Progressive K-12 Science Instruction on
Tsunamis in Alaska
Developed by the Geophysical Institute through a grant
from the U.S. Department of Education
Tsunamis in Alaska
 Alaska has experienced 37 tsunamis since the 1800s.
 In the past century, 5 generated off Alaska s coast were large enough to
destroy lives and structures on shore.
Three of these are
known around the
world for the amount
of damage caused:
 1964 Alaskan Tsunami
 1958 Lituya Bay Tsunami
 1946 Aleutian Tsunami
Education and Tradition
  Education and tradition have been
interwoven in the Alaska Tsunami
Education Program to create a
powerful teaching tool that impacts
entire communities.
  Public K-12 education
and Native ways of
knowing about tsunami
physics saved lives
during the 2004 Indian
Ocean tsunami.
Alaska Tsunami Education
  Funded by US Department of Education
  Incorporates community involvement and Native ways of knowing
  Provides three-years of K-12 Science, Math, and GIT (geospatial
information technology) instruction on tsunamis
Schools involved in ATEP
Kodiak Island, Lake and Peninsula, Aleutians East and Aleutian Region
ATEP Partners
Education Partners
Government Agencies
Alaska Initiative for Community
Engagement (Alaska ICE)
State Division of Homeland Security/
Emergency Management
Kodiak Island Borough School District
Kodiak Island Borough Mayor s Office
Aleutians East & Aleutian Region
School Districts
Aleutians East and Aleutian Region
Borough Mayor s Offices
Lake and Pen Borough School District
Lake and Pen Borough Mayor s Office
Alaska Native Organizations
Research Institutes
Alaska Native Heritage Center
Geophysical Institute
Kodiak Area Native Assocation
Alaska Earthquake Information Center
Aleutian Pribilof Island Association
The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami
Warning Center
Bristol Bay Native Association
Arctic Region Supercomputing Center
What does ATEP fund?
In the Classroom
  Lesson Supplies
  Science and Math Curriculum
  GIT Community-based Activities
Professional Development
  Professional Development Workshops
  Professional Development Credits
  Scientist and Borough Official Mentorship
Curriculum Resources
Hands-on Classroom Lessons
  30 K-12 science and math lessons per year, plus
  At least 10 additional science and math lessons that include
Native language terms, and cultural ways of knowing
ATEP Web site
  Lessons available for download
in PDF files
Interactive Multimedia Module
Mentor Lectures
Standard-based Lessons
ATEP K-12 teacher-friendly hands-on classroom lessons contain:
  easy-to-photo copy activity instructions
  student worksheets
  answer guides
  background science information
and specific reference to
  Alaska Science GLEs
  Alaska Math GLEs
  Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools
GIT Community Mapping Projects
Borough officials and GIT
Experts provide maps of rural
areas in Lake and Peninsula,
Kodiak Island, Aleutian Region
and Aleutians East.
K-12 students work with
Elders to map local communities.
Students work together to:
 Identify existing structures
and add new structures
 Circle structures to show which
no longer exist
 Determine structure use (residential, commercial, public, government)
 Interview Elders to find places of traditional and/or cultural importance
 Interview Elders to identify established historic trails still in use
GIT Mapping Exercises
  Mapping projects bring scientists and government officials together with
teachers and students to build an enduring network that connects the
government, the school, and the local community.
  Working together with scientists and government officials on projects of
interest to local communities helps students practice workforce-related
technology skills in the classroom and gain career focus through mentoring.
Alaska Earthquake Information Center Scientist Elena Suleimani
Students working on a 3-D mapping experiment
ATEP Website
www.aktsunami.org
ATEP lessons are enhanced by Web-based multimedia components.
Interactive multimedia components help students visualize
difficult scientific concepts.
Systems Merge
Included in the classroom
lessons and multimedia module
is cultural information, such as
oral histories, traditional stories
and legends, and photos and
art. Classroom lessons
interweave Western Science and
Indigenous Knowledge Systems.
This is a visual aid, part of an
ATEP cultural lesson showing
the Alutiiq legend of how the
world was made, beginning as
land and emerging from water.
Cultural Ties
Native Organizations and
Elders provide:
 Unangan and Alutiiq words
related to tsunamis
 Traditional stories about
tsunamis
 Native Ways of Knowing
about tsunamis
 Local expertise for student
mapping projects
Elders who participated in ATEP are provided with honorariums to
show appreciation for their contributions.
Professional Expertise
Alaskan scientists and government officials
contribute to ATEP by providing expertise and data.
Partner
Data Provided
West Coast and Alaska Tsunami
Warning Center, the GI, and the
AK Earthquake Information Center
Tsunami, seismic, and geophysics data;
tsunami inundation animations
Kodiak Island, Aleutians East,
Geographic data; aerial photos; digital
Aleutian Region and Lake &
borough maps; and other maps (such as,
Peninsula Borough Mayors Offices tax parcel, Native allotment, census, and
transportation route maps)
AK Dept. of Homeland Security &
Emergency Management
State and village emergency preparedness
& hazard mitigation data
Arctic Region Supercomputing
Center (ARSC)
Tsunami inundation animations through
the ARSC Education Portal
Mentorship
Scientists, and government officials provide mentorship for teachers at
workshops, via email and through the ATEP Web site. Local officials may
be able to visit classrooms and participate in community events.
State seismologist Roger Hansen and AEIC Scientist Elena Suleimani
Professional Development Credits
Teachers earn up to 3 PD credits each year for:
 participating in ATEP professional development
workshops
 teaching ATEP lessons in local K-12 classrooms
 providing feedback on ATEP classroom lessons
Curriculum Distribution
At grant end, curriculum will be distributed by:
  Geophysical Institute
  West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center
  AK Dept. of Homeland Security
and Emergency Management
  National Tsunami Hazard
Mitigation Program
  International Tsunami
Information Center
Contact Us
Geophysical Institute Information Office
PO Box 757320, Fairbanks, AK 99775
907-474-7558
Kathy Bertram, Principal Investigator
907-474-7798
[email protected]
Glenda Findlay, Program Manager
907-474-2722
[email protected]