Frozen Water I: Introduction to the Arctic and Antarctic.
Slide 3
Describe our local environment? Think about theses features Air
Water Land Life How does our local environment change over time?
Think both human changes and natural changes (seasons, etc.)
Slide 4
All of these elements we are discussing are environmental
factors. We are about to embark on the study of Earths Polar
Regions. First lets take a pre-test.
Slide 5
How do we define earths polar regions?
Slide 6
The Arctic and Antarctic have great similarities and
differences. Many different people have lived in the Arctic for
thousands of years. Indigenous people are people native to a
region. There are no true permanent human residents in the
Antarctic. http://www.educapoles.org/multimedia/pic
ture_gallery_detail/arctic_people/
Slide 7
There are many Western scientists who stay usually for a few
months at a time to conduct scientific research. These researchers
must bring with them everything they need to survive, including
food, fuel, shelter, transportation and clothing.
Slide 8
Arctic Circle
Slide 9
Lets explore the Arctic Circle! Background info (teacher)
http://www.us-satellite.net/sprintt/phase2/ArcticAtlas.pdf Student
handouts
http://www.us-satellite.net/sprintt/docs/student/ArcticAtlass.pdf
Arctic Atlas Tool
http://www.us-satellite.net/sprintt/phase2/ipy07_int_arcticatlas/ipy07_int_arcticatlas.html
Allows us to investigate amount of land cover, permafrost,
precipitation, solar radiation and topography.
Slide 10
Daylight and lack thereof Places in the Artic experience at
least 1 full 24-hour day of sunlight and one 24 day of darkness per
year. http://www.mathsisfun.com/earth-orbit.html Some images from
Greenland https://cid-
7379cc805c5406ec.photos.live.com/play.aspx/Greenland%2
0pictures?Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos https://cid-
7379cc805c5406ec.photos.live.com/play.aspx/Greenland%2
0pictures?Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos
Slide 11
Winter and Summer Solstice Background information (teacher)
http://www.us-satellite.net/sprintt/phase2/Solstice.pdf Student
handout
http://www.us-satellite.net/sprintt/docs/student/Solstices.pdf
Earth Moon Viewer
http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Earth/action?opt=-p Native People
Photo Gallery
http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Earth/action?opt=-p
Slide 12
St. Lawrence Island Hunting in 1930s
http://sirismm.si.edu/hsfa/sihsfa_82_6_1.mov Lets read a story
http://www.us-
satellite.net/sprintt/docs/water1_iikin.cfmhttp://www.us-
satellite.net/sprintt/docs/water1_iikin.cfm
Slide 13
Vocabulary Images Harpoon: long pointed piece of metal attached
to a cord and thrown or fired from a gun in order to capture whales
or other large sea animals Hummock: a ridge or hill of ice in an
ice field. Asunder: Breaking into pieces. Inuit Harpoon
Slide 14
Lets investigate a bit further Environmental
FactorObservationsEffects on People
Slide 15
Exploration time
http://www.us-satellite.net/sprintt/flash/water1_explore.cfm Look
at the table we will be filling in thats in your packet. Average
HIGH temp for Jan., March, June, Sept. Average inches of rainfall
for Jan., March, June, Sept. Average hours of daylight for Jan.,
March, June, Sept. Describe in words how the environments of the
Arctic and Antarctic differ in January and June. Be sure to include
sunlight, temperature, and rainfall in your description.
Slide 16
Slide 17
Slide 18
Now work with your table partner. Compare the two images of St.
Lawrence Island and the weather conditions on each day. As a team,
come up with some answers to the questions on your worksheet
pg.11.
Slide 19
Indigenous scientific knowledge and Western scientific
knowledge work together. Over the next few lessons you will see how
both Indigenous scientific knowledge and Western scientific
knowledge, each better help us to understand Earths Polar Regions
and the changes that these areas are experiencing.
Slide 20
Evaluate Your Understanding Now answer the questions on pg. 13
to test your understanding of the material we just covered. Turn in
your packets when you are done.
Slide 21
Frozen Water II Glaciers, Sea Ice and Climate Change
Slide 22
How is ice in the polar regions changing?
Slide 23
What is sea ice? Sea ice is frozen seawater that floats on the
ocean surface. Blanketing millions of square kilometers, sea ice
forms and melts with the polar seasons, affecting both human
activity and biological habitats. In the Arctic, some sea ice
persists year after year, whereas almost all Southern Ocean or
Antarctic sea ice is "seasonal ice," meaning it melts away and
reforms annually. While both Arctic and Antarctic ice are of vital
importance to the marine mammals and birds for which they are
habitats, sea ice in the Arctic appears to play a more crucial role
in regulating climate. http://nsidc.org/sotc/sea_ice.html
Slide 24
The map below shows the regions inhabited by different groups
of Alaska Natives. In the videos you will watch, you will meet
members of the Inuit and Athabascan groups. Later in the lesson,
you will be introduced to some words from the Inupiat
language.
Slide 25
What to look for As you watch the videos list some of the
changes that are taking place in the North pg. 25.
Slide 26
The first video we are going to watch is of Rosemarie Kuptana,
an Inuit woman from Sachs Harbour, Canada, telling the story of
changes that her people have noticed, and what some of the results
of the climate changes might be. You will see that Western and
Indigenous scientists are working together to try and observe and
explain the changes.
http://www.us-satellite.net/sprintt/video/ipy07_vid_inuitobserv/ipy07_vid_inuitobserv.html
Slide 27
Observing Changes The second video discusses even more changes
that are occurring, from the perspective of both Athabascan people
and Western scientists.
http://www.us-satellite.net/sprintt/video/arcathacounciltemplate.cfm?video=water2b
Slide 28
We all, of course, experience the short-term characteristics of
air in the Earths atmosphere at a specific location, known as the
weather. Patterns of temperature and precipitation for an area and
over long periods of time are known as climate. Climate is affected
by many factors such as distance from the equator, distance from
large bodies of water or mountains, vegetation, elevation above sea
level, and ocean currents.
