Final Unit Essential Question:
How can digital resources and effective teaching methods be used to integrate Alaska Native ways of knowing and Western scientific methods in order to create greater understanding of, and interest in, geosciences for students?
Intended Audience: 8th grade science students
Unit Rationale: I have created this unit in order share the knowledge I have gained with my 8th grade science class. I aim to teach them about climate change and its effects on Alaskan landscape, ecosystem, and lifestyle. I will probably adapt the unit to teach my 6th and 7th graders as well.
Goals:
· To create student and community awareness of the impacts of global climate change on the Arctic landscapes, especially Alaskan landscapes.
· To create student and community awareness on the impacts of global climate change on the Arctic ecosystems, especially Alaskan ecosystems.
· To create student and community awareness of the impacts of global climate change on Arctic Natives and other Alaskan residents.
· To create an understanding of how traditional knowledge and western science knowledge are both useful in understanding geoscience in Alaska.
· To show how digital resources like those found on Teacher’s Domain and Google Earth can be useful for classroom instruction and student research.
Objectives:
· Over the course of this unit, students will:
o Understand what climate change is.
o Understand why climate change is happening and how the element carbon is involved.
o Understand how both human practices and natural occurrences are contributing to global climate change.
o Understand how climate change is affecting Arctic landscape, animal and plant life, subsistence lifestyle, and community homes, roads, and buildings.
o Interview an elder to learn what effects of climate change can be seen on the Kenai Peninsula over one lifetime.
o Research Bering Sea organisms to learn how Bering Sea food webs are being affected by climate change.
o Write a proposal for future research to be conducted on how climate change is affecting the Bering Sea ecosystem.
o Understand that science and technology can be used to detect and solve some problems.
8th Grade Alaska State Standards:
The student demonstrates an understanding of the processes of science by: SA1.1 asking questions, predicting, observing, describing, measuring, classifying, making generalizations, inferring and communicating.*
The student demonstrates an understanding that all organisms are linked to each other and their physical environments through the transfer and transformation of matter and energy bySC3.1 stating that energy flows and that matter cycles but is conserved within an ecosystem.
The student demonstrates an understanding that solving problems involves different ways of thinking bySE2.2 comparing the student’s work to the work of peers in order to identify multiple paths that can be used to investigate and evaluate potential solutions to a question or problem. (L)
The student demonstrates an understanding of how scientific discoveries and technological innovations affect our lives and society by:SE3.1 predicting the possible effects of a recent scientific discovery, invention, or scientific breakthrough. (L)
Lessons:
Explore:
LESSON 1: What causes climate change? Why is it occurring?
I created this Power Point to guide instruction on the science behind climate change. In it, I have embedded links to the following digital resources and corresponding discussion questions:
o What is carbon?
o Why is carbon the basis for life?
o What biological processes involve carbon?
o What is the role of oxygen in the carbon cycle?
o What is the greenhouse effect?
o Why is the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere increasing?
o How is industrialization increasing the release of nature’s carbon stores?
· Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming: Carbon Dioxide and the Greenhouse Effect
o How does global warming work?
o Why is excess carbon in the atmosphere causing the earth’s average temperature to increase?
o Which absorbs more heat – air or water? How much more?
o Why is climate change happening?
· LAB: Does a Watched Kettle Boil?
o Are microbes dormant underneath the snow?
o How do microbes support plant growth?
o How are microbes contributing to global warming?
o How do the poles help regulate the planet’s temperature?
o What happens when ice melts and the oceans get bigger?
o When is it predicted that the Arctic may be ice free? What consequences might this have for the Arctic ecosystem? The world as a whole?
o What happens when global warming starts to affect the terrestrial cyrosphere – the planet’s inland frozen water storages?
o What happens to the carbon dioxide that is released when the ice melts?
o How does melting permafrost affect forests?
o What is happening in Antarctica as global temperatures increase?
o Do you have anything to add to your answer? What consequences might global warming have for the Arctic ecosystem and the world as a whole?
o What are some ways for humans to help store excess carbon dioxide?
o Any new ideas on ways for humans to help?
o What are 5 specific ways climate change is affecting our state and its residents?
