Biomes: Arctic Changes: Teacher’s Guide
Grade Level: 6-8
Curriculum Focus: Ecology
Lesson Duration: Two or three class periods
Program Description
Join biologists on a five-month research expedition through the Arctic to retrace an historic
expedition through the icy waters of the Northwest Passage. Along the way, students will see
firsthand some of the alarming changes taking place in the Arctic—and how human activities may
be transforming life in this fragile ecosystem and setting off an environmental time bomb. This
program has one feature segment.
Onscreen Questions
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Why is travel in the Arctic so difficult?
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How might global warming affect some Arctic animals?
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How do animals act as a barometer for the health of the Arctic biome?
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Why might the melting of Arctic permafrost pose a threat to the Earth?
Lesson Plan
Student Objectives
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Learn the geography of the Arctic and Roald Amundsen’s route through the Northwest
Passage.
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Define global warming, and discuss its effect on the Arctic.
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Discuss the experiences of a modern research expedition.
•
Write a journal that describes the impact of global warming.
Materials
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Biomes: Arctic Changes video and VCR, or DVD and DVD player
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Poster board and pen
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Paper and pencils
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Computer with Internet access (optional)
Biomes: Arctic Changes: Teacher’s Guide
Procedures
1. After watching Biomes: Arctic Changes, locate the Arctic on a world map. Show the class the
route that explorer Roald Amundsen followed from 1903 to 1906, explaining that he wanted to
find a shorter trade route to Asia. (See the Web site http://www.marine.fm/en/nwpmapen.htm.) This
was the first expedition to cross the Northwest Passage, an Arctic route connecting the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans. Almost 100 years later, biologist Jean Lemire led a team on Amundsen’s
route. What was the purpose of this expedition? (To study global warming.)
2. Ask the class to define global warming. (The gradual increase of the temperature of Earth’s
lower atmosphere due to the increase in greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and
methane.) How do humans contribute to global warming? (They burn fossil fuels for cars and
energy.) Explain that the Arctic is one place most affected by global warming. How is global
warming changing Arctic geography? (The ice caps and permafrost are melting, eroding
coastlines.) How do melting icebergs affect Europe’s climate? (Europe is warmed by the Gulf
Stream, which moves tropical water north. Melting icebergs release freshwater into the Gulf
Stream, slowing it down, which leads to lower temperatures.)
3. On the world map review Lemire’s general route, which began in the Magdalen Islands in the
Gulf of St. Lawrence, in Quebec, Canada. (Follow the expedition’s route on an interactive map
at this Web site: http://www.nfb.ca/sedna/arcticmission/ma_accueil/index.html.) Have students name
important events and memorable sights encountered by the research expedition. Write their
comments on the board. Possible answers include:
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Leaving friends and family at the Magdalen Islands
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Sighting fog and a surprising number of ice caps off the coast of the Labrador Sea
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Dead polar bear on the ice of Hudson Bay
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Walruses unable to ride ice blocks to reach feeding sites
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Inuit diving for starfish
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Large waves in the Hudson Strait (no more ice to stop the waves)
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Getting stuck in the ice in the Baffin Islands
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Bowhead whales in Isabella Bay
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Getting stuck in ice in Bellot Strait
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Tundra and melting permafrost around the Beaufort Sea
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Melting permafrost in the tundra broken away from the coastline
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Polar bear swimming to the ship in the Bering Strait
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Crossing through the Bering Strait between the United States and Russia
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Sighting the fastest-melting glaciers in the world in Alaska
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Seeing cities and smokestacks on Vancouver Island
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Biomes: Arctic Changes: Teacher’s Guide
3
4. Have students imagine they are scientists on Lemire’s research expedition, and have them write
a one-page journal entry describing an experience. They may use the list above or make up
others. Their entry should address the following questions:
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What did you see or experience today?
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Where were you on the route?
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How did this event or sight reflect the impact of global warming?
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Describe your emotion—were you surprised, excited, sad, angry, anxious?
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How was your experience different from Amundsen’s?
