Week 3

Week 3:

The landscapes of our lives (both internal and external) shape us mentally, physically and spiritually.  The Teacher Domain (hereinafter referred to as TD) videos and interactives this week covered the range of biotic and abiotic influences.  In the material of biomes, new information for me was the major anthropogenic biomes – dense settlements, villages, croplands, rangelands, and forested areas (Wikipedia, Biome).  We study the biomes in 7^th grade science… but have never addressed it from this perspective.  I look forward to sharing these classifications and exploring them further. 

Another new concept for me was in the Beringia material.  I had never considered it from the aspect of “During cycles of global cooling, such as the most recent ice age, enough sea water became concentrated in the ice caps of the Arctic and Antarctic that the subsequent drop in … sea levels exposed shallow sea floors that have subsequently re-flooded.”  In class we discuss that there is a specific amount of moisture in the world, and variations based on its form and location… but I had never make the extension to Beringia.  It will definitely be a part of future discussions in my classroom.  The conclusion in the study by Hey (Wikipedia, Beringia) that “…only 70 [individuals] left their genetic print in modern descendants…” is a concept that may take some time to wrap my mind around.

The physics of phase change (how the land and elements impact a culture) definitely impact the resources a community has available.  Exploring the various communities through Google Earth really brought that home.

Kenai, AK May 2006 (Kenaitze - Dena'ina Athabaskan) (Google Earth)



Barrow, AK August 2005 (Google Earth)



Unalaska, AK  Sept. 2005 (Google Earth)



Hoonah, AK Aug. 2007 (Google Earth)



Fort Yukon, AK May 2008 (Google Earth)

                In On the Yukon River (TD), the question of “Have you eaten food?” equating to only fish illustrates the very intimate and ongoing connection the community has with fish.   The community has a very keen awareness of being stewards of the land.  In our 6^th grade science class, we are partnering with a local organization to do studies in the field.  As we have explored what impacts a healthy stream and have taken fieldtrips to a local stream, the concept of running your 4-wheeler through or down the stream bed having an impact on the fish population doesn’t seem to impact the “city kids” in our community.  If they depended on fish as their “food”, their perspective would very likely be quite different.  In Living from the Land and the Sea (TD), the tradition and value of passing techniques and knowledge (and the accompanying respect) from generation to generation is a concept that all communities (rural and urban) can benefit from.   The Spirit of Subsistence Living (TD) really brought home the differences between the holistic Alaska Native science and the isolated, quantitative and objective approach of the western approach.  I watched two additional TD resources:  Subsistence Culture Impacted by Climate Change and Losing Permafrost.  In Subsistence Culture… the issue of noticing subtle changes in climate and patterns (both biotic and abiotic) was discussed.  Often in our western world, action is often based on crisis decisions.  Losing Permafrost put forth the concept that as the permafrost melts and the climate warms, there is moisture loss to the air as well as to water percolating and shifting down to the aquifers which can result in the draining of lakes.  For inland peoples, that can have a major impact. 

                We are just now heading into our rock cycle and tectonic plates unit in science.  The interactive  TD resources Tectonic Plates, Earthquakes and Volcanoes;  Rock Cycle Animation; and Mountain Maker, Earth Shaker are very timely indeed.  We have been fortunate enough to get wireless netbooks  and each student will be able to “shake their world”.  I had never heard of the Yakutat Block referenced in Tectonic Plate Movement in Alaska.  I look forward to a bit more research in that area.

                This week there has been much “food for thought” as well as very useful tools to use in the classroom.  The additional resources listed on TD could very easily distract me for a very long time.  Having the folder to save to helps keep me “on track” because I know that I can come back for more exploration at a future time.

Three Colleagues:

               I look forward to finding out how I can access Dave's information on iWeb due to difficulties with Blogger.   Konrad made some very nice additions to the lesson with stories.  I agree with Eric E. about creating an awareness of perspective in our students.  We can't point them in a particular direction, but we can encourage and model widening their vision and seeking.