Polar News and Notes Science

Did you know that there are approximately 400,000 indigenous people living in the circumpolar north and that they represent a diverse set of cultures? Come learn about the Gwich’in, Dene, Sámi, Yup’ik, Inupiat, Kalaallit, and others in Issue Sixteen of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears!While this is not a true science topic, we feel that learning about the native people of […]

Were we on our way to becoming a planet of snow and ice before we began producing tons of greenhouse gases every year since the Industrial Revolution?
An international team of scientists thinks so. They looked at the temperatures “recorded” in Arctic ice, tree rings and lake sediments and found a sudden reversal in millenniums […]

Recently the Walt Disney Company, in collaboration with the National Science Teachers Association, announced the nationwide launch of Disney’s Planet Challenge, a project-based environmental competition for fourth through sixth grade classrooms. The cross-curricular program empowers classrooms to make a difference in their homes, schools, and communities and prompts students to think and act […]

Looking for a good place to build a space observatory, U.S. and Australian astronomers combined data from satellites, ground stations, and climate models. Soon they found what they call “the coldest, driest, calmest place on Earth.” It is likely they could also call it a place where no living thing has ever been. 
 The prized site […]

Using real data is an engaging and important part of science education. What could be more exciting than studying Adelie Penguins in Antarctica? Through the Penguin Science education and outreach program, your students can follow breeding pairs of the penguins as they lay eggs and raise their chicks.Here’s a message about the new Penguins Science […]