National Geographic Explorer in fast ice near the Antarctic coast. Photo courtesy of Jason Auch, National Geographic, Wikimedia Commons.

Polar Explorers

Highlights From Issue 18

(February 2010)

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Table of Contents

Polar Explorers, Issue 18 (February 2010)

Science Content Knowledge Who Got There First? The North Pole Controversies By Laura Kissel and Lynn Lay

Literacy Content Knowledge Differentiating at the Nonfiction Cafe By Tracey Allen and Clarissa Reeson

Feature Story Two Miles Below By Stephen Whitt

Across the Curriculum: Lessons and Activities Exploration Comes to Life with Orienteering, Geocaching By Jessica Fries-Gaither

Science & Literacy: Lessons and Activities Lessons and Activities About Exploration By Jessica Fries-Gaither

Off the Bookshelf Polar Explorers: Virtual Bookshelf By Kate Hastings

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Who Got There First?

The North Pole Controversies

By Laura Kissel and Lynn Lay

If you want to go somewhere you've never been, what do you do first? Pull up MapQuest on your web browser and input your destination? Or, do you have a GPS unit for your car? Maybe you use a printed map or an atlas. Back in the early days of polar discovery, none of these tools were available. In fact, much of the Arctic and Antarctic wasn't even mapped yet.

COMPETING CLAIMSIn 1909 a bitter controversy involved two American explorers, Frederick A. Cook and Robert E. Peary. Both claimed to be first to reach the North Pole on foot.

Finding the North Pole is tricky. Unlike the South Pole, which lies on a land mass, the North Pole is actually in a vast sea covered by floating ice. Since the ice is constantly in motion, planting a flag or otherwise marking the spot is futile. In addition, magnetic compasses are rendered useless in the polar regions due to the magnetic field at the poles. Determining one's position, then, is based on

calculations using a chronometer - basically a highly efficient time piece - and a sextant - a navigational instrument that allowed an explorer to compute latitude based on the position of the sun.

In September of 1909, Frederick A. Cook, a medical doctor from New York, announced that he and two Inuit companions had reached the North Pole on April 21, 1908. He claimed that bad weather conditions and drifting ice had prohibited his southward return and he and his companions were forced to winter over in an ice cave. A week later, Robert E. Peary, a civil engineer and a commander in the U.S. Navy, announced that he had reached the North Pole, accompanied by his long-time companion Matthew Henson, and he denounced Cook as a fraud. In any case, Peary had some very powerful sponsors, including the New York Times as well as the National Geographic Society.

Though Cook appeared to welcome Peary's announcement and was willing to share the limelight, Peary was furious at Cook's attempt to "steal" his victory. By all accounts, Peary was a driven man, and this was his third attempt at the North Pole. Henson, an African-

Science Content Knowledge

Top: Map of the North Pole. Photo courtesy of Gerardus Mercator, Wikimedia Commons. Middle: Robert Edvin Peary. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Bottom: Federick Cook. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

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American, had traveled with Peary on all of his "farthest north" expeditions. Though Peary recognized Henson's contribution to his success, stating, "Henson was the best man I had with me for this kind of work," he also minimized Henson's role after the fact.

Complicating the situation for Cook was that his claim to have been the first to summit Mt. McKinley (in Alaska) in 1906 had been called into question. Cook's critics felt that if he lied about Mt. McKinley, then certainly he was lying about the North Pole as well. It didn't take long for Peary's claim to overshadow the claim of the rather unknown Cook.

Shortly after they returned from the Pole, Cook and Peary each published their version of the truth in books that discussed their expeditions and discoveries in minute detail. The books became bestsellers and also fueled the public debate.

The burden of proof for polar discoveries lies on the explorer. Without modern methods of GPS mapping and plotting of locations, how was this done? Polar explorers during this time were expected to keep detailed, handwritten diaries of their travels, including navigational calculations. Unlike

today, when travelers might blog about their journeys to places unknown, taking hundreds of digital images and video along the way, polar explorers in 1909 were much more limited by their tools. Even radio transmission was limited during this time period; explorers had to get to the nearest populated city in order to share their discoveries with the world.

A lot of research and attention has been given to the Cook/Peary North Pole controversy over the last 90 years. Each side has its supporters as well as detractors. Some researchers have concluded that neither one actually got to the North Pole. It is fascinating that there seems to

be no end to the debate in sight, even after all of these years. Researchers continue the hunt for primary documents that might lead them to the answers. The Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program holds the papers of the Frederick A. Cook Society, while Cook's diaries and other personal papers are held in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Robert E. Peary's papers can be found in the U.S. National Archives in Washington, D.C.

