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 “Learning From the Polar Past” and provides […]
Polar News and Notes
Antarctica
Issue Two of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears: Learning From the Polar Past
Tuesday, April 1st, 2008 1:00 am
Written by: Jessica Fries-Gaither
Polar News and Notes: Antarctic Ice Sheet Break-Up
Friday, March 28th, 2008 8:27 am
Written by: Jessica Fries-Gaither
A 160 square-mile chunk of ice broke off from the Wilkins Ice Shelf in Antarctica on Tuesday. The ice, approximately seven times the size of Manhattan, had started to break up in late February. Scientists noticed the movement in satellite images and were able to capture footage and images of the event.
Unlike sea ice, which […]
Posted in Topics: Antarctica, Current News, Polar News & Notes
Polar News & Notes: March 2008 News Roundup
Monday, March 24th, 2008 3:44 pm
Written by: Jessica Fries-Gaither
News from the polar regions in March 2008 included many “firsts:” flights of unmanned vehicles, research during Antarctica’s “polar night,” and new insight into the polar regions from boulders, sediment cores, and other reports. Missed these stories the first time? Read on!
Last month, we reported on a fully robot astronomical observatory called PLATO. This month […]
Posted in Topics: Antarctica, Arctic, International Polar Year, Monthly News Roundup, Polar News & Notes, Scientists in the field
Polar News & Notes: Ruins of Antarctic Whaling Station Served as Research Site – Until the Volcano Blew
Friday, March 21st, 2008 9:00 am
Written by: Carolyn Hamilton
Doing Antarctic research while watching and listening for volcanic rumblings seems farfetched, but it is reality for researchers from the United States, Spain, Britain, Argentina, and Chile stationed on Deception Island. The five countries work here under the Antarctic Treaty, which protects the area from over-use by humans. The treaty is no protection, however, from […]
Posted in Topics: Antarctica, Polar News & Notes, Scientists in the field
Polar News & Notes: Return to Penguin City
Thursday, March 20th, 2008 9:13 am
Written by: Jessica Fries-Gaither
On Sunday, March 23, Animal Planet will air a 60 minute broadcast about the Adelie penguins of Antarctica and the challenges they face due to rapid climate change. Return to Penguin City will feature the work of scientists Grant Ballard and Viola Toniolo.
Animal Planet’s description of Return to Penguin City:
“Millions of Adelie penguins storm the […]
Posted in Topics: Animals, Antarctica, Polar News & Notes, Upcoming Broadcasts
Polar News & Notes: February 2008 News Roundup
Friday, February 29th, 2008 9:00 am
Written by: Jessica Fries-Gaither
News from the polar regions in February 2008 included an exciting new location for astronomical research, expeditions that will enhance our understanding of the Southern Ocean, and new findings that shed light on glacial melting and ice-shelf collapse in Greenland and Antarctica. Missed these stories the first time? Read on!
A team of international scientists completed […]
Posted in Topics: Antarctica, Arctic, International Polar Year, Monthly News Roundup, Polar News & Notes, Scientists in the field
Polar News & Notes: Antarctic Observatory
Friday, February 22nd, 2008 12:00 pm
Written by: Carolyn Hamilton
Being the coldest and driest place on earth, Dome Argus, Antarctica, doesn’t appeal to many people. Astronomers have been looking at it differently; they believe it may be the best site on the planet for ground-based astronomy.
The logistics of installing seven telescopes at the highest point of the Antarctic Plateau culminated in February when the […]
Posted in Topics: Antarctica, Current News, Polar News & Notes
Learning About Antarctica’s Past
Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008 12:48 pm
Written by: Jessica Fries-Gaither
Photo taken at Lake Bonney in Taylor Valley, Antarctica, by Carol Landis, subject to a Creative Commons license
Did you know that Antarctica was once a warm place? It is hard to imagine, but millions of years ago, the coldest, driest, and windiest place on earth was actually ice-free and inhabited by trees, plants, dinosaurs, and […]
Mapping the Polar Regions
Monday, December 17th, 2007 4:49 pm
Written by: Jessica Fries-Gaither
photo taken by batintherain; subject to a Creative Commons license
Did you know that while the Arctic is an ocean surrounded by continents, Antarctica is a continent surrounded by oceans? While this sounds like a simple play on words, it represents a profound difference in the geography, climate, and ecology of the two regions.
Did you […]
Posted in Topics: Antarctica, Arctic, Education, Reading, Science, Writing, social studies
Polar News & Notes: Antarctic Tourism
Monday, December 10th, 2007 8:49 am
Written by: Jessica Fries-Gaither
Did you know that you can take a cruise to Antarctica? You can land at a penguin rookery, kayak, hike, or even camp overnight on the seventh continent’s ice. What was once reserved for the bravest explorers and scientists is now available to anyone willing and able to pay.
A quick Google search lists many […]
Posted in Topics: Antarctica, Current News, International Polar Year, Oceans, Polar News & Notes, Science
Posted in Topics: Antarctica, Arctic, Cyberzine Issues, Earth and Space Science, Education, International Polar Year, Reading, Science, Technology, social studies
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