The "Arctic Web Pages" Mini-Project

Overview

Each group of 2-4 students will research an arctic topic from a list, build a small web page devoted to that topic, link the group’s page to other groups’ relevant pages, and advocate for change around an issue that is important to the topic.

Objective

1. Students will understand the complexity and vulnerability of Arctic ecosystems

2. Students will understand the current geopolitical and legal issues surrounding the opening of the Arctic Ocean due to climate change

3. Students will know the historical significance of the Northwest Passage

4. Students will understand the past traditions of the Inuit and the present challenges facing the Inuit

Preparation

This assignment is intended for classes who have a specific reason to care about the Arctic – for instance, their teacher will soon visit the Arctic through the PolarTREC program, or an Arctic scientist/explorer has recently visited the school.

Procedure

1. Read through the handout with students

2. Introduce the books and maps

3. Have each group draw a topic out of a hat

4. Assign and collect each group’s research notes

5. Assign and collect each group’s outline

6. Have the groups build and submit their web pages

7. Review and troubleshoot the pages – test the links

8. Have each group show off their site to the class

9. Grade the sites according to the rubric on the handout

Extension

Have each group identify a PolarTREC expedition/teacher that relates to their topic and use the “Ask the Team” feature on the PolarTREC web site to contact that teacher.

Resources

This assignment has been done by approximately a hundred 9th and 10th graders at Sir Francis Drake High School in San Anselmo, CA. Teachers contemplating assigning this project to their own students can view the Drake student work at Web site showing examples of student work:

http://drake.marin.k12.ca.us/academics/rock/Driving_NWP.htm

Assessment

A rubric for evaluating the web sites is included in the handout.

Credits

Michael Wing, wing [at] marin [dot] k12 [dot] ca [dot] us
Adapted from “How Cold is it?” Project Wild Curriculum (1990), State of Alaska Department of Fish and Game.