CONTINUING CONTROVERSIESThe North Pole controversy does not end with Cook and Peary; fast forward from 1909 to 1926. By this time, technological advances changed the focus of polar exploration. Simply getting there was no longer the primary goal; scientific study of the polar regions included geological investigation, advances in radio transmission, weather observation, and continued mapping of the vast Arctic and Antarctic regions.

Richard E. Byrd, officially retired from the U.S. Navy, was a proponent of aerial investigation. He earned his pilot's wings after an injury to his foot forced him to redirect his naval career. After participating in the Greenland Expedition of 1925, Byrd believed more than ever in the feasibility of flight in the Arctic.

Science Content Knowledge

U.S. Navy Lt. Com. Richard E. Byrd. Photo courtesy of George Grantham Bain, Wikimedia Commons.

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Byrd was the commander of the aviation unit on this expedition. Though bad weather and mechanical breakdowns hampered the success of flight on the Greenland Expedition, Byrd continued to have faith that airplanes would indeed be successful in investigation of the polar regions.

In 1926, with the backing of the National Geographic Society and private donations from many influential people of the time, such as Edsel Ford, John D. Rockefeller, Vincent Astor, and others, Byrd was able to secure enough money to lease a ship and buy an airplane and all the needed supplies to embark on a north polar flight. Other major investors included the New York

Times, Current News Features, and Pathe News, a producer of newsreels. In exchange for their investments, Byrd signed contracts guaranteeing his story to the various media.

After extensive organization and planning, delays and complications, Byrd finally took off in his plane, the Josephine Ford, on May 9, 1926, at 12:30 a.m. Floyd Bennett did most of the piloting, with Byrd as navigator. The aerial navigator's role was complex, operating several instruments at a time. The sun compass (developed specifically for Byrd by Albert Bumstead of the National Geographic Society) was used to determine direction, a chronometer to find longitude, a bubble sextant for latitude, and smoke bombs and drift indicator to determine the influence of

wind on the plane. At 9:02 a.m., Byrd's calculations indicated that they were at the North Pole. After taking motion pictures and readings, they circled and returned to Spitsbergen, Norway.

Byrd received numerous honors for this accomplishment and became a public hero. The National Geographic Society examined Byrd's records and confirmed his navigational calculations and instrumentation as accurate. Almost immediately, however, some were skeptical of Byrd's accomplishment. Most doubters based their concern on the belief that the Josephine Ford was incapable of making the round-trip flight in only 16 hours. The most vocal skeptics came forward after Byrd's death in 1957. One even stated that Byrd's pilot, Floyd Bennett, confessed that he and Byrd had actually flown out of sight and circled until enough time had passed for Byrd to claim they had made it to the North Pole.

The North Pole flight controversy simmered for decades after Byrd's death. It was reignited in 1996 when an Ohio State University archivist, Raimund E. Goerler, discovered Byrd's North Pole expedition diary among Byrd's papers. The Byrd papers came to the Ohio State University in the mid-1980s, but remained unprocessed until the

Science Content Knowledge

U.S. Navy Lt. Com. Richard E. Byrd and aircraft. Photo courtesy of George Grantham Bain, Wikimedia Commons.

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1990s, when a U.S. Department of Education grant provided the funding to process the collection.

The diary went undiscovered for a time, probably due to the printed title, 'Diary, 1925. ' Indeed Byrd did use the diary in 1925; however, since he did not write on all of the pages, he used it again in 1926 and in 1927. Sometimes he corrected the printed date at the top of the page and sometimes he did not. Most entries are written in pencil and the entries are out of order chronologically. Some pages have notes and mathematical calculations, while several pages

show signs of erasure, though the erasures are not thorough and can easily be read. There are notes written by Byrd to his pilot Floyd Bennett, during the flight, due to cockpit noise which made it difficult to communicate verbally. It is apparent that Byrd used the diary as both a daily journal and a convenient notepad.

In light of the discovery of the diary, the existing evidence was analyzed and reanalyzed. Some believe that the erasures present evidence that Byrd was lying about achieving the Pole; others believe that this simply shows that he made a calculation error

and was correcting it. Various experts in navigation and astronomy studied the diary and its calculations and notes - and came up with different conclusions!

So how can we know whether Cook or Peary got to the North Pole first? And how can we say with certainty that Richard E. Byrd did or did not fly over the North Pole in 1926? These questions may be impossible to answer. However, researchers continue to study the collections of primary documents, hoping to find additional clues that will lead them to the answers.

Science Content Knowledge

RESOURCES

Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Programhttp://library.osu.edu/sites/archives/polar/onlineresources.phpRead about polar explorers and view images and online exhibits related to the history of polar exploration.

