Cryosphere:VIII

The Cryosphere on Earth from Wikipedia

I love water!  This is a module is all about the water, especially the frozen water.  Have you ever heard of the Cryosphere?  It is a new term for me but yet one many of us are familiar with.  To my the Cryosphere is so similar to the Hydrosphere it is hard to tell the difference.  There is so much overlap between the two.  But if you remember the cryos means ice in Ancient Greek it may help to determine the difference between the two.  The Crosphere is the area on earth covered by the solid form of water.

Explore:
Boy, this module has taught me so much more about water!  So exciting.  I had never really thought about the Arctic as just a lot of floating ice.  For some reason in my head, it was just like Antarctica.

I was in awe of the strength of the people of the village Shishmaref.  They are truly feeling the impact of Global Warming.   The erosion there is very similar to what coastal towns in California are facing.  But the rate of devastation in Shishmaref is incredible and their resources are so limited.

The people of the north are truly feeling the impact of Global Warming.  The loss of habitat and the change in the ecosystems will change our world.  I did not realize how specific the organisms in the Arctic were creating such small food webs.  But when you think about the extreme environments not many organisms will survive.  The slightest change in temperature will impact the food webs and can have a devastating effect.  I wonder how in the Inuit people will survive as their food sources disappear?

The Old Harbor Culvert. You can see the sea water entrance in the left of the photograph.

The sea ice really made me take a look at the Culvert here in Old Harbor.  I am amazed at how much of the Culvert is not frozen.  This year we are seeing a thin covering over a lot of the Culvert.  But then it must not be that thin if the kids are riding their 4 wheelers on it.  It is interesting to see the daily changes to the Culvert. 


Extend:
The Inuit Circumpolar Council is a very interesting organization.  I believe the research and collaboration will help strengthen our understanding of the impact of climate change especially in the Arctic region.  I enjoyed personally reading about what they are doing and about their organization.  Yet, I do not believe I would use this resource in the classroom.  I may mention it as an organization and what it is doing but it would not really be part of a lesson.

The videos in the culture connections show a glimpse of life on in the northern regions of the world.  These videos help us see the impact Climate Change.  All of the videos in this unit help create a clear picture of the impacts of our actions.

I love the Watching Ice Melt lab.  I wonder how many of my students will make the right prediction?  I can't to try it with my students.  

Evaluate:
The labs in this module will be fun to incorporate into my classroom.  The material in this module was a review of the science I already teach.  The videos will help me bring the concepts to life for the students. 
 

3 Colleagues:
Matt relates this module well to historical events as well as his own experiences.  His blog helps bring the concepts together through real life examples students can relate to.

Eric relate this module to what he can learn from his students.  I appreciate the use of such a valuable resource.

Kris uses this module to bring cultural understanding to her students.  It was an insightful lesson for her.  She also reflects on how students could loose hope.

Climate Change: VII

Can we really escape from the effects of climate change?  It is hard to imagine that we know we are damamging the Earth but several people are doing nothing.  Those who are trying to make a change, is it enough?  If we look at history global climate change is how many animals and people were able to migrate around the world.  So is global climate change bad?  I believe, the rate we are causing the climate to change will haunt us in the near future.

Explain:
Did you know it takes 100 years for CO2 to decompose?  I didn't.  This module really made me think about the dump here.   Recycling was a part of daily life in California.  I think I went through withdrawals when I came here and I did not have to seperate my trash.  Then I took everything to the dump.  There is so much waste.  I am learning the many of the students see no reason to recycle it is just easier to get a new one.  So when I looked at the carbon cycle I wondered what kind of damage we are doing in my small little village of Old Harbor.  Will my recycling program really make a difference?

Bear cubs at the Old Harbor Dump. 

This lesson really made think about how the changes are effecting the people of Alaska.  I would like to see the tribe here brainstorm the climate change and the impact on our community.   I really appreciated seeing the Inuit people discuss their observations.  I hope to see more scientists gather information from Native Observations. 

Explore:
There is so much to explore and apply in this lesson.  There is biology, chemistry, astronomy, physics, a little bit of everything.  I will definitely use the interactive media to  help the students understand the science behind Carbon.  Especially the periodic table media.  I would have loved to use that particular activity when my students did their element project.  The mystery element is a great way to help student understand the organization of the periodic table. 

I would like to use the Inuit Video to help students create their own brainstorm about changes in our environment here on Kodiak Island.  This video would give them examples of the types of observations they need to think about, then the students can apply them to our local area. 


