Subjects
Arts & Humanities
--Language Arts
Mathematics
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--Life Sciences
----Animals
--Physical Science
----Earth Science
----Environmental
--Natural History
--Space Science
Social Studies
--Civics
--Current Events
--Geography
--Regions/Cultures
Grades
Grades 2-up
News Content
Ice melting in the Arctic is impacting life there and in other places around the world.
Anticipation Guide
Write these words on a board or chart.
Then ask what animals they think of when they think of the Arctic region. Among the animals students might mention are these, as listed in Wikipedia:
Herbivores of the tundra include the Arctic hare, lemming, and muskox. Arctic foxes and wolves prey on those species. The polar bear is also a predator, though it prefers to hunt for marine life from the ice. There are also many birds and marine species endemic to the colder regions. Other land animals include wolverines, ermines, and arctic ground squirrels. The reindeer, also known as the caribou when wild in North America, is an Arctic- and Subarctic-dwelling deer. Marine mammals include seals, walrus, and several species of cetacean -- baleen whales and also narwhals, killer whales and belugas. A narwhal is a medium-sized toothed whale, related to the beluga.
Note: Students sometimes mistake penguins as an Arctic species, but penguins are almost exclusively native to the Southern Hemisphere, especially Antarctica. They are not found in the Arctic.
News Words
Next, introduce these words that appear in the News Word Box on the students printable page: level, reflects, degrees, native, collapse, and depend . Discuss the meanings of any of those words that might be unfamiliar. Then ask students to use one of those words to complete each of these sentences:
Read the News
Click for a printable version of this weeks news story Arctic Winters Are Slowly Warming.
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More Facts to Share
You might share this image with students. The image shows Earth (looking southward from the North Pole). The shades of red indicate areas of Earth that were warmer than normal during the period 1965-1995. The blue areas were cooler than normal. This image only shows the 30-year period ending 1995, but the Arctic region has generally been warmer than normal during the 1995-2009 period too.
You might share these additional facts with students after they have read this weeks news story.
Use the News
Use the News: Answer Key
Comprehension Check. 1. d, 2. b, 3. b, 4. c, 5. a.
Vocabulary Builder. 1. d, 2. b, 3. a, 4. d.
Main Idea. Ice melting in the Arctic can impact life there and in other places around the world.
Assessment
Use the Comprehension Check (above) as an assessment. Or have students work on their own (in their journals) or in their small groups to respond to the Think About the News question on the news story page.
Lesson Plan Source
Education WorldNational Standards
LANGUAGE ARTS: English
GRADES K - 12
NL-ENG.K-12.1 Reading for Perspective
NL-ENG.K-12.2 Reading for Understanding
NL-ENG.K-12.6 Applying Knowledge
NL-ENG.K-12.7 Evaluating Data
NL-ENG.K-12.11 Participating in Society
NL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills
SCIENCE
GRADES K - 4
NS.K-4.1 Science as Inquiry
NS.K-4.2 Physical Science
NS.K-4.3 Life Science
NS.K-4.4 Earth and Space Science
NS.K-4.5 Science and Technology
NS.K-4.6 Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
GRADES 5 - 8
NS.5-8.1 Science as Inquiry
NS.5-8.2 Physical Science
NS.5-8.3 Life Science
NS.5-8.4 Earth and Space Science
NS.5-8.5 Science and Technology
NS.5-8.6 Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
GRADES 9 - 12
NS.9-12.1 Science as Inquiry
NS.9-12.2 Physical Science
NS.9-12.3 Life Science
NS.9-12.4 Earth and Space Science
NS.9-12.5 Science and Technology
NS.9-12.6 Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
SOCIAL SCIENCES: Civics
GRADES K - 4
NSS-C.K-4.5 Roles of the Citizen
GRADES 5 - 8
NSS-C.5-8.5 Roles of the Citizen
GRADES 9 - 12
NSS-C.9-12.5 Roles of the Citizen
SOCIAL SCIENCES: Geography
GRADES K - 12
NSS-G.K-12.1 The World in Spatial Terms
NSS-G.K-12.2 Places and Regions
NSS-G.K-12.5 Environment and Society
See recent news stories in Education Worlds News Story of the Week Archive.
Article by Gary Hopkins
Education World®
Copyright © 2010 Education World
01/07/2010