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.

Atmospheric Systems

The explanations/resources are very useful to assist with learning what are often considered to be fairly difficult concepts. With that said, I’m glad that I was already familiar with the topics presented, particularly the physics of weather. It was always my dream to become a meteorologist, but I was held back by my lack of higher level math skills (i.e. differential calculus). As a young person, I didn’t think that I could manage to learn the math I would need in order to understand the physics involved. I’m positive that I could do it today, but think it’s probably too late in the game to change occupations. Maybe that’s what I should do after I retire from teaching - NOT. Although fully familiar with the polar-jet stream and its associated weather patterns; I had either forgotten or never knew about the existence/formation of the subtropical jet stream, presented very clearly in the video Giving Rise to the Jet Stream.

I teach weather concepts to anyone who wants to know about the weather where ever I find those people (i.e. students in my classes or fellow travelers stranded at airports); so I especially appreciate the near-real-time resources presented, such as Interactive Global Composite Weather Satellite Images and Google Earth Daily MODIS Satellite Images.

Storm in North Atlantic

Storm in North Atlantic (GoogleEarth)

While going through this week’s module and conducting further research, I was reminded of resources that I had previously read/used but have not recently.  I highly recommend the essay The Tragedy of the Commons by Garrett Hardin. Another resource (formerly a VHS tape that has long since become useless) is a Population Video  that shows graphically how the population of earth has changed over time, while providing historical references (e.g. bubonic plague and the industrial revolution).

I found the research on breast-feeding in the Arctic both fascinating and frightening. I recommend this news story Invisible Pollutants in the Canadian Arctic: Toxins From Industrial Cities Far to the South Keep Inuit Mothers From Breast-Feeding Infants (April 6, 2007).  How sad that people who live so far (geographically and economically) from the source of the pollutants produced are those who have the potential to be the most negatively affected by heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants. “Heavy metals and organic pollutants are adsorbed by plankton at the base of the food web and biomagnified to significant levels at higher trophic levels.Top Arctic predators such as seals, cetacea, and polar bears have surprisingly high levels of contamination. Northern Inuit communities rely on marine mammals for a large portion of their diet and are therefore vulnerable to contaminant exposure.” (I did not purchase this article, but quoted from the abstract). Marine Pollution Bulletin Volume 38, Issue 5, May 1999, Pages 356-379

Beluga Whale Hunt

Pollutants in Beluga Whales

Blogs Visited This Week

I visited the blogs suggested by the instructor including Doug's photo tours of the Ring of Fire and Volcanic Hot Spots - very cool. I also visited Emerson's blog and found the Lituya Bay simulation and video quite useful. Finally, I read Sandi's blog about how technology has changed how we live and the timeliness of obtaining information to use in our classrooms. I also found the Science Scope module interesting.