Summary
This resource is designed to help educators guide students through an inquiry-based exploration of Arctic amplification and greening. Students investigate trends in Arctic ice, warming, and greening, analyze phenology and permafrost changes, and conduct a hands-on lab modeling how surface type affects warming. Throughout the activities, learners develop skills in data interpretation, graphing, and scientific reasoning. The final task asks students to synthesize their understanding by creating a visual model of Arctic feedback loops, integrating observations from all parts of the assignment. Educators can expect students to gain a deeper understanding of positive feedback loops, climate impacts, and ecosystem responses in the Arctic.
Materials and Preparation
To complete this activity, students will need:
- Computers or tablets for viewing graphs and videos
- Graphing tools
- Lab materials for the “Arctic Changes Color” experiment:
- Desk lamp
- Shallow dishes
- White sugar
- Dark soil
- Colored water
- Thermometers
- Timers
- Rulers
- Notebooks for recording data
- Coloring tools for the visual model (optional)
Teachers should prepare by printing or distributing all worksheets and graphs, setting up and testing the lab materials in advance, previewing videos and online resources, and organizing classroom space for safe group work. Having drawing supplies and the word bank ready for Part 5 will help students create their visual models efficiently.
Learning Objectives
Opening Activity
Exploring the Arctic’s Hidden Cycle_Student Worksheet
To hook students in Part 1, the lesson begins with a striking graph showing rapid Arctic ice loss and increasing shipping activity, prompting curiosity about why these changes are happening. Students likely already know that the Arctic is cold, covered in ice, and sensitive to climate change. To access this prior knowledge, they create captions for graphs and complete see-think-wonder charts, allowing them to connect what they know about ice, temperature, and seasonal changes to the new data presented. This activity is also useful for teachers to assess the current knowledge and misconceptions their students might have.
This lesson engages students in exploring Arctic changes, focusing on ice loss, warming, and ecosystem shifts. Students begin by analyzing graphs of Arctic ice trends and shipping activity, using see-think-wonder charts and captions to connect data to prior knowledge and think critically about cause-and-effect relationships.
Students then do a hands-on lab modeling how snow, land, and water absorb sunlight differently, collecting data and graphing results to explore warming and feedback loops. They synthesize learning by creating visual models of Arctic changes, revising and discussing their models with peers to deepen understanding of climate, ecosystems, and positive feedback processes.
Activity Overview
This lesson engages students in exploring Arctic changes, focusing on ice loss, warming, and ecosystem shifts. Students begin by analyzing graphs of Arctic ice trends and shipping activity, using see-think-wonder charts and captions to connect data to prior knowledge and think critically about cause-and-effect relationships.
Students then do a hands-on lab modeling how snow, land, and water absorb sunlight differently, collecting data and graphing results to explore warming and feedback loops. They synthesize learning by creating visual models of Arctic changes, revising and discussing their models with peers to deepen understanding of climate, ecosystems, and positive feedback processes.
Reflection
Students will reflect on their learning by completing discussion questions on part 4.
The summative assessment in part 5 will serve as the primary measure of whether students have met the learning objectives. Teachers can evaluate if students can analyze data trends, explain feedback loops, and synthesize their understanding of Arctic changes through their completed visual models and written responses.
References:
This lesson draws on publicly available Arctic data and research, including graphs from Straits Research, NOAA and NASA satellite data, NEON phenology data and videos, and Arctic permafrost studies from Carbon Brief and Team Shrub.
Videos used in lesson:
TedED Phenology Video (3:40 min)
NEON video (3:22 min)
Standards:
Polar Literacy Principles:
Resource Developed By
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Made possible with funding by the U.S. National Science Foundation Award #2221990. The information contained here is those of the author(s) and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.