Module II-Natural History

Essential Question—How does knowledge of natural systems relate to the role of educators?

Seward, Alaska by W.Adams

When we look around, we see beautiful mountains, rivers, lakes, oceans, etc. It is important to understand how our surroundings impact us on a day to day basis. With this beauty comes responsibility. We must understand how to take care of and respect our land. Native Alaskans tend to be especially conservative when it comes to their surroundings simply because their survival depends on it. They use the waterways as transportation from place to place, for transferring and receiving goods, and most importantly, for food supply and nutrition. We need to teach the students how important it is to preserve our natural systems. It is important that they know the result of pollution and neglect. As educators, we get the opportunity to spend many wonderful hours with our students on a daily basis. We have lots of time to actively teach them the joys and responsibility of living in such a wonderful place.

With all of this beauty also come disasters. Alaska is prone to earthquakes, fires, tsunamis, floods, etc. It is equally important to teach students the causes of these disasters as well as the effects they have on our land. Which of these disasters can be prevented and which do we have no control over? What do we need to know if they occur? These are important questions that we, as educators, should be responsible for teaching our students. It is also important to enlist the support of the elders in the community. They tend to be passionate about their land so having their support in teaching our students about this topic (or any) is monumental. As educators, we have the power to make such a difference.

More information on Natural Disasters.

Examine Question—How are glaciers and sea ice different?

W. Adams trekking Matanuska Glacier

There are many different types of glaciers. Though they have been retreating, we still have tons of opportunity for glacial viewing in Alaska. A glacier is a large formation of ice formed when snow accumulates faster than it melts. Because of climate change, glaciers continue to get smaller and smaller. Many glaciers have signs indicating where the ice was in specified years. This is a real eye opener to see the changes that have occurred over the years. In Alaska, there are many valley glaciers and tidewater glaciers. These amazing formations bring tourists from all over the world.

Sea ice is frozen water. Because of the movement of the ocean, these chunks of ice can be formed into many different shapes. When freshwater nears its freezing point, it becomes less dense. Ocean water is quite the opposite because of the salt. When it nears freezing, the density of the water increases. Sea ice formation is much more time consuming than freshwater ice. This is because the salt water sinks away from the surface before it freezes. And because of the depth of the ocean, it takes a lot longer to reach the freezing point. About 15 percent of the world’s oceans are covered by sea ice throughout the year.

Here is everything you need to know about sea ice.

Extend Question—What kind of snow and ice data exists for your region?

Nenana Ice Tripod

Winter in Fairbanks typically starts in October and lasts until April. Sometimes it lasts longer and sometimes it is a bit shorter (likely the first of the two). The snowiest months are October-January. The average amount of snowfall is Fairbanks per year is about 67 inches. Average snow depth is 8 inches. Fairbanks data link. The average ice depth for the Chena River in Fairbanks is 27 inches for this time of year. Currently it is 24 inches thick. Click this link for more information on ice thickness. One exciting thing for all Alaskans to do is play the Nenana Ice Classic and guess when the river will break up. There are break-up logs and ice data available for the river from as far as back 1918. Nenana is about 45 miles from Fairbanks (toward Denali Park). I enjoyed the powerful YouTube video you posted of the river breaking up.

MODULE I Reviews--

Miss Mannen --Wendy did a nice job pointing out that awareness of place could be a matter of life or death especially in Alaska. I enjoyed hearing her stories about the North Slope as most of my work takes place in the interior.

Excited about Alaska -- Kelley did a nice job of using personal experience to emphasize the importance of place. I think the moose story she shared is a common sighting for many of us. Her blog is very organized and I like the pictures she chose to use.

Alaska - Learning the Culture and Natural History -- I like how Christy pointed out that "place" brings awareness to the connections we have among the people in our community. This is especially true in communities based solely on subsistence living. Her blog was easy and enjoyable to read.


Evaluation – The content of this module was interesting no doubt! However, it took me much more time to get through. There was a lot of great content but it was a little overwhelming trying to get a good grasp on all of it. I really enjoyed the YouTube videos you posted of the rivers breaking up. It is a great reminder of how powerful Mother Nature really is. I also loved all the pictures you posted, Clay. Great views!