Extend:
Currently, I use FOSS to teach science.  I could see the Chemistry section of this module being combined with the Chemical Interactions Unit of FOSS.  The videos are a prefect connection to the activities in the unit.  The Population and Ecosystems Unit studies the Coral Reef Ecosytems of Puerto Rico and Florida.  The video on the Coral Reef helps students see the delicate balance we need on Earth and connects to FOSS unit.  Last year, my students struggled with understanding of the spectrum when looking out into the night sky.  The spectrum videos and interactive media would really support this activity so they can understand what they are seeing in the colored bands of light.  This would help bring the students toward the understanding of Universe and lead to discussion on creation. 

I really appreciated the various theories on creation.  Evolution is a hard topic for student to understand the videos in this module can show another perspective to them based on science.


3 Colleagues:
Ernestine always seems to relate the science back to the culture.  I love her closing line about learning.

If you want to check out additional teacher resources; be sure so read Janet's Post. 

Kathy shares incredible pictures and insight about how she personally saw the impact of Global Climate Change. 

Atomspheric Systems

As the wind gusts up around the island in ways I never dreamed possible, so many questions come to my mind about the wind and the air above me.  This module introduces the various layers of the atmosphere and how it impacts our lives.

Clouds like these found in Cold Bay, AK make me think.

Explain:
"We're like lobsters living at the bottom of an immense ocean of air."  This line make me think about the complexity of the air around us.  I like the image of the ocean of air.  Too often, we leave out studies about the air and the atmosphere yet it is complex just like the many habitats and systems we teach.


I am saddened to learn more about the arctic haze and the damage we are doing to the regions of the north.  One of the biggest reasons I came to Alaska was to breathe clean air.  But did I really get away from the pollutants of big cities?  The science of the currents of the Earth and pollution are not two topics I ever thought about together. Now I may teach them together.  I think the arctic haze really helps paint the picture about how we are all connected and what we do does impact others.

I have always enjoyed dreaming in the clouds and making silly shapes out of them in my mind but I never stopped to really think about what were telling me unless they were dark rain clouds.  The compare and contrast interactive media on warm and cold fronts made me think about clouds in a new way.  The clouds are more than cute shapes; they are telling me about the weather that is coming.  The cute fluffy clouds are those Cumulonimbus clouds that come with a cold front.  While a warm front brings a variety of clouds at various levels of the atmosphere.  I can imagine this being crucial to a pilot understand the air above us.

What are these clouds over Dutch Harbor, AK telling us?

Explore:
Atmospheric systems are a tough topic for students to understand.  There are so many great resources in this unit to help students visualize what is happening above us.  I specifically like the interactive media that shows the various layers of the atmosphere and students can change between them.  I can see this being helpful for students to see the layers like a cake.  I would use this specific media to create atmospheric flip book showing the layers of the atmosphere and what is in them.

The Google Earth activity adding the weather layer would be fun to use with students to compare weather in various locations on the Earth.  Then they could use the Jet Stream media to see what impact the Jet Stream had on the weather at various locations.  This would be a fun discovery tool for students rather than just talking about the weather. 


Evaluate:
The videos in this module are very  informative and useful when teaching about weather and the atmosphere.  I would have really liked to see the Six Principals of Weather video but I could never get it to work.  It is so helpful to have them gathered by topics.  Having the standards connected to them in the Teachers Domain makes planning so easy.

I felt the interactive medias in this module did a good job at illustrating tough concepts.  This will help the students visualize the concepts and support discussions. 

I found the Phun Physics of Phase Change interesting although I do not see me using it much in my classroom.  The Vacuum video was interesting but at the middle school level I could see if confusing some students.  I would have to do more background teaching before I used some of the material in this area.  For a high school class, this is a great introduction to latent heat and the physics of pressure. 

3 Colleagues:
Konrad shares some wonderful resources to highlight topics in this module.   I especially liked the book recommendation, one we need to check out.

Cheryl recommends the use of the Google Time-line feature.  This is a great connection to the weather layer.

I appreciate how Jesse used other student's blogs to discuss the topics of this module.  This was not a lesson I saw a lot of history tied into but he still found a way to do.  Plus the cartoon is great.

Ocean Systems

Living on an island brings the ocean into our daily lives.  I watch for changes in the tides and the migration of the animals in the area.  Life in Old Harbor revolves around life in the ocean.  Fishing is the primary economy here.  The more I understand the ocean, the more I can understand my community. 