LESSON 2: How does climate change affect us in Alaska?
I created this Power Point to guide instruction on how climate change affects the Arctic landscape, ecosystem, and its residence. In it, I have embedded links to the following digital resources and corresponding discussion questions:
o What are 3 ways the Inuit of Sachs Harbour are directly affected?
o What similar problems are the Iñupiaq of Barrow facing? What problems are unique?
o How has climate change affected Native’s ability to predict weather?
o How has climate change affected animal behaviors and subsistence hunting?
o How is the salmon population affected by climate change?
o How is climate change affecting Native hunters and the communities they supply with food?
o What might the sharp decline in the harbor seal and kittiwakes population since 1989 be attributed to? Why?
o How is climate change affecting caribou’s feeding and migration patterns and predators?
o How does climate change affect polar bears?
o How is climate change affecting the sea ice and the coastline along the Alaska Peninsula?
o How is climate change affecting the homes of Shishmaref’s residents?
o How is climate change affecting Shishmaref’s residents and their food sources?
o How much has the average temperature rose since the 1960s?
o How does this affect subsistence lifestyle, according to this video?
o How much do Alaskans pay to repair damage caused by permafrost to public buildings and roads annually?
Extend:
LESSON 3: What changes have been observed here on the Kenai Peninsula in one lifetime?
Students will participate in the below project to interview an elder in order to learn more about climate change in the Kenai Peninsula.
In addition to the resources hyperlinked into the assignment, here are some teacher resources on incorporating elders into the classroom to review before beginning a project like this:
· Using Elders in the Classroom by Roby Littlefield includes information and suggestions for involving and working with elders in the classroom.
Student Instructions:
To learn more about climate change, interview an elder from our community.
When all the interviews have been complete, we will hold a community potluck to showcase what we have learned from the elders about climate change in our community.
You may interview an elder from your family, or interview a volunteer from the Nilnilchik Native Association.
Procedure:
1. Review this resource for how to respectfully interview an elder.
2. Contact your elder to set up a time and place for the interview.
3. Create a list of at least 10 specific questions to ask your elder about his or her experience with climate change in our community over the course of his/her lifetime.
o These must be approved by your teacher before the interview.
o Here are some suggested questions and resources on climate change in our community to help generate ideas for your questions:
§ Suggested questions for interviewing an elder.
§ Kenai National Wildlife’s Climate Change Report
§ Connecting Climate, Landscape by Lindsay Johnson, Homer News 10/28/10
4. Create a beautiful invitation to the community potluck to give to your elder at the conclusion of the interview. Make sure your name and phone number are on the invitation in case he or she should have any questions.
5. When you have completed your interview, create a poster board to display what you have learned about climate change in our community. We will share these at the community potluck.
LESSON 4: What can we, as citizen scientist, do about climate change?
· For the last part of the climate change unit, students will study the Bering Sea and how climate change is affecting this important Alaskan ecosystem.
· First, students will watch this video about ice’s role in the Bering Sea ecosystem and the Coast Guard Cutter Healy, which brings scientists to the Bering Sea to study how climate change is affecting the Bering Sea’s ecosystem.
· Then, students will learn about how Bering Sea walruses are being affected by climate change through this Power Point, which explains how scientists are monitoring:
o What walruses are eating
o Their breeding and young-raising patterns
o Where and when they are hauling out
o How climate change is affecting all these things.
· Finally, students will become scientists like the ones who monitor walruses.
o In teams, students will choose their own Bering Sea organisms to research.
o They will use the websites I have provided in order to research how each of the organisms affect climate change and is affected by climate change.
o They will decided which organisms are the most important to study in order to understand the effects of a warming climate to the entire Bering Sea ecosystem.
o Then, they will write a proposal to the North Pacific Research Board convincing them that their research urgently requires data to be collected on the upcoming Healy cruise this April.
