The northern lights over Kulusuk, a small island on the east

coast of Greenland. Photo courtesy of Nick Russill, Flickr.

Polar Patterns: Day, Night, and Seasons

Highlights From Issue 3

(May 2008)

2

Table of Contents

Polar Patterns: Day, Night, and SeasonsIssue 3 (May 2008)

3

6

8

18

22

15

12

Science Content Knowledge Understanding Seasonal Change, Polar Extremes in Seasons, and the

Aurora: Content Knowledge for Teachers By Mary LeFever

Literacy Content Knowledge Cause and Effect Relationships in Play, Picture Books and Text By Jessica Fries-Gaither

Feature Story The Aurora: Fire in the Sky By Stephen Whitt

Misconceptions Common Misconceptions about Day and Night, Seasons By Jessica Fries-Gaither

Across the Curriculum: Lessons and Activities The Aurora: Inspiration for Art and Poetry Integration By Jessica Fries-Gaither

Science & Literacy: Lessons and Activities Investigating the Cause and Effect Relationships of Seasonal Change By Jessica Fries-Gaither

Off the Bookshelf Polar Patterns: Virtual Bookshelf By Angela Grandstaff and Jessica Fries-Gaither

3

Understanding Seasonal Change, Polar Extremes in

Seasons,and the Aurora:

Content Knowledge for Teachers

By Mary LeFever

For as long as humans have inhabited the earth, knowledge of the regularity of the seasons and day and night has been used to enhance the quality of life. Changing of the seasons was marked with elaborate celebrations around four important dates: the vernal equinox, summer solstice, autumnal equinox and winter solstice. Key weather events such as thunderstorms, tornadoes, drought, hurricanes or blizzards were explained through myths involving supernatural powers. No longer are such explanations sufficient.

Science relies upon empirical evidence rather than faith in mythical stories for explanations of seasons, weather-related phenomena, and phases of the moon. For example, we know the tilted earth's axis and the resultant angle of incidence of the sun's rays at the poles as compared to the equator, in combination with the earth's

revolution about the sun, are responsible for the seasons. Auroras are visible as functions of the atmospheric content in combination with electromagnetic radiation. The resources listed below will allow you to develop your content knowledge regarding seasons, seasonal change in the Arctic and Antarctica, and the aurora (northern and southern lights).

SEASONS

A Reason for the Seasonshttp://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/activities/07/season.htmlAlthough this is actually a lesson, the background information is helpful in enhancing teacher content knowledge.

Misconceptions About Why Seasons Occurhttp://www.sciencenetlinks.com/pdfs/seasons_teachsheet.pdfThis pdf is the teacher background piece to a lesson plan. It contains links to two clips from A Private Universe, an educational research video that revealed college graduates' misconceptions regarding the seasons.

Seasonshttp://www.astro.uiuc.edu/projects/data/Seasons/index.htmlA Flash animation shows the earth orbiting the sun and gives dates for the seasons. In addition, it shows the declination of the sun throughout the year, as well as how a constant beam of sunlight gets spread out and concentrated as the sun changes altitude. The resource is from Demonstrations and Animations for Teaching Astronomy (DATA), a web site developed at the University of Illinois.

Observe Seasonal Changes in the Amount of Sunlight Reaching Locations on Earthhttp://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es1704/es1704page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualizationThis animation demonstrates how the tilt of the earth's axis causes seasonal variations in daylight. The introduction

Science Content Knowledge

Seasons. Illustration courtesy of

Rhcastilhos, Wikimedia Commons.

4

explains how the images, captured from a geostationary satellite positioned over Australia, were recorded daily from January to December. Learners are instructed to look for the continent of Australia and to play the animation until they can identify the images that represent solstices and equinoxes. Movie controls allow learners to repeat, pause, or step through the animation.

Seasons of the Yearhttp://www.phy6.org/stargaze/Sseason.htmThis site contains several concise, illustrated informational pages. Use the left navigation bar to go to other topics such as the angle of sunlight or latitude and longitude.

What Causes Earth's Seasons?http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3077384/A graphic illustrates the way solar waves get diffused when they hit closer to the poles,

complementing the resource listed above.

TEMPERATURE, WEATHER, AND LATITUDE

Why Is It Warmer at the Equator than at the Poles?http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/78904Although this is a commercial site, the answer is brief and on target.

Antarctic Weatherhttp://www.antarcticconnection.com/antarctic/weather/index.shtmlThis page contains weather data along with other useful information. A concise explanation for the extreme cold of Antarctica is presented. Live weather data from any of 14 stations is available in the right margin. Also available is a wind chill calculator and a temperature conversion tool.

Arctic Climatology and Meteorology Primer for Newcomers to the Northhttp://nsidc.org/arcticmet/index.htmlThis is a nicely organized tutorial with sections titled: Basics of Arctic Weather, Factors Affecting Arctic Weather and Climate, Artic Weather Patterns. Each section is further subdivided and easily navigated via the left navigation bar.

THE AURORA

Aurorahttp://www.arctic-images.com/Northern_Lights/Northern_Lights.htmlThis brief page shows two photos by a professional photographer who talks briefly of the aurora at both poles.

Aurora Borealishttp://pamelajoy.com/aurora.phpThis is a commercial site with an interesting mix of images and some frequently asked questions.

Science Content Knowledge

Northern Lights.

Photo courtesy of Image Editor, Flickr.

5

NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS: SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARDSA study of seasons and astronomy aligns with the Earth and Space Science content standard of the National Science Education Standards:

K-4 Earth and Space Science

Objects in the Sky• The sun, moon, stars,

clouds, birds, and airplanes all have properties, locations, and movements that can be observed and described.

• The sun provides the light and heat necessary to maintain the temperature of the earth.

Changes in the Earth and Sky• Weather changes from day

to day and over the seasons. Weather can be

described by measurable quantities, such as temperature, wind direction and speed, and precipitation.

• Objects in the sky have patterns of movement. The sun, for example, appears to move across the sky in the same way every day, but its path changes slowly over the seasons. The moon moves across the sky on a daily basis much like the sun. The observable shape of the moon changes from day to day in a cycle that lasts about a month.

5-8 Earth and Space Science

Structure of the Earth System• Clouds, formed by the

condensation of water vapor, affect weather and climate.

• Global patterns of atmospheric movement

influence local weather. Oceans have a major effect on climate, because water in the oceans hold a large amount of heat.

