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.
Monday, March 29, 2010
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
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