Slide 29
Climate change Earths climate has undergone drastic changes in
the planets history. Scientists and citizens are noticing that we
are in the midst of some sort of climate change. Most believe,
however, that the current change is differenthumans are likely
causing the changes. The current changes that Alaska Natives
discussed in the video are part of what is called global climate
change, often referred to as global warming.
Slide 30
Our changing climate Earth has gone through ice ages and
periods of great warmth. This variability in Earths climate has
many causes including; The wobbling of Earth on its axis.
http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es15
06/es1506page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization
http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es15
06/es1506page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization Sunspot cycles Changes
in volcanic activity And more
Slide 31
Slide 32
Climate Change In the past 100 years scientists have observed
the Earth getting warmer. While the temperature increase may not
feel like a big change on a day to day basis, one must consider
that during the last ice age, Earth was only 4 C (7 F) cooler.
Question? Why do you think global climate change is affecting
the people in the North so significantly?
Slide 35
Now explore the ice coverage in these two maps and describe
what you observe on these two maps.
Slide 36
Glaciers, sea ice and climate change
Slide 37
Why does ice float? Background information (teacher)
http://www.us-satellite.net/sprintt/phase2/WhydoesIceFloat.pdf
Student worksheets
http://www.us-satellite.net/sprintt/docs/student/WhyIces.pdf
Slide 38
Lets do a lab! We are going to do an investigation that models
what happens to ice that melts in the Arctic vs the Antarctic. You
will work in a team to decide how to preform your study. You will
need 2 beakers half full of water (your ocean) Tape or grease
pencil to make the level of the water. Rock, brick, wood or other
object to use as your landmass that will support your glacier. 10
ice cubes Heat lamp to melt the ice Ruler
Slide 39
Question? What do you think could be some of the results of
melting glaciers and sea ice? Lets watch another short video clip.
We will see some of the effects of melting ice that Athabascans in
Alaska are experiencing.
http://www.us-satellite.net/sprintt/video/arcathacounciltemplate.cfm?video=water2c
Slide 40
Melting Ice and Changing Coastlines Background information
(teacher) http://www.us-satellite.net/sprintt/phase2/MeltingIce.pdf
Student Handouts
http://www.us-satellite.net/sprintt/docs/student/MeltingIces.pdf
Ice Shelf and Ice Sheet video simulation
http://www.us-satellite.net/sprintt/phase2/ipy07_int_icesimulate/ipy07_int_icesimulate.html
Map animation of sea level rise
https://www.cresis.ku.edu/data/sea-level-rise-maps
Slide 41
How Arctic ice melt will affect biological communities.
Background information
http://www.us-satellite.net/sprintt/phase2/SeaIceMelt.pdf Data set
#1 http://www.us-satellite.net/sprintt/phase2/seaicesheet1.cfm Data
set #2
http://www.us-satellite.net/sprintt/phase2/seaicesheet2.cfm
Slide 42
We have now finished Frozen Water Turn in your completed
student packet.
Slide 43
Frozen Land I The Tundra Biome
Slide 44
Question? Many of you know the tundra. What do you think of
when you picture the tundra environment? Take a look at a
description of the tundra from Alaskan natives living in Chevak, a
village in western Alaska. Read the passage in your packets.
Slide 45
Question? What did you learn from this description of the
tundra? Student ideas: from Article a lot of freezing and thawing
very little precipitation no average temps above 50 F (10 C) has at
least 9 months with average temps below 0 C (32 F)
Slide 46
I will give you 5 minutes to write what you know about each of
these biomes in the table thats in your packet.
Slide 47
Question? Who can explain what a biome is. What are some ways
the tundra is unique compared to these other biomes?
Slide 48
Background Earth has many land biomes, the coldest of which is
the tundra. Biome: large environments with similar temperatures,
precipitation, and living things. Tundra: treeless plain with frost
covered landscapes and very low temperatures.
Slide 49
Tundra Biome
Slide 50
Explore We are going to explore the tundra biome in both the
Arctic and Antarctic. Use your chart to take notes on what you see.
http://www.us-satellite.net/sprintt/teachers/land1_video1.cfm
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.eco.arctic/
Slide 51
Partner up and read About the different biomes on our planet
and answer the questions on page 48.
Slide 52
Tundra Animals and Plants Background information (teacher)
http://www.us-satellite.net/sprintt/phase2/PlantsTundra.pdf Lets
watch a video clip Wild Arctic
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.eco. arctic/
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.eco.
arctic/
Slide 53
Project Create a diagram of the Arctic animal and Arctic plant
you researched on poster board or construction paper and give a
brief presentation to the class. Include the information below on
your diagram. a. Name of animal and/or plant b. Size (length or
height and weight; give a range) c. Habitat and Distribution d.
Diet or prey e. Main predators f. Physical adaptations (Explain how
each helps the animal survive.) g. Behavioral adaptations (Explain
how each helps the animal survive.) The following web-site may be
helpful for you
http://www.arctic.uoguelph.ca/cpl/organisms/orgframe.htm
http://www.arctic.uoguelph.ca/cpl/organisms/orgframe.htm