NSDL Brown Bag SeriesBeyond Penguins & Polar Bears: Life in the Polar Extremes

April 7, 2009

6:30pm - 7:45 pm Eastern

Brought to you by the National Science Digital Library Resource Center

in partnership with Ohio State University and Stafford County Public Schools

For audio, dial our free conference number: 866.740.1260 Code: 4972943

Welcome! Today’s session will be recordedMute: *6 Unmute: *7

For audio: dial conference number 866.740.1260 Code: 4972943

Let’s find out more about you:Introduce yourself and let us know why you chose to join us tonight

NSDL Brown Bag SeriesBeyond Penguins & Polar Bears: Life in the Polar Extremes

April 7, 2009

Today’s moderator:Robert PayoNSDL Outreach & Professional

Development Manager

Welcome! Today’s session will be recordedMute: *6 Unmute: *7

Today’s NSDL Expert

Jessica Fries-Gaither, Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears Project Director and Elementary Resource Specialist, Ohio State University

http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org

For audio: dial conference number 866.740.1260 Code: 4972943

Overview of Presentation

For audio: dial conference number 866.740.1260 Code: 4972943

1. Polar ecosystems: tundra, Arctic and Southern Oceans

2. Polar ecosystems in a warming world3. Ecological misconceptions4. Teaching resources from Beyond Penguins and

Polar Bears

Featuring resources from Tundra: Life in the Polar Extremes – Issue 13, April 2009

http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org

Resource list for Stafford County webinars can be found at http://www.diigo.com/list/nsdlworkshops/staffordcounty

Arctic Tundra

Physical FactorsCool climate – short summers, long wintersExtreme variability in daylight hoursLow intensity solar radiationPermafrost

© Canadian Museum of Nature / Musée canadien de la natureAll rights reserved.http://nature.ca/ukaliq/021des/a196_fwb_e.cfm

Arctic Ocean: Coastal Ecosystem

Physical FactorsSea IceSalt waterAverage water temperature just below 32 F

Southern Ocean

http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/wildlife/whales/food%20web.htm

Physical factorsSea iceSalt water

Changing Ecosystems: Climate Change and Pollution

Decrease in sea iceDecrease in primary producers and zooplanktonLoss of hunting/breeding platform for polar bears, seals, walruses, penguins

Warming ocean waterIncrease in wind stress (decreased productivity)Stresses amphipods and other organismsPossibility of invasive species

Ocean AcidificationStresses amphipods and other organisms

Heavy metals and pollutantsAccumulate up food chainVery high levels in apex predators such as polar bears

Impacts atall levels offood webs

Where Creatures Live

In this lesson, students discover that the environmental conditions of a place determine the types of plants and animals that live there.

Video ClipsInteractive Web Activity

Using Technology to Learn about Ecosystems

I most commonly search for multimedia materials by:

A. Doing general searches on Google

B. Searching larger collections like NSDL

C. Going to specific educational sites I always go to first

D. Basing my selection on colleagues’ recommendations

Select your answer by pushing on your touch tone pad

More Online Resources

Ecological Misconceptions

Students may think:

Ecosystems are not a functioning whole but simply a collection of organisms.

Ecosystems include not just the organisms but also the interactions between organisms and between the organisms and their physical environment.

Formative assessment, targeted instruction focusing on relationships

Arctic Creatures Mobile

Students read about diatoms, copepods, Arctic cod, ringed seals, walruses, and polarbears. They create a mobile to represent theinteractions between organisms in the arcticfood chain.

Download an accompanying podcast from the magazine or iTunes!

Making the Forest and Tundra Wildlife Connection

Wolf and the Moose

Donna Dewhurst, US FWS

Simulate predator/prey relationships through a tag-like gameVary numbers of predator and prey to reflect changing conditionsFollow-up discussion to extend understandingModify activity for other animals

Andrew Johnson, Flickr

Bearly any Ice

A variation of the predator/prey tag activity that includes declining sea iceas a result of climate change. Encourages students to consider the impact ofchanging environmental conditions on food webs and ecosystems.

Amanda Graham, Flickr

A common misconception elementary students have related to energy flow of ecosystems is that:

A. Students rarely think energy is measurable and quantifiable.

B. Students tend to associate energy only with living things, in particular with growing, fitness, exercise, and food.

C. Students have difficulty in identifying the sources of energy for plants and also for animals.

D. All of the above.

Select your answer by pushing on your touch tone pad

--from Atlas of Science Literacy, Project 2061, AAAS

Let’s pause for questions from the audience….

http://nsdl.org

Integrating Literacy: Feature Stories

“A Tundra Tale” in Issue 13, April 2009“A Whale of an Ocean” coming soon – Issue 14, May 2009

Integrating Literacy: Virtual Bookshelf

Tundra by AaronFrisch

Who Eats What?by Patricia Lauber

Arctic Appetizers by Gwendolyn Hooks A Tundra Food Chain by

Rebecca Hogue Wojahnand Donald Wojahn

Integrating Literacy: Writing

Ecosystem Journalism

Students blend scientific research, expository and creative writing as they create a newspaper for an ecosystem.

All About Our Town: Using Brochures to Teach Informational Writing

Students create a brochure about the physical and living components of an ecosystem. Modify original lesson.

Biome is Where the Art Is

Students demonstrate understanding of a biome by creating collages from torn paper and glue.

Other ideas

Children’s booksDioramas/TrioramasLife-Sized Models

Extend and Assess Student Understanding

Interested in learning more?

Beyond Penguins Web Seminar Series: Arctic and Antarctic BirdsApril 21, 2009 6:30pm - 8:00pm

April 2009, Issue 13 http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org

Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears Bloghttp://expertvoices.nsdl.org/polar

Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears PodcastsJanuary 2009, Issue 10

THANK YOU!

http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org

Jessica Fries-Gaither fries-gaither.1@osu.edu

Resource list for tonight’s presentation:http://www.diigo.com/list/nsdlworkshops/staffordcounty

National Science Digital Library Resource Center

Kaye Howe, Executive DirectorSusan Van Gundy, Deputy Director

NSDL Brown Bag Moderators:Eileen McIlvain, Communications ManagerRobert Payo, Outreach & Professional Development

Manager

THANK YOU!

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