie it back into the Alaska Native and Western perspectives on land & climate.

To begin with, there is a TD video titled Inuit Observations of Climate Change that I was unable to upload, but that had some very good examples of how indigenous cultures can be included and made a part of the science of observing and understanding the communities they live in due to their vast knowledge and understanding of the communities they live in. This brought me back to the beginning of this course when we were asked to really think about the values of both ways of knowing. I found a few other articles/NPR broadcasts relating to these issues that I believe speak for themselves:

Inuit Group Confronts Global Warming Threat

Young Alaskan Sees Changing Way of Life

Lastly, I enjoyed the TD video of Dolly Garza and her powerful comments about being involved in the process. She says "I worked on my doctorates because I felt like there needed to be more Native involvement in how policy is developed. The situation that Alaska is facing is for probably the last 5,000 years, the population didn't outstrip the resource. But now the number of users and the uses of Alaska's resources are increasing so much that allocation of the resource has become an issue. You have to be involved in the process of making sure that the historic uses are protected." How powerful is that? I found a little bio information about her on the Alaska Native Science Commission website. She is a great role model for Alaska Native students who are interested in finding careers that will help them protect and maintain their culture.

Upon looking for other cultures that are affected, I found some very interesting sites and articles about indigenous cultures and how they are affected by global warming as well as some of the "solutions" that have been put in place. One such site is the Indigenous Environmental Network, whose goals are to:

1. Educate and empower Indigenous Peoples to address and develop strategies for the protection of our environment, our health, and all life forms - the Circle of Life.
2. Re-affirm our traditional knowledge and respect of natural laws.
3. Recognize, support, and promote environmentally sound lifestyles, economic livelihoods, and to build healthy sustaining Indigenous communities.
4. Commitment to influence policies that affect Indigenous Peoples on a local, tribal, state, regional, national and international level.
5. Include youth and elders in all levels of our work.
6. Protect our human rights to practice our cultural and spiritual beliefs.

Another interesting article about how other cultures are being affected by the changes in the climate and oceans:

Global Warming Solutions are Hurting Indigenous People, says U.N.

Evaluate:

One of the things that was difficult for me as I read through this module was that there was so much vocabulary and terminology that I just didn't know or have any background on. I found myself looking up (or Wikipedia-ing) regular terms that are used within the context of the blog (terrestrial, thermal energy, specific heat capacity, diurnal, and more)! This is not a bad thing, but greatly lengthened the time it took me to look through the various parts of the module because I was constantly looking for more information and/or better diagrams and videos that would help me to better understand all of the new information and concepts.

On a different note, there were so many digital resources with good content value that helped better explain things, and that I can SEE really helping students to visualize and grasp difficult concepts. Just taking this course has helped me to think about using and looking for resources that I already have had access to (Discovery Learning, BrainPop, etc.), and I cannot tell you how many people I have raved to about TeachersDomain.org in the past few months! There were also some that I did not see the value of as much. Here are some examples of both:

• Air vs. Water Heat Capacity YouTube clip was a great resource that helped me better visualize the concept being explained. Before watching the video, I can honestly say I was a little confused but after watching the demonstration it made much more sense to me because I could actually see why.

• Ignite! Learning's What Causes Earth's Seasons? was highly enjoyable, and my students would love it! The catchy music, the easy to understand diagrams, and good yet uncomplicated explanantions are helpful.
• The Coriolis Effect in Bathrooms - disgusting. Need I say more? (The other Coriolis Effect resource with the merry go round was much more useful.)
• Earth in Motion: Seasons (a TD resource that I found and used with my students as we are learning about temperature, climate, seasons, pressure systems, etc.)
  

Module IV Response

Essential Question: How do stories of cataclysmic events help inform students about geosciences and cultures?

Last summer I took a two week course about volcanoes at the Geophysical Institute in Fairbanks. (Dr. John Dehn from the Volcanoes in the Infrared video was one of the instructors of the institute, and my classmates and I were able to use the FLIR camera on a field visit to Chena Hot Springs!) It was an amazing experience, and the GI website is filled with resources and website links related to this module's them of cataclysmic events. Please explore their website for more exciting ideas and resources! On the GI website there is a link to the Alaska Earthquake Information Center, in which I found a great map of the Aleutian Islands/Alaska Peninsula Seismicity that shows the magnitude of significant earthquakes, but mostly illustrates very well just how active the Aleutian islands are!