Earth in the Solar System• The sun is the major source

of energy for phenomena on the earth's surface, such as growth of plants, winds, ocean currents, and the water cycle. Seasons result from variations in the amount of the sun's energy hitting the surface, due to the tilt of the earth's rotation on its axis and the length of the day.

Read the entire National Science Education Standards online for free or register to download the free PDF. The content standards are found in Chapter 6, http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=4962&page=103.

Science Content Knowledge

SUNSET. Photo courtesy of Robyn Waserman,

U.S. Antarctic Program, National Science Foundation.

ROYALSOCIETYNIGHT. Photo courtesy of Angela Garner,

U.S. Antarctic Program, National Science Foundation.

6

Cause and Effect

Relationships in Play, Picture Books, and Text

By Jessica Fries-Gaither

Cause and effect is the relationship between two things when one makes the other happen. In our attempt to make sense of the world, natural phenomena, and human behavior, we often turn to cause and effect. Authors, too, rely on this text structure to explain, show order, change character behavior, and create plot. Within the curriculum areas, cause/effect text structure often appears in science and social studies textbooks.

As a teacher, I found that cause and effect was one of the most difficult text structures for my students to master. Yet they could easily identify examples of cause and effect in everyday life. I attempted to bridge this gap between real-life and reading comprehension through explicit instruction in the cause/effect text structure, modeling, graphic organizers, and many examples in both fiction and nonfiction text.

Two teaching strategies are often effective in teaching students to recognize and understand the cause/effect text structure: teaching signal words (because, so, and since) and teaching the three types of cause/effect relationships (stated, unstated, and sequential). Stated cause/effect relationships are clearly stated in the text and often involve signal words. Unstated relationships require that students make an inference (see Issue Two's article, Teacher Resources for Making Inferences, Using Context Clues, http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org/issue/column.php?date=April2008&departmentid=professional&columnid=professional!literacy, for more information). In sequential cause/effect relationships, effects may be part of a chain in which one effect goes on to cause a second effect, and so on.

Although identifying cause/effect text structure is only introduced to students in the upper elementary grades and continued into middle school, it is important that primary students develop an understanding of real-world cause and effect relationships. Cause/effect can often be observed in the imaginative play of kindergarten students, and

picture books and purposeful questioning techniques can further develop this understanding. Students who leave the primary grades with a solid grasp of cause and effect in everyday life will find more success when confronted with the cause/effect text structures used in expository writing and textbooks.

Use the following resources to develop your own understanding of cause and effect relationships and how to effectively include these in your literacy instruction. For lesson plans and activities that focus on cause and effect, please see "Investigating the Cause and Effect Relationships of Seasonal Change" on page 18.

“Cause/effect can often be observed in the imaginative play of kindergarten students, and picture books and purposeful questioning techniques can further develop this understanding. ”

Literacy Content Knowledge

7

Cause and Effect Relationships (Teacher Content Knowledge)http://www.literacymatters.org/content/text/cause.htmThis page provides an overview of cause/effect relationships and text structure. It also includes links to additional sites that provide a general overview, lesson plans, and teacher tools.

Skills Tutor: Identifying Cause and Effecthttp://www.phschool.com/curriculum_support/ss_skills_tutor/content/pop.htmlAn interactive skills tutor from the Pearson Prentice Hall web site. Look under "Critical Thinking and Reading" to find the section on identifying cause and effect. While this is labeled a social studies skills tutor, many

of the skills practiced are directly applicable to science text as well.

Teaching Cause and Effect with Picture Bookshttp://writingforchildrencenter.com/2008/05/19/teaching-cause-and-effect-with-picture-books/This blog post, from the National Writing for Children Center, discusses the use of picture books to teach cause and effect relationships. It describes five picture books that are particularly suitable for teaching cause/effect.

Reading Strategies for the Journey North Teacher: Recognize Cause and Effect Relationshipshttp://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/ReadStrat15.htmlJourney North is a collaborative project in which students across the country share real data

about wildlife migration and seasonal change. The web site contains an entire section dedicated to reading strategies and integrating literacy into science instruction. This particular page lists three questions that can help students recognize cause/effect relationships within expository text.

Learning Toolbox: IFF-2http://coe.jmu.edu/learningtoolbox/iff.htmlAlthough the Learning Toolbox web site, produced by the College of Education at James Madison University, was designed to support students with learning difficulties, the strategies and techniques could be used with all students. This page outlines a strategy for identifying cause/effect: IFF-2. IFF-2 is an acronym for a process students can use to identify cause and effect relationships (identify an event; find one cause; find another cause and identify a cause; find one effect; find other effects).

Cause and Effecthttp://fcit.usf.edu/FCAT/references/strategies/ce.htmThis page provides two graphic organizers that may be useful for visual learners: a cause/effect tree and two column notes.

Literacy Content Knowledge

Kindergarten class play. Photo courtesy

of woodleywonderworks, Flickr.

8

The Aurora:Fire in the Sky

By Stephen Whitt

The northern lights (or the southern lights, if you're from the Southern Hemisphere) are eerie, multicolored streaks and shapes that appear in the night sky, as if from nowhere. To find out where they come from, we'll have to take a little trip. Are you ready?

Imagine you are on the Sun. The Sun's temperature is much too hot for anything alive. But you aren't alive. You are a tiny particle so small that you can't be seen in even the most powerful microscope.

Now imagine that you are hurled away from the Sun. Believe it or not, this actually happens all the time. The Sun sends out streams of tiny particles every second. We call this stream the solar wind.

Heat causes the solar wind. The Sun is so hot that particles fly off its surface, a little like steam rising from a hot bowl of soup.

Imagine you're a part of this solar wind. You're flying away from the Sun faster than the fastest spaceship. Directly ahead of you is Earth, a pretty blue-white ball. You're moving fast, but Earth is still far away. It takes

you a little over four days to make the trip to Earth.

What happens when you reach Earth? To find out, let's leave the solar wind for a moment and travel back in time, to meet a scientist and explorer named Kristian Birkeland.

Kristian Birkeland wanted to understand the aurora (another name for the northern and southern lights). The mysterious light was often seen near the North and South Poles. It wasn't usually seen closer to the equator. People described the light as a "fire in the sky." But what could it be?

Birkeland had an idea. He knew that Earth was a giant magnet. Like all magnets, Earth has a north magnetic pole and a south magnetic pole. Birkeland led an expedition to Norway to measure Earth's magnetic field.

This nonfiction article is written for use with upper-elementary students (grades 4-5). The concepts and text structure of this article are challenging, and we recommend using the Related Activities to support student comprehension. Two modified versions are available for students in grades K-1 and grades 2-3, or any student needing a simplified version. As always, consider the reading level and needs of your students when selecting a version for classroom use.

