Nancy Etchemendy
On May 26, 2008, published author Nancy Etchemendy will embark on the journey of a lifetime: the first of two research expeditions to Antarctica. On her blog, Etchmendy describes how an “unlikely series of events” resulted in an invitation to join the marine biology expeditions. The trip in May is a month-long voyage aboard the National […]
Author Archive
Polar News & Notes: Children’s Author Travels to Antarctica
Friday, May 16th, 2008 9:00 am
Written by: Jessica Fries-Gaither
Polar News & Notes: Polar Bear a “Threatened” Species
Thursday, May 15th, 2008 8:00 am
Written by: Jessica Fries-Gaither
Climate Change Protest
image created by Grant Neufeld and subject to a Creative Commons license
U.S. Department of the Interior secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced Wednesday that the polar bear will be considered a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The decision came just before a deadline imposed by a federal court, and three years after the Center […]
Posted in Topics: Arctic, Current News, Polar News & Notes
Issue Three Highlights: Seasons
Monday, May 12th, 2008 9:00 am
Written by: Jessica Fries-Gaither
Interested in teaching your students about patterns found in seasons and day and night? Check out Issue 3 of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears - Polar Patterns, Day, Night, and Seasons!
In this issue:
Learn more about seasons and discover sites to develop your own content knowledge.
Find integrated science and literacy lessons to use in your classroom.
Learn […]
Polar News & Notes: Teacher-to-Teacher Summer Workshops
Friday, May 9th, 2008 9:00 am
Written by: Jessica Fries-Gaither
The U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative has opened registration for its free summer workshops. The workshops will be held across the country starting June 18 and will target specific grade levels and content areas. Workshops for summer 2008 include:
Denver, Colorado (United States Mint) - June 18-19, 2008
Nashua, New Hampshire (Federal Aviation Administration) - June […]
Posted in Topics: Education, Polar News & Notes, Professional Development, Upcoming Opportunities
Issue Three Highlights: The Aurora and Researcher Stories
Monday, May 5th, 2008 9:00 am
Written by: Jessica Fries-Gaither
The northern lights over Kulusuk, a small island on the east coast of Greenland. Photo courtesy of Nick Russill and subject to a Creative Commons license.
Want to learn more about the northern and southern lights - the aurora? Look to Issue 3 of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears - Polar Patterns, Day, Night, and Seasons!
In […]
Issue Three of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears: Polar Patterns
Thursday, May 1st, 2008 1:00 am
Written by: Jessica Fries-Gaither
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 second issue is called “Polar Patterns: Day, Night, and Seasons” and […]
Polar News & Notes: April 2008 News Roundup
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008 9:00 am
Written by: Jessica Fries-Gaither
News from the polar regions in April 2008 included research into pollution’s role in Arctic climate change, documentation of a massive and rapid drainingof a glacial lake in Greenland, and surprising results from the summer Antarctic field season. Missed these stories the first time? Read on!
Indigenous people, who have the smallest ecological footprint on Earth, […]
Pierre the Penguin: Teaching About Heat and Insulation Through Adaptations
Monday, April 28th, 2008 12:38 pm
Written by: Jessica Fries-Gaither
Meet Pierre
A recent news article profiled Pierre, a 25 year-old African penguin at the Academy of Sciences. Biologists became concerned when Pierre, who was going bald, refused to swim in the penguin tank and shivered on the sidelines instead. Unlike polar bears, seals, and other marine mammals, penguins do not have an insulating layer of […]
Posted in Topics: Animals, Antarctica, Current News, Lesssons and activities, Life Science, Polar News & Notes, Science
Polar News and Notes: Interview with Will Steger
Monday, April 21st, 2008 9:30 pm
Written by: Jessica Fries-Gaither
In Februrary, we posted about a unique dogsled expedition that sought to document the impact of global warming in the Canadian Arctic. Led by renowed explorer Will Steger, the 1,400 mile trek includes five emerging leaders in the field. The team is sharing the experience through video, images, sounds, and text at the Global Warming […]
Posted in Topics: Arctic, Current News, International Polar Year, Polar News & Notes, Science, Scientists in the field
Polar News and Notes: Thanks to High School Graduates, A New Perspective on Antarctic Habitats
Wednesday, April 16th, 2008 1:22 pm
Written by: Jessica Fries-Gaither
Working with National Science Foundation-funded researchers, two high school graduates have built an underwater, camera-equipped “rover” to observe fish in Antarctic environments.
Ryan Garner and Amanda Wilson, both female graduates of Cabrillo High School in Lompoc, California, began working with marine biologist Gretchen Hofmann of the University of California, Santa Barbara, when they were high-school seniors. […]
Posted in Topics: Antarctica, Current News, Oceans, Polar News & Notes, Technology
Posted in Topics: Antarctica, Current News, International Polar Year, Oceans, Polar News & Notes, Reading, Technology, Upcoming Broadcasts
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