Polar News and Notes Education

 Photo courtesy of Travis S., subject to a Creative Commons license
Did you know that Saturday, March 1, marks the ceremonial start to the 36th Iditarod?
Known as the “Last Great Race,” the Iditarod is a race across the beautiful yet rough terrain of Alaska. Covering more than 1,150 miles, mushers and their dogs cross frozen rivers, […]

NEA’s Read Across America Day is almost here, and teachers and students across the country are busy making plans to join the nation’s largest reading celebration on March 3, 2008. One teacher is doing it up in a big way – she is sponsoring an online collaborative project where students from across the country and […]

You and your students can become volunteer scientists in a nationwide project to record the time when foliage and flowers first appear this year. Project BudBurst, operated by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), allows students, gardeners, and other citizen scientists in every state to enter their observations into an online database that will […]

The Consortium for Ocean Leadership is seeking an enthusiastic teacher for a one-year fellowship (2008-2009)  in Washington, DC. The teacher will work with Deep Earth Academy staff to develop ocean science curricula, produce teacher-training workshops, maintain communication within a community of educators and assist with conference logistics. The position requires a minimum of 3 years […]

Taking a hint from rock stars, the researchers from Polar-Palooza, a multimedia project supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, are going on national tour of some 14 cities this year.
In three-day appearances at each location, the “cast” of scientists will present “Stories from a Changing Planet,” with […]

Teacher to Ranger to Teacher (TRT) Summer Program
This National Park Service program provides teachers the opportunity to work in a national park, become park rangers for eight weeks, and develop lesson plans based on their experiences for use in their classrooms the following year.
Check the TRT site for a listing of participating national parks, job […]

WGBH, a public radio and television broadcast service located in Boston, Massachusetts, is surveying elementary science teachers. The goal of the survey is to help identify areas in the K-5 science curriculum where students have the greatest learning difficulties, and where future children’s programming and outreach materials (like Teachers’ Domain) can have the greatest impact. […]

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 […]

Did you know that 2008 is the Year of the Polar Bear?
Polar Bears International, a non-profit organization devoted to worldwide conservation through research and education, kicked off the YPB with a ceremony on New Year’s Day at the Oregon zoo. The initiative is a collaborative effort between Polar Bears International and over 35 zoos and […]

Did you know that there isn’t one official definition for the Arctic?
In contrast with the more easily defined boundaries of Antarctica, the southern boundaries of the Arctic vary depending on interest and purpose. According to Rhian Salmon, education and outreach coordinator for the International Polar Year, “there is no official definition of the Arctic for […]