WOW!! What amazing blogs people had! I am sad now that I didn’t start before this. It was something that I kept putting off because I kept saying to myself “I’ll get to it later when I have more time and I’ve got this, this and this done.” But of course later never comes and another “this” always comes up.
I mention the pictures in the blogs a lot in my commentary below. I loved looking at the pictures that everyone had. Although I enjoyed reading what people wrote I found myself scrolling through a blog to first look at the pictures before I read. I have not traveled widely in Alaska. Mainly Anchorage airport (Ha! Ha!), the flight to Bethel and the village and my immediate surroundings, sums up my personal Alaska experience for the last three years. Sad, I know. Seeing everyone’s pictures of various spots in Alaska has made me very excited about my summer plans. I’ll get to (finally!!!) see many of the things that I have been learning about. My students are also very visual. When planning a lesson I try to find lots of pictures and graphs and hands-on activities on the subject understudy.
One of the main points that came to me while I was reading the blogs is how much I still have to learn. I kept my very simple compared with most. I am really not a tech person. But I realize that to benefit my students I need to incorporate more into my lessons. Looking at others’ blogs and by taking this class I have been given many ideas that I can work on incorporating into my classroom. I have absorbed much more information than I have been able to output. I have learned so much about the state and resources but I realize that I have just touched the “tip of the iceberg.”
Closing the Cultural Gap- When I read her blog it made me realize how much more I have to learn. There is so much interesting information out there! I loved her polar bear picture in Module VIII. What a statement it makes about melting sea ice! I found the blog easy to read and extremely interesting! Some of the other pictures did not load for me.
Alaska in Deep—I liked her “before and after pictures.” Those pictures truly illustrate the changing world around us. The statement she makes “Either way, the fact remains that humans are both at the mercy of, and are influencing changes within the atmosphere “ is very true. We are making our own bed. I also enjoyed (in a so-glad-its-not-me-kinda-way!) her story about being cut off by a fast moving tide. To me that would have been terrifying!
Dan's Alaska Connections-- I did like his plain background (some blogs I did have a hard time reading because of the color schemes). He had many good references and points. I found his pictures in his “Garbage Patch” blog very disturbing. I liked reading about the project concerning glaciers and seeing the pictures. I understand why he only goes back to visit his childhood home. The same thing has happened to the area outside of St. Louis. Subdivisions now take the place of woods and fields and it is sad to see it change so.
Explore Alaska Commentary- Wow! What pictures! **sigh** some of them didn’t load. Just plain white boxes… Maybe it is my computer? I found his blog very professional and appealing. It was well organized but not stuffy. It made me want to rip my own blog off the internet and hide it under a pillow. I loved the arctic food chain graph he used to help demonstrate his point of how it is all connected.
alaskaZgal-- I was still looking at blogs today and I’m glad I did. I really enjoyed her “Best Picture” awards. Now I will have to visit the few sites she mentioned that I haven’t visited. I enjoyed reading her blog. She has an easy, engaging style that I liked.
I think that I have read half of the blogs so far. I first picked out ones that I thought had the most interesting names. Then I went back and started writing my thoughts on random ones that I had already read. It was hard to pick and choose. I have enjoyed them all! Hopefully I will get to continue reading them this week.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Final Project: How can digital resources and effective teaching methods be used to integrate Alaska Native ways of knowing and Western scientific meth
My original idea was to make mini lessons of the individual topics we have studied in this course to present to my students to study and build upon. I realized that in reality that would be easy for me to do but not necessarily easy to fit in with the other science projects we are required to learn about in a year. We do cover Alaska ecology in the fall and over the summer I am planning to sit down with my books and fit into my lessons, in a practical, well thought out way the many things I have learned in this course. Some of the TD videos are perfect for presenting topics we need to cover. I have already started to make a list of topics and peruse the TD library to see what is available to use.
One of the reasons I am not choosing to do this now is our language issue. We are a Yupik immersion school. Our first three grades are taught in Yupik. The students transition in the third grade. Fourth grade is only their second year of English instruction. We have a HUGE issue with vocabulary. Many of my students are struggling to read on a third grade level. They are wonderfully bright kids and they work super hard. Many “grade-level” resources are a huge challenge for us to read/watch and get comprehension out of without a lot of prep work and background.
We also have the issue that science is not taught very much at the lower grades. The main focus in the classroom is language. Even in my classroom social studies and science get pushed to the back burner if we are struggling with a language issue. I try hard not to let this happen but sometimes it is impossible to avoid. They do have basic science knowledge but there are many holes. My students know that the Earth goes around the sun but they do not realize how that helps to make our climate what it is. This is when I realized that I would have to do a lot of prep work for my students. I found the TD video about the orbit and rotation of the earth and how that makes our seasons. I was getting excited because I remembered when I was in third grade we got to “play” with flashlights and balls and I started to think of other fun experiments (some mentioned in the class are great!) to help teach the some of the concepts. Then, when I was watching it I realized some of the words used would have to be introduced and taught as vocabulary before hand.
