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.