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Polar Education & Outreach
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Associated Polar Science Projects:
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Polar & Climate Curriculum & Education Activities
These activities have been developed through a series of research and outreach initiatives that are ongoing. Each activity has been tested through teacher workshops, classroom work or community events. Please check back regularly for new updates! Activities are uploaded as pdfs unless otherwise noted.
PROJECT |
POLAR I.C.E. Interactive Climate Education |
Activities focus on the evidence of climate change in the polar regions. Each activity merges background science information, real field data, graphics from research publications, and a lab, introducing students to a variety of science concepts and resources. | |
| Curriculum Summary | Activity Parts |
For Teachers: Material By Grade Level |
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Students start with a review how glaciers are formed and what causes them grow or retreat. They then examine the role of ice shelves for ocean terminating glaciers and the effect of a warming ocean. Moving to a specific glacier, they work with NASA's ICESat satellite glacier elevation measurements to explore what is happening to Antarctica's Pine Island glacier. End with a lab using a physical model to test hypotheses and gather measurements on glacier processes. Teachers can introduce the topic with the hands on engagement activity, use the ppt/pptx/pdf with supporting teaching notes for the background presentation, and then move to the activity and labs. See the Teacher/Grade Level column to chose activities by grade level. |
A complete set of all activity pieces
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Everything needed for a teacher to use this activity sorted by grade level - with directions Teacher Set - Fully Annotated Teacher Version Includes the full Activity and Labs with teaching notes and anticipated student responses. Also a teacher version ppt as pdf. Elementary: For 3rd- 5th grades the Engagment Activity can be used as a stand alone piece to introduce glacier movement. Middle School (MS):Start with Engagment Activity, then match the ppt/pptx/pdf with the fast facts to introduce the science & chart the IceSat data. Next do Lab I on observations. Doing Lab II has a math focus and will depend on your student group. High School: This group can do it all or start with ppt/pptx/pdf and do the Data Activity, Lab I an Lab II. |
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Remote Sensing: Using Radar to look through the ice - It is hard to believe that melting ice from Greenland and Antarctica could affect sea levels around the world, but increasing amounts of polar ice are sliding from land into the world's oceans. Knowing what is under the ice helps scientists predict how glaciers will move. How do we look under the ice?
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Data Files for 3D graphinc (xls) or (xlsx). Paper for hand graphing. |
Upper Level Middle School & High School |
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Impacts of Climate on Pine Island Glacier - Is this Antarctic Glacier Losing Height? In this activity High School or Undergraduate students will analyze authentic ice sheet elevation data from the Pine Island Glacier (PIG) and then develop ‘hands-on’ models to support their hypothesis for the ice sheet behavior. (being modified) PIG Data File 279 (excel file) - PIG Data File 362 (excel file) - Glacier Goo |
Teacher Version (being modified) |
Upper Level High School Undergraduate Note: This activity requires experience working with large datasets in excel |
PROJECT |
IPY AGAP Antarctic Project |
Activities developed as part of IPY polar education including using remote sensing data to travel through Antarctica, journey to the bottom of the Earth with two young scientists & exploring the impact of climate change on the ice sheets. | |
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Visualizing Data - Antarctic Radar Data to identify features & locate subglacial lakes - Navigating the data set (also needed) Computer Lab - The use of remote sensing data is used extensively in understanding our planet. This activity introduces students to the Mosaic of Antarctica data set of satellite images collected by the MODIS instrument (Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) http://planet.sr.unh.edu/MOA/ |
*Using Satellite Data in Education- the strength of data exploration * Teacher version of the Activity (pdf) with answers & detail on age appropriate exploration |
Elementary Directed Middle Student Pairs High School Independent
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Adrienne and Beth's Wild and Crazy Adventure at the Bottom of the Earth! Follow Adrienne and Beth on their journey to the most remote place on Earth and see if you can help them solve the many puzzles that they face while they are there! Students apply science and math concepts while they join these young scientists in an interactive web based adventure. |
This is a complete set of activities covering a wide range of topics | Middle School |
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Climate Change: Why do the Poles Matter?...water, water, water. There are 3 big ice sheets on Earth: Greenland, West Antarctica, East Antarctica. If they melted entirely sea level everywhere would rise. Each ice sheet holds the following amounts of sea level rise trapped in ice: Greenland 24 feet; West Antarctic 19 feet; East Antarctica 170. This is a total of 213 feet of sea level rise all over the world! But what does this really mean? |
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All Ages |
PROJECT |
IPY Polar Weekends Project |
Hands on science exploration of shrinking Arctic sea ice, mountains hidden under the ice, use an ice core to travel through history, effects of rising sea level, explore Antarctica's dry valleys, lakes and water that moves under the ice! | |
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Polar Weekend Activities - A series of Hands on activities on polar topics that will inform and engage students on polar topics from Sea Ice, Sea Level Rise, Climate Change, Ice Cores, Native Populations. Can be used with any age but are best for Middle School and High School students. | Middle School to High School | |
Is Pine Island Glacier a 'Climate Canary'?