Now to my project:
I really wanted something that I could incorporate into this school year. We are going to try to have our culture week later this month. The week before or the week after would be a good time to tie in some of my own lesson plans (the Culture Week is organized by our Yupik staff and the village. The white staff are turned into support only—as it should be)
The best thing about technology for our students is it allows them to meet Elders that otherwise they would never know and to hear their stories and knowledge. My students Yupik teacher has several interviews on tape of Elders that are no longer living. She shows these clips to her students and they gain knowledge that they would not have otherwise. This gave me the idea. This method is one my students can also employ for them selves. They have a chance to film the Elders that they know and to preserve that information for future generations before it is lost. By filming the Elders, the students create their own digital resource that can be used again and again.
This is also a project that I would need to coordinate with the students’ Yupik teacher. Many of the older Elders speak little English. If a student would interview one of these Elders I would need to have the Yupik teacher or an aid help me to view and grade these projects.
Resources and Materials:
A selection of Yupik storybooks from the LAMS library (both in English and Yupik)
A selection of Yupik storybooks from the district Media Center (both in English and Yupik)
School cameras (maybe use the HS students to operate the cameras while the kids interview?)
Blank dvds/flashdrives
Questions:
What traditional stories do you know? What is your favorite? Who told you this story? Why do you think this story was told to you? What did you learn from this story? Why do you think it is important to know? How did this story help your forebears survive?
Steps:
1. Students, in groups of 2-3, will brain storm a list of traditional stories that have been told to them or they have read.
2. Students will make list of questions about the story (such as those listed above). They would then try to answer their own questions on paper.
3. Students will find an Elder they can record telling the story.
4. The students would then ask the Elder the questions they had about the story.
5. Students would then record themselves while they compare and contrast their answers with those of the Elder.
Conclusion:
The conclusion of the project would be to hold a film festival to view the finished projects. Elders, parents and community would be invited.
Extension:
Hopefully I will be able to lead a few of the groups to certain stories I have in mind. These stories I can use as introductions to my units next year when I teach AK ecology. This will be a great resource to use with my future classes that will remain relevant. It will help me tie together the traditional Native Ways with the Western science and at the same time make science fun for my students.
One of the reasons I am not choosing to do this now is our language issue. We are a Yupik immersion school. Our first three grades are taught in Yupik. The students transition in the third grade. Fourth grade is only their second year of English instruction. We have a HUGE issue with vocabulary. Many of my students are struggling to read on a third grade level. They are wonderfully bright kids and they work super hard. Many “grade-level” resources are a huge challenge for us to read/watch and get comprehension out of without a lot of prep work and background.
We also have the issue that science is not taught very much at the lower grades. The main focus in the classroom is language. Even in my classroom social studies and science get pushed to the back burner if we are struggling with a language issue. I try hard not to let this happen but sometimes it is impossible to avoid. They do have basic science knowledge but there are many holes. My students know that the Earth goes around the sun but they do not realize how that helps to make our climate what it is. This is when I realized that I would have to do a lot of prep work for my students. I found the TD video about the orbit and rotation of the earth and how that makes our seasons. I was getting excited because I remembered when I was in third grade we got to “play” with flashlights and balls and I started to think of other fun experiments (some mentioned in the class are great!) to help teach the some of the concepts. Then, when I was watching it I realized some of the words used would have to be introduced and taught as vocabulary before hand.
Now to my project:
I really wanted something that I could incorporate into this school year. We are going to try to have our culture week later this month. The week before or the week after would be a good time to tie in some of my own lesson plans (the Culture Week is organized by our Yupik staff and the village. The white staff are turned into support only—as it should be)
The best thing about technology for our students is it allows them to meet Elders that otherwise they would never know and to hear their stories and knowledge. My students Yupik teacher has several interviews on tape of Elders that are no longer living. She shows these clips to her students and they gain knowledge that they would not have otherwise. This gave me the idea. This method is one my students can also employ for them selves. They have a chance to film the Elders that they know and to preserve that information for future generations before it is lost. By filming the Elders, the students create their own digital resource that can be used again and again.
This is also a project that I would need to coordinate with the students’ Yupik teacher. Many of the older Elders speak little English. If a student would interview one of these Elders I would need to have the Yupik teacher or an aid help me to view and grade these projects.
Resources and Materials:
A selection of Yupik storybooks from the LAMS library (both in English and Yupik)
A selection of Yupik storybooks from the district Media Center (both in English and Yupik)
School cameras (maybe use the HS students to operate the cameras while the kids interview?)
Blank dvds/flashdrives
Questions:
What traditional stories do you know? What is your favorite? Who told you this story? Why do you think this story was told to you? What did you learn from this story? Why do you think it is important to know? How did this story help your forebears survive?
Steps:
1. Students, in groups of 2-3, will brain storm a list of traditional stories that have been told to them or they have read.
2. Students will make list of questions about the story (such as those listed above). They would then try to answer their own questions on paper.
3. Students will find an Elder they can record telling the story.
4. The students would then ask the Elder the questions they had about the story.
5. Students would then record themselves while they compare and contrast their answers with those of the Elder.
Conclusion:
The conclusion of the project would be to hold a film festival to view the finished projects. Elders, parents and community would be invited.