Our Polar Past: Using the History of Polar Exploration in the Science Classroomhttp://www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/4/tst09_076_09_47This article from The Science Teacher, a member journal of the National Science Teachers Association, presents research on the best resources and strategies for incorporating polar exploration history into the science classroom. Though the article is aimed at high school science

teachers, teachers of all grade levels will benefit from the article's timelines, lists of polar biographies, and general instructional strategies. The article is free for NSTA members and $0.99 for nonmembers.

The Frederick A. Cook Societyhttp://www.http://www.cookpolar.org/geography4kids.com/files/land_intro.htmlInformation about Frederick Cook and the continuing controversy surrounding his claim of reaching the North Pole in 1909.

ExploraPoleshttp://www.explorapoles.org/index.php?/polar_explorers/This page from the International Polar Foundations web site profiles current polar explorers. Pictures and short biographies are included.

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NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS: SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARDSThe entire National Science Education Standards document can be read online or downloaded for free from the National Academies Press web site. The content standards are found in Chapter 6, http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=4962&page=103.

While explorers are usually part of a geography or social studies curriculum, including lessons on polar explorers (past and present) can also meet the History and Nature of Science Content Standard for grades K-4 and 5-8:

K-4 History and Nature of ScienceScience as a Human Endeavor

• Science and technology have been practiced by people for a long time.

• Men and women have made a variety of contributions throughout the history of science and technology.

• Although men and women using scientific inquiry have learned much about the objects, events, and phenomena in nature, much more remains to be understood. Science will never be finished.

• Many people choose science as a career and devote their entire lives to studying it. Many people derive great pleasure from doing science.

5-8 History and Nature of ScienceScience as a Human Endeavor

• Women and men of various social and ethnic backgrounds - and with diverse interests, talents, qualities, and motivations - engaged in the activities of science, engineering, and related fields such as the health professions. Some scientists work in teams, and some work alone, but all communicate extensively with others.

• Science requires different abilities, depending on such factors as the field of study and type of inquiry. Science is very much a human endeavor, and the work of science relies on basic human qualities, such as reasoning, insight, energy, skill, and creativity - as well as on scientific habits of mind, such as intellectual honesty, tolerance of ambiguity, skepticism, and openness to new ideas.

History of Science• Many individuals have contributed to the

traditions of science. Studying some of these individuals provides further understanding of scientific inquiry, science as a human endeavor, the nature of science, and the relationship between science and society.

• In historical perspective, science has been practiced by different individuals in different cultures. In looking at the history of many peoples, one finds that scientists and engineers of high achievement are considered to be among the most valued contributors to their culture.

PIGICEBERGS. Photo courtesy of Galen Dossin, U.S. Antarctic Program, National Science Foundation.

Science Content Knowledge

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Differentiating at the

Nonfiction Cafe

By Tracey Allen and

Clarissa Reeson

It seems that, wherever we go, we are always developing different ways to reach our students in order to help them achieve. In fact, it happened again just the other night when we met for dinner at a local restaurant. The restaurant is known for being quite a culinary experience. It is different from the steak and seafood restaurants our husbands love, and vastly different from the pizza parlors our daughters enjoy.

Once we were seated, we carefully began perusing the menu, looking for the entrée that would satisfy our palates. As we both gave our orders, we felt a sense of pleasant anticipation of what was to come. We had selected different entrées, similar appetizers, and the same beverage. At this point we both realized that, although we recognize the power of choice and decision-making in our personal lives, we rarely offer our students that gift in the classroom setting.

We understand that selecting foods in a restaurant is far different from learning in a classroom, but the idea of “choice” is the same and ultimately empowering to the individual. We would never expect all of our students to choose the same entrée from a menu; however, day after day we give students the exact same activity to complete without taking into consideration their learning styles or preferences. Why is that?

This need for choice led us to develop a learning menu that would be meaningful, flexible and empowering to each learner. Our “Nonfiction Cafe Menu” (see Resources to the right) can easily be integrated with any nonfiction text.

As indicated on the front of the menu, each student has $50 to spend at the café and must choose a balanced meal (i.e., one item from each category). As students peruse the menu and decide on an activity to complete, they inevitably choose a task that interests them, thus creating a desire to delve into their task with vigor. It is this power of “choice” that awakens the desire for all students to learn and ultimately succeed.

RESOURCES

Nonfiction Cafe Menuhttp://onramp.nsdl.org/eserv/onramp:18323/Nonfiction_Cafe_Menu_Final.pdfThis menu can be printed and copied back to back (double-sided) for student use as a post-reading set of differentiated activities. See the directions for more information.

