Wk 13 Polar Husky Superstars and You-Explorers!
Location: 41º9'N 86º6'W
Sawyer, Michigan, United States
Weather Conditions: Sunshine, 63°F (17°C)
Less than 24 hours ago, the Polar Huskies set paw back on the ground in the United States, returning from this year's expedition in Arctic Fennoscandia. While on the expedition trail, every morning the Polar Huskies got up, shook off the snow and became excited to pull the sled filled with sleeping bags, food, fuel, cameras, computers...oh, and not least, solar panels to power the delivery of the adventure learning expedition. The team stopped once a week for Education Day to beam up the weekly text and media to be posted at PolarHusky.com. On that note, 1st grade students at Neill Elementary figured that "solar energy comes from the sun." "We saw the solar panel being used on the trail and learned about green energy, temperature and fractions. We then made solar ovens so the kids could experience at least one way solar energy can be used," says Susan Mottinger (the pizza made in the oven was cut in 1/4's!). | ||||||||||||
"That's right, there is the other end of the 'adventure learning story,' exclaims Mille elatedly. "On the other end of the story are the students and teachers - more than 3300 classrooms in 26 countries around the world, learning and exploring." Miss Motinger commented, "The North Pole is at the top of the world. We learned that the earth turns around. We live on the continent of North America. Paul and Mille were on the continent of Europe!" If you only knew how these statements made my heart sing! "They make my heart sing too." says Aaron with a wide smile. | ||||||||||||
 | Paul continues, "It is a lot of work to get an adventure learning expedition underway. As we approached the departure sometime in early February, the thousands and thousands of hours crammed in by the entire team since the last expedition ended is many times overwhelming. But then, all we have to do is turn to the students and teachers. Like this year, it had been some extremely stressful days right up to the departure when I sat down to take part in one of the first expert chats. It was simply incredible to feel the energy and exhilaration from the students in the chat room online! I received a question from a student at Lourdes Hill College in Australia. I looked at the clock and realized that for this student, sitting in another hemisphere on the other side of earth it was 3 AM in the morning! These students were up in what was the middle of the night for them to take part in this GoNorth! chat. I was stunned and thrilled! It powered me right back up!" | |||||||||||
It is no doubt what powers students and teachers. It is the mighty Polar Huskies of course! Students from Crystal, Minnesota commented, "I liked the dogs. One of the dogs was named Lightning and one was named Thunder." (This exchange was apparently followed by some amusing conversation about which causes which :)). "The dogs have to be powerful, and they have to be brave! The Polar Huskies are strong, and they help each other." |  | |||||||||||
| Jeanne Simmonds' students posted (also lots of other great goodies) excellent research projects on Arctic Animals, one of which was "Sea Otters," the winning post in the 04: Climate Zone. Jeanne explains, "Working within the format of the module on flora and fauna in the Curriculum and Activity Guide, students' research focus on the habitat for each animal's niche or ecosystem within the Arctic, the diet, physical characteristics, adaptations and defenses, and any other interesting facts which they then present in a PowerPoint or Photo story 3 format." While winning brings in Waldies for Jeanne, the official GoNorth! 2008 poster for Robyn who authored the winning PowerPoint presentation and a Polar Husky Adoption for their choice of a Polar Husky Superstar for the entire class, Jeanne seems to have no doubt what the real value is: "Their computer skills have greatly increased and they are engaged in what they are doing! When students walk into the classroom at the very beginning of the day and ask, 'Can we do our Arctic Animal research?' there is little doubt as to their interest for learning when the right combinations are given to them." says Miss Simmonds. On that topic, 1st graders in Minnesota did their own research taking a close hands-on look at reindeer antlers. They concluded, "Reindeer have big antlers. Antlers are different than horns because they fall off." | |||||||||||
"This interest in the natural world is exactly what we hope to inspire with GoNorth!," says Aaron. Mille goes on, "Environmental stewardship are some big words. But, if the team being on the trail pushing the sled forward and yipping our way up and over the mountain tops in Fennoscandia spurs students to care about how we manage earth's resources, that is most magnificent to me. It makes it feel like we not just crossed the tundra, but we together are a small part in moving mountains!" Exploring the use of this year's focus resource - the forest, Miss Mottinger's class made recycled paper using Activity 3-1 "Paper Trail." "'Don't waste paper, or water. Please don't cut down all the trees. Recycle paper as much as you can - 7 times! The kids said this to the parents helping us, and then again when I asked them what they had learned from GoNorth! It's a start!" says Susan. | ||||||||||||
