Website Presents
This NSF website looks at research being conducted in the two polar regions of the earth. These inhospitable environments provide natural laboratories for scientists to study basic questions such as, Is earth's climate changing? What are the limits of life in extreme environments? The website includes interactives about ongoing and future research along with links to classroom resources. http://nsf.gov/news/overviews/arcticantarctic/index.jsp
Joystick it to the man
Fancy-graphic video game Adventure Ecology dispatches students to fight eco-threats and halt pollution, teaching them that our choices have real-life consequences. Also true to life: the game's evil-doer, Global Warming, is aided by Mr. Lazy, Chairman Greed, and General Fear. Aren't they up for reelection?
Activity: Silent Draw
After taking her class for a walk in the forest, this teacher used this activity to illustrate the concept of an ecosystem.
She would walk in front of the class after they were seated and silently start drawing something she saw on her walk. Without saying anything or using any hand signals she would keep drawing, either adding detail to a single item such as a tree, or adding various components of the ecosystem (depending on the students' level..) until everyone was quiet and interestedly watching. Then she would silently turn and hand the chalk to a student, and then another and another. She would keep passing the chalk until every desired detail was recorded. Then, if the students' were old enough she would then go back to the board and draw a connection between two pictures in the drawing i.e. bird to a tree. Still silently, she would again hand the chalk to a one student, then another and another, until not only everyone had, had a turn, but until every last hand was satisfied and all the perceived connections were recorded.
She said, it worked every time. We all thought it was a great idea!