At each grade level, the article is available in three forms. Printable pdf files allow you to print this story in either text or a foldable book format. A new partnership with Content Clips has allowed us to create electronic versions of the articles. Your students can read along as they listen to the text - a wonderful way to support struggling readers! Related activities provide tips for integrating this story with your science and literacy instruction.

Interested in other nonfiction articles for your students?

Browse all twenty sets from the Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears collection on our Stories

for Students page, http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org/

information.php?topic=stories!

Stories for Students(and Teachers)!

Feature Story

Kristian Birkeland. Photo courtesy

of Wikimedia Commons.

9

He found that near the North Pole, the magnetic field lines don't run along the Earth's surface, the way they do near the equator. Instead, the field lines go almost straight up and down. What could that mean?

Think of the Earth as a magnet. Near the middle of the magnet (where the Earth's equator would be) the lines of force run right alongside the magnet. But near the North and South Poles, the lines run almost straight into the ends of the magnet.

Kristian Birkeland now knew more about the Earth's magnetic field. But he still didn't know what caused the aurora. How were the two things related?

To understand how these things are related, you need to know a little about electricity.

Have you ever rubbed your feet across the carpet and then touched something made of

metal? If you have, you’ve felt a shock! You build up an electric charge when you rub your feet on the carpet. The charge moves from your finger to the metal when you touch it. This movement is what causes the shock.

The particles from the Sun also carry an electric charge. But how does this charge create the aurora?

Here's the key idea. Electricity and magnets affect each other. Watch a compass during a thunderstorm. You'll see the magnet inside the compass (what we call the needle) move every time lightning flashes across the sky.

Now we know that electricity affects magnets. But do magnets affect electricity? Yes! Kristian Birkeland showed how by building a magnetic model of the Earth. He found that the charged particles traveled along

the magnetic field lines. They moved away from the equator and followed the lines to the North and South Poles.

Now let's go back to those real charged particles flying off the Sun. Just like in the model, the charged particles are pushed by the Earth's magnetic field toward the poles. Once they get there, they follow the magnetic field lines down toward the ground.

Before the charged particles can get to the ground, though, they smash into air molecules. The collisions make the molecules glow with beautiful, bright colors – green, pink, and red. This is the aurora, light created by tiny particles from the Sun smashing into the Earth's atmosphere at the end of a four-day journey through space. That’s quite a trip!

Aurora Borealis in Alaska. Photo courtesy

of Duffman, Wikimedia Commons.

The northern lights over Kulusuk. Photo

courtesy of Nick Russill, Flickr.

Aurora IV. Photo courtesy of Deivis, Flickr.

Feature Story

10

GLOSSARY

aurora - another name for the northern or southern lights

compass - a tool that measures Earth's magnetic field and is used to find directions

electric charge - a measure of the extra positive or negative particles that an object has

expedition - a trip made by a group of people for a particular purpose

magnetic field - the space all around a magnet where the force of the magnet can act

molecules - A grouping of two or more atoms joined together

particles - tiny pieces of matter that make up solids, liquids, and gases

solar wind - electrically charged particles that come from the Sun

RELATED ACTIVITIES

These lessons and activities can help you integrate this article into your science and literacy instruction. For additional ideas, please see "The Aurora: Inspiration for Art and Poetry Integration" in the Across the Curriculum department of Issue Three.

Lesson plans and activities that focus on magnetism, earth's magnetic field, and electricity will help students understand the scientific concepts underlying the article. Students can practice identifying cause and effect relationships with a graphic organizer. We've also included a short video that will help students understand the solar wind, how it causes the aurora, and its other negative effects such as power outages.

MAGNETISMWe've featured five lessons and activities to help students develop an understanding of magnetic fields, earth's magnetic field, and how a compass works.

• Discovering Magnetic Fieldshttp://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=2702In this lesson, students investigate and draw the magnetic fields of a variety of magnets. For those who wish to focus only on earth's magnetic field, just use the bar magnet.

• Making a Magnet/Compasshttp://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=2703Students will construct a compass and explain how it works.

• Finding Magnetic Fields of Earthhttp://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=2704Students will investigate the effects of magnets on the needle of a compass and compare this to the effects of earth's magnetic field on the needle of a compass.

Northern Lights. Photo courtesy

of Senior Airman Joshua Strang, Flickr.

Feature Story

11

• The Earth and the Compasshttp://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=2225Students make a water compass by using a needle and a bar magnet.

• Magnetic Lines of Forcehttp://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/magnetic_lines/index.htmlIn this Science Snack from the Exploratorium, students build a model of earth's magnetic field in a jar with a bar magnet and iron filings. The 3-D nature of the magnetic field can help students visualize earth's magnetosphere.

ELECTRICITYWe've featured three lessons and activities to help students develop an understanding of electric charges, which are referred to as "charged particles" throughout the article.

• Static Clinghttp://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=2705Students will learn about static electricity by completing a variety of hands-on activities.

• Will It Hold a Charge?http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=2706Students will conduct experiments to investigate

what types of objects can be statically charged.

• Zapped!http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=11344Six classroom learning stations will give students many opportunities to experiment with static electricity. The lesson plan includes a short play, titled "Romeo Proton and Juliet Electron," which will help students understand electric charge, static electricity, and current electricity.

THE AURORA

• Earth's Magnetic Field to Aurorahttp://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010000/a010058/index.htmlThis 1.2 minute animation (available in two mpeg files of different sizes) allows students

to join a ride with electrons along the Earth's magnetic field line to the formation site of the aurora. This animation perfectly complements the text of the feature story for grades 4-5.

• Solar Wind's Effect on Earthhttp://www.teachersdomain.org/resources/ess05/sci/ess/eiu/solarwind/index.htmlThis video, from the Teachers' Domain Polar Sciences Collection, will help students visualize the solar wind, the earth's magnetosphere, the aurora, and negative side effects of coronal mass ejections. Teachers' Domain requires that users create a free account to view their collections.

Feature Story

Solar Wind. Illustration courtesy

of Image Editor, Flickr.

12

Common MisconceptionsAbout Day and Night, Seasons

By Jessica Fries-Gaither

The polar regions' extremes in lengths of the seasons and day and night are an intriguing introduction to misunderstood scientific concepts. Research has long documented that people of all ages - elementary school children, college students, and adults - cannot explain the cause of day and night or seasons. While the prevalence of these misconceptions, as well as the complexity of the subject, makes it unlikely that students will leave elementary school with a complete and correct understanding, it is important to assess, target, and challenge these misconceptions even in the early years.