Nonfiction Cafe Directionshttp://onramp.nsdl.org/eserv/onramp:18323/Nonfiction_Cafe_Directions.pdfDirections for copying and folding the Nonfiction Café Menu.

Two Miles Belowhttp://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org/issue/column.php?date=February2010&departmentid=literacy&columnid=literacy!featureUse the Nonfiction Cafe menu in conjunction with this month's Feature Story, which explores how robots are helping scientists learn about a mountain range deep under the Arctic Ocean.

Two Miles Below Literacy Sethttp://rs1.contentclips.com/ipy/fwd/ipy_1002_set_lit_6040.htmlEverything you need to get started with the Nonfiction Cafe - print and electronic versions of this month's Feature Story, “Two Miles Below”, and the directions and menu for the Nonfiction Cafe.

Literacy Content Knowledge

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Two Miles Below

By Stephen Whitt

What is the most isolated place on Earth? One good answer is a mountain chain at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean.

Two miles below the frozen surface of the Arctic Ocean lies the Gakkel Ridge. It is one of the most difficult places on Earth to explore. Think about the obstacles.

First, there are two miles of very cold water on top of it. The pressure of all this water is enormous. An ordinary submarine would be crushed like an eggshell. Second, the water at this depth is pitch-black. If you want to see here, you'll need to bring your own light. Third, there's a thick block of ice

between the water and the sky. If you need to come to the surface quickly, you'll likely find a wall of ice between you and the nearest oxygen.

And yet scientists are now exploring this new frontier. The scientists can't visit the Gakkel Ridge themselves. Instead, they send robots.

The names of these robots don't make one think of cold water or deep oceans. PUMA stands for "plume mapper." This robot uses sound, lasers, and chemical sensors to spot underwater volcanic plumes (the black smoke that rises from volcanoes). JAGUAR is PUMA's partner. Once PUMA spots a plume, JAGUAR travels to the spot. JAGUAR hovers over the plume, gathering images and information.

The robots work with little direction from the scientists on

This nonfiction article is written for use with upper-elementary students (grades 4-5). Modified versions are available for students in grades K-1 and grades 2-3, or any student needing a simplified version. As always, consider the reading level and needs of your students when selecting a version for classroom use.

At each grade level, the article is available in three forms. Printable pdf files allow you to print this story in either text-only or a foldable book format. A partnership with Content Clips has allowed us to create electronic versions of the articles. Your students can read along as they listen to the text - a wonderful way to support struggling readers! Literacy templates and related resources provide suggestions for integrating this story with your science and literacy instruction.

Interested in other nonfiction articles for your students? Browse all twenty sets from the Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears collection at http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org/information.php?topic=stories.

Stories for Students(and Teachers)!

Feature Story

Two miles below the Arctic Ocean is a mountain range called the Gakkel Ridge.

Map courtesy of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

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the surface. PUMA and JAGUAR are dropped into the water through a hole in the ice. Hours later, the robots must, on their own, find that hole once again. If the hole would only stay in the same place, the job would be easier. But ice moves. The hole might have drifted several miles, might have changed shape, might even have closed up since the robots went into the water.

Even worse, it is difficult to communicate through water.

The scientists say it is easier to operate a robot on Mars than to keep track of their robots below the ocean. Radio waves easily travel through empty space. Water absorbs radio waves.

In warm water, that problem can be solved with a tether. But in an ice-covered region, shifting ice sheets can snap tethers. If that happens, the robot is lost.

Without tethers or radio waves, PUMA and JAGUAR have to be smart. They must make good choices. They must decide where to go and what to study.

They must know how to get back home. So far, they've performed beautifully.

And what have the scientists and their amazing robots found? Wonder! The animals of the Gakkel Ridge have been isolated for millions of years. In that time they've changed in unexpected ways. Perhaps the most exciting animal sighting was a new kind of Dumbo octopus. Flaps that look like elephant ears project from the creature's head. The octopus gently moves its flaps to swim.

One day another animal swam into the view of the robotic camera. This animal looked like a sea cucumber with a fish's tail. Scientists still have no idea what this creature might be.

Gakkel Ridge's volcanoes are still active. Since 1999 three of

Scientists use a helicopter to find PUMA

and JAGUAR. Photo courtesy of Woods

Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Feature Story

Scientists drop the robots through a hole

in the ice. Photo courtesy of Woods Hole

Oceanographic Institution.

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them - named Odin, Thor, and Loki - have erupted. The robots discovered glass scattered about the ocean floor. The glass isn't human-made pollution. Instead, it is left over from the eruptions of these hot, active, underwater volcanoes.

