Module IX...The Crysphere: Terrestrial Ice

Essential Question: How are climate, terrestrial ice and Alaskan indigenous cultures all connected?

Explore

I had to give the "A Drop in the Bucket" a try...here are my answers, correct answers in parenthesis (it's obvious that I did not peek)... __928___ drops are in the oceans and inland seas (972)
__45___ drops are in glaciers (21)
__20___ drops are in ground water and soil moisture (6)
__2___ drops are in the atmosphere (<1)

1000 drops total...did not do well as a geology teacher...yet another tool for my toolbox!

I know this one is going to get the best of me but here it goes...

"1000 Snow Flakes"
__885___snow flakes in Antarctica (914) an eye popper for me!
__86___snow flakes in Greenland (79)
__20___snow flakes in N. America (3)
__3___snow flakes in Alaska (1)
__4___snow flakes are in Asia (2)
__2___snow flakes in S. America, Europe, Africa, New Zealand and Irian Jaya (<1)
1000 snow flakes total...missed the numbers again but have come to realize that as a lifelong learner, the more surprises, the greater the fulfillment! I have also realized that about the time that I retire is when I will have the most science knowledge and probably be at the top of my teaching game!

What a great activity...for me, a real test as to what I don't know! I am anxious to try this Monday with my students (it's now Thursday and after testing my students on this, they were as surprised as I was at the numbers)...cool thought activity with an important underlying concept. This has real "wow factor" as to how much fresh water is solidified in Antarctica! A few of the reasons that Antarctica is so cold is because of it's elevation (it has a higher average elevation than any other continent), albedo...mostly covered by ice and snow so infrared radiation reflection is high, extremely dry...a by product of cold air (the colder the air, the less moisture it can hold), it is surrounded by ocean so the interior of the continent does not have the moderating influence (specific heat capacity) of water and among other reasons, the angle of the sunlight is such that very few photons fall onto a large area, even in summer(December)...the same concept as northern Alaska in the summer(June).

Explain

If you are looking for Antarctica data give Discovering Antarctica teachers area, along with the rest of the site, a look as it has a wealth of information about the continent. Another site with cool facts and pictures is coolantarctica! Our Alaska students can learn a lot from the study of climate below the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circle, from a temperature standpoint, is a mirror image of our southern most continent...global and localized climate change have and will effect both poles in similar ways.

When assisting students with the understanding of geologic time, I have had great luck using "Understanding the Geologic Time Scale" activity put out by the University of Texas. I start with the second activity of Relative vs. Absolute Time and then go back to the Football Field activity. Of course the old stand by is effective also...draw a long line across the longest board available and start labeling...I like to start by having three students come to the board and place a line where the first life appears, dinosaurs died and where humans appear...a great discussion starter! Yet another visual is done by Carl Sagan-The Cosmic Calendar found on you tube. I use this with my 10th & 11th graders in Geology.

Extend

"The Big Melt"...check out a 3 minute National Geographic video clip about Mongolia showing the rate to which the ice there is diminishing. The photographer Jonas Bendiksen of Norway stated that, short of the north and south pole, "the mountains around the Tibetan Plateau hold more snow and ice than anywhere on the earth." He also states that this "ice is melting faster than anywhere else on the planet." This plateau is the source point for all of Asia's major rivers, which provides water for over a billion people. He comments on the people that live in Tibet but also those that live up to 500 miles downstream. Their pasture lands are disappearing due to climate change. In Delhi, India, some peoples day starts at 3am, standing in line, waiting for water! The people there are trying to shore up their embankments to protect what little water they receive. Quite a scenario...well worth a look!
The Big Melt--Global Warming is an interesting resource that discusses what global warming is, how the greenhouse effect works and data that seems to be science based. There are also many links on the page that add to education of climate change.

"Documenting Glacial Change" from Teachers Domain was so impressive for me that I had to place the picture in my blog. What an impressive/convincing way to show what has happened to some of Alaska's glaciers over the past few decades! You tube has a video called Take AIM at Climate Change...I am not much for rapping but this puts across a great message..."AIM" stands for Adapt, Innovate, Mitigate!

Another interesting concept of glacial activity is following a rock that rolls off of a mountain and ends up on the top of the accumulation zone. It will then be buried by storms and thus move down into the glacier. As it approaches the firn limit it then moves along with the glacier and then "rises" back to the surface at the zone of ablation--it does not really rise, the snow over it melts so it appears to rise to the surface. Really cool!!

Another well done video on you tube is done by NASA... "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOAFp0fZzDo" speaks to nearly all of the concepts discussed in this course...well worth a look!

Evaluate

I have very few Alaska Native students, maybe a half dozen per year, but have come to appreciate the underlying concept of this course. I have been enlightened to the fact that even though climate change definitely has a greater effect on our Alaska native cultures, but it does effect us all in one form or another. The TD resource called "If the Ice Melts" distinctly shows that climate change may not just effect Alaskans, but also a large percentage of the rest of the worlds population.

As Clay commented in his March 23 email, I too have gained a wealth of new resources working through this course that I have incorporated into my lessons, but also "borrowed" some from others blogs...many thanks to all of you for sharing resources that will liven up my presentations and ultimately increase the "quality" of information that I know will benefit my students!