We've listed some common misconceptions about the seasons and day and night as cited by educational research. Rather than an exhaustive collection, this list is meant to stimulate your thinking about the

ideas your students bring to the classroom. We've also included formative assessment probes, which are modeled (with permission from NSTA Press) after those found in Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, volumes 1, 2, and 3, as well as lessons and activities to shape students' understanding of these concepts.

MISCONCEPTIONS

Day and Night MisconceptionsBaxter (1989) identified six ideas about day and night and showed that students tend to move through these ideas as they get older:

• The Sun goes behind hills.

• Clouds cover the Sun.

• The Moon covers the Sun.

• The Sun goes behind the Earth once a day.

• The Earth goes around the Sun once a day.

• The Earth spins on its axis once a day.

While not all misconceptions, this progression of ideas provides insight into how students' thinking about day and night changes over time.

Misconceptions

SNOWWAVE. Photo courtesy of Sean

Bonnette, United States Antarctic Program,

National Science Foundation.

13

Other misconceptions about day and night include:• The sun moves across the sky.

• The earth rotates in a clockwise manner.

Seasons Misconceptions• The earth is closer to the sun

during summer and farther away during winter.

• Seasons happen at the same time everywhere on earth.

• Seasonal characteristics and change are the same everywhere on earth.

PROBING FOR STUDENT UNDERSTANDINGVolume 2 of Uncovering Student Ideas in Science: 25 More Formative Assessment Probes (NSTA Press) contains a probe titled "Darkness at Night." This probe is designed to elicit students' ideas about the day/night cycle and to find out if students recognize that the rotation of the earth causes the day/night cycle. We've followed the model used by Page Keeley and coauthors in Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, volumes 1, 2, and 3 (© 2005-2008 by NSTA Press) and created a similar probe to elicit students' ideas about seasons around the world.

What to Wear? Probe and Teacher Noteshttp://onramp.nsdl.org/eserv/onramp:463/What_to_wear_probe.pdfThis formative assessment probe assesses student ideas about how seasons vary in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and at the equator.

TEACHING THE SCIENCEWe've highlighted lesson plans and online resources to teach about day and night or seasons in the elementary classroom. For more lesson plans on seasons, please see "Investigating the Cause and Effect Relationships of Seasonal Change" on page 18.

Day and Night

• What Makes Day and Night? The Earth's Rotation (Grades 1-5)http://www.eyeonthesky.org/lessonplans/05sun_daynight.htmlThis lesson plan includes a printable KWL chart and incorporates children's literature and kinesthetic activity to model the earth's rotation and day/night cycle.

• Motion of the Sun and Earth: Using a Playground Model to Explain Rotation and Revolution (Grades 1-5)http://www.eyeonthesky.org/lessonplans/06sun_motionplayground.htmlThis lesson plan involves creating a playground model and kinesthetic activity to

Misconceptions

High Moon. Photo courtesy of

Pater McFly, Wikimedia Commons.

14

model the earth's rotation and revolution.

• As the World Turns (Grades 3-5)http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=2351Students use kinesthetic activity and research to model and learn about the earth's rotation and revolution.

• Earth is Round? (Grades 3-5)http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=16278Students discuss the shape of the earth and recreate Aristotle's discovery that the earth is round. Note: The second part of this lesson involves the phases of the moon. This is a complex concept in and of itself and should be developed separately.

Seasons

• Sunrise, Sunset: Learning About the Seasons (Grades K-5)http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/polar/2007/11/13/sunrise-sunset-learning-about-seasons/A post from our Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears blog discusses the use of children's literature to teach about seasonal variation.

• Motion of the Sun and Earth: Using a Playground Model to Explain Rotation and Revolution (Grades 1-5)http://www.eyeonthesky.org/lessonplans/06sun_motionplayground.htmlThis lesson plan involves creating a playground model and kinesthetic activity to model the earth's rotation and revolution.

• Explore Earth: A Model of Earth's Yearly Revolution Around the Sun (Grades 3-5)http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es0408/es0408page01.cfm?chapter_no=04In order to illustrate how much sunlight different parts of earth receive through the year, this model shows our planet much larger and closer to the sun than it actually is. Examine the model carefully to compare the amount of sunlight the Northern and Southern Hemispheres receive in March, June, September, and December.

NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDSTargeting student misconceptions about day and night and seasons primarily meets Content Standard D: Earth and Space Science (K-4 and 5-8).

Read the entire National Science Education Standards online for free or register to download the free PDF. The content standards are found in Chapter 6. http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=4962&page=103.

NASA Earth. Photo courtesy of NASA

ESA, Wikimedia Commons.

Misconceptions

15

The Aurora:Inspiration for Art and Poetry

Integration

By Jessica Fries-Gaither

The aurora is a phenomenon most frequently observed in the Arctic (the aurora borealis, or northern lights) and in Antarctica (the aurora australis, or southern polar lights). Interactions between the electrically charged solar wind and earth's magnetic field produce dazzling bands of color - pinks, reds, whites, greens, and blues--that move across the sky. Subject of countless myths and scientific studies, the aurora is a well-known and engaging polar phenomenon.

While the science behind the aurora is quite complex, the aurora does inspire the use of children's literature, mythology, poetry, and art in the elementary classroom. In this article, we've highlighted lesson plans for using a variety of art techniques (oil pastels, watercolor, impressionist painting, crepe paper blots, mosaics, resists, and collage) and poetry types (cinquain, acrostic, diamante, and haiku). This issue's feature story, "The Aurora: Fire in the Sky," discusses the aurora on

page 8. Additionally, the Virtual Bookshelf highlights several outstanding books to introduce the aurora to elementary students on page 22.

A YouTube video shows the beauty of the aurora australis, or the southern lights and can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icugqEEOgkg. Filmed at and around McMurdo Station in Antarctica, it uses a timelapse video function. Simply put, the camera takes images every few seconds and then "stitches" the images together into a movie. While neither images nor a video come close to experiencing the real thing, they are still engaging for students and teachers alike.

DEPICTING THE AURORA: ART TECHNIQUESBefore beginning any of the art projects listed below, introduce your students to the aurora through children's literature, expository articles, images, and

video. If you are fortunate enough to have an art educator at your school, you can collaborate on an integrated unit. If not, don't worry - the activities below provide step-by-step directions for each art technique. Most of the lessons and activities featured do not specifically reference the aurora, but are general instructions to be used with a wide variety of subjects.