Today we send robots to faraway planets and moons. Yet there are still places to discover right here on Earth. The Gakkel Ridge is one of those amazing places.

Glossaryhovers - floats in the air over one spot

isolated - alone and far away from other things and places

obstacles - something that stands in the way

tether - a rope or chain to hold an object or animal in place yet allowing it to move in short circles

LITERACY TEMPLATESIn this month's literacy content knowledge article, we discuss a fun way to differentiate instruction with any informational text. Print and use the Nonfiction Cafe Menu to engage your students as they read "Two Miles Below!"

Nonfiction Cafe Menuhttp://onramp.nsdl.org/eserv/onramp:18323/Nonfiction_Cafe_Menu_Final.pdfThis menu can be printed and copied back to back (double-sided) for student use as a post-reading set of differentiated activities. See the directions for more information.

Nonfiction Cafe Directionshttp://onramp.nsdl.org/eserv/onramp:18323/Nonfiction_Cafe_Directions.pdfDirections for copying and folding the Nonfiction Cafe Menu.

RELATED RESOURCES

Dive and Discover: Expedition 11: Gakkel Ridgehttp://www.divediscover.whoi.edu/expedition11/index.htmlThis site from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution provides teachers and students with information about the 2007 expedition referenced in "Two Miles Below." Archived daily updates, interviews with scientists and crew, slideshows, videos, and activities are all included. A great supplement to our Feature Story!

Expedition 2: Arctic Seafloorhttp://polardiscovery.whoi.edu/expedition2/index.htmlInformation, images, and video from the 2007 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's expedition to the Gakkel Ridge.

Feature Story

Remotely operated vehicle containing a

video camera, SCINI. Photo courtesy of

Stacy Kim, US Antarctic Program,

National Science Foundation.

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Exploration Comes to Life

with Orienteering, Geocaching

By Jessica Fries-Gaither

Bring the essence of exploration to your classroom with hands-on activity such as orienteering and geocaching. Both provide opportunities for students to learn about exploration by developing compass and map skills.

Orienteering involves using a compass and a map to travel from one point to another. Geocaching, on the other hand, involves using a GPS (global positioning system) device to locate "caches," or containers, that hold a logbook and small prizes. The finder signs the

logbook and may elect to take an item from the cache, replacing it with another item. Hundreds of thousands of caches around the world are tracked online at the official geocaching web site, http://www.geocaching.com/. Both orienteering and geocaching are popular hobbies, and teachers should find a wealth of resources and enthusiasts in their local areas.

While incorporating these types of activities can require extra time and effort (and possibly even a field trip), teachers can find support through local orienteering clubs or geocaching enthusiasts. Individuals may be available to conduct presentations or help design and run an activity for students. Some clubs and parks offer orienteering activities for families as well. Ask parents at your

school - you might be surprised to find several geocachers and orienteers represented!

Orienteering and geocaching clearly align with social studies standards involving the use of maps, but they can tie into other curricular areas as well. Math, reading, and writing are often incorporated into these activities, as are physical education and cooperative learning. Teachers can extend the literacy components of both activities by having students write directions or create a class geocaching book to document the activity or leave at a cache. Most simply, orienteering and geocaching allow students to practice the skills and experience the concept of exploration firsthand.

We've provided links to some resources that may help you incorporate orienteering and geocaching into your classroom.

Across the Curriculum: Lessons

Orienteering. Photo courtesy of Scott Ableman, Flickr.

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ORIENTEERING

Organizing a Class Orienteering Eventhttp://www.ocin.org/school/Teachkt.pdfThis article provides an overview of how to create an orienteering event for students. Includes ideas for curricular connections such as mathematics and map skills.

Teaching Mapping and Orienteering Skills to Young Childrenhttp://www.nipissingu.ca/faculty/nancym/EDUC4294/Handouts/MAPPINGORIENTEERINGSKILLSPJSocialStudies.docThis web page provides activities that help students develop mapping skills. Several activities can be conducted within a classroom with few resources.

Orienteering: Map Skills (Grades K-4)http://www.eduref.org/Virtual/Lessons/Physical_Education/Outdoor_Education/OED0001.htmlIn this lesson, students use a map to locate six landmarks, write explanations of how maps are helpful, and write directions based on a map.

The Amazing Race (Grades 3-5)http://www.pecentral.org/lessonideas/ViewLesson.asp?ID=3578A physical education lesson plan in which students locate sites and symbols on a map. No compass work is involved in this particular lesson. Could be adapted for use with younger students.