Earthquakes

Some intense tectonic forces caused the 1964 earthquake, including massive continental and oceanic plates, continually moving and colliding with each other, in which one plate can divide or subduct under one another and cause tremendous pressure to build up. In addition, the other devastating forces that were a result of the 9.2 earthquake were aftershocks that persisted for days. Unstable sediments broke off generating tsumani that killed many, and the ground level dropped up to ten feet near water; and in five minutes left a profoundly devastating mark on the communities it affected. In response to this event, one way people have since responded to the events of the 1964 earthquake are that towns were rebuilt on more solid land (about 3 miles away).

Alaska's Volcanoes - The Aleutian Archipelago is roughly just under 1,000 miles, while the Aleutian Trench is almost 2,000 miles.

My students have been studying weather and climate, temperature, pressure, wind, and precipitation - and looking at the different weather patterns in Anchorage and Portage Valley. So I decided to use the Google Earth ruler tool to measure the distance between our school and Portage Valley, and I think my third graders will find it quite interesting. I have also noticed that the more I use Google Earth, the more familiar I become with it and can see more and more how I can use it for helping my students with spacial understanding. Third graders certainly have a limited view and understanding of the world, but if I can use Google Earth to locate a country we just read a story about (South Korea), or something that happened in the country of the language they are learning (Japan), it will be so much more relevant to them.

Hawaiian Hot Spots
The floor of the Pacific Ocean on which the islands rest is one of twenty or so moving tectonic plates, and an interacting plate and a hot spot. As the plate moves along, it gradually produces volcanoes along the plate as it moves. Moving along the hot spot, carrying old islands away while new ones are created, while the old volcanoes die, erode, and eventually submerge to form the unbroken submarine mountain range anchored by the big island and it's active volcanoes. That is why the underground volcano Loihi is forming! I really enjoyed the video Plate Tectonics: The Hawai'ian Archipelago because it explained concepts in an easy to understand way with graphics as well.

Before watching the TD Resource about the Hawai'ian Archipelago and Unerwater Hotspots, I did not have a good understanding of the Hawai'ian islands, and I had never even heard of the Emperor Seamount! Since taking this course I am now quite familiar with resources I can utilize to help me understand concepts better, but after looking at Wikipedia first and then watching the TD video second - I am amazed at how much more useful the TD videos are than anything else I have found yet! Wikipedia does not talk to me, does not explain anything using interactive images, and while it is a solid resource of definitions for many things - it cannot do what the TD resources have done to help me visualize and understand concepts otherwise foreign to me.

Tsunami

The personal story of the two survivors of the Latuya Bay Tsunami were quite powerful. The part I found especially interesting was the comment the gentleman made about how he had never heard or seen of anything like that before, and he kept wondering what mechanism could've caused something like that. Even now I think it is hard for people do not have a strong science background to understand the reasoning why this can happen, and I am beginnging to have a better understanding of how earthquakes cause tsunami.

One of the other things that I got from this section was the value of YouTube as an educational tool. I am not sure how it is in other district's than my own, but my school district has blocked YouTube completely because of the inappropriate material that can sometimes be found. But, you can always download the videos you wish to use in advance, or get a special path to bypass the block on your network. Interesting though that it has been made difficult to utilize in many cases...

A website that I found that appeared to be useful in portraying tsunami in Alaska is the Alaska Tsunami Education Program, which has links to all sorts of information, including: Ask a Scientist, Tsunami Lesson Plans & Student Projects, and even videos of mentor lectures posted on the website. Great resource, especially for elementary-middle school.

Cultural Connections
One of the things I found interesting was a part of the NOVA Wave of the Future article about the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean that stated, "Within days of the catastrophe, with the adage "better late than never" sitting heavily on everyone's minds, commentators worldwide were calling for a tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean akin to a successful one now operating in the Pacific." I was shocked that there was one working perfectly well in the Pacific but an entire part of the world was without one. Shows my naivety! Distantly connected to the videos on cultural connections is something I heard about in the news a short while back about a Native dancing ban that had been lifted. Again, my naivety comes out. Overall though, it is tantamount that cultures are able to pass on their culture through stories and traditions, hence the anger and frustration of the Hawai'ian people over Mauna Kea and the Native people of Noorvik, Alaska.

Thus, I believe that stories of cataclysmic events can certainly help better inform students about the actual science behind geosciences, as well as the human connection and importance of understanding how these events affect and change cultures.