The Amazing and Beautiful Aurorahttp://www.ioncmaste.ca/homepage/resources/web_resources/CSA_Astro/files/content/html/unit3/lessons/lesson2_aurora/lesson2b.htmlThis lesson, which deals specifically with the aurora, involves the use of oil pastels. The lesson plan, which includes objectives and evaluation, is written for middle school

Across the Curriculum: Lessons

AURORASUSTRALIS. Photo courtesy of

Keith Vanderlinde, United States Antarctic

Program, National Science Foundation.

16

students but can be adapted for elementary use.

Artist in Residence: Watercolor Lessonshttp://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/Files/water.htmA comprehensive guide including watercolor techniques, defining, finding, and painting the horizon, and silhouette techniques. This guide is especially helpful for classroom teachers without an art background or an art educator to collaborate with. The "wash," or "wet-on-wet," technique is most suitable for painting the aurora.

Painting Like an Impressionisthttp://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Arts/Visual_Arts/ARA0012.htmlLesson plan on painting in the impressionist style. This could be easily adapted to paint a scene depicting the aurora. This lesson refers to a color wheel and the

use of complementary colors (colors opposite one another on the color wheel). It would also be helpful to have images of impressionist paintings on display. Many of Monet's pieces would introduce students to the soft swirls and dabs of paint that defined the impressionist style.

Crepe Paper Blotshttp://www.kinderart.com/painting/crepe.shtmlA lesson plan for creating a crepe paper blots. Students could use crepe paper in the colors of the aurora.

Pumpkin Seed Mosaicshttp://www.kinderart.com/sculpture/pumpkin.shtmlIn this activity, students use dyed pumpkin seeds to create a mosaic. This could be adapted to depict the aurora.

Crayon Resisthttp://www.kinderart.com/drawing/cresist.shtmlIn the crayon-resist technique, students use light colored

crayons to draw the shimmering bands of the aurora, stars, and the landscape (horizon, mountains, trees). Students then cover their drawing with watered-down black tempera or watercolor paint. The crayon resists, or shows through the black. Perfect for depicting the aurora against the night sky!

Torn Paper Collagehttp://www.smcoe.k12.ca.us/projects/76/TORN_PAPER_COLLAGE.docThis document describes the process of creating a torn-paper collage. The irregular shapes of torn paper reflect the irregular shapes of the aurora.

DESCRIBING THE AURORA IN POETRYUse the featured lessons to help students write poems about the aurora. Poetry can be written before, after, or independently of the art projects listed above.

Across the Curriculum: Lessons

TELESCOPENIGHT5. Photo courtesy of

Keith Vanderlinde, United States Antarctic

Program, National Science Foundation.

17

Composing Cinquain Poems: A Quick-Writing Activity (Grades K-2)http://readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=51Cinquain (pronounced "cin-kain") is a five-line poetic form, using a wavelike syllable count of two-four-six-eight-two. In this lesson, students write simple cinquain of their own as a follow-up to a subject they have been exploring in class.

Composing Cinquain Poems with Basic Parts of Speech (Grades 3-5)http://readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=43Students learn about cinquain poetry and write their own cinquain poems.

Acrostic Poems (Grades K-5)http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/acrostic/This interactive resource guides students through brainstorming about a topic and then writing original acrostic poems. The finished poems can be printed.

Dynamite Diamante Poetry (Grades 3-5, modify for grades K-2)http://readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=823In this lesson, students review nouns, adjectives, and verbs and learn about gerunds. They then practice using them as new vocabulary words by composing

structured diamante poems as a class and independently using an online interactive tool. The poems can be printed off and displayed or published as a class book or magazine.

Reading, Writing, Haiku Hiking! A Class Book of Picturesque Poems (Grades 3-5)http://readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=1072Using One Leaf Rides the Wind by Celeste Davidson Mannis as an introductory text, students learn to identify elements of haiku poetry. Students go on a class hike to observe nature in their own neighborhood, and collect "picturesque" words in their writer's notebooks. (Instead of a hike, students could view images of the aurora in a video or on a web site.) They explore syllable counts in their word collections and use descriptive words to compose original haiku. Students then use print and online resources to locate facts for informational notes on the topics of their poems. Finally, students work collaboratively to publish their poetry and notes in an illustrated class book.

Seasonal Haiku: Writing Poems to Celebrate Any Season (Grades 3-5)http://readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=39In this three-part lesson, students write and illustrate haiku depicting seasonal images. First they use their observation skills, real-world knowledge, and knowledge of parts of speech to help them create seasonal word charts. They then listen to and read samples of haiku to identify haiku criteria, followed by a writing session where they create haiku that depict seasonal images. Finally, they publish their poetry mounted on colorful backgrounds that illustrate the images in their poems.

Across the Curriculum: Lessons

SPT_AURORA. Photo courtesy of

Daniel Luong-Van, United States Antarctic

Program, National Science Foundation.

18

Outdoor Observation (Grades preK-2)http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=5622Students use their five senses to observe the seasons and communicate their observations through drawing and conversation.

This lesson meets the National Science Education Standards Science as Inquiry content standard and Earth and Space Science content standard for grades K-4.

To further integrate literacy into this activity, try the following:

Adventures in Nonfiction: A Guided Inquiry Journeyhttp://readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=183Using a wide variety of nonfiction literature (see our Virtual Bookshelf column on page 22 for suitable titles), students learn to sort and

categorize books to begin the information-gathering process. Then, working with partners and groups, using pictures and text, students are guided through the process of gathering information, asking clarifying questions, and enhancing the information with additional details.

This lesson meets the following IRA/NCTE standards: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 12.

Seasons (Grades preK-1)http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=10661Students will create a class chart showing what they are wearing. They will also become "season watchers" to help them understand the seasons. Integrated literacy activities include reading trade books, writing acrostic poems, and creating a class book about the seasons.

Investigating the Cause and

EffectRelationships of

Seasonal Change

By Jessica Fries-Gaither

A study of seasons in the elementary grades should begin with firsthand observation. By simply taking a "field trip" to the playground (or a nearby park), students can document changes in daylight, shadows,

temperature, clothing, and plant and animal life. Such observations naturally lead to a study of cause/effect relationships, as students wonder why these observed changes are occurring.