Orienteering for Kids (Grades 5-6)http://www.science.sjsu.edu/yis/orienteering_for_kids.htmIn this module, students follow written directions and maps to specific locations, use a compass, and work with topographical maps.

GEOCACHING

Geocaching 101http://www.kidzworld.com/article/6549-geocaching-101An overview of geocaching.

Geocaching Kidshttp://www.geocachingkids.com/This web site describes the who, what, where, and how of geocaching. The site is appropriate for upper-elementary students. The site also includes links to two educational geocaching projects.

Kids Are Cachers Toohttp://www.todayscacher.com/2004/mar/kids.htmlThis article from the ezine Today's Cacher describes educational geocaching from the perspectives of a fourth-grade student and a high school teacher.

Geocaching for Kidshttp://www.homeschooling-ideas.com/geocaching-for-kids.htmlWhile written for homeschoolers, the suggestions in this brief article are well worth considering for teachers wanting to incorporate geocaching into their classrooms.

Geocaching.comhttp://www.geocaching.com/The official geocaching site. Free registration and the ability to find geocaches around the world by entering your postal code or address.

Across the Curriculum: Lessons

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Lessons and Activites

About Exploration

By Jessica Fries-Gaither

Including a unit on polar explorers in your curriculum can do much more than engage students with a fascinating subject and meet social studies standards. You can incorporate discussions of technology, both past and present, and scientific principles such as astronomy, ecosystems, and environmental change. The study of explorers is also based on literacy skills - reading, writing, and discussion all naturally align with this type of unit. Finally, lessons might also target the History and Nature of Science content standard, of the

National Science Education Standards as many explorers also made detailed observations of the environment and conducted scientific studies while traveling or after returning from an expedition.

In this article, we've highlighted lessons and activities about exploration in general as well as polar explorers. We've identified resources that go beyond the traditional research assignment, such as creating a scrapbook, a papier-mache map of an expedition, or an explorer's tool kit. A little creative thinking will go a long way in terms of engaging students and incorporating higher-order thinking skills into the unit. Some other ideas for enhancing your study of explorers:

• Compare and contrast two expeditions (historic and modern-day, in different locations) orally, using a graphic organizer, or in writing.

• Create a video re-enacting an expedition or a significant discovery.

• Conduct a mock interview of an explorer - as a skit, video, podcast, or newspaper or magazine article.

• Discuss how the success of an expedition should be evaluated. Many expeditions failed to meet their initial goal, but made unexpected, yet significant, discoveries along the way. Should these expeditions be considered successful? Why or why not?

Science & Literacy: Lessons

James Ross Island captured by NASA

photographer James Ross. Photo

courtesy of NASA, Wikimedia Commons.

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EXPLORATION (GENERAL)

Be An Explorer Every Day! (Grades K-5)http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/activities/08/index.htmlStudents make an exploration tool kit to explore their local surroundings. A great way to introduce or supplement lessons on historical exploration.

This activity meets the following National Geography Standard:

• Standard 8: The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth's surface.

Lessons of the Explorers (Grades 2-5)http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson162.shtmlThis article from the Education World web site takes students beyond simple biographies by asking them to consider personal characteristics of explorers and decide which explorers they most and least admire. Not a lesson in and of itself, but ideas to revise and supplement existing lessons.

Cyberspace Explorer: Getting to Know Christopher Columbus (Grades 3-5)http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=126This lesson supports third- through fifth-grade students' exploration of multiple online sources to gather information about the life of a well-known explorer, Christopher Columbus. After completing a cyber-scavenger hunt, students use their notes to prepare a timeline and summary report. Extension activities promote critical literacy by exposing students to Columbus from the perspective of the Native American and by engaging them in a discussion of point of view. The online activity used in this lesson can easily be adapted to study polar explorers.

This lesson meets the following NCTE/IRA Standards: 1, 2, 5, 8.

Explorers' Experience (Grades 5-8, modify for Grades 2-4)http://www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/2365/Students discuss the concept of exploration. They research a famous explorer and create a papier-mache map to represent the explorer's journey.

This lesson meets the following National Geography Standard:

• Standard 1: How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective

POLAR EXPLORATION

Brrr! Expeditions to the North and South Poles (Grades 3-5)http://www.firstladies.org/curriculum/curriculum.aspx?Curriculum=1407The purpose of this lesson is to acquaint students with the first successful explorations of the North and South Poles through a study of the four men who led them. Students will present their research on posters or with PowerPoint presentations. Note: This lesson is modified from the Polar Expeditions lesson for grades 6-8, found at http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/polarexpeditions/.

