Arctic Ocean Ecosystem Collection

Using Large Marine Ecosystems and Cultural Responsiveness as the Context for Professional Development of Teachers and Scientists in Ocean Sciences Published in 2014 in the Journal of Geoscience Education, this paper describes the success of three professional development workshops developed by the PolarTREC staff and partners. The purpose was to bring together educators and scientists in three large marine ecosystems

Overview

PolarTREC teacher Andrea Skloss’ lesson was inspired by her Chukchi Sea Ecosystem Study aboard the USCGC Healy. In order to understand why this area is a biological hot spot of productivity, scientists must study components such as the trophic levels and more.

Objectives

In organisms and environments, the student knows that interdependence occurs among living systems and the environment

Overview

This lesson was developed to explore the dynamics of arctic sea ice from the scientific, historical, and economic perspectives. Use math and polar science to examine the impacts of seasonal shifts, climate change impacts, and modeling to understand arctic sea ice.

Application

This lesson can be taught in a variety of ways ranging from a teacher centered

This presentation is designed to supplement an eighth grade science unit on polar ice but could easily be used for other audiences. The presentation covers the differences between ice in the Arctic and Antarctica, how ice affects salinity, temperature and currents, an exploration of various ice types and a summary of current research efforts to study polar ice. Jeanine Gelhaus

Overview

Through investigation, you will determine which solution has the highest density.

Objective

To determine, through experimentation, which of a variety of solutions has the highest density.

Preparation

Background: The waters of the ocean are constantly moving in many different ways. The surface of the ocean rises and falls in rhythm. These movements, in the form of

Overview

Students create a life size model of a bowhead whale based on information they have collected.

Objective

Students will be able to organize specific technical information from a variety of resources to develop a "blue print" or pattern to create a life size model of a bowhead whale.

Procedure

Introduction to project, student research on whale

Overview

Students complete a physical puzzle based on a scientific poster about Bowhead Whales. Students then research the content of the poster and present their findings.

Objective

To familiarize students with: * the scientific method * real polar scientific posters * real polar scientific research * real polar scientific terminology * real polar scientific technology * real polar

Overview

This lesson was written for a Photography I course, to be taught in a lab with access to either a darkroom or computers/printers. The class has already spent ample time getting used to the basics of photography, learning to use their cameras as a creative tool, just as a painter might use a brush. This lesson could easily

Overview

In this introductory lesson, students read an article about Arctic Ocean ecosystems and then play a board game in which they take on the role of researchers.

Objectives

The purpose of this introductory activity is to: * Identify the main components of complex arctic ecosystem and describe predator/prey relationships between phytoplankton, ice algae, zooplankton, bowhead whales, polar

Overview

This lesson includes a variety of research activities and a lab that all help demonstrate the science behind convection currents.

Objectives

Through the following activities and lab students will discover: * that temperature and salinity affect the density of fluids (liquids and gases) * how fluids with different densities interact with each other

Lesson Preparation

Background

Overview

Students are designated as the water or ocean currents, zooplankton, and bowhead whales. The zooplankton are informed that they are at the mercy of the currents. The currents are given instructions as to where to go during different times of the year (map). The whale pod is told that they need to breathe (raise hands above head to indicate

This one hour webinar with PolarTREC teacher Lisa Seff shares ideas and experiences on bringing polar science into your classroom and community. Her work focuses on the oceanographic conditions of bowhead whale habitat.

This one hour webinar is designed for educators as polar professional development. Dr. Okkonen details his work on the project studying bowhead whales and oceanographic conditions in their environment.

Satellite observations of circulation features associated with a bowhead whale feeding ‘hotspot’ near Barrow, Alaska. Remote Sensing of Environment. 115:2168-2174
Okkonen, S.R., C. Ashjian, R.G. Campbell, J.T. Clarke, S.E. Moore, and K.D. Taylor. 2011.

Alaska Marine Mammal Stock Assessments, 2012

This blog documents the process of creating a 25-minute animated film at the University of Alaska Museum of the North that tells the story of bowhead whale annual migration in the Bering, Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. The film takes its basic narrative and title from the 2013 calendar edited by Steve Okkonen, A Year in the Life of Bowhead Whales

The life of the bowhead whales calendar is a teaching tool created by Dr. Steve Okkonen and colleagues to portray science and natural history of bowhead whales in a compelling form. The calendar is available as a PDF and in poster PDF forms.

Port Aransas teachers set off to study ecosystems in the Arctic...one in the Chukchi Sea and the other at Kaktovic.

Students will build a simple plankton net from a nylon stocking, then (optionally) use it to collect plankton in ponds, lakes, streams, bays, oceans, or even aquariums.

Adapted from Kolb, James A. Project Director. Marine Science Center. Marine Science Project: FOR SEA. Marine Biology and Oceanography, Grades Seven and Eight. Poulsbo, WA. Page 341 - 344.

The Center for Microbial Oceanography offers resources on education and outreach for K-12 teachers, undergraduates, grads & post-docs and related links. This is a great tool for lesson planning. In addition to outreach ideas, C-MORE offers kits for review and request.

• Plankton Science Kit
• Ocean Conveyor Belt Science Kit

Since most plankton is smaller than we can see, they must be looked at using a microscope. They are usually strained from the water using fine mesh nets or sieves with tiny holes. Typical plankton nets have a round opening and look like a funnel that leads into a collection bucket at the end of the net. The nets are

One of the simplest biological samplers, zooplankton nets are made in a wide variety of styles and sizes. The two nets in the MARMAP Bongo vertical-haul net system explained here each have a mouth diameter of about 25 cm.

Learn about how scientists measure salinity, temperature, and depth (CTD). Information can be found in Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels, as well as in English or Spanish language.

Overview

NASA's Operation IceBridge images Earth's polar ice in unprecedented detail to better understand processes that connect the Polar Regions with the global climate system. IceBridge uses a specialized fleet of aircraft and the most sophisticated suite of science instruments ever assembled to gather data on sea ice, glaciers, and ice sheets. The data gathered today will allow future scientists

Overview

NASA's Operation IceBridge images Earth's polar ice in unprecedented detail to better understand processes that connect the Polar Regions with the global climate system. IceBridge uses a specialized fleet of aircraft and the most sophisticated suite of science instruments ever assembled to gather data on sea ice, glaciers, and ice sheets. The data gathered today will allow future scientists

What is it and why do we use it? An Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler, or Acoustic Doppler Profiler, is often referred to with the acronym ADCP. Scientists use the instrument to measure how fast water is moving across an entire water column. An ADCP anchored to the seafloor can measure current speed not just at the bottom, but also at