Lesson Title: Environmental Issues in the Polar Regions

Adapted from: National Geographic Xpeditions

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/05/g912/polarregions.html

Grade: High School

Duration: 1 week

TEKS: Environmental Science 5 (c, d, e, f), Environmental Science 8 (a, b, c, d)

Lesson Overview: The polar regions are frequently neglected in discussions of the environment, but they should not be. The environment of the polar regions is particularly susceptible to human impacts such as pollution and the depletion of the ozone layer. Moreover, the effects of global warming on the polar regions are likely to have major repercussions in the rest of the world. Students will learn about how environmental problems affect the polar regions, and they willcreate magazine ads to educate the public about these problems and to convince people to pay more attention to human impacts on the Arctic and Antarctic.

Objectives:

Students will:

· Review their knowledge of the polar regions.

· List environmental problems they’re familiar with, and check the ones they think affect the polar regions.

· Research and answer questions about environmental issues affecting the polar regions.

· Discuss their findings.

· Create magazine ads to encourage the public to support environmental protection of the polar regions.

Materials:

· wall map of the world

· Internet connection

· drawing materials

Resources:

· Canadian Arctic Profiles

· National Geographic Xpeditions Activity: The Arctic and Antarctic Circles

· The Science of Ozone Depletion

· Warnings from the Ice

Advance Preparation:

· Ask students to point out the polar regions on a wall map, and then ask them to describe some of the differences between the Arctic and the Antarctic.

· If their understanding of these differences is minimal, have them read information at the National Geographic activity and some of the links provided on that Web page.

Procedure:

1. Ask students to list some of the environmental problems they have heard about, either locally or in other parts of the world. Then have them place checks next to the ones they think might affect the polar regions.

2. Have students place two checks next to any environmental problems they think might impact the polar regions more severely than other parts of the world. Discuss the lists as a class.

3. Have students hypothesize the reasons why certain environmental problems might have particularly severe impacts on the polar regions.

4. Have students use the Web sites listed and additional Internet or print resources to find out about environmental issues that affect the polar regions. As they conduct their research, they should answer the questions below.

Questions to answer:

· What is the ozone hole, and what are its effects?

· How does global warming affect the polar regions, and what implications might this have for the rest of the world?

· What types of pollution threaten the polar regions, and why are these regions frequently more sensitive to pollution than other parts of the world?

5. Discuss students’ findings as a class. How are global environmental problems affecting the polar regions? Why are the polar regions particularly sensitive to environmental degradation?

Evaluation:

· Point out that, since the polar regions are very sparsely inhabited, many people are unfamiliar with the characteristics of these areas and don’t think about these parts of the world when they consider human impacts on the environment.

· Ask students to think about the reasons why it would be beneficial for more people to be aware of environmental concerns in the polar regions.

· Have them create public-interest magazine advertisements that aim to convince the public to support environmental protection in the Arctic and Antarctic. Their ads should include information they have gathered in their research and must mention both the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

· Have students create “environmental fact sheets” that could be given to members of environmental organizations, politicians, or the general public to educate them about specific environmental issues concerning the polar regions. The fact sheets should describe the causes, effects, and predictions for the environmental problems students have learned about in this lesson.

The Arctic and Antarctic Circles

Scientists search for secrets in Antarctica, where the ocean partially solidifies into pancake–shaped ice formations. Photograph by Maria Stenzel

Your Mission

Explore the ends of the Earth—the Poles—to compare and contrast each region.

Briefing

The North and South Poles have lured explorers for over a century. While both of these regions are mysterious, fascinating, and of course cold, they have a number of important differences.

The Arctic, where the North Pole is, is an ocean surrounded by landmasses. Here, you might find animal life such as polar bears, reindeer, and foxes. While many people think snow when they hear “Arctic,” in fact much of the Arctic is tundra (treeless plains characterized by low shrubs; black, mucky soil; and, deeper down, permanently frozen soil) and boreal forest (woodlands made up mostly of evergreen trees and shrubs that bear cones, such as pine cones). A wide variety of plant life can survive in the Arctic, including mosses, lichens, and hundreds of flowering plants.

By contrast, the Antarctic, where the South Pole is found, is a continent surrounded by oceans. While the Arctic is cold, the Antarctic is even colder—only 2 percent of it is not covered by ice. Temperatures there have been recorded as low as -128.6 º F, (-89.22 º C)! It is so cold that there are only two species of flowering plants that can survive. But many animals live here, such as penguins and many species of seals and whales, including the orca, or killer whale.

So are you up for the challenge? Get your gear packed and your (warm!) parka zipped. Be sure to take lots of pictures and keep your notes in a journal. You have some pretty big snowshoes to fill, since explorers like Ernest Shackleton and Robert Peary have ventured before you. Perhaps they missed something. What will you discover?

F A M I L Y - X  F I L E S

Younger Xpeditioners: Decide whether you would rather head to the North or South Pole. After your “visit,” create a poster based on what you discover. Be sure to include information on the animals and terrain that you would find only on the ocean or continent that you have selected. Once you are finished, head in the other direction and create a poster based on what you encounter on the other end of the Earth. Share your posters with your family and friends.

Older Xpeditioners: Environmentalists worry about the effect that ozone depletion will have on our planet. Without the ozone layer people are vulnerable to the ultraviolet rays of the sun, which damage the skin. Ultraviolet radiation also causes negative effects on plants and marine ecosystems. Your task is to create an advertising campaign suggesting things that you and your friends can do to prevent ozone depletion. Share your ideas with your family, classmates, and friends.

Parents: Discuss with your children some of the actions that your family has taken to keep our water and air clean. Some of the chores that children are already doing, such as separating recyclables, may be great for the environment, but your child might not understand why. Help him or her understand how his or her actions affect the Earth.