Explain:  
The videos in the cultural section of this module help me understand the seasonal changes in the people of my community and those around Alaska.  It is so strange for the kids to be released from school to go hunting or to miss a few weeks of school for fishing.  So seeing the video "Living from the Land and Sea" helped me see the deep roots of these actions.  


The You Tube video "Air vs Water Heat Capacity" gave me such a great visual about how the ocean retains so much heat.  I have discussed this topic and it usually flies over my 6th grade students heads.  But the balloon demonstration is such a great way to show the difference between the air and water.  I also appreciated the introduction to Global Warming.  I never knew how much of the ocean absorbed our heat.

I had never seen the El Nino and La Nina shown as a visual trend.  I remember the 1997-1998 El Nino and all the flooding that came.  But it had never really been explained clearly to me.  Seeing it with the currents helped me understand the concept better.  This topic tied to the currents helped me create a clearer picture in my mind so I can teach it better.



Extend: 
I immediately put the ocean facts into my classroom.  I began a "Did yon know....?" wall in my classroom.  About twice a week I put a new fact on the wall to peak students curiosity.  Even through I am not teaching about oceans it relates to our environment and  makes the students think.  I post a questions and if they come to me with the correct answer I give them a little bonus.  It has been fun to stump them for a few days especially since they are "fishermen" and know the ocean well. 

The video about Dolly Garza is a great place to get students thinking about careers connected to nature.  I would show her story during career week and when we discuss life local wildlife.  I appreciate how she began her career in one direction, home economics, and ended up a biologist with a PhD.  As a voice of the people she is a valuable resource and a role model for students.

The lab "Does a Watched Kettle Boil"  is a great place to introduce young students to temperature.   This same lab could be used in higher grades to introduce heat transfer.  It  would be a great demonstration to start a unit. Combine that with the You tube video on Air vs Water Heat Capacity and you have the perfect unit introduction.

I would use the Ignite video about the seasons after I did some in class activities with the globe and a sun.  In my science class, students discover why it happens before I explain it.  This video would be a good summary of the labs I already do.

Evaluate:
While much of the material was a review, the videos and interactive sites were very relevant to the topic.  I would not use the sunrise and sunset video because it could lead to misconceptions especially where the sun rises and falls.  The video implies that it is in the same place.  The You Tube video on "The Broken Legend of Water Rotation in the Sink"  was interesting to watch but not something I would use in the classroom unless I was introducing myths in science.  (Now that could lead into a whole new unit to explore.)  Overall, it was a lot of text to read and the sink visual was not clear.  The media on the currents density different are very relevant and easy for students to understand.  I believe these give the students a clear picture of the currents. 



3 Colleagues: 
Look for the great climate change resources on Martha's Blog.

Carolyn reminds us of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and to use the videos to engage and excite the students.

I love how Tracy brings the science into the kitchen.  The cultural connection she makes to the science in her home economics classes is exciting.   I never really thought about farming in Alaska.

Earthquake, Volcanos and Tsunami's! Oh My!

Three Saints Church as it stands now in Old Harbor, AK.

So far this is the most exciting lesson to me.  I love teaching about the natural disasters.  As a former medic, I want my students to understand the importance of being prepared not afraid when disaster strikes.   Plus I live in a village that was virtually destroyed by the '64 Event.  This is juicy stuff.  I have been teaching Earth Science for years in California.  We spent a lot of time on Earthquakes.  Now that I am in Alaska, the relevance of earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes tie to every day life.  So this is a unit that hits home to me.  I am so thankful for our church that survived without a drop of water inside.  Without it's survival Old Harbor may not be here today.



Explain:
I learned about the controversy in Hawaii.  As a teacher, I see that desire to create better resources there to study.  But I also understand the peoples' desire to leave the land as a sacred place.  That balance between science and the land is delicate.  Coming to a common ground so both can be respected is the end goal.  Is it really possible?  I see similar debates here in Alaska with the oil in the North Slope.  How do we preserve yet still utilize the resources.  Can we?


Extend:
The resources in this module are invaluable to the Earth Science teacher.  I will use many of the resources like the interactive videos with my science students when as a tool to help students understand the need to go through "all these silly drills".  The visuals these resources create can help build understanding within the students.    I will use the cultural connections to help the students internalize how people around the globe are affects.  I can also see the possibility of using some of the Hawaii videos to help the students see the similarities and differences between our island cultures.

Google Earth is a wonderful tool to use to show the vast areas that are affected by such tragic events.  Using the ruler tool can also help students with scale projects and calculating distances between places.  For many of my students, it is just in the next bay or over hill.  So helping them use the tool to see actually how far apart things are.  It would be fun to see if the measurements they have in their head are accurate.  For example, I have heard people tell the local airline we have 2 miles of visibility.    So using Google Earth we could test that distance and see where the visibility lines are.

