K-12 Education Overview
The CReSIS Education Team is working to integrate polar
science, particularly that related to glaciers, remote sensing,
polar ecosystems, and climate change data,
into science, math, and technology curricula through online
activities and information as well as face-to-face presentations
and workshops. Students and teachers can follow the work of
scientific teams at the Center and in the field; access lessons
and data on topics of interest; locate current news on environmental change and polar ecosystems;
experiment with climate-modeling activities; and develop lessons of their own. Also, we support enrichment programs for middle schools, particularly
those with primarily minority enrollment, involving weekly activities, faculty visits, and electronic
collaboration.
For Educators
Ice, Ice, Baby! Lessons and Activities
Ice, Ice, Baby hands-on activities are designed for K-8 students, many of which are easy to prepare and simple to teach. Science principles of properties of ice, displacement, pressure and density are taught through information about the polar glaciers and icebergs.
The Heat is On! Confronting Climate Change in the Classroom
Each summer, CReSIS offers professional development workshops for K-12 science teachers across the partner institutions. These workshops focus on global climate change, its impacts on the cryosphere, and the remote sensing techniques used at CReSIS. Participants in these workshops have the opportunity to meet and work with world class scientists addressing climate change and sea level rise issues and develop resources to use in the classroom.
K-12 Data Portal ( Verification and Evaluation in Process)
In an effort to connect teachers to real scientific data, the education team at CReSIS has developed the K-12 Data Portal. This website offers both data collected by CReSIS as well as by the broader scientific community including data on climate change and the cryosphere.
Climate Pathfinders
Climate Pathfinders is an after school program that involves students in action against climate change.
The website is being developed by students and will be available soon!
The education team at CReSIS gathered a large number of resources for teachers to use in the classroom. These resources include lessons, activities, images, movies, news articles and much more. They are organized by content and include resources on sea level rise, climate change, glaciers, polar regions, icebergs, International Polar Year, activities, data sets and school and community outreach.
CReSIS Teachers Listserv
Click here to join the CReSIS Teachers Listserv and be connected scientists and educators that address climate change and polar science. As a member of this listserv, you will receive information about news and events at CReSIS, news about polar science and climate change, sources of funding, and ideas for new lessons and activities. You will also be able to share your success stories, ask questions about challenges in your classroom, and share your great lesson ideas. Be sure to replace the text "firstname" and "lastname" with your first and last name.