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If you were to make this expedition in 50 years, what changes would you expect to see?
5. Journals should include at least one picture, such as a sketch or a map marking the location
within the route.
6. Collect the journal entries and put them in order, following the chronology of the expedition
route. Add an “Arctic Journal” cover page to create a class journal of the expedition. Then
photocopy pages to make a copy for every student.
Assessment
Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students’ work during this lesson.
•
3 points: Students were active in class discussions; showed a strong understanding of Arctic
geography and global warming; cited several images and events from the video; created a
clear, complete journal entry that answered all questions and included at least one picture.
•
2 points: Students participated in class discussions; showed satisfactory understanding of
Arctic geography and global warming; cited some images and events from the video;
created an adequate journal entry that answered most of the questions and included at least
one picture.
•
1 point: Students participated minimally in class discussions; showed minimal
understanding of Arctic geography and global warming; cited few or no images and events
from the video; created an incomplete journal entry that answered few or no questions and
was sloppy or lacking a picture.
Vocabulary
Arctic
Definition: Region around the North Pole, including the Arctic Ocean and parts of North
America, Asia, and Europe
Context: Global warming has had a devastating impact on wildlife in the Arctic.
global warming
Definition: Gradual increase of the temperature of Earth’s lower atmosphere
Context: Many scientists believe that an increase in carbon dioxide, methane, and other
greenhouse gases causes global warming.
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Biomes: Arctic Changes: Teacher’s Guide
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Northwest Passage
Definition: Water route through Arctic islands that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
Context: The explorer Roald Amundsen lead the first expedition through the Northwest Passage
between 1903 and 1906.
permafrost
Definition: Soil or rock in polar regions that remains frozen year-round
Context: Global warming is causing some permafrost to melt and erode coastlines.
Academic Standards
National Academy of Sciences
The National Science Education Standards provide guidelines for teaching science as well as a
coherent vision of what it means to be scientifically literate for students in grades K-12. To view the
standards, visit http://books.nap.edu.
This lesson plan addresses the following science standards:
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Science in Personal and Social Perspectives: Natural hazards; Populations, resources, and
environments; Science and technology in society
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Science and Technology: Understandings about science and technology
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Life Science: Populations and ecosystems; Diversity and adaptations of organisms
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
McREL's Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education
addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visit http://www.mcrel.org/.
This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:
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Science—Life Sciences: Understands biological evolution and the diversity of life
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Language Arts—Viewing: Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret
visual media; Writing: Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process, Gathers
and uses information for research purposes
The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
NCSS has developed national guidelines for teaching social studies. To become a member of NCSS,
or to view the standards online, go to http://www.socialstudies.org
This lesson plan addresses the following thematic standards:
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People, Places, and Environments
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Science, Technology, and Society
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Biomes: Arctic Changes: Teacher’s Guide
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Support Materials
Develop custom worksheets, educational puzzles, online quizzes, and more with the free teaching tools
offered on the Discoveryschool.com Web site. Create and print support materials, or save them to a
Custom Classroom account for future use. To learn more, visit
•
http://school.discovery.com/teachingtools/teachingtools.html
DVD Content
This program is available in an interactive DVD format. The following information and activities are
specific to the DVD version.
How To Use the DVD
The DVD starting screen has the following options:
Play Video—This plays the video from start to finish. There are no programmed stops, except by
using a remote control. With a computer, depending on the particular software player, a pause
button is included with the other video controls.
Video Index—Here the video is divided into four parts (see below), indicated by video thumbnail
icons. Watching all parts in sequence is similar to watching the video from start to finish. Brief
descriptions and total running times are noted for each part. To play a particular segment, press
Enter on the remote for TV playback; on a computer, click once to highlight a thumbnail and read
the accompanying text description and click again to start the video.
Curriculum Units—These are specially edited video segments pulled from different sections of the
video (see below). These nonlinear segments align with key ideas in the unit of instruction. They
include onscreen pre- and post-viewing questions, reproduced below in this Teacher’s Guide. Total
running times for these segments are noted. To play a particular segment, press Enter on the TV
remote or click once on the Curriculum Unit title on a computer.