· They will follow this handout, which I adapted from Alaska Sea and River Curriculum. Here is the assignment in summary:
· Choose up to 7 organisms off the list and use the links provided to research them.
o Make a sketch of the organism in its natural habitat. Remember that a habitat includes food, shelter, space and water. Include sea ice if it is important to meet habitat needs.
o To which trophic level does the organism belong to?
o How does it get its energy? (What does it eat?)
o What does the organism give energy to? (What eats it?)
o Make an inference as to how the organism would be affected by the rapid melt of sea ice and less sea ice.
- Create a concept map of the ecosystem with your team
- Meet with your team members. Give each team member five minutes to summarize what they found out about their organism’s role in the ecosystem and their inference about how a warming climate might affect it.
- As each person shares their information, draw a picture of the connections within the Bering Sea ecosystem - who eats who, the needs of each organism for sea ice, open water, or land and important connections to people. AND...
- Develop a study plan proposal
- As a group, discuss which of the organisms and connections are most important to study to understand the effects of a warming climate to the entire Bering Sea ecosystem.
- Remember that you are going to the Bering Sea in April and that will limit what you can study.
- Choose up to seven organisms or groups of organisms to study.
- Work together as each team member writes up his/her section of the study plan proposal. Your proposal will have the following sections:
- Descriptive Title
- Objectives (Statements that describe specifically what you intend to study and do for each species; e.g., to observe _____, to measure _____, etc.)
- Hypothesis or Hypotheses (The questions you are trying to answer for each species, stated as predictions)
- Justification (Why is it important that the study be done? Why are the species you intend to focus on the most important ones to the study and questions you are trying to answer?)
- Methods (What type of data will you collect? What technology will you use? Where will you study take place? What is your schedule for samples and observations?)
· Finally, compile all the research and your study plan proposal either on a Google Website or in a Power Point so it is easy to share with your classmates.
· Conclusion: Think about the statement: “Physical changes in the environment can change the conditions for life."
- How does it relate to your study of the Bering Sea?
- As you reflect, decide on 3-5 important examples of how climate change may be affecting living things in the Bering Sea.
- In your science notebook, explain why each is important; and why should people care about each of those potential effects.
Resources
Part 1: Bering Sea Research
Physical/geographic description of the Bering Sea, with maps showing bathymetry, currents, habitats, islands, and sea.
Description of Bering Sea ecosystem and wildlife, and threats to wildlife
NASA site with satellite imagery showing and describing physical attributes, seasons and changes in the Bering Sea
Physical/geographic description of the Bering Sea, with maps showing bathymetry, currents, habitats, islands, and sea.
Description of Bering Sea ecosystem and wildlife, and threats to wildlife
NASA site with satellite imagery showing and describing physical attributes, seasons and changes in the Bering Sea
Part 2: Organism Research
Brief description and photos of arctic species at risk due to climate change
Descriptions and photos of arctic marine life from diatoms to whales, with links to additional information
Alaska Ocean Observing System: Information and learning activities about marine mammals and birds
Interactive Bering Sea/arctic ecosystem with info on key species:
Canadian Museum of Nature: Life Under the Ice, Amphipods
Ice Algae
Wikipedia: Ice Algae
NOAA article about algae and other organisms that live within sea ice
Canadian Museum of Nature: Life Under the Ice, Arctic Sea Ice Core
Canadian Museum of Nature: Life Under the Ice, Microscopic phytoplankton
Descriptions and photos of arctic marine life from diatoms to whales, with links to additional information
Alaska Ocean Observing System: Information and learning activities about marine mammals and birds