The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Center is a wonderful place to go to get recent statistics on tsunamis and earthquakes.  The USGS site offers up to date information on active volcanoes around the world.

Evaluate:
This module presents the science behind earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunami's.  The cultural connections found within this module bring me the most insight.  I have been teaching Earth Science for many years so the science was a review.  But the stories that tie the natural events to the people bring me understanding of the true impact of these events.  I appreciate that there are so many people that have decided to stay in their land even after disaster has struck.  Surviving A Tsunami - Lessons from Chili, Hawaii and Japan is another link that has stories from survivors.  You can listen to the stories of Alaskan survivors Hawaii Museum link.



3 Colleagues:
Matt's Blog offers a couple of additional resources to help students visualize the science behind Earthquakes.  He also explains the ties of the culture to the surrounding geography.

Sabrina's Blog  shares a nice story about how the islands are truly connected even if we are so far apart.

Alice's Blog brings the perspective of a new teacher to me. She discusses possibilities of bringing the science into her reading classes.  I like her reflection on how a small village would be effected by a natural disaster.

Landscapes of Life

Explain:
The "Landscapes of Life" helped me understand how the natives in Alaska use the land and the resources provided to them.  This unit has help me understand the value of fishing in our community.  For the past year, I have heard my students talking about wanting to be a fisherman.  I thought the traditions of the Alutiiq people were getting lost in Western life.  Little did I know those smoke houses, banyas and Big Creek were all about their culture.   Here the students know the Salmon runs and understand the need to "close" the area for a few days.  They do preserve their culture through their fishing. 

Mr. Glenn's story gave me hope for my students. I learned from Mr. Glenn how to connect his native world and Western Science.  I hear so often that my students don't have a need to go to school.  Jobs and careers are often not talked about among my students.  I have many thinking about dropping out.  So by hearing his story, it made me think about alternative jobs for my students that will connect them to the home that they love.

The videos presented in this unit refreshed my memory about Earth Science.  I am very interested in learning about the geology of Kodiak island.  Knowing I live in an seismically active area makes me more curious about the land.  Kodiak is the board of the Aleutian Trench which explains it activity.  I use Google Earth to explore the island a little more. 

Explore:
The Landform Forces section of this module has wonderful resources to bring into the classroom.  The videos can be used to help the students visualize what is happening to the Earth.  The relationship between the volcanoes, earthquakes and continental plates is very clear through the interactive sites on the teacher's domain.  I would use these resources when teaching about plate tectonics in my classroom.  I like the idea of using Google Earth to identify features after they have learned about them.  I would connect the interactive sites and Google Earth for students to create a project about one for the geological forces that interest them.  This project could lead to a discussion on how the people have adapted to the land around them and how they use it.


Extend:
The videos of the cultures around Alaska were insightful to my understand of the people in Alaska.  I also believe they help me to understand the connections of Native science and Western Science.  They truly are not two different sciences.  They both lead to the discover of more knowledge about our Earth.

Three Collegues:
Martha's Blog made me think about how can I as a teacher help my students connect with the land.  She discusses how the people have interacted with the land.

Ernestine's Blog shares about her journey through a few regions of Alaska.  She relates the topics of this week to the recent event of the Miners.  I appreciate her knowledge of traditional stories and their value to a clan.

The use of a real person to connect native life and western science is critical to our students.  Amy's Blog share how she will use this with her students.

Connections

As an "Outsider", as my students call me, I have so much to learn about the ways of the people in my village.  I am saddened to see much of their culture lost by the influx of the Russians to the Kodiak Island.  Many of the natives families are plagued by cycle of alcohol abuse so their native traditions and values are not honored.   We live in the Kodiak Wildlife Refuge with the incredible Kodiak Bears.  The bears are throughout the region and often wander into the villages.  It breaks my heart to hear the students on a quest to "kill the bear".  They are not being taught how to live in harmony with the bears instead the bears are seen as a nuisance. Their actions do not support the Alutiiq values of the Elders. 

Substance was a way of life on Kodiak Island and you still see a lot of the substance lifestyles among the villagers.  Fishing and hunting are common past times and  an economic means within the village.  Many of my students spend their summers fishing or at their families fish camp.  When it comes to knowing the land and the best fishing spots, the students can lead you right to them.  I often see the students hiking up the hillside on a clear day or out to the culvert for fishing.  Smoke houses and drying racks are seen throughout our village.  I found it interesting when I tried to create a local food web students were unable to identify local flora or fauna.  I expected this to be an easy activity for my students instead we all had to research the local species.  I wonder if I changed this activity to ocean species would I  find the same stuggles?