In the primary grades, students can investigate the cause/effect relationships between seasons and human activity (specifically, clothing and activities). Older students can begin to investigate relationships, such as the position of the sun and its effect on temperature, shadow length, and hours of daylight. Students of all ages can begin to explore the differences in

daylight and seasons between their homes and the polar regions. In all cases, the integration of children's literature provides an opportunity to practice reading comprehension strategies as well as gain content knowledge about seasonal change.

We've highlighted seven lessons (four for primary students, three for upper elementary) that emphasize observation and data collection. For some lessons, we've provided additional resources to integrate literacy instruction. In others, literacy and science are integrated throughout the lesson or unit.

Science & Literacy: Lessons

19

This lesson meets the National Science Education Standards Science as Inquiry content standard and Earth and Space Science content standard for grades K-4.

To further integrate literacy into this activity, try the following:

Adventures in Nonfiction: A Guided Inquiry Journeyhttp://readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=183Using a wide variety of nonfiction literature (see our Virtual Bookshelf on page 22 for suitable titles), students learn to sort and categorize books to begin the information-gathering process. Then, working with partners and groups, using pictures and text, students are guided through the process of gathering information, asking clarifying questions, and then enhancing the information with additional details.

This lesson meets the following IRA/NCTE standards: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 12.

Casting Shadows Across Literacy and Science (Grades K-2)http://readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=1016Language arts skills are linked to the learning of science in a literacy-based approach to the study of shadows. Through discussion of literature on shadows and the use of questioning techniques to probe prior knowledge, students begin to explore scientific concepts and develop and test hypotheses. After studying shadows, recording observations of shadows, and hearing poetry about shadows, students create their own poetic response incorporating their knowledge.

This lesson meets the following  IRA/NCTE standards: 3, 4, 5, 7, and 12 and the National Science Education Standards Science as Inquiry content standard and Earth and Space Science content standard for grades K-4.

Literacy skills integrated in this lesson include:

• Informational texts

• Journaling

• Poetry

• Discussion

How's the Weather - In Africa? (Grades K-2)http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/04/gk2/pgafrica1.htmlAlthough this lesson plan involves Africa, not the polar regions, the structure of the lesson makes it easily adaptable. In the lesson, students describe and later compare how weather affects human activity in two places on opposite sides of the world. Students first identify the seasons and weather in their community and how human activities are affected by weather. They then cross the globe and compare how the weather of northern Africa impacts human activities there (substitute a location in the Arctic or Antarctica). Students look for a connection between the two environments and conclude that although the weather and activities may be very different in both places, the impact of weather on human activities is a common thread in human communities all over the world.

Midnight Sun, Antarctica. Photo courtesy

of Jason Auch, Wikimedia Commons.

Science & Literacy: Lessons

20

This lesson meets the National Geography Standards 3, 4, 7, and 8 and the National Science Education Standards Science as Inquiry content standard and the Science in Personal and Social Perspectives content standard for grades K-4.

To further integrate literacy skills into this lesson, try:

Adventures in Nonfiction: A Guided Inquiry Journeyhttp://readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=183Using a wide variety of nonfiction literature (see our Virtual Bookshelf on page 22 column for suitable titles), students learn to sort and categorize books to begin the information-gathering process. Then, working with partners and groups, using pictures and text, students are guided through the process of gathering information, asking clarifying questions, and enhancing the information with additional details.

This lesson meets the following IRA/NCTE standards: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 12.

Seasoning the School Year (Grades K-5)http://www97.intel.com/en/ProjectDesign/UnitPlanIndex/SeasoningTheSchoolYear/Students investigate seasonal changes by studying a deciduous "class tree" and recording their observations in journals. They contrast and investigate changes in the weather, changes in the length of the day, and changes in the personal accommodations they make due to seasonal change. With guidance, students create multimedia presentations and weather graphs to compare weather in other parts of the world. Students publish seasonal newsletters and class books for the National Arbor Day Foundation.

While this unit was originally designed for K-2, many elements can be used with upper elementary students.

This unit meets the National Science Education Standards Science as Inquiry content standard for K-4 and 5-8 and the Earth and Space Science content standard for K-4 and 5-8.

Literacy skills integrated in this lesson include:

• Journal writing

• Trade books

• Poetry

• Vocabulary development

• Discussion

Astronomy with a Stick (Grades 3-5)http://www.nsta.org/publications/interactive/aws-din/aws.aspxAstronomy with a Stick, or AWS, is a series of three units that address this question: Why do daylight hours vary in length where we live? To answer this question, students make indirect observations of the Sun on the school playground and with models built in the classroom. Students keep journals, graph data, and discuss findings with peers and as a class.

These units meet the National Science Education Standards Science as Inquiry content standard for K-4 and 5-8 and the Earth and Space Science content standard for K-4 and 5-8.

To further integrate literacy skills into these units, try:

Exploring Cause and Effect Using Expository Texts About Natural Disastershttp://readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=925While this lesson is designed for use with text about natural disasters, suitable titles from our Virtual Bookshelf column can be substituted. This lesson helps third- through fifth-grade students explore the nature and structure of expository texts focusing on cause and effect. Students begin by activating prior knowledge about cause

Science & Literacy: Lessons

21

and effect; the teacher then models discovering these relationships in a text and recording the findings in a graphic organizer. Students work in small groups to apply what they learned using related books and then write paragraphs outlining the cause-and-effect relationships they have found.

This lesson meets the following IRA/NCTE standards: 1, 3, 5, 6, 11, and 12.

Journey North: Mystery Class (Grades 4-5)http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/mclass/indexCurrent.htmlMystery Class is a collaborative activity for students in grade 4 and up. In this 11-week program, students use clues - sunrise and sunset times from 10 mystery locations - and similar data from their hometown to determine the locations of the mystery classes. The program typically runs from January to May.

Even if you aren't participating in Mystery Class this year, you'll find many teaching resources on the site. The Build Understanding section of the index page contains optional lessons to help students understand earth's seasonal and daily cycles, practice using latitude and longitude, and graph photoperiods. In addition to traditional lesson plans, interactive slide shows allow students to visualize the entire earth both daily and seasonally. Assessment ideas, checklists, and a student journal are included on the web site as well.

These lessons meet the National Science Education Standards Science as Inquiry content standard for K-4 and 5-8 and the Earth and Space Science content standard for K-4 and 5-8.

To further integrate literacy into these lessons, try the following:

Exploring Cause and Effect Using Expository Texts About Natural Disastershttp://readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=925While this lesson is designed for use with text about natural disasters, suitable titles from our Virtual Bookshelf column on page 22 can be substituted. This lesson helps third- through fifth-grade students explore the nature and structure of expository texts focusing on cause and effect. Students begin by activating prior knowledge about cause and effect; the teacher then models discovering these relationships in a text and recording the findings in a graphic organizer. Students work in small groups to apply what they learned using related books and then write paragraphs outlining the cause-and-effect relationships they have found.