Extension:
Hopefully I will be able to lead a few of the groups to certain stories I have in mind. These stories I can use as introductions to my units next year when I teach AK ecology. This will be a great resource to use with my future classes that will remain relevant. It will help me tie together the traditional Native Ways with the Western science and at the same time make science fun for my students.
Monday, March 29, 2010
"How are climate, terrestrial ice and Alaskan indigenous cultures all connected?"
The climate allows for the forming of the terrestrial ice in Alaska. Without the ice, Alaska would be a vastly different place.
The climate keeps the weather cold. The cold allows for the permafrost. Without the permafrost I am not too sure that many of the villages around here and the culture would exist as they do. Our village is on very marshy ground. We are surrounded by water and can see the effect of the tides daily in the water level of the river and many of the ponds. Without the permafrost forming a semi solid base for the land, we would be the marsh of Alaska instead of the tundra. This could be a huge problem –and we haven’t even mentioned all that carbon being released from the permafrost from decomposing biological matter as it melts away.
One of the stores in town had to move to a new building this year. The small, old building had been built directly on the ground. Over time, the ground beneath, warmed from the heat of the store, sagged, no longer on solid, frozen ground. It was interesting shopping. In order to get to the shelves on the far wall one had to walk down a small slope and then back up to reach the desired item.
* How important is the issue of sea level rise?
Unfortunately, it is very serious. It will be interesting (and a bit scary) to see how rising waters will change this area. We are just above sea level now. Will we still be above or will we below in ten years time? Fifteen? Twenty? Will the land change? How will it change? Will it be a marshy-swampland with little solid ground in sight? Or will it disappear under the waves of the Bering Sea? How will the people here adapt? How will this change them? If they are forced to move, where? Inland? To the cities? Will the culture survive? The village has already moved once because of the finicky nature of water.
This module raised a lot more questions for me than any of the others. Although there is excellent scientific research on this subject, it is still uncertain what will happen and when for sure.
The climate keeps the weather cold. The cold allows for the permafrost. Without the permafrost I am not too sure that many of the villages around here and the culture would exist as they do. Our village is on very marshy ground. We are surrounded by water and can see the effect of the tides daily in the water level of the river and many of the ponds. Without the permafrost forming a semi solid base for the land, we would be the marsh of Alaska instead of the tundra. This could be a huge problem –and we haven’t even mentioned all that carbon being released from the permafrost from decomposing biological matter as it melts away.
One of the stores in town had to move to a new building this year. The small, old building had been built directly on the ground. Over time, the ground beneath, warmed from the heat of the store, sagged, no longer on solid, frozen ground. It was interesting shopping. In order to get to the shelves on the far wall one had to walk down a small slope and then back up to reach the desired item.
* How important is the issue of sea level rise?
Unfortunately, it is very serious. It will be interesting (and a bit scary) to see how rising waters will change this area. We are just above sea level now. Will we still be above or will we below in ten years time? Fifteen? Twenty? Will the land change? How will it change? Will it be a marshy-swampland with little solid ground in sight? Or will it disappear under the waves of the Bering Sea? How will the people here adapt? How will this change them? If they are forced to move, where? Inland? To the cities? Will the culture survive? The village has already moved once because of the finicky nature of water.
This module raised a lot more questions for me than any of the others. Although there is excellent scientific research on this subject, it is still uncertain what will happen and when for sure.
Monday, March 22, 2010
“How are Arctic sea-ice, climate and culture all connected?”
Sea ice can exist only where it is cold enough to form. According to what we know about salt water freezing that is a cold place indeed. Colder climate means greater struggle for plants to grow upright. Smaller plants tend to not lend themselves to mass farming techniques. Hence, you are more likely to have a nomadic culture of hunters and gatherers.
“*Why are the effects of climate change more dramatic in the Arctic than lower latitudes?” We have explored how important the Poles are to our planet. If you have ever lived near the Tundra you have had the chance to see how destructive simple things are to the land. I believe climate change seems much more dramatic also because of the fact the Arctic has no landmass to support it. It is all salty sea-ice. It has to be colder to freeze. If it is -5C and warms even just a few degrees, the ice is melting. Not only is the local climate and cultures going to suffer but it will eventually effect all.
“*Are there elders in your area who have a sense of local now and ice dynamics?” Barb (who is also in this class) has said that she has met people who have said that it is getting harder to “read” the ice. I have also heard local village Elders saying that it is not as cold as it use to be. I have heard a few concerns about an early and more dangerous break-up this year because of the warm winter and thinner ice.
I tried to find some local stories about ice, how it forms, why it forms, but so far I haven’t had any luck. I have skimmed several books of Yupik stories and asked some of the people I know about ice. The best story told to me that had anything to do with ice in a round-about-way was about two very powerful salmon that wanted it to stay winter for much longer than it was going too. They used their considerable power to make it so. The bugs did not like this; they wanted warmer weather so that they could come out. The bugs banned together to overpower the salmon. They might have been small but by working together with their greater numbers they won the fight. Another piece of local knowledge I have heard about winter this past week is this: When there is less snow and ice on the ground then the coming year will have few berries. I suppose this is because the berries are not as well insolated from the cold.
