On the Web: Polar Science and the International Polar Year

NSTA Calendar

The NSTA Calendar lists the following opportunities relating to Polar Science and the International Polar Year. To learn about other science-education events and opportunities, visit http://www.nsta.org/publications/calendar.

• International Polar Year
  The International Polar Year (IPY) allows students the opportunity to become young Earth-system scientists, and teachers can find IPY activities on the event’s website. To ensure researchers have the opportunity to work in both polar regions or observe both summer and winter in these regions, the IPY will be celebrated through March 2009.
  
• Dispatches From Polar Scientists
  San Francisco’s Exploratorium concluded its Ice Stories series of live webcasts on January 4, 2008, but the webcasts are archived online for classroom viewing. In celebration of the IPY, the Exploratorium’s Live@ crew spoke with scientists about the research being done in the Arctic and Antarctica. Blogs and webcasts discuss climate change, geology, oceanography, biology, and archaeology.
  
• Polar-Palooza Tour
  The national Polar-Palooza tour features public presentations entitled “Stories From a Changing Planet.” These tales of adventure and science are told by a charismatic cast of characters, using high-definition video and authentic props—such as a 2,000-year-old piece of ice core, or a caribou parka—to bring polar research to life. Each stop on the tour includes special programs for schools, workshops for K–12 educators and museum volunteers, and camp-ins for Girl Scouts and Boys and Girls Clubs. The website also offers an Educator’s Corner with video clips and other teaching resources.
  
• Tawani 2008 International Antarctic Expedition
  The 2008 Tawani Science Team studied life in the extreme environments of the Untersee Oasis and tested scientific instrumentation that will further the search for life elsewhere in the universe. The expedition featured an internet-based educational component to involve students in daily reports and experiments from the team.

Science Teachers’ Grab Bag

The Grab Bag features online resources relating to Polar Science and the International Polar Year. To learn about other resources and services, see http://www.nsta.org/publications/grabbag.aspx.

• Polar Science Resources
  USA Today offers a collection of resources on science, travel, and life in the polar regions. The website features links to stories and websites with more information about the Arctic and Antarctic.
  
• Dinosaurs on Ice
  The “Dinosaurs on Ice: Jurassic Dinosaurs from Antarctica” lecture, available on video, describes the discovery of Cryolophosaurus, a meat-eating dinosaur from the early Jurassic Period and the first dinosaur skeleton excavated from Antarctica.
  
• Antarctica Field Trip
  Focusing on the subject of Antarctica, the Antarctica Filed Trip website addresses plate tectonics, climate, glaciers and ice movement, scientific research, flora and fauna, and ways decisions are made about the continent. Designed as an electronic tour, it guides the user through different webpages and outlines teaching objectives, concepts covered, and new vocabulary.
  
• Graphing Stratospheric Ozone
  In the Graphing Stratospheric Ozone online science lesson, students in grades 9–12 graph Antarctic ozone. The website offers an introduction, links to information on ozone chemistry, and graphing activities.
  
• NASA Spectrometer
  Polar images and data abound on the NASA Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) website, which follows the development of the 2007 ozone hole. The Teachers section offers related lesson plans and projects for independent research.
  
• Polar News and Research
  The National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs (NSF OPP) website lists links to polar news and discoveries. Teachers can also find more information about NSF funding opportunities.
  
• Passport to Antarctica
  Passport to Antarctica (PTANT) builds on resources originally gathered to support a series of live, interactive electronic field trips. These materials have now been completely re-edited and reformatted into an evergreen package of materials that can be implemented anytime during the school year. The website includes eight 15-minute PTANT videos.