Changing Climate

Most of the science content was not new to me but the resources and information did provide many ideas for how I can better integrate geoscience topics into the subjects that I do teach (biology, physical science, physics, chemistry, and marine science) and more effectively into each other. For instance, using the study of the properties of the element carbon or the molecule carbon dioxide in chemistry to also convey information about ocean acidification and global climate change.  I knew that most scientists think that humans are contributing to global climate change but didn’t have an easy way to convey that to others until Climate Change: A Consensus Among Scientists?

 

Coral Reef Ecosystem

The media clip of the coral reef ecosystem is a nice example of integrating the physical, geological, and life sciences and will be used across the spectrum of science subjects that I teach. I’ve been looking for a concise way to convey to my students the origin of the elements - the media clips from NOVA The Elements: Forged in Stars and The Origin of the Elements are perfect for this purpose and will put to use next week.

On the subject of elements - for other teachers of the physical sciences who use The Element Song by Tom Lehrer, this animation is one of the better I’ve seen for the song, since it shows not only element name and symbol but also location on the periodic table and it is color-coded to designate different groups of elements. There was big news in the world of particle physics this week Scientists capture antimatter atoms in particle breakthrough. Also in the news this week, more about microorganisms in the ground working through the winter.

CERN Researcher Professor Jeffrey Hangst

As has been the case with each module, I found the content and resources very useful both for my own knowledge and for helping me to better share that knowledge with others.

Blogs Visited:
Martha Insightful comments about space junk. Check out this web site about space junk.
Amy I agree about the media clip describing the origin of the elements - I too have been looking for exactly this.
Sabrina Very interesting - thank you for sharing your experiences.