Resources

Teacher Resources

We are compiling lists of books, websites, and multimedia platforms to provide additional information on the following topics that were relevant to this project.

The Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) program down near Palmer Research Station in Antarctica is a great resource for Antarctic data, information, and publications. (Palmer LTER)

Related Science Papers:

Posters and Concept Map:

Background Topics:


Ocean Currents:

  • Ocean Currents on About Education provides a summary of the difference between surface and deep currents, what controls them, and why they are important
  • TIdes and Currents from NOAA explains the difference between these two features and why and how we measure them. Moreover, NASA’s Earth Observatory also has information on tides in Antarctica
  • Ocean surface currents and climate change- video A short video from PBS explaining how surface currents affect climate change across the globe.
  • Ocean circulation, salinity, and climate change Information on NASA’s Aquarius research on ocean salinity.  NASA explains how ocean salinity and ocean circulation affect climate change.
  • Ocean Currents NOAA’s educational homepage for ocean currents with links to all topics about ocean currents from the local to global scale and how it is affecting climate change.
  • NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio website includes short video clips which demonstrate how the ocean moves through surface and deep water currents.
  • Temperature change in the deep ocean An article about research done by Dr. Steve Rintoul of Southern Ocean science. The topic discussed is climate change and how it is increasing deep ocean temperatures in Antarctica.
  • Southern Ocean  An issue of the Australian Antarctic Magazine. Covering many topics dealing with the Southern Ocean including the important Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which drives all ocean circulation.
  • Dr. Sharon Gilman at the Coastal Carolina University has a good description of waves.
  • The Open University prepared a textbook titled Waves, Tides, and Shallow-Water Processes, sections of the Waves chapter maybe helpful.
  • Short activities around currents developed by COSEE NOW members include Jellies as Drifters, Robots in Antarctica, and Floating Away: A Case of Rubber Duckies
  • In Adrift, students use real-time CODAR data for sea surface currents to determine the drift rate of a ship in the ocean and predict its eventual location.
  • To better understand the difference between convergence vs convection, look up their definitions on the Ocean Surface Currents Glossary.


Adelie Penguins:


Antarctica (General):

  • Orienting students to Palmer Station: This short flyover video made using Google Earth by Matt Oliver and Megan Cimino orients students to where Palmer Station is located.
  • The Antarctica Resources page lists a variety of resources related to Antarctica that have been used in programming by the Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence Networked Ocean World (COSEE NOW).
  • The Oceanographic Systems Laboratory at WHOI has created a computer generated map of the seafloor around Antarctica
  • Antarctica Melting: A Story in 4 Acts is a four-part audio slideshow series on the fastest winter warming place on Earth, as seen through the eyes of three scientists. The slideshows provide a first hand look into the role that global climate change has had in transforming the Antarctic ecosystem and are complimented with lesson plans to expand upon the topics covered.
  • A Collaborative Investigation of Climate Change (Antarctica Melting) is a role playing activity in which students take on the persona of different scientist and evaluate evidence of climate change in Antarctica. They then share their findings with the class and combine their findings with those of others to form a complete picture of how climate change is impacting Antarctica.
  • Melting Glaciers (Antarctica Melting) is a hands-on experiment that allows students to  emulate the conditions in the past, present, and future of Antarctica. From this work, they can explore what will happen as temperatures continue to increase in the Antarctic Peninsula.
  • In, Ocean Acidification: Whats and Hows (Project PARKA), students are exposed to a range of data on ocean acidification. Through a class demonstration, lead by you, the students will collect data to investigate how ocean acidification works (increases in CO2 in the air correlate with decreases in pH). Students will then work through multiple published data visuals to explore how scientists understand that ocean acidification is occurring. The final component of the section exposes students to the impacts of ocean acidification on calcifying organisms. Students will first observe the impacts of acidification on shell strength through a hands-on demonstration and then again look at multiple data visualizations of published results on ocean acidification impacts.
  • The Antarctic Food Web (Antarctica Melting)  activity allows students to apply their understanding of how food webs and energy transfer work by applying it to changes in the Antarctic food web due to ice loss.
  • Bathymetry around Palmer Station: Two maps have been created that show the bathymetry in the area. The first, appearing in Oliver et. al 2013, shows the entire region. The second map from the Ocean Drilling Program, a scientific drilling program, shows the location of Palmer Deep to the Antarctic Peninsula. Palmer Deep is 1ooo m deep and 200 km2 in area.
  • Books:
    • McGonigal, David (2008) Antarctica: Secrets of the southern continent.  Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books, Inc.
    • Soper, Tony (2008 – 5th ed.) Antarctica: A guide to the wildlife. Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot Press
    • Streever, Bill (2009) Cold: Adventures in the world’s frozen places. NY: Little, Brown, & Company
    • Trewby, Mary, ed. (2002) Antarctica: An encyclopedia from Abbott Ice Shelf to zooplankton. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books, Inc.
    • United Nations Environment Programme List of Polar Books Collection
  • Classroom Websites:
  • Multimedia:
    • Trailer: Antarctica – Beyond the Ice – An exciting inter-disciplinary documentary, funded in part by the National Science Foundation, following a world class team of scientists and researches as they race across the world’s fastest winter-warming place to study a changing ocean.
    • DVD: Antarctica – An adventure of a different nature (IMAX – 1991) –Antarctica is replete with breathtaking aerial and underwater footage of the earth’s highest, coldest, and driest continent.
    • DVD: March of the Penguins (2005) – Chronicles the life cycle of Emperor penguins, filmed over the course of a year.
    • DVD: Encounters at the end of the world (2007) – Famous director Werner Herzog’s take on the southern continent including unusual people, underwater life, and penguins.
    • DVD: Frozen Planet (2011) – Nature documentary series focused on life and the environment in both the Arctic and Antarctic, co-produced by the BBC, Discovery Channel, and The Open University; http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/frozen-planet


Oceanography Careers:

  • OceanCareers.com is a website that provides information on ocean-related careers, colleges and universities that specialize in ocean-related education, ocean focused professional societies, and internships & jobs in the field.
  • Information on the demographics of those in oceanography and other science fields can be found in this powerpoint.


Technology and Data Interpretation:

  • Follow the Glider: This website answers questions about what a glider is, how does it work, why do we use it, and how do you interpret the data. The videos do not always work but the interactives and information is great. It is available in Spanish as well as English.
  • Discrete vs Continuous Data: This activity introduces students to the two types of data and the benefits of collecting continuous data from gliders and CODAR
  • Teaching with Maps is a list of resources (lessons, background, videos, etc.) on educating with maps and geography compiled by the National Education Association
  • Mapping Our World was developed to provide teachers with resources for GIS instruction in the classroom
  • National Geopgraphics’ GIS Enclyclopedic Entry provides background information on GIS
  • Penguins in this project are tracked using Argos tags. This article from BBC News provides information on the use of the tags and how they work.
  • Gliders: The RU COOL website includes an extensive list of FAQs about gliders.
  • In Adrift, students use real-time CODAR data for sea surface currents to determine the drift rate of a ship in the ocean and predict its eventual location.
  • How to Read an SST Map is an interactive which teaches students how to look at Sea Surface Temperature (SST) images


Krill and Plankton:


Ocean Science and Climate:

Tidal Forcing & Ocean Convergence: