Melting Polar Ice

A composite from NASA showing how the ice is receding in the Arctic from 1979 to 2003

9. Extended Questions

a. What happens if the polar icecaps melt?

There are several things which may happen as a result of the polar icecaps melting, the following are the ones which I feel are the most significant.

          1- Rise in ocean sea levels: This rise in sea levels will have an impact on numerous Earths systems.    A significant rise in ocean sea levels will result in a depletion of shorelines and an increase in flooding in low lying area. 

          2 –Change in ocean currents(conveyor belt):  With an influx of fresh water the salinity of the ocean may change and this would cause a shift in the deep water circulation (thermohaline circulation).  As we all know ocean water is part of a very dynamic recycling system.  As part of this system surface water sinks and becomes part of the deep water with some of the deep water rising to become surface water.  This waters movement is a result of density and salinity.  If we disturb this system (change in salinity) it could have a resulting effect on the climates of different regions.

          3 –Changes in climate:  Water has the ability to pick up energy from the sun, as the water travels to area with lower temperatures it releases this heat into those atmosphere.  With a change in the water current pattern, there will also be a change in shift in the climate.  This change in climate can affect different earth systems including (but not limited to): ecosystems, migration patterns of animal, and land masses.  There may also be a change in weather patterns such as el Niño, tornadoes etc. .

          4- Agricultural Change:  As the climate shifts there will a direct change in the amount of usable farm land.  Additionally, with the change in the climate, farmers will have to adjust their crop and planting rotations to fit the new climatic changes.

          5- Migratory patterns of animals:  With a change in the ocean currents there will be a shift in migratory pattern of different animals. This will means that animals which are dependent of certain species of animals will have to adjust their eating, mating, and other crucial habits.

The following is just a brief description of what may occur as we see an increase in the melting of the polar caps.  I must note that what is unusual about the polar caps melting is the pace at which it is occurring, not its occurrence.   History has shown that we have had this shift in previous times, but they took longer to occur thus giving Earth and its inhabitants more time to adjust.

b. What other questions do you have about this Science Inquiry Experience?

          What are some ways that this experience could be differentiated?

          How have the different multiple learning styles been addressed in this 

          lessons?

          How can this lesson be adapted to include ELL students?

          What reading resources could be incorporated in this

          lesson?

          How reproducible is this lesson for teachers who have more than 1 

         class?

Lesson Plan Review

HELP !!!

As part of this week’s application I had to complete a lesson plan that introduced both the 5 E method and the STEM Approach.  For those unfamiliar with either of those terms please look below.

Engage – Hook                                        S -Science

Explore – Experiment                               T - Technology

Explain – Introduce new material               E -Engineering

Elaborate – Real world connections           M- Math

Evaluate – Assessment

Honest Moment: To sum up this experience I can only think of one word, OVERWHELMING.  I am not trying to be a downer but, really how many concepts can be squeeze into a lesson plan?  Learning styles, multiple intelligence, unifying themes, STEM, the 5-E approach, differentiation for curriculum, and the list goes on and on and on ….for real!!  Ok, I’m done with my tirade, back to the reflection. 

Since I don’t have a lot of time to waste, any time I have to prepare a lesson plan, I try to make it coincide with the content that I currently covering (2 birds, 1 stone).  Thus, since we are starting a unit covering simple machines, my lesson plan started with this concept.  Since I teach at an IB school I have to take into consideration the IB standards and Area of Interaction first and foremost.   After I had pinpointed what my current objectives were, I then looked the culminating activity and planned activities that will help students accomplish this task (backward design).  In regards to using the 5 E’s structure, I found some parts to be very helpful and others to be somewhat restrictive.  I enjoyed developing strategies to help students engage, explore, and elaborate.  I had problems tying in the real world application where they wanted it, so I was confused about whether I could move that E to another area.  CAN I ? Some my discomfort lies with my inexperience using this method, I have never created a lesson plan using this structure.  I believe that as I use this method more often I will become more proficient with it. I also believe that as I design lessons with the STEM approach in mind, this too will become easier (I hope).This process was radically different from the format that I use in my system to design lesson plans.  We are required to turn in lesson plans every two weeks.  Our lesson plans look at different criteria and focus on different teaching strategies.  If I were to implement this plan my biggest logistical issue would be time.  Currently my classes are only 60 minutes and I do not think that I would be able to get this entire lesson accomplished in that time frame.  

PS. If anyone has any good hands-on labs  for simple machines I would really appreciate it.  Thanks

1st post

Hi Everyone,
Welcome to my blog.  As most of you already know, this is my first year teaching.
I have had a great 1st year so far and I am looking forward to the second half.
I love science and I love helping students learn to love it also!