Polar News and Notes Polar News & Notes

Celebrate International Polar Day on March 12, 2008
Here’s an opportunity for you and your students to share your study of the polar regions with other classrooms and the world-wide community.
Every three months, the International Polar Year (IPY) organization sponsors a day of events to highlight polar research and increase public awareness. March 12 is […]

New South Pole Station Sits Atop Drifting Snow
While some call it an engineering marvel, Antarctic researchers may call the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station a warmer, safer place to work than they’ve known before. On January 15, 2008, the National Science Foundation dedicated the new South Pole station, which replaces the domed structure that served as […]

Free NSTA/NSDL Web Seminar Integrates Polar Geography, Literacy Skills
Polar geography is the subject of a free web seminar scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, 6:30-8 p.m., EST.
This is the first in a series titled Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears: Integrating Science and Literacy for the K-5 Classroom. The seminars are an interactive, professional learning experience sponsored […]

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 […]

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) is holding three free web seminars on the International Polar Year and the living systems in the Arctic and Antarctic. The presenters’ scientists and educators– will share their expertise, answer questions, and provide information that can be used in elementary and middle school classrooms. Each seminar is a stand-alone […]

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 […]

Did you know that a Japanese whaling fleet departed the port of Shimonoseki on Sunday, heading toward the waters off Antarctica to hunt humpback whales? These whales, once nearly extinct and listed as an endangered species, are now listed as “vulnerable” by the World Conservation Union. Their worldwide population is estimated in the range of […]

Did you know that we’re in the midst of the International Polar Year, the first since 1958? That probably doesn’t surprise you too much — the results of polar research are in the news almost daily. In addition, images of polar bears and penguins are ubiquitous in our popular culture, appearing in everything from blockbuster […]