The 3rd graders at Woodside Elementary School in late-April went "green." They took on building their own 'trash people and animals' all inspired by 'Priscilla the trash person and her trash dog, Kitty!' and Activity 4-3.1 "Trash Talk." Celebrating Environmental Awareness Day to recognize Earth Day (April 22nd) and Arbor Day (April 25th), one activity was for all the third graders to collect recyclable trash and make their own 'trash beings!' 3rd grade teacher, Miss Simonsen, explains, "On Monday I sent home a note asking for clean recyclables and trash that the students could use to create their projects. The students brought in over 125 grocery bags full of recyclables and were ready to build. All the grocery bags were dumped out in my room and it looked like a recycling center. It was awesome! (Everyone loves a good mess.) There were containers, boxes, bottles, wrappers, etc... everywhere. The amount of 'trash' was up to the kids' knees. One class at a time came into my room and constructed their own animal, person, or object. Some kids worked individually and some kids worked in groups. I had 3 'Moms' manning the hot glue guns and between the 4 of us, we went through over 300 sticks of glue! Yikes! By the end of the day, all 112 3rd graders helped in creating a 'trash person, animal, or object. The kids had the time of their life. They became aware of the amount of 'trash' that 112 3rd graders and their families use in only a 4-day period!" |
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GoNorth! Teacher Explorer 2007, Jeff Sipper's class took a different spin on how we use our resources when they delved into the issue of plastic bags versus paper bags with Activity 3-2 "Paper and Plastic." "We first did the tests for strength and volume, analyzed the data and graphed our results. We then looked at resources and the question of waste with these products and decided 'NEITHER!' Reusable cloth bags are the best option at this point!" Sipper's class became involved in every aspect of GoNorth! and Jeff is one of those wonder-teachers who find sheer joy in carving ways to work across subject areas and making the adventure learning experience expand far beyond the classroom walls... | ||||||||||||
 | The Think Global Act Local subject of Module 4 in the GoNorth! Curriculum and Activity Guide is phenology. Pheno...-what? you might be asking yourself. Remember in Trail Report Week 11 when we reported that we saw the snowbuntings birds and that this means spring has arrived? Seeing (and reporting it) the snowbunting birds - that is a 'phenology' observation. Another example of a phenology observation would be that we had to stabilize our tents during strong over-night winds as we reported in that same report. Or the fact you reported it is so warm out that you don't need a coat when you go to school in the morning; or that you are wearing a swim suit at the beach! These 'phenology observations' are telling us something about the climate at that time in the place where it is being observed! | |||||||||||
Did you listen to the audio update by Paul last Sunday, April 27? Officially we are 'off the trail' but that sure does not mean we have not been busy traveling this week - and making observations! While Wendy reported 88˚ Celsius from her home in Los Angeles, California by last Sunday, Aaron had made it home to Minnesota just in time to experience the last snow storm of the year! And the report from Jukkasjärvi in Sweden: meltdown!!! 24-hour light, hot sunny blue skies, balmy +˚ temperatures and streams of water running from the melting snow - on land and on the ice. This also included a melting Ice Hotel! You might remember the Ice Hotel that we reported about in Trail Report Week 05 back when we first came to Fennoscandia in February? An entire hotel, chapel, beds, glasses and all built every year along the shore of and from the ice in the Torne River. Now, melting away and closed down to the public, we lucked out as Johan took us to see not just the incredible sight of this gorgeous structure melting back into the river, but also how the ice had now been 'harvested' from the river for the Ice Hotel! |  | |||||||||||
 | That was the last day in Arctic Fennoscandia for Team GoNorth! In the middle of the night (it was light already as if it was in the middle of the day that is!) the Polar Huskies leaped to be loaded along with the sleds and all the gear. We rode in trotting trainer's Preben Kjaersgaard's horse truck. He had come to pick us up and take us back to the airport in Stockholm, Sweden. Driving south we went from early spring to spring in full bloom, soon shedding our rubber boots, and not least the long underwear for a t-shirt-outfit. And the Polar Huskies: it is always remarkable to see just how easily the Polar Huskies seem to go from running tails-up and full-power forward into high winds - whipping across the tundra - to laying in the greens enjoying the warmth of a sunny spot. Yes, they are simply amazing. And so are you. The Polar Huskies are the Superstars as well as all of you out there exploring with adventure learning! You are explorers to be admired! We are proud to be part of your team, and we can't wait to go exploring with you again next year on the GoNorth! Greenland 2009 adventure learning expedition! | |||||||||||
To wrap up this adventure, join a GoNorth! team member to discuss this year's program on Tuesday, May 6 at 10 AM CST and on Tuesday, May 15 at 11 AM CST for some 'team chatting'! | ||||||||||||
See the Photo Album for more images from classrooms with adventure learning in action >> | ||||||||||||