Standards Link—Selecting this option displays a single screen that lists the national academic
standards the video addresses.
Teacher Resources—This screen gives the technical support number and Web site address.
Video Index
I. Setting Sail (9 min.)
What would happen if the ice encircling the North Pole melted? Set sail on an Arctic expedition to
measure the effects of global warming.
II. Into the Bay (17 min.)
Explore the Arctic’s melting pack ice, and the animals whose survival depends on it, as the crew
sails into Hudson Bay.
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Biomes: Arctic Changes: Teacher’s Guide
III. Through the Ice (9 min.)
What would you do if you were surrounded by ice? Watch SEDNA’s crew battle floes in the
Northwest Passage.
IV. Mission Accomplished (13 min.)
After five months at sea, the crew heads home—with firsthand knowledge of global warming and
the Arctic’s fragile environment.
Curriculum Units
1. Preparing to Set Sail
Pre-viewing question
Q: What do you know about global warming?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Why is this expedition important?
A: Answers will vary.
2. The Journey Begins
Pre-viewing question
Q: How has technology improved our ability to explore the world?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What technology helped SEDNA’s crew avoid danger?
A: Satellite technology allowed the crew to download daily charts that showed ice concentration
and movement, which helped them maneuver the ship through a maze of ice.
3. A Passage to Sea
Pre-viewing question
Q: Why is drifting ice a danger to ships?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Why was SEDNA’s itinerary altered?
A: The entire coast of Labrador was beset by ice that came down from the north. To safely reach
Hudson Bay, the boat had to sail further out to sea than expected.
4. Heart of an Ecosystem
Pre-viewing question
Q: What do you know about icebergs?
A: Answers will vary.
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Biomes: Arctic Changes: Teacher’s Guide
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Post-viewing question
Q: Why are scientists worried about the Greenland ice cap melting?
A: Oceanographers believe that if it begins to melt, significant amounts of freshwater will flow into
the northern Atlantic and could cause the Gulf Stream to slow down. Because this major ocean
current warms up all of Europe, scientists are worried that the continent could become colder.
5. The Melting Pack Ice
Pre-viewing question
Q: If Arctic pack ice keeps diminishing, what will happen to polar bears?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: How has Hudson Bay’s pack ice changed over the past 20 years?
A: The ice cover has constantly diminished; it now disappears almost completely by the beginning
of summer. Twenty years ago, the bay was completely covered in ice on July 1.
6. Adapt or Die
Pre-viewing question
Q: What happens to animals that can’t adapt to a changing environment?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: How has global warming affected animals in your area?
A: Answers will vary.
7. A Change of Crew
Pre-viewing question
Q: What will happen if the SEDNA is not out of Arctic waters before autumn?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What should SEDNA’s crew do to escape the ice?
A: Answers will vary.
8. A Deciding Tide
Pre-viewing question
Q: How can a group make a tough decision?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Did SEDNA’s crew make the right decision?
A: Answers will vary.
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9. Navigating the Strait
Pre-viewing question
Q: What is the toughest situation you’ve been in?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Why is it risky for the SENDA to travel in reverse?
A: Going in reverse exposes the propeller and rudder to the ice and possible damage. Major
damage to these parts could be disastrous.
10. Global Warming in the North
Pre-viewing question
Q: What three regions have been most affected by global warming?
A: The Beaufort Sea, Antarctic Peninsula, and Siberia
Post-viewing question
Q: How is global warming affecting the western Arctic?
A: It is melting the permafrost, ground that normally remains permanently frozen year-round. Vast
quantities of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, are trapped in the permafrost. An increase in
released methane will greatly increase global warming.
11. Leaving the Ice
Pre-viewing question
Q: Has global warming affected your daily life?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: O What species will be most harmed by global warming?
A: Answers will vary.
12. The Adventure Ends
Pre-viewing question
Q: What can be done to stop global warming?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Should cargo ships and tankers be allowed to cross the Northwest Passage?
A: Answers will vary.
Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved.