Module V
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How are climate, cultures, and oceans all connected?

What covers 70% of the earth's surface, absorbs and distributes thermal energy and contains 20 million tons of gold? You guessed it our magnificent ocean!

The sun's rays constantly heat the earth's surface, both land and water, and influence the seasonal changes and climate of a region. The climate of a region determines the type of culture an area has based on how people interact with their environment. For example seasonal changes determine the amount and type of food available for people to consume or gather for a specific amount of time. Climate and its various changes have a direct impact on the type of food, shelter, transportation and clothing a region uses to successfully coexist with the environment.
Natives understood, appreciated, and honored this interconnectedness with nature. Failure to heed the climatic conditions of an area could lead to serious consequences, even death to the people, animals and plants that share a particular region. History is loaded with man's attempt to tame the environment that ended with disastrous consequences that were chronicled through the oral traditions of Elders.

This was particularly true in Alaska where stories such as Into the Wild, and Ada Blackjack serve as reminders to future generations that man is not always in control no matter how much he wishes to be!


Having lived in North Carolina, Scotland, Hawaii, and now Alaska I am personally familiar with the climatic effects of the Gulf Stream. This year being no exception with the North Carolina mountains receiving more snow than Alaska!

I find it very heart wrenching to think that a mere 3 degree change in oceanic temperature can almost annihilate the subsistence way of living for Natives in Alaska depending on their location. Some in Fairbanks are encouraging people to already start exploring other ways of getting food since the food supply is getting more and more contaminated with pollutants. I recently had a supper of herring eggs and halibut enchiladas and wondered throughout the consumption if I was putting my health at risk!


As always education of our youth will have the greatest impact on the future of our oceans and the traditional ways of life. Here is a really cool website to help educate the young ones to ocean life. It has really cool podcasts, videos and web cams for students who are not fortunate enough to live near an ocean. http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/.

MODULE IV
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How do stories of cataclysmic events help inform students about geosciences and cultures?

Truth is always more interesting than fiction! Stories of cataclysmic events passed down through the rich oral traditions of Elders and eyewitness accounts adds a realistic tone to the event that surpasses any boring textbook account, especially if the person is about the same age as the reader. Oral first person accounts have helped fill in the details before such events were recorded. As American philosopher George Santayana once said;"Those who cannot remember the past are condenmed to repeat it" (from "Life of Reason I").

Cataclysmic events such as volcanoes,tsunamis,
and earthquakes have lasting impact on both the landscape and the human survivors that can endure for generations.

A town's buildings, libraries, works of art, and history can be severely damaged or completely lost in a matter of terrifying seconds. As was the case during the 1964 earthquake that struck Alaska with a magnittude greater than 10,000 Hiroshimo bombs on the morning of March 27th.

Towns such as Valdez and Girwood were forced to move the remains of their towns due to sinking. The worst damage was in Achorage, where whole streets dropped as much as 20 feet!
http://wulik.com/1964.htm

Populations can be dramatically impacted through lives lost, as well as residents so emotionally traumatized that they move away and never return as happened with some of the residents of Louisana following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

We must learn from the experiences of past survivors and plan how to better cope with such disasters in our future much like the Natives have survived them in the past.

Thermal imaging, infrared radiation, and seismiegraphs can help geoscientists better understand and plan for future problems. According to Richard M. Allen, (Professor of Geophysics @ UC Berkeley) scientists with just a 10 second lead on an earthquake can get planes and trains to slow down or stop which would hopefully lessen the amount of causalities.

"It's our responsibility to devise effective educational programs to ensure that the next generation does not forget" says Bernard. Its vital to teach our youth about local hazards and how best to prepare for them.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tsunami/wave.html

MODULE III

How are landscapes formed and how, in turn, are cultures shaped by their landscapes?

~EXPLAIN ~
Historically geologists thought floods,earthquakes,and land bridges accounted for the current location of our continents. However Alfred Wegener through exhaustive research of similar coastlines, plant and animal fossils, and rock types between continents surmised that the earth was once one huge continent known as Pangaea. He attributed the continental movement to centrifugal force or sun/moon gravitational forces. After his death, geologists determined that this supercontinent broke apart and the continents shifted to their current location driven by convection currents within the mantle. This gave rise to the modern concept of plate tectonics. That the entire earth's crust, both continent and ocean floor, is composed of large plates that are moving to shape our landscape.

Landscapes are formed from the constant, however slight, movement of the lithosphere caused by tectonic plate movement. Weathering and erosion then act on these landscapes to keep them in a constant state of flux. There are three different types of boundaries where these major plates meet that determine what type of landscape will be formed from the movement.

Divergent boundaries create new crust where two plates move away from each other and cause a rift that is filled with magma. These are usually located at mid-oceanic ridges and produce a denser oceanic crust.

Convergent boundaries can create valleys, ridges, and mountain ranges (Himalayas) where two plates of continental crust crash into each other. Sometimes the denser oceanic crust meets a continental crust causing the oceanic crust to slide under or subduct.

Transform boundaries are where two plates rub together causing extreme tension that is released in the form of earthquakes.

For generations different Alaskan native tribes have had to adapt to their unique environment to maintain their subsistence lifestyle. Cultures have developed a dependency on the landscape to meet a plethora of needs as well as maintain their cultural identity. When the landscape changes through the seasons and over time, they must adapt their habits in order to ensure their very survival. Landscapes and seasons determine the availability of natural resources which in turn determine the use of these resources for the tribe's survival.

One example is the salmon run and how a multitude of issues (pollution, water quality. over fishing at the mouth of the river etc.) affect its productiveness. If the salmon run is low for a particular year they must share the meager catch with the entire village, Elders first, to ensure food through the winter season. If they want to ensure their grandchildren will be able to enjoy the same subsistence lifestyle they must be a part of the management of the resource to ensure they have salmon for future generations to enjoy.

~EXTEND~
I would use the videos that I found on Teacher's Domain to help my students (particularly the visual learners) to understand the concept of plate tectonics better. Second graders would enjoy the interactive video Mountain Maker, Earth Shaker and the video Rock Cycle Animation to explore the natural world around them. I would bring samples of rocks found in Alaska to round out the unit.
~EVALUATE~

It was very thought provoking learning about how an entire village upstream can be adversely affected by the decisions and habits of others at the mouth of the river. Until this course I didn't appreciate the real threat of loosing the salmon fishing way of life for future generations based on current procedures.

A subsistence way of life forces people to "become one with nature" and to appreciate its power, diversity and constant state of flux over time. The rich oral experiences that are being passed down by the Elders to ensure this way of life doesn't vanish before future generations can experience it is also very intriguing to study. Natural cycles connect the people to the land and reverence for the land protects the habitats for future generations. The native core values of interconnectedness, sharing and respect for Elders are sorely lacking in our technology driven, indoor lifestyle!
I was invited to an Elder's home to eat a supper of salmon and salmon berries they had harvested from their home village of Nulatto. I wish I had taken this course beforehand to have enlightened my appreciation of the experience even more!