While teaching the biological sciences, I found a lot of connections to the local environment.  The students enjoyed studying a plot of land to see the changes the occur throughout the year.  They were able to identify tracks through the plot and changes created by the landslide.  Yet, when they were asked to sketch what they saw I was met with a lot of reluctance and refusal to draw what they saw.  As I continue to work with my students in science, I need to find ways to pull my students into the class by making it more relevant to their lives. 

Village Science

Culturally Responsible Science Curriculum

Each year our school district sponsors a science fair.  This is the perfect importunity to incorporate  native science into the western science classroom.  This is a difficult process for teachers who are not familiar with native practices.  So by bringing elders into the classroom and looking at the science behind native traditions students can teach the teachers. 

 Cultural Sceince Fairs

This lesson made me think about what my students brought into the classroom.  Through the incorporation of native ways and the local environment we can engage our students.  The Venn diagram about Native Science and Western Science gave me a perspective on how to unify them within the classroom.  I enjoyed the view clips in this module because they showed me life in other parts of Alaska.  It is difficult for me to find people within my village to help me understand the Alutiiq culture and values as an "Outsider."  Seeing other cultures helps me think about alternatives to finding understanding the culture of my students.  After completing this module, I will be encouraging students to consider a native topic for their science fair projects. 

I explored Ms. Keul's blog.  She offers reflection questions for all teachers to think about.

Tyler's blog really made me think about the value of the student success over test scores.

Tommy's blog makes you question the advances of today and how the traditional ways may help us improve the world we live in.

Old Harbor

Ariel View of Old Harbor

Welcome to my Explore Alaska Course blog.  I am in Old Harbor, Alaska which is fishing village of approximately 250 people on Kodiak Island.  I am the secondary math and science teacher at Old Harbor School.  There are 41 students in our school this year.  We have five teachers, a principal, a counselor and three instructional assistants.  Our high school students receive some instruction from Kodiak High School  and from other highly qualified teachers around the island through video conferencing.  Our community is working to preserve their Alutiiq culture through dancing and language studies.  

Looking across the strait to Sitkalidak Island at night

Right now my favorite place to be is at home in Old Harbor with loved ones and my dogs.  This is the view from my backyard that I enjoy every day.  Old Harbor is peaceful community which makes you feel as if you have traveled back in time to an era in which a simple way of life is the norm.  On a clear night, the sky lights up with the twinkle of the millions of stars that become visible.  Occasionally, you will catch a glimpse of the majestic giant Kodiak Bear.  I came here to teach and found a place to call home.

Las Vegas, my home town.
 
I was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Many people think of Las Vegas and think of the neon lights and glitter.  Although it is commonplace to see a slot machine everywhere even inside the local convenince stores, I was not raised nor learned to gamble in a casino at an early age.  Nor, did I learn to pull the handle of a slot machine before learning to hold my baby bottle. One of my favorite things to do as a kid was to take my dog hiking in Red Rock Canyon.  I never remember stressing about the scorching heat of the desert.  I do remember being surrounded by the beauty of the naturally painted rocks and fine desert sand.

Check out this link to see beautiful pictures of Red Rock Canyon.
Red Rock Canyon Interperative Association

Las Vegas is in the Mojave Desert. This desert is known for the unique Joshua trees and the lowest place on Earth, Death Valley.  The city of Las Vegas is located in a basin between the mountains.  Its western borders are the Sierra and Cascade Mountain Ranges.  These mountain ranges are a major factor causing the arid climate of the region.  As you leave the city, you will find incredible rock formations created by ageless changes throughout time in the Earth's crust.  When you are driving with your windows open you will experience very sudden drops in the temperature of the air around you.  This temperature drop is the result of the many aquifers found underneath the valley's floor.  Throughout the valley, you will also find traces of alluvial fans that are evidence of the mighty rivers that once flowed across the valley thousand of years ago.  Flash floods are quite common during the monsoon summer months leaving flooded plains throughout the region.  The ancient lakes have left a few playas, dried lake beds, filled with interesting treasures of the past to discover.  Lake Mead is a man made lake formed when the Colorado River was re-routed and the Hoover Dam created to harness its power and to bring additional water to the Las Vegas region.

Las Vegas from Google Earth.