The Discovery Channel is starting two shows this week. One will start Sunday. It is produced by the same people who did Planet Earth. It is called Life. The second is called Atlas 4D. My understanding is that the first episode, on Monday night, will explore the “connections of the lands, people and animals of the Rift Valley”. Sounds like they had this class in mind!
“*Why are the effects of climate change more dramatic in the Arctic than lower latitudes?” We have explored how important the Poles are to our planet. If you have ever lived near the Tundra you have had the chance to see how destructive simple things are to the land. I believe climate change seems much more dramatic also because of the fact the Arctic has no landmass to support it. It is all salty sea-ice. It has to be colder to freeze. If it is -5C and warms even just a few degrees, the ice is melting. Not only is the local climate and cultures going to suffer but it will eventually effect all.
“*Are there elders in your area who have a sense of local now and ice dynamics?” Barb (who is also in this class) has said that she has met people who have said that it is getting harder to “read” the ice. I have also heard local village Elders saying that it is not as cold as it use to be. I have heard a few concerns about an early and more dangerous break-up this year because of the warm winter and thinner ice.
I tried to find some local stories about ice, how it forms, why it forms, but so far I haven’t had any luck. I have skimmed several books of Yupik stories and asked some of the people I know about ice. The best story told to me that had anything to do with ice in a round-about-way was about two very powerful salmon that wanted it to stay winter for much longer than it was going too. They used their considerable power to make it so. The bugs did not like this; they wanted warmer weather so that they could come out. The bugs banned together to overpower the salmon. They might have been small but by working together with their greater numbers they won the fight. Another piece of local knowledge I have heard about winter this past week is this: When there is less snow and ice on the ground then the coming year will have few berries. I suppose this is because the berries are not as well insolated from the cold.
The Discovery Channel is starting two shows this week. One will start Sunday. It is produced by the same people who did Planet Earth. It is called Life. The second is called Atlas 4D. My understanding is that the first episode, on Monday night, will explore the “connections of the lands, people and animals of the Rift Valley”. Sounds like they had this class in mind!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Two articles about the boy stuck on the ice with the polar bears. Very scary
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6534884/Teenage-boy-trapped-on-floating-piece-of-ice-with-polar-bears.html
http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091109/nunavut_hunter_091109/20091109?hub=TorontoNewHome
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6534884/Teenage-boy-trapped-on-floating-piece-of-ice-with-polar-bears.html
http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091109/nunavut_hunter_091109/20091109?hub=TorontoNewHome
Monday, March 8, 2010
“How are climate, cultures and oceans all connected?”
Starting with the sun and the tilt of the Earth, oceans produce weather systems, weather systems help to produce climate, and climate determines food supplies available to living things. Food supplies determines what type and how animals and people live.
In our local area that meant people traditionally went where the food was. Permanent, year-round villages did not exist. The people followed the animals. Although the tundra is rich in its own way, many consider it barren. Because of the harsh winds and weather coming from the Bering Sea, the landscape does not support large trees or other plant life. Animals migrate according to the seasons/weather and their own food supplies. The culture was born around the need to survive in a harsh environment. Most of the food comes directly from the sea: seals, whales, and fish. The few plants harvested from the area are greatly affected by the nearby sea. Tundra Tea (also known as Labrador Tea) plant has small leaves and grows close to the ground. My understanding is that in other parts of Alaska it grows much bigger. Some of those places are along the same lines of latitude. It is the same with the different berry plants. They are small here but larger elsewhere. Without the support of the sea, people could not survive here but it is also the weather coming in from the sea that makes it difficult.
“What cultural resources exist where you are? What do long-time residents have to say about climate/ocean dynamics?”
When I first arrived in the area I heard people tell of what many of the Elders were saying. “If the younger generation does not learn to live with the land they will starve.” Once when visiting Bethel I met a very elderly Elder. He said the same thing. A time would come when people would starve if they did not learn. Are they not correct? Whether or not you lean toward the Native ways of knowing or the scientific, if we cannot learn to live on our planet with sustainable practices will any culture survive? The Elders are a culture resource that is fast disappearing.
I have heard, too, that people are having a harder time “reading” the ice. This makes hunting and traveling a very dangerous thing. If the ice is misread then it could be death. Earlier this school year my students read a news article about a boy who had been out hunting on the ice in Hudson Bay with his older relative. The ice started to break. The boy was separated from his relative on an ice flow with three polar bears. Luckily the boy survived. This is rather a dramatic tale of what can happen unexpectedly when the conditions change.
“How useful are simple labs and/or YouTube for your professional purposes?”
In teaching an ESL fourth grade class, simple labs and videos, such as found on TD, are invaluable in teaching concepts to my students. Not only are the visual aspects great for teaching concepts, but also with 100% of my students being ESL telling them about something doesn’t always mean that they are learning or understanding the words. My students are part of an emersion program. The fourth grade year is only the second year of English at our school. My students have enquiring minds and their English vocabulary is still growing. Being able to show a concept is more important than just lecturing about it. Words are puzzles they are still figuring out but examples can be universal to any language.
