Polar News and Notes Social Studies

Climate change, restrictions on fishing, competition from fishing fleets? Whatever the cause, the low numbers of a prized fish in the Yukon River threaten livelihoods and traditional lifestyles, according to an article in the New York Times on October 3, Scarcity of King Salmon Hurt Alaskan Fishermen. 
The king salmon fights its way up the Yukon […]

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 […]

Rick Holt, a 2008 Iditarod finisher, near Finger Lake. Photo courtesy of John Concilus.
It’s that time again – the 37th annual Iditarod Sled Dog Race across Alaska will begin at 10 am, March 7, 2009. This ceremonial start is in downtown Anchorage, with the competitive start (or “restart”) scheduled for Sunday, March 8, 2009 in […]

Jessica Fries-Gaither will present the workshop “Energy Sources of the Polar Regions” on Saturday, December 6 at the National Science Teachers Association regional conference in Cincinnati, OH. The workshop is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. in Room 211 of the Duke Energy Center. We hope you’ll join us for an interactive session exploring lessons and activities […]

A new month brings a new issue of the Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears cyberzine! The online magazine is written for elementary teachers to help develop their content knowledge of the polar regions and use best practices in integrating science and literacy instruction. Our second issue is called “Learning From the Polar Past” and provides […]