In this lab activity, students explore how organisms are able to survive the extreme environmental conditions found in the Polar regions. Students will design experiments using Tardigrades and rotifers to expand their knowledge and understanding of normal behavior followed by experiments to explore anhydrobiosis. Full description.

In this activity, air with increased concentrations of carbon dioxide is produced and the rate of heat loss of that air is compared to today's normal air. This is used to help demonstrate the environmental and economic effects of increased carbon dioxide (CO2) content in the atmosphere. It tests the claim that the Earth's climate is warming due to changes in the relative concentration of gases in ... Full description.

In this activity, students construct a model that will allow them to experiment with thermal convection, illustrating how thermal energy can generate a flowing motion in a fluid. The thermal convection in this model is similar to the convection that is inferred for the Earth's mantle and can produce horizontal flow that can cause or is related to plate motions. Students will investigate the viscosity ... Full description.

In this activity, students will design experiments to gain some understanding of the feeding rates of Rotifers and/or Tardigrades (charismatic microfauna). These organisms are the largest found in Lake Hoare in the Taylor Valley, making them the top predator in the food chain of this lake ecosystem. The rate of feeding and the amount of food available may determine population size. Students will use ... Full description.

Students explore a Global Energy Balance Climate Model Using Stella II. This Stella model focuses on global energy balance and creating a useful climate model. Students can explore how the model planetary surface and atmospheric temperatures respond to variations in solar input, atmospheric and surface albedo, atmospheric water vapor and carbon dioxide, volcanic eruptions, and mixed layer ocean depth. ... Full description.

The Atlas of the Cryosphere allows visitors to explore and dynamically map the Earth's frozen regions. Viewed from a polar perspective, the available scenes include snow cover, sea ice extent and concentration, glaciers, permafrost, and other critical components of the Earth's cryosphere. Users can zoom in to a specific region on the Earth and overlay country borders, major cities, and other geographic ... Full description.

Letter of Global Concern allows students in grades 3-6 to quickly draft a printable letter describing their concerns about environmental or global conditions. The tool is designed to allow students to practice writing a business letter or editorial. The students can attach a small graphic as a header or footer. Addresses of state representatives as well the president and vice-president of the United ... Full description.

Global Climate change is bringing about changes in the Arctic. This short video summarizes the changes that are occurring and concludes that they will continue. The report is based on numerous research reports from the region. Full description.

This series of activities is designed to show students how a large scale planetary process, the transport of heat over the surface of the Earth, operates and has operated over time. The activities include how energy is absorbed by the Earth from the Sun, how and why this energy is distributed over the earth's surface, what controls energy distribution, how we can track the energy distributing process ... Full description.

This instructor guide provides background material for a two-part activity in which students observe convective currents in water and learn that air can behave as as a fluid. Students will understand that temperature changes can cause density changes in water, learn that the same phenomenon happens in air, and understand that temperature-driven density changes will produce currents in a fluid medium. ... Full description.