In our local area that meant people traditionally went where the food was. Permanent, year-round villages did not exist. The people followed the animals. Although the tundra is rich in its own way, many consider it barren. Because of the harsh winds and weather coming from the Bering Sea, the landscape does not support large trees or other plant life. Animals migrate according to the seasons/weather and their own food supplies. The culture was born around the need to survive in a harsh environment. Most of the food comes directly from the sea: seals, whales, and fish. The few plants harvested from the area are greatly affected by the nearby sea. Tundra Tea (also known as Labrador Tea) plant has small leaves and grows close to the ground. My understanding is that in other parts of Alaska it grows much bigger. Some of those places are along the same lines of latitude. It is the same with the different berry plants. They are small here but larger elsewhere. Without the support of the sea, people could not survive here but it is also the weather coming in from the sea that makes it difficult.
“What cultural resources exist where you are? What do long-time residents have to say about climate/ocean dynamics?”
When I first arrived in the area I heard people tell of what many of the Elders were saying. “If the younger generation does not learn to live with the land they will starve.” Once when visiting Bethel I met a very elderly Elder. He said the same thing. A time would come when people would starve if they did not learn. Are they not correct? Whether or not you lean toward the Native ways of knowing or the scientific, if we cannot learn to live on our planet with sustainable practices will any culture survive? The Elders are a culture resource that is fast disappearing.
I have heard, too, that people are having a harder time “reading” the ice. This makes hunting and traveling a very dangerous thing. If the ice is misread then it could be death. Earlier this school year my students read a news article about a boy who had been out hunting on the ice in Hudson Bay with his older relative. The ice started to break. The boy was separated from his relative on an ice flow with three polar bears. Luckily the boy survived. This is rather a dramatic tale of what can happen unexpectedly when the conditions change.
“How useful are simple labs and/or YouTube for your professional purposes?”
In teaching an ESL fourth grade class, simple labs and videos, such as found on TD, are invaluable in teaching concepts to my students. Not only are the visual aspects great for teaching concepts, but also with 100% of my students being ESL telling them about something doesn’t always mean that they are learning or understanding the words. My students are part of an emersion program. The fourth grade year is only the second year of English at our school. My students have enquiring minds and their English vocabulary is still growing. Being able to show a concept is more important than just lecturing about it. Words are puzzles they are still figuring out but examples can be universal to any language.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Essential Question: How are the Earth, atmosphere and cultures all connected?
Simplistically, without the first two, earth and the atmosphere, we can’t have the third, cultures.
Watching the clip on the Bush Pilots reminded me of talking to an elder who was visiting the school my first year. It was bitter cold and had been for days. We were standing near a window. He pointed up and told me “Look at the ring around the sun. When you see that, do not go out. It means terribly cold weather.” He went on to tell me of a time when he was young and the same thing had happened. He told of the concern he had for his sled teams because it was so cold it would hurt the dogs’ feet and they would bleed. Like the man said it is just “ice crystals” high in the ionosphere but what a valuable warning.
Changes in the weather patterns can be the downfall of a civilization. For example Cahokia Mounds, in Illinois, was a thriving metropolis with more citizens than same- era-London. The most popular theory of their downfall was a slight climate change that made it harder for enough crops to grow to support all of those people. For hundreds of years the climate had supported a growing river culture that traded widely throughout the continent. A few degrees difference in the temperature and the culture could no longer sustain itself, dispersing into history, leaving behind little but their mounds. Even their name is gone (Cahokia is actually a name of a later people that lived there). Atmospheric changes caused temperature changes that changed how plants were able to grow which in turn destroyed the culture.
Looking at the weather patterns and the Jet Stream clips, it reminds me of a swirling jigsaw puzzle. Each piece fitting in next to another. When the pieces move in various patterns then different results happen. Growing up in the Midwest, I have personal knowledge of the effect of Jet Streams on the way people live. I remember vividly the flood in ’93 (and other floods, too). The change in the Jet Stream brought devastating moisture to the area. Many people lost homes, crops, and possessions. I remember co-workers who had to drive several hours to work when it normally took 20 minutes. Kids down the road from my family had to walk along levees and then take a boat across the flooded river bottom to get to their high school. The flooding of ’93 and ’95 may not have changed the American culture as a whole but it made small changes in the way people lived around the rivers. Many people moved after the flood. I know of those who changed professions. River management changed as well. Levees were moved and even a whole town moved several miles.
This has been another year when the Jet Stream, good ol’ El Nino, has been bringing in extra moisture to the lower 48. Even though it is in the lower 48 it still affects us here. Think of the swirling jigsaw puzzle, each piece pulling and tugging at another. We have had very little snow this year with warmer weather than normal. Talking to people here, the same thing has happened before.
With our frequently changing weather this year we have had what some of the local people call "Tundra Mirage". At night we see the lights of the surrounding villages, where normally we can not. During the day we are able to see what I am told is Nelson Island. This happens in the winter when it is going to get a lot colder and in the spring when it is going to get a lot warmer. It is a beautiful sight.
New Orleans is not the only place they say “its not the heat, it’s the humidity”. It is a common saying from my childhood too. I mention this because I find its true of the cold too. When I visit my family at Christmas, I find that I get colder much easier. It is usually at least 30 degrees warmer so why am I so cold? I believe it is because we have such dry cold here. It does not seep into the skin and bones as easily (at least not if the wind is blowing in a wind chill of -30plus). I know that the process of freezing water is suppose to give off heat, but it is not enough to keep me from freezing myself!
