Module #6 - Atmosphere is here!

Explain:

This module was about Earth’s atmosphere and climate. Many of the lessons focused around the connection of all living elements on earth through its atmosphere. I don’t see it as a coincidence that our sphere shaped planet is often compared to a living cell. It is interesting to explore the way that Earth’s cultures are connected to one another and their affect on each other and subsequently the entire planet. Our planet’s inhabitants interacts in strange ways, either directly or indirectly affecting each other with each action.

I would have never expected to learn about the pollution in Alaska’s Arctic. I have experienced the extreme effects of the sun from the limited ozone layer that covers beautiful New Zealand. Some of earth’s most vital recourses and beautiful attractions are effected unintentionally or indirectly by so many elements on our planet that it can feel overwhelming to try and protect them all.The cultural connections sections especially provoked me. The impact that more densely populated western industrialized societies have on the less populated and more reliant societies is disparaging. It is too often the ones with less of a voice become the ones that need to be stood up for the most. I feel like so many of the problems between the people on Earth could be solved by taking care of it.

One part of this course that I have really enjoyed has been the chance to re-learn topics in different ways then they had been originally taught. Mainly though online videos and interactives  I have had the change to experience and view material that was once much more difficult to access. I especially enjoyed learning more about the layers of the earth’s atmosphere from the multimedia interactive in this weeks module. 
Below are the links to some of my favorites.

Vertical Structure of the Atmosphere


Compare and Contrast Warm and Cold Air Fronts



Extend:

I have been given the opportunity to learn about the changes in our global climate by traveling and living in geographically diverse areas of Alaska and New Zealand. I have seen dramatic changes in the climate of Southeast Alaska over the last 20 years.

It is important for students to connect their what they are learning to their lives. When it comes to studies on global climate and pollution I believe that it students should learn through place based lessons. I am looking forward to teaching these concepts and giving students the opportunity to relate what they are learning and can do something about.

Below is an interesting time lapse video done on the Mendenhall Glacier in my hometown of Juneau, Alaska.  I can remember that saying someone was moving like a glacier meant slow, when my teacher told me that they only melted 10cm a year. Now its closer to 300 ft and the saying has taken on a totally different meaning.

Evaluate:

This module was very relevant to the subjects that I am currently covering with my students. When I  return to school from this holiday’s break I will begin a unit on cells and organisms with my Science classes. A common method use to relate a students knowledge of cellular structures is to relate them to a familiar concept such as the operations of a factory or school. I would like to extent the teaching of this concept to more of a “worldly view” having the students try to connect the structures of a cell to their understanding of our planet.

    I feel like this module (like many of the others) has given me a lot more tools to teach engaging lessons and material in my classroom. I feel grateful to have the opportunity to learn and relearn material about my planet. It is an honor to have the chance to then share my knowledge with my students and continue this path of learning. 

Blogs:

Many Paths to Knowledge is an interesting blog with a really cool final project on weather and climate that I would like to use parts of in my classroom.

The Top of the World blog has a wealth of information with a cool chemistry connection for this weeks post from Dominic Pader.

Emerson's Explorations blog has a great final project on EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students) which I was previously unfamiliar with and look forward to following and incorporating into my lessons on the planet.

I am really looking forward to checking through a lot of the class's final blog projects over the next couple of weeks. 




 

Final Blog Project :)

Check out my Snowflake Journey Final Blog Project that I just posted. 

1. Snowflake Journey

2. Observing Snow

3. Growing Snow Crystals!

4. Messages from Water?

I am really excited to share the unit I created around snow crystals. I started the introductory lessons with my 7th grade math students the week before our winter holidays and look forward to continuing it when I return in 2011!

Module 5- I'm Connected

Explain:
This module was about how climate, cultures and oceans are connected. For me there wasn’t a lot to learn as much as there was a lot to connect my life to.
Having spent 2008-2010 in New Zealand and traveling back to Alaska every season I got very used to the changes our earth goes through in its dual Hemispheres. Personally I found that traveling from either pole from a colder temperature to a warmer one was always easier on my body and my spirits.
I was able to experience the concepts of Thermohaline Circulation while diving in New Zealand. As it was explained (with a reference to “Finding Nemo”) the reasons that scuba diving in New Zealand waters was so diverse was because of the drastic differences in water temperature. Where I was diving (Poor Nights Islands) was warmer because of the East Australian current which was carried across the Tasman, while many areas to the south were considerable colder dives with water coming up from Antarctica. For me it was a great way to learn about these theories for myself and experience the diversity of oceanic life in these waters.
Its interesting to note the similarities between the ocean currents, winds, and the locations of ports of sail. I did not know that Benjamin Franklin was responsible for the theories of the Gulf Stream. I began to familiarize myself with it more as I followed the Gulf Oil spill this year and how ironic I though it was that the BP oil could eventually make it way towards Britain.

Extend:
I found the youtube clips on “Air vs. Water Heat Capacity” and “What causes Earth’s Seasons” really cool. I think it explained an interesting concepts in extraordinary and straight forward ways. I hope to use the demonstrations like these in my classroom.


I also took a look through the teacher resources on the NASA site and particularly liked a video called “Know your Earth” which dealt with similar issues to the youtube clip on climate change. I also shared this video with my mother and girlfriend.

Evaluate:
This was a really interesting Module. Although it took me quite a while to get through, the information was engaging and very relevant for me personally. It was the first module that didn’t have a lot of connection to Alaska specifically with more emphasis on Earth, but I felt a stronger connection to my life and the overseas experiences I have had in the Pacific.
I realized quickly after going off to a university town that was more than 500 miles from the ocean that it was a big part of my life. I had grown up living on and off of the ocean as a kid and no matter the rivers and lakes there was no substitute. Since that time I have live on Pacific Islands often meters from the water and as I currently sit in my apartment in Alaska my front yard is decreasing with the rising ocean tide... I know, like many others, that I am connected to the Earth's ocean.

Colleagues: 

 Tracy's Chena Lake Blog is really interesting. I like the way she has incorporated her obvious passion for the land into her lessons in the classroom. Her post for Module 5 has some cool ideas for activities in the classroom and I am interested in learning more about the "Alaska Homestead Project" she talks about.

Earnestine Hayes's blog is excellent. It is great that our class is so diverse and experienced. I highly recommend any Alaska educator read her book "Blonde Indian" as I did during my masters degree program. In her Module 5 post she eloquently states "our relationship with the world is not limited to indigenous people but is part of our common human condition".

There is lots of useful information and links on Dan Adair's blog like the following on The Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth that he posted for this module.