This lesson plan addresses the following standards from the National Council for the Social Studies:

• II. Time, Continuity, and Change

• III. People, Places, and Environments

• VIII. Science, Technology, and Society

• IX. Global Connections

Science & Literacy: Lessons

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Polar Explorer Activity (Grades 2-5)http://www.polartrec.com/resources/activity/polar-explorer-activityStudents research an explorer and create a "dangling string" (similar to a mobile) with key information and highlights from the expeditions of that explorer.

This lesson plan addresses the following standards from the National Council for the Social Studies:

• II. Time, Continuity, and Change

• III. People, Places, and Environments

• IV. Individual Development and Identity

• VIII. Science, Technology, and Society

• IX. Global Connections

Polar Expeditions (Grades 6-8; modify for Grades 3-5)http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/polarexpeditions/Students learn about the polar expeditions of the early 1900s, research a single polar explorer, and create a scrapbook documenting the expedition. While the lesson was written for students in the middle grades, it could easily be modified for upper-elementary students by substituting appropriate web sites (Enchanted Learning has, http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/, Arctic and Antarctic explorer pages) and children's literature (see our bookshelf for suggestions on page 17).

This lesson plan addresses the following standards from the National Council for the Social Studies:

• II. Time, Continuity, and Change

• III. People, Places, and Environments

• IV. Individual Development and Identity

• VIII. Science, Technology, and Society

• IX. Global Connections

To The Ends of the Earth: Research in Polar Seas (Grades 6-8; modify for Grades 3-5)http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/01/g68/earth.htmlIn this lesson, students will learn about famous explorers of the polar regions and create a log of their own simulated journey to the Arctic or Antarctica. While the lesson was written for students in the middle grades, it could easily be modified for upper-elementary students by substituting appropriate web sites (Enchanted Learning, http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/, has Arctic and Antarctic explorer pages) and children's literature (see our bookshelf for suggestions on page 17).

This lesson addresses the following National Geography Standards:

• Standard 1: How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective

• Standard 8: The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth's surface

These lessons align to several standards documents, including:

National Science Education Standards

http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=4962&page=103

National Council for the

Social Studies Standardshttp://www.socialstudies.org/standards/strands

National Geography Standardshttp://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/

standards/matrix.html

NCTE/IRA Standards for the English Language Arts

http://www.ncte.org/standards

Science & Literacy: Lessons

17

I, Matthew Henson: Polar Explorer. Carole Boston Weatherford. 2008. Nonfiction Picture Book. Grades K-5.Double-page pastel illustrations

show the many obstacles-both physical and social-that Matthew Henson faced before realizing his dream of reaching the North Pole. The large pages are perfect for reading and sharing aloud.

Keep On! : The Story of Matthew Henson. Deborah Hopkinson. Nonfiction Picture Book. Grades 1-5.Matthew Henson was only 13 when he tried out his sea legs. It

was his experience as a sailor that led him to join Robert Peary's expedition-and together they became the first non-native people to reach the North Pole.

The Search for the Northwest Passage. Jill Foran. 2005. Nonfiction. Grades 4-5.Offering vocabulary words, a timeline and a comprehension

quiz, this book presents the historical motivation for seeking the Northwest Passage and the explorers who hoped to make their fortune by finding it. Even today, the Northwest Passage has limited usefulness as a trade route, but with global warming impacting the ice packs, the passage may be open for more months out of the year.

ARCTIC EXPLORATION

Off The Bookshelf

Since ancient times, people have wondered about what would be found in the northernmost and southernmost parts of our world. Later, many men and women risked their lives hoping to find something there that would make them wealthy or famous. Even today scientists and travelers take risks to learn a little more about the secrets these frozen places hold. One of the last great mysteries on Earth.

Polar Explorers:Virtual Bookshelf

By Kate Hastings

18

Polar Explorers for Kids. Maxine Snowden. 2004. Nonfiction. Grades 2-5.This book presents polar explorers chronologically and offers hands-on activities in each chapter.

Women Explorers in Polar Regions. Margo McLoone. 1997. Nonfiction. Grades 3-5.Beginning by defining what an explorer is and the challenges explorers face, this book

introduces readers to five explorers most of us have never heard of. From gold-rush heiress Louise

Boyd to travel writers Agnes Cameron and Ida Pfeiffer, to nurse Kate Marsden, to modern-day athlete Helen Thayer, each woman had reasons for traveling to the poles.

Polar Exploration: Journeys to the Arctic and Antarctic. Martyn Bramwell. 1998. Nonfiction. Grades 3-5.This DK Publishing book provides an overview of

exploration in both polar regions. Students will appreciate the numerous colorful illustrations, diagrams, and quotes from explorers.

ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Polar Explorer! Jen Green. 2000. Nonfiction. Grades 3-5.Readers take part in Ernest Shackleton's expedition to cross Antarctica by way of the South

Pole. His ship becomes stuck in the ice and the crew is forced to haul their belongings behind them in sleds made of lifeboats. Crew members are lost when ice thaws and cracks in half in the middle of camp. Other treacherous events are detailed, and the reader learns some of the techniques the explorers used to survive. Comic-bookish illustrations make this an enjoyable read.

Discovering Antarctica: The People. June Loves. 1998. Nonfiction. Grades 3-5.Surprisingly, Antarctica was a mystery to European explorers and was not officially sighted or

mapped until 1820. Students will learn about Captain James Cook's initial voyages inside the Antarctic Circle, the first explorers to set foot on "land," and the race to be the first expedition to find the South Pole. Today Antarctica is the site of international, collaborative research, with multiple bases where scientists gather data. Photos and maps show students the locations of historically significant expeditions and how camps have evolved technologically over time.

Off The Bookshelf

POLAR EXPLORATION

19

Into the Ice. Lynn Curlee. 1998. Nonfiction. Grades 4-5.From the ancient Greeks and Romans to the Europeans and Americans, the North Pole was a mysterious place to be

conquered for its resources and potential for swift trade routes. Unprepared for the harsh environment, many missions failed due to poor diet, disease and lack of resources. Boats became trapped and crushed by the ice packs; some explorers attempted to travel over the ice on skis. Swedish explorer Salomon Andree even tried to travel by balloon. Made easier by the invention of the airplane, exploration turned to the South Pole in the early 1900s.

Pioneering Frozen Worlds. Sandra Markle. 1996. Nonfiction. Grades 4-5.So what do scientists do at the poles, anyway? Learn what technology has allowed

scientists to explore the poles and what they are studying. The poles are a great place to test robots and vehicles for space exploration. Scientists study polar animals-what they eat and where they go. Scientists are learning about ice and how it melts. Core samples are being taken to study the climate and geological history of our planet. There's a whole lot going on in the coldest places on earth!

Face to Face With Penguins. Yva Momatiuk and John Eastcott. 2009. Nonfiction. Grades 3-5.Two award-winning photographers traveled to the

Antarctic to meet and photograph a variety of different species of penguin. The impact of global warming on penguin colonies is discussed. Readers will learn some fun facts. Did you know penguin poop is often pink? Or that penguins can jump as high as 6 feet to get out of the water?

The Last Polar Bear. Jean Craighead George. 2009. Fiction Picture Book. Grades K-3.The ghost of a polar bear leads a Native child and his

grandmother to an ice floe where the bear's cub is stranded. On their journey, they discuss the impact of global warming on the polar bear's habitat.

PENGUINS AND POLAR BEARS

Off The Bookshelf

About Us

Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears is an online professional development magazine for elementary

teachers. It prepares teachers to integrate high-quality science instruction with literacy teaching. The

magazine is available for free at http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org.

Twenty thematic issues link polar science concepts to the scope and sequence of elementary science

curricula. The result is a resource that includes issues devoted to day and night, seasons, plants and

mammals, erosion, and other physical, earth and space, and life science concepts. Some issues are

also interdisciplinary, focusing on polar explorers, the indigenous people of the Arctic, and the

challenges of doing science in the polar regions. To browse the complete archive of issues, visit

http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org/archive.php.

Other project features include a companion blog (http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/polar) about polar news

and research, a polar photo gallery (http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org/photogallery/index.php) and a

podcast series (http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org/podcast/index.php).

Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears is funded by the National Science Foundation under Grant No.

0733024 and is produced by an interdisciplinary team from Ohio State University (OSU), College of

Education and Human Ecology; the Ohio Resource Center (ORC) for Mathematics, Science, and

Reading; the Byrd Polar Research Center; COSI (Center for Science and Industry) Columbus; the

Upper Arlington Public Library (UAPL); and the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) Core

Integration team at Cornell University and University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR).

Copyright January 2011. Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears is produced by an interdisciplinary team from Ohio State

University (OSU), College of Education and Human Ecology; the Ohio Resource Center (ORC) for Mathematics, Science, and

Reading; the Byrd Polar Research Center; COSI (Center for Science and Industry) Columbus; the Upper Arlington Public

Library (UAPL); and the National Science Digital Library (NSDL). This material is based upon work supported by the National

Science Foundation under Grant No. 0733024. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in

this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Content

in this document is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Printed version layout

and design by Margaux Baldridge, Office of Technology and Enhanced Learning, College of Education and Human Ecology,

The Ohio State University. For more information email: beyondpenguins@msteacher.org.