“* What are the practical values of Teachers' Domain and National Geographic digital resources for your professional purposes?”
Teaching in a tundra village, where my students have limited experience and interaction outside of their immediate areas, these resources are great to visually show them parts of the world they may not other wise see. The students love watching clips from NG.
“Helpful Hint: These four questions came right from the Teachers' Domain interactive resources linked to, Vertical Structure of the Atmosphere. Can you find them?”
These questions are the four questions that came with the clip. Just click on the tab marked discussion questions
Watching the clip on the Bush Pilots reminded me of talking to an elder who was visiting the school my first year. It was bitter cold and had been for days. We were standing near a window. He pointed up and told me “Look at the ring around the sun. When you see that, do not go out. It means terribly cold weather.” He went on to tell me of a time when he was young and the same thing had happened. He told of the concern he had for his sled teams because it was so cold it would hurt the dogs’ feet and they would bleed. Like the man said it is just “ice crystals” high in the ionosphere but what a valuable warning.
Changes in the weather patterns can be the downfall of a civilization. For example Cahokia Mounds, in Illinois, was a thriving metropolis with more citizens than same- era-London. The most popular theory of their downfall was a slight climate change that made it harder for enough crops to grow to support all of those people. For hundreds of years the climate had supported a growing river culture that traded widely throughout the continent. A few degrees difference in the temperature and the culture could no longer sustain itself, dispersing into history, leaving behind little but their mounds. Even their name is gone (Cahokia is actually a name of a later people that lived there). Atmospheric changes caused temperature changes that changed how plants were able to grow which in turn destroyed the culture.
Looking at the weather patterns and the Jet Stream clips, it reminds me of a swirling jigsaw puzzle. Each piece fitting in next to another. When the pieces move in various patterns then different results happen. Growing up in the Midwest, I have personal knowledge of the effect of Jet Streams on the way people live. I remember vividly the flood in ’93 (and other floods, too). The change in the Jet Stream brought devastating moisture to the area. Many people lost homes, crops, and possessions. I remember co-workers who had to drive several hours to work when it normally took 20 minutes. Kids down the road from my family had to walk along levees and then take a boat across the flooded river bottom to get to their high school. The flooding of ’93 and ’95 may not have changed the American culture as a whole but it made small changes in the way people lived around the rivers. Many people moved after the flood. I know of those who changed professions. River management changed as well. Levees were moved and even a whole town moved several miles.
This has been another year when the Jet Stream, good ol’ El Nino, has been bringing in extra moisture to the lower 48. Even though it is in the lower 48 it still affects us here. Think of the swirling jigsaw puzzle, each piece pulling and tugging at another. We have had very little snow this year with warmer weather than normal. Talking to people here, the same thing has happened before.
With our frequently changing weather this year we have had what some of the local people call "Tundra Mirage". At night we see the lights of the surrounding villages, where normally we can not. During the day we are able to see what I am told is Nelson Island. This happens in the winter when it is going to get a lot colder and in the spring when it is going to get a lot warmer. It is a beautiful sight.
New Orleans is not the only place they say “its not the heat, it’s the humidity”. It is a common saying from my childhood too. I mention this because I find its true of the cold too. When I visit my family at Christmas, I find that I get colder much easier. It is usually at least 30 degrees warmer so why am I so cold? I believe it is because we have such dry cold here. It does not seep into the skin and bones as easily (at least not if the wind is blowing in a wind chill of -30plus). I know that the process of freezing water is suppose to give off heat, but it is not enough to keep me from freezing myself!
“* What are the practical values of Teachers' Domain and National Geographic digital resources for your professional purposes?”
Teaching in a tundra village, where my students have limited experience and interaction outside of their immediate areas, these resources are great to visually show them parts of the world they may not other wise see. The students love watching clips from NG.
“Helpful Hint: These four questions came right from the Teachers' Domain interactive resources linked to, Vertical Structure of the Atmosphere. Can you find them?”
These questions are the four questions that came with the clip. Just click on the tab marked discussion questions
Monday, February 22, 2010
Essential Question: How do stories of cataclysmic events help inform students about geosciences and cultures?
Essential Question: How do stories of cataclysmic events help inform students about geosciences and cultures?
Stories about cataclysmic events helps to inform student by showing them what happens during such events.
Stories can make an event that seems otherworldly more personal. Something that happened hundreds of thousands of years ago does not seem very relevant to a student. If you can make it relevant to the student by using stories to make a personal connection, students are more likely to internalize the information. The 1964 Earthquake was more real to me after I heard a staff member talk of her personal experience. I had a personal connection to it. I listened more intently when I heard it mentioned during my summer class or the videos shown on TD. I took more interest in the why and the what. Recently with the heart breaking stories coming out of Haiti, the media coverage brought something that happened thousands of miles away and made it personal to their viewers. If an event is thought to be relevant by a student, the student is more likely to pay attention, study and research the event.
