This investigation allows students an opportunity to share their thinking. First, they practice in the classroom and then share their thinking and work as part of a classroom and/or whole school celebration of the Alaska Seas and Watersheds Curriculum.
Students use a stream table to model how melting glaciers impact stream flow, erosion, and habitats. Through hands-on experiments, they observe sediment transport, canyon formation, and siltation, analyzing the effects of increased glacial melt on landscapes and ecosystems.
Students take part in a simulation of water moving through the water cycle through various paths, visiting eight stations around the classroom. They record and reflect on their journey and then build simple water cycle models using ziplock bags or jars.
In this culminating activity, students will share their knowledge of the impacts of environmental change with others by creating a digital story of the potential effects of a warming climate in their community, the Arctic, and/or the Bering Sea.
Students compare historical and recent photos of their local environment to document physical changes over time. They analyze causes of change, predict future transformations, and discuss the impacts on ecosystems.