Interactive Bering Sea/arctic ecosystem with info on key species:
Canadian Museum of Nature: Life Under the Ice, Amphipods
Ice Algae
Wikipedia: Ice Algae
NOAA article about algae and other organisms that live within sea ice
Canadian Museum of Nature: Life Under the Ice, Arctic Sea Ice Core
Canadian Museum of Nature: Life Under the Ice, Microscopic phytoplankton
Copepods
The Biology of Copepods
Wikipedia: Copepods
Copepods
Krill
National Geographic Krill profile with photo
Wikipedia: Krill
Clam (Macoma spp)
Macoma clam
The Biology of Copepods
Wikipedia: Copepods
Copepods
Krill
National Geographic Krill profile with photo
Wikipedia: Krill
Clam (Macoma spp)
Macoma clam
Sea Urchins
Wikipedia: Sea Urchins
Canadian Museum of Nature: Life Under the Ice, Sea urchins
Sea Urchin Natural History
Bering Sea Seabirds
Least Auklet
Alaska Seabirds Information Series: Least Auklet
Whatbird.com – Least Auklet
Birds of North America Online: Least Auklet
Black-legged Kittiwake
Alaska Seabirds Information Series: Black-legged Kittiwake
Birds of North America Online: Black-legged Kittiwake
Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds: Black-legged Kittiwake
Spectacled Eider
Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game Notebook Series: Eider
BBC interview with Jim Lovvorn: Spectacled Eider
Field notes: Spotlight On… Spectacled Eiders
Arctic cod
Canadian Museum of Nature: Life Under the Ice, Arctic Cod
Wikipedia: Arctic cod
Arctic cod information, description, distribution and ecology
Bering Sea Marine Mammals
Walrus
Canadian Museum of Nature: Life Under the Ice, Walrus
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Fact Sheet: Pacific Walrus Response to Arctic Sea Ice Losses
Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game Notebook Series: Walrus
Ringed Seal
Canadian Museum of Nature: Life Under the Ice: Ringed Seal
Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game Notebook Series: Ringed Seal
National Marine Mammal Laboratory: Ringed Seals
Bowhead Whale
Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game Notebook Series: Bowhead Whale
Bowhead Whales in Alaska
National Marine Mammal Laboratory: Bowhead Whales
Right Whale
National Marine Mammal Laboratory: Right Whales
North Pacific Right Whale
American Cetacean Society: Right Whale
Polar Bear
Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game Notebook Series: Polar Bear
Canadian Museum of Nature: Life Under the Ice: Life Under the Ice: Polar Bears
National Geographic: Polar Bear
Canadian Museum of Nature: Life Under the Ice: Ringed Seal
Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game Notebook Series: Ringed Seal
National Marine Mammal Laboratory: Ringed Seals
Bowhead Whale
Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game Notebook Series: Bowhead Whale
Bowhead Whales in Alaska
National Marine Mammal Laboratory: Bowhead Whales
Right Whale
National Marine Mammal Laboratory: Right Whales
North Pacific Right Whale
American Cetacean Society: Right Whale
Polar Bear
Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game Notebook Series: Polar Bear
Canadian Museum of Nature: Life Under the Ice: Life Under the Ice: Polar Bears
National Geographic: Polar Bear
Evaluate:
· Students will respond to discussion questions after each digital resources using Think-Pair-Share. They will be asked to respond to some questions in their science notebooks. Their oral and written responses will be evaluated by teacher observation based on completeness, accuracy, and insightfulness.
· Students Elder Interview questions will be evaluated based on how well they pertain to elder experience of climate change in Alaska. Students will be asked to redo any unsatisfactory questions before conducting the interview.
· Poster boards displaying learning from elder interview will be evaluated using this criteria:
o Accuracy of Information – 10 pts. – Your presentation displays each of question and your elder’s answer. Poster Board clearly displays what you have learned from your elder about climate change on the Kenai Peninsula.
o Visuals – 5 pts. – Pictures and/or diagrams complement written information and help reader to understand information.
o Clarity and Creativity – 5 pts. – Your presentation is easy to read and understand. Presentation is pleasing to the eye and font and colors are legible.
· Students’ Bering Sea Research and Proposals will be scored using this rubric.
