Extensions
NASA and the International Polar YearNASA and the International Polar Year
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/IPY/main/educators.html
Explore NASA activities and resources that support learning about the International Polar Year.
International Polar Year
http://www.ipy.org/index.php?/ipy/audience/C27/
Join the educator list-serv, peruse IPY blogs, and access a searchable lesson plan data base.
Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears
http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org/
Peruse this online polar science and literacy magazine for kindergarten to fifth grade educators. Learn about the science and explorers, find activities, and locate multi-media resources.
Animals of the Arctic
http://library.thinkquest.org/3500/Activities.html#hunt
Hands on Arctic activities for children ages 8 to 14.
Get Involved in the Global Snowflake Network!
http://education.gsfc.nasa.gov/how/default.html
As part of the History of Winter project, the general public can get free online training to collect and report snowflake data from their homes. Training takes little time and snowflake data collection requires simple, easily found materials. Get involved in research! Share your findings with NASA scientists!
Antarctica: The Farthest Place Close to Home
http://www.amnh.org/education/resources/antarctica/
Explore the most extreme environment with this online series of activities. As they investigate this polar continent children will learn about the Antarctic environment, climate, day and night cycles, ocean circulation, animal adaptation, and scientists working ”in the field.“ Written for formal classrooms for children ages 11 to 13, the activities can be used in informal learning environments.
Icy Activity Plans
http://www.nsidc.org/links/index.html
Search a database of hands-on polar learning activities. The database is connected to the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) and is searchable by topic, grade level, resource type, and educational standard.
Office of Polar Programs of the National Science Foundation
http://www.nsf.gov/news/classroom/arcticantarctic.jsp
Investigate the Office of Polar Programs' educational resources, including activities, a photo gallery, blogs, and more.
Ice in the Solar System
http://btc.montana.edu/messenger/teachers/MEMS_CompPlanetology.php#mystery
Find out where ice exists in our solar system though these hands-on activities that interweave science and literacy for children ages 7 to 13. Designed for the formal classroom, the activities can be modified for use in informal learning environments.
