Module IX: Terrestrial Ice

“Laura thought of the lost and lonely houses, each one alone and blind and cowering in the fury of the storm. There were houses in town, but not even a light from one of them could reach another. And the town was all alone on the frozen, endless prairie, where snow drifted and winds howled and the whirling blizzard put out the stars and the sun.” The Long Winter, Laura Ingalls Wilder

When I was young, the series of books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder about pioneer life captivated me. Some of my favorite stories were about the great blizzards that swept across the plain, raging for days a time, leaving feet of snow behind and freezing anyone or anything unlucky enough to be caught outside. Growing up in Colorado, I knew about snow, but never had the chance to experience a blizzard. I think the images in my head from the Little House stories were part of what drew me to Alaska as an adult.

Creating a Hook (Explain)
Relating what I learned in this module back to the stories I had heard about snow and ice as a child again reminded me of the importance of finding a "hook," something in a lesson that grabs students' attention and motivates them to learn the science behind what is happening. The Alaska Native Knowledge Network, introduced in Module IX-Cultural Connections, has a number of stories and activities that all students, and especially native students, can identify with. The maps and atlases section provides several maps of different areas of Alaska, with place names and geological features in the native language of the tribe(s) indigenous to that area. This is very similar to some of the learning I shared with my students from Module II, when we looked at the names of different landforms. How exciting to be making connections across the course like this!

Justifying Curriculum (Explain)
I was also very excited about the Curriculum Spiral Chart that Carolyn found on their site-this is a great way to lay out knowledge, and to show how less obviously related topics tie in to the state standards for teaching science. It will also give students a visual answer to the question "Why are we doing this?" I think that the spiral chart will be a valuable resource in my toolbox.

Making Connections (Extend)
I made several of the same connections from the course information to "real life" that other course participants did. Like Ernestine, I could relate the information on salinity to experiences I've had with salting icy sidewalks and making ice cream. Like Konrad, I found the Earth's Cryosphere clip on Teacher's Domain to be a striking visual illustration of howmuch ice, especially in the form of terrestrial ice (glaciers) we are losing in the Arctic regions. One of my favorite lessons to do with students is a comparison of Glaciers: Then and Now. The Cryosphere video will be an amazing introduction to that activity!

Evaluate
Like all of the Modules in this course, I found some resources-like the information on the Alaska Native Knowledge Network that I brought to school and used with the students this past week. I also found a number of lessons and activities, like the 1000 Snowflakes activity, that I plan to use either later this year or in units next year. My Water Cycle unit has always been one of my more bland units. Now, it will be much more interactive, and the knowledge level will go beyond the superficial vocabulary we've covered in the past.