This lesson meets the following IRA/NCTE standards: 1, 3, 5, 6, 11, and 12.

Lightning 1. Photo courtesy of

Mariluna, Wikimedia Commons.

Science & Literacy: Lessons

22

Polar Patterns: Virtual

Bookshelf

By Angela Grandstaff and

Jessica Fries-Gaither

The Virtual Bookshelf provides a list of recommended children's books that reflect the theme of

the issue and offers ideas on how to integrate them across the curriculum.

In early times, patterns in nature were explained with stories and myth. From the ancient Greeks to the Native American tribes, stories circulated about the sky and the seasons. Later in history, science shed light on the mythical explanations; today we

can confidently look to scientific discoveries for our answers.

For this issue's topic, Polar Patterns: Day, Night, and Seasons, we have incorporated both science-based books and mythical tales in six sections of the bookshelf: Day and Night Sky, Seasons, Myths about Seasons, Cause and Effect, the Aurora, and, of course, Penguins and Polar Bears.

DAY AND NIGHT SKY

Oscar and the Moth: A Book about Light and Dark. Geoff Waring. 2006. Nonfiction picture book. Recommended ages: Grades K-2.Friendly illustrations complement

this story about Oscar, a curious cat, who learns about light and dark from a moth. The moth teaches Oscar about the rotating earth, the sun and stars, shadows, and interesting facts about light and dark. The facts are interwoven into the story, which relays the information at the simplest level. The ReadWriteThink lesson “Casting Shadows Across Science and Literacy,” (see page 19) is a perfect complement to this book.

Far-out Science Projects about Earth's Sun and Moon. Robert Gardner. 2008. Nonfiction book. Recommended ages: Grades 3-5.

Ten experiments, using simple materials, unlock the secrets of the sun and the moon. After each experiment, the author offers background information and explanations. Several of these activities are similar to those presented in the NSTA unit Astronomy With a Stick (see page 20). This book could be used at a learning center, or the activities could be adapted for whole-class use.

Sun Up, Sun Down: The Story of Day and Night. Jacqui Bailey. 2004. Nonfiction book. Recommended ages: Grades 3-5.This visually appealing and

conceptually sound book introduces elementary students to the concepts of day and night. The book provides many opportunities to stimulate discussions and perform demonstrations.

Use these books to introduce the concept of day and night to younger students or provide activities for students in upper elementary.

Off The Bookshelf: Polar Patterns

23

Off The Bookshelf: Polar Patterns

We Both Read about the Seasons. Sindy Mckay. 2000. Nonfiction book. Recommended ages: Grades K-1.This is a great beginning book

about the reason for seasonal change. There is a parent/grown-up page to be read aloud and then an easy page for the beginner reader to read aloud to a grown-up.

Paint a Sun in the Sky: A First Look at the Seasons. Claire Llewellyn. 2004. Picture book. Recommended ages: Grades K-1.This book focuses on four

distinct seasonal changes, is written on a primary level and can be used with pre-readers as a read aloud. Illustrations are child friendly, mostly accurate and are set in an urban location. The back of the book contains an explanation for the reason we have seasons, which is friendly to young readers and is useful to teachers. The Useful Words and Fun Facts section is helpful for teachers to conduct authentic discussion of the scientific principles affecting the topic of seasons. Throughout, the story is told from a child's perspective and will help youngsters to identify with the impact seasonal change has on their activities and dress.

Seasons. Melvin Berger. 1990. Nonfiction book. Recommended ages: Grades 2-5.The author answers many questions about the changing

seasons, the characteristics of the changes, and the Greek myths behind the seasons. In the last part of the book, the author details each season including particular characteristics and holidays. This book contains a great deal of informative text and would be best used one section at a time. It is well suited for individual or paired reading, but could be projected onto a screen for use with a larger group.

SEASONS

Use these titles to introduce the concept of seasons to younger students or provide an opportunity for reading informational text in the older grades. Both books describe the seasons as they appear to a student in the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. If you are farther north or south (or in the Southern Hemisphere), the timing of your seasons will not match those described in these books. Locally written books may provide more accurate information for your students.

24

MYTHS ABOUT SEASONS

Off The Bookshelf: Polar Patterns

Upper-elementary students can begin exploring how cultures around the world viewed and explained the seasons. Mythology and pourquoi tales provide interesting ways to explore perceived cause and effect relationships.

Persephone and the Pomegranate. Kris Waldherr. 1993. Nonfiction picture book. Recommended ages: Grades 2-5.The reason for the seasons is

revealed in this retelling of the ancient Greek myth. The illustrations are whimsical and captivating.

Song to Demeter. Cynthia and William Birrer. 1987. Nonfiction picture book. Recommended ages: Grades 2-5.This retelling of the Greek myth

about the explanation of the seasons has intriguing pictures and simple text, making the book accessible to many ages. The fabrics and textures used in the pictures provide an opportunity for students to explore the medium of collage.

Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back: A Native American Year of Moons. Joseph Bruchac and Jonathan London. 1992. Poetry. Recommended ages: Grades 3-5.

This poetry collection is a cross-curricular connection to the moon and the seasons. Through poetry and story the Native American myths of the 13 moons of the year are brought to life and reveal the wonder of the seasons. Social studies, science, and literature are explored through poetry, legend, and the history of the native people.

CAUSE AND EFFECT

Cause and effect is a difficult concept for students to identify in narrative and expository text. Use these titles to introduce cause and effect relationships to younger students. Older students can explore the relationships through pourquoi tales and write their own.

Go to Sleep Gecko! Margaret Read MacDonald. 2006. Picture book. Recommended ages: Grades K-2.In this Balinese folktale, Gecko complains to the village chief that

the light of the fireflies is keeping him awake all night. This story explores elements of the night and serves as an illustration for cause and effect in nature and life. The bold pictures make this book an easy one to share with a group.

25

Aurora: A Tale of the Northern Lights. Mindy Dwyer. 1997. Picture book. Recommended ages: Grades: K-3.A fictional tale of a young girl

named Aurora who travels to find a land of darkness and understand her grandmother's mysterious story. As she travels, she collects the various colors of daylight. When she reaches the land of darkness, she scatters the colors, creating the northern lights. Rich vocabulary makes this story perfect for introducing descriptive writing to young students.