Stories about cataclysmic events helps to inform student by showing them what happens during such events. By knowing what happened to the dock in Valdez, we know what was taking place underneath. We know that pressure was built up in the earth and had to be released. We learn of the process that turned the loose sediment to liquid. We learned that the ground dropped and tsunamis came as a result. We can learn this by studying the stories of what happened to the docks.
Stories are also important in the traditional to inform us of what is going on. Before the class started I watch a program on the devastating tsunami of 2004. A small section of the program was about a scientist who was studying a primitive tribe on an isolated island. The tribe had no warning system, and no way of being warned, even if there had been time. The scientist fully expected to be met with total devastation when he went to check on them but was surprised to find that no one was killed. Everyone in the tribe had survived by going to higher ground before the big waves struck the beach. They knew to leave the beach when the water receded due to a traditional story. The forces of the earth and water were tugging and pulling on the tree that the world is balanced on. Their wisdom said that it was not safe to be by the boundaries of earth and water until the fighting was over.
Stories about cataclysmic events helps to inform student by showing them what happens during such events.
Stories can make an event that seems otherworldly more personal. Something that happened hundreds of thousands of years ago does not seem very relevant to a student. If you can make it relevant to the student by using stories to make a personal connection, students are more likely to internalize the information. The 1964 Earthquake was more real to me after I heard a staff member talk of her personal experience. I had a personal connection to it. I listened more intently when I heard it mentioned during my summer class or the videos shown on TD. I took more interest in the why and the what. Recently with the heart breaking stories coming out of Haiti, the media coverage brought something that happened thousands of miles away and made it personal to their viewers. If an event is thought to be relevant by a student, the student is more likely to pay attention, study and research the event.
Stories about cataclysmic events helps to inform student by showing them what happens during such events. By knowing what happened to the dock in Valdez, we know what was taking place underneath. We know that pressure was built up in the earth and had to be released. We learn of the process that turned the loose sediment to liquid. We learned that the ground dropped and tsunamis came as a result. We can learn this by studying the stories of what happened to the docks.
Stories are also important in the traditional to inform us of what is going on. Before the class started I watch a program on the devastating tsunami of 2004. A small section of the program was about a scientist who was studying a primitive tribe on an isolated island. The tribe had no warning system, and no way of being warned, even if there had been time. The scientist fully expected to be met with total devastation when he went to check on them but was surprised to find that no one was killed. Everyone in the tribe had survived by going to higher ground before the big waves struck the beach. They knew to leave the beach when the water receded due to a traditional story. The forces of the earth and water were tugging and pulling on the tree that the world is balanced on. Their wisdom said that it was not safe to be by the boundaries of earth and water until the fighting was over.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Essential Question: How are landscapes formed and how, in turn, are cultures shaped by their landscapes?
Landscapes are formed, first, by the movement of the tectonic plates. The plates here move together and push one plate above another. This raises part of the landscape while at the same time pushing the other out of existence, no longer the surface of the earth. The friction of the plates causes earthquakes and volcanoes, each in their own way shaping the landscape. Water (in all of its forms: running water, waves, glaciers, ice) and wind also play a part on the shape the skin of our planet takes. The “Big Earthquake” in the 1960’s changed the shape of Alaska’s coastline in a matter of minutes. Here on the lower tundra trees are more bushes than real trees (despite what the kids call them!) because of the harsh winds and temperatures.
Landscape can determine a lot about a culture. Waterways make travel, trade and war easier. Mountains are obstacles that are not always passable. Landscape effects weather that in turn effects food supplies.
On one of the clips on TD that was assigned to us to watch a woman from the upper Yukon was talking about the concern about enough salmon getting to her area. They depend on this fish but because they are further in-land if the fish are all harvested on the lower river than her people would not have the fish they need for the year.
During my Alaska History class last summer I learned the tribes that lived near volcanoes in the lower southwest of Alaska mummified some of their dead. Mummies and Alaska are not usually thought of together in the same sentence. If not for the geological feature of the volcanoes, then the mummies would not have been possible.
This afternoon while at a neighbor’s house the subject of caribou hunting came up. It was asked if it was common to bleed and quarter the caribou before its brought back. Someone else said that it would be easy to bleed, just cut the throat, but then it was pointed out that the heart is no longer pumping and the blood won’t drain. This caught my attention. My family butchered our own meat when I was growing up and Dad always cut the throat to bleed and skin the animal. I realized that he had strong trees and other things to hoist the carcass up. Here there is not a tree strong enough to hold a small child much less a full-sized caribou or seal.
Landscapes are formed, first, by the movement of the tectonic plates. The plates here move together and push one plate above another. This raises part of the landscape while at the same time pushing the other out of existence, no longer the surface of the earth. The friction of the plates causes earthquakes and volcanoes, each in their own way shaping the landscape. Water (in all of its forms: running water, waves, glaciers, ice) and wind also play a part on the shape the skin of our planet takes. The “Big Earthquake” in the 1960’s changed the shape of Alaska’s coastline in a matter of minutes. Here on the lower tundra trees are more bushes than real trees (despite what the kids call them!) because of the harsh winds and temperatures.
Landscape can determine a lot about a culture. Waterways make travel, trade and war easier. Mountains are obstacles that are not always passable. Landscape effects weather that in turn effects food supplies.
