A new month brings a new issue of the Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears cyberzine! The online magazine is written for elementary teachers to help develop their content knowledge of the polar regions and use best practices in integrating science and literacy instruction.
Our fourth issue is called “Weather and Climate: From Home to the Poles” and provides content knowledge, lessons, and activities about weather and climate, climate change, and the weather and climate of the Arctic and Antarctica. Read about a scientist from The Ohio State University whose discovery of an ancient plant led to a better understanding of the Earth’s climate over 5,000 years ago. Help your students develop important science vocabulary through hands-on activities. As usual, we feature a virtual bookshelf and expository articles (available in text, foldable book, and electronic book formats). Of course, there’s much more to learn and explore! Visit the cyberzine home page
and select Weather and Climate: From Home to the Poles - Issue 4, June/July 2008 to begin exploring.
Each month’s issue will be organized around a theme that reflects common science topics in the elementary curriculum. Coming in August is an issue about water, ice, and snow - using the polar regions to teach the water cycle and states and changes of matter. But don’t worry - you’ll still be able to access all content from the previous issues!
As always, we’d appreciate feedback and comments. Post a comment to the blog, or use the contact information found in the magazine to tell us what you think. Enjoy the fourth issue of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears, and share the site with your students and colleagues!
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If anybody is actually worried about the Polar Bears or anything else concerning the environment check out my link. These two kids from a Nick show are donating money to preserving Polar Bear habitat or something.
The article was very interesting reading. The discovery of the fossilized moss plant will help me make connections between the plants of the past unit we just completed and the weather and climate unit we are beginning. I think my students will delight in the connection to the Ice Man - something they have seen on television.
I believe I will have my students write a short summary in a flow chart graphic organizer to help them better understand how scientists work together.