Northern Lights: A to Z. Mindy Dwyer. 2007. Picture book. Recommended ages: Grades K-3.The book's 26 facts and legends - one for each letter of the

alphabet - explain both the science behind the aurora (solar winds hitting the earth's magnetic fields) and the legends it has inspired, such as the fascinating Makah Indian myth that pots of boiling whale blubber created it.

The Blizzard's Robe. Robert Sabuda. 1999. Picture book. Recommended ages: Grades K-3.A fictional story of a young girl whose kindness toward Blizzard

earns her people his greatest gift: the northern lights. Colorful batik illustrations evoke traditional folk art and complement the poetic text.

THE AURORA

How Chipmunk Got His Stripes. Joseph Bruchac and James Bruchac. 2001. Picture book. Recommended ages: Grades K-2.Based on Native American

folklore, this tale of night and day is a fun way to illustrate cause and effect. When Bear and Brown Squirrel have an argument about whether Bear can stop the sun from rising, Squirrel ends up with claw marks on his back and becomes Chipmunk, the striped one.

How the Whale Became and Other Stories. Ted Hughes. 2000. Short stories/fiction book. Recommended ages: Grades 2-5.First published 25 years ago, this

collection of pourquoi tales offers magical stories of what happened to a number of animals, including the polar bear.

Off The Bookshelf: Polar Patterns

The aurora is a beautiful yet complex scientific phenomenon. While students in upper elementary may be ready for a basic introduction to the science behind the aurora, younger students can appreciate the colors and many legends from indigenous Arctic people. Older students may also appreciate the descriptive language and colorful illustrations in the recommended picture books.

26

Ulaq and the Northern Lights. Harriet Peck Taylor. 1998. Picture book. Recommended ages: Grades: K-3.Ulaq, a curious Arctic fox, asks his fellow animals about the

colored lights he sees in the sky. While the "discussions" and interactions between the animals are not scientifically accurate, their explanations for the northern lights are based on actual legends told by Arctic people. This is an engaging way to introduce the concept of mythology to younger students.

Northern Lights. Deborah Underwood. 2004. Nonfiction book. Recommended ages: Grades 4-5.A nonfiction book divided into four chapters that discuss the

northern lights, legends and myths, the cause of the aurora, and danger signs. Color photographs accompany the expository text. A glossary and an index are included. This book is best suited for individual reading or small groups due to long text passages.

PENGUINS AND POLAR BEARS

Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World. Juliana, Isabella and Craig Hatkoff and Gerald R. Uhlich. 2007. Nonfiction book. Recommended ages: Grades 1-5.

When Knut was born, he was the first polar bear cub at the Berlin Zoo in 30 years. This true story chronicles Knut's start in life after his mother rejected him. The book includes engaging photos of Knut through his first months of life as well as a connection to the plight of polar bears in the Arctic.

365 Penguins. Jean-Luc Fromental. 2007. Picture book. Recommended ages: Grades K-5.Get ready to laugh! When a box containing a penguin arrives

anonymously on New Year's Day, a family of four is puzzled, but as they continue to receive one penguin each day their problems - and food budget, and storage issues - are multiplied. This silly book will serve as a great math connection! The arrival of the mysterious sender at the end of the story provides a connection to global warming and the problems faced by penguins in light of earth's changing climate.

Off The Bookshelf: Polar Patterns

Since the name of the project is Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears, we had to highlight two of our favorite books on these polar animals.

27

THE BEYOND PENGUINS AND POLAR BEARS PHOTO GALLERY

In our polar photo gallery, you can browse color images from past cyberzine issues and polar researchers. We include rights and re-use information to help you use the images in

your classroom! Visit http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org/photogallery/index.php to discover

amazing images of icebergs, glaciers, polar animals, and much more!

BEYOND PENGUINS PODCAST SERIES

In our series of podcasts, we trek across the poles to find ways to help you teach science

in your elementary classroom! We also tackle common misconceptions your students might have about science and share stories, teaching activities, and the latest news

related to the poles.

You can listen to the podcast episodes through your audio player or iTunes. To see the

entire list of episodes, go to http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org/podcast/index.php.

STANDARDS ALIGNMENT

Are you wondering how the contents of each magazine issue align with the National Science Education Standards? On our Standards page, we’ve created two tables - one

for grades K-4 and the other for grades 5-8 that show the alignment to the science

content standards. Visit http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org/information.php?topic=standards

for more information.

EMPERORSTHREE. Photo courtesy of Robyn Waserman, U.S. Antarctic Program, National Science Foundation

The Polar Bears at Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. Photo courtesy of James Seith Photography, Flickr.

Greenland Ice Sheet. Photo courtesy of chrissy575, Flickr.

About Us

Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears is an online professional development magazine for elementary

teachers. It prepares teachers to integrate high-quality science instruction with literacy teaching. The

magazine is available for free at http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org.

Twenty thematic issues link polar science concepts to the scope and sequence of elementary science

curricula. The result is a resource that includes issues devoted to day and night, seasons, plants and

mammals, erosion, and other physical, earth and space, and life science concepts. Some issues are

also interdisciplinary, focusing on polar explorers, the indigenous people of the Arctic, and the

challenges of doing science in the polar regions. To browse the complete archive of issues, visit

http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org/archive.php.

Other project features include a companion blog (http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/polar) about polar news

and research, a polar photo gallery (http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org/photogallery/index.php) and a

podcast series (http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org/podcast/index.php).

Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears is funded by the National Science Foundation under Grant No.

0733024 and is produced by an interdisciplinary team from Ohio State University (OSU), College of

Education and Human Ecology; the Ohio Resource Center (ORC) for Mathematics, Science, and

Reading; the Byrd Polar Research Center; COSI (Center for Science and Industry) Columbus; the

Upper Arlington Public Library (UAPL); and the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) Core

Integration team at Cornell University and University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR).

Copyright August 2010. Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears is produced by an interdisciplinary team from Ohio State

University (OSU), College of Education and Human Ecology; the Ohio Resource Center (ORC) for Mathematics, Science, and

Reading; the Byrd Polar Research Center; COSI (Center for Science and Industry) Columbus; the Upper Arlington Public

Library (UAPL); and the National Science Digital Library (NSDL). This material is based upon work supported by the National

Science Foundation under Grant No. 0733024. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in

this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Content

in this document is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Printed version layout

and design by Margaux Baldridge, Office of Technology and Enhanced Learning, College of Education and Human Ecology,

The Ohio State University. For more information email: beyondpenguins@msteacher.org.