On one of the clips on TD that was assigned to us to watch a woman from the upper Yukon was talking about the concern about enough salmon getting to her area. They depend on this fish but because they are further in-land if the fish are all harvested on the lower river than her people would not have the fish they need for the year.
During my Alaska History class last summer I learned the tribes that lived near volcanoes in the lower southwest of Alaska mummified some of their dead. Mummies and Alaska are not usually thought of together in the same sentence. If not for the geological feature of the volcanoes, then the mummies would not have been possible.
This afternoon while at a neighbor’s house the subject of caribou hunting came up. It was asked if it was common to bleed and quarter the caribou before its brought back. Someone else said that it would be easy to bleed, just cut the throat, but then it was pointed out that the heart is no longer pumping and the blood won’t drain. This caught my attention. My family butchered our own meat when I was growing up and Dad always cut the throat to bleed and skin the animal. I realized that he had strong trees and other things to hoist the carcass up. Here there is not a tree strong enough to hold a small child much less a full-sized caribou or seal.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Essential Question: How is everything connected from the perspectives of indigenous peoples and Western scientists? What are the advantages to knowing both ways?
Both perspectives have many things in common. The main similarity that I see, is that both perspectives study the world around them to better understand. One is to broaden understanding in general, the other, originally, to survive. The Western viewpoint is much more methodical and clinical. The indigenous viewpoint is more flexible and fluid. Both take what is observed and use it to better understand the world.
Both approach this from different directions. In the Traditional, everything is important. Earth, sky and everything in between is important. Knowing the overall picture is paramount to survival. Not having a working knowledge of weather patterns, animal behavior, plant development, and natural forces would have been a death sentence. The Big Picture is more important than any one part. Each part, a key piece of the survival puzzle.
The Western approach has had the luxury of taking a small part and studying it exclusively. Each aspect of study is divided into its own field. Some scientists choose to study a small part of a specialized science, with little thought of how it fits with other areas of study. A botanist cares little about what an astrologer finds in the stars and visa versa.
The advantage of knowing both schools of thought is a greater chance of learning more than by studying one alone. Limiting ourselves to one perspective is just that, limiting. Each perspective has a wealth of knowledge to benefit from.
A quick, slightly related, side note thought:
The Western viewpoint of the modern person, I believe, is more likely to be compartmentalized. Work is work, home is home, fun is fun, and nature is nature, all different, separate things. We rarely see any of these things as connected. In the traditional perspective, things are more interconnected. If work goes badly, one does not eat, or goes cold. Most modern “western” people do not see the different parts of their lives as a connected whole, where as a more traditional view does see these things as connected.
This wasn’t always so. It is something that has been lost to most the last few hundred years or so as we move more and more away from an agricultural country to an industrial. Growing up a farm I know how dependant people are on the natural world whether they know it or not. We have been lucky, for the most part that we live in a country that has been able to provide for our needs. Yes, there has been years of drought and flood but never has it been to the total devastation of our country (the Dust Bowl being the closest we have come and, thankfully, our grandparents eventually overcame). The slack is picked up by other parts of an area or region. Do we realize how dependent we are on the natural world?
Both perspectives have many things in common. The main similarity that I see, is that both perspectives study the world around them to better understand. One is to broaden understanding in general, the other, originally, to survive. The Western viewpoint is much more methodical and clinical. The indigenous viewpoint is more flexible and fluid. Both take what is observed and use it to better understand the world.
Both approach this from different directions. In the Traditional, everything is important. Earth, sky and everything in between is important. Knowing the overall picture is paramount to survival. Not having a working knowledge of weather patterns, animal behavior, plant development, and natural forces would have been a death sentence. The Big Picture is more important than any one part. Each part, a key piece of the survival puzzle.
The Western approach has had the luxury of taking a small part and studying it exclusively. Each aspect of study is divided into its own field. Some scientists choose to study a small part of a specialized science, with little thought of how it fits with other areas of study. A botanist cares little about what an astrologer finds in the stars and visa versa.
The advantage of knowing both schools of thought is a greater chance of learning more than by studying one alone. Limiting ourselves to one perspective is just that, limiting. Each perspective has a wealth of knowledge to benefit from.
A quick, slightly related, side note thought:
The Western viewpoint of the modern person, I believe, is more likely to be compartmentalized. Work is work, home is home, fun is fun, and nature is nature, all different, separate things. We rarely see any of these things as connected. In the traditional perspective, things are more interconnected. If work goes badly, one does not eat, or goes cold. Most modern “western” people do not see the different parts of their lives as a connected whole, where as a more traditional view does see these things as connected.
This wasn’t always so. It is something that has been lost to most the last few hundred years or so as we move more and more away from an agricultural country to an industrial. Growing up a farm I know how dependant people are on the natural world whether they know it or not. We have been lucky, for the most part that we live in a country that has been able to provide for our needs. Yes, there has been years of drought and flood but never has it been to the total devastation of our country (the Dust Bowl being the closest we have come and, thankfully, our grandparents eventually overcame). The slack is picked up by other parts of an area or region. Do we realize how dependent we are on the natural world?
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