This article assembles free resources from the Polar Oceans issue of the Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears cyberzine into a unit outline based on the 5E learning cycle framework. Outlines are provided for Grades K-2 and 3-5.

This article features children's literature about oceans - specifically the Arctic and Southern Oceans.

This article highlights children's literature about day and night, seasons, the aurora, and cause and effect for use in the elementary classroom.

This issue of the free online magazine, Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears, explores the plants that live in the polar regions as well as resources for teaching plant classification, life cycles, and adaptations.

This article assembles free resources from the Polar Plants issue of the Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears cyberzine into a unit outline based on the 5E learning cycle framework. Outlines are provided for Grades K-2 and 3-5.

This article features children's literature about plants and the plants found in the polar regions.

This article provides information about creating a plant or flower press and how this tool can enrich the elementary science curriculum.

This module focuses on ultraviolet radiation on Earth and in space and how it affects life. Learners will construct their own "martian" using craft materials and UV beads. They will explore how UV radiation from the Sun can affect living things, comparing conditions on Earth and Mars, and then discuss ways in which organisms may protect themselves from UV radiation. They will then take part in a Mars Creature Challenge, where they will change their creature to help it survive harsh UV conditions — like on Mars. They will then test their Mars creatures by subjecting them to different environmental conditions to see how well they "survive" in a martian environment. This investigation will explore shelter and protection as one of life’s requirements and how Earth’s atmosphere protects life from harmful UV radiation. It also includes specific tips for effectively engaging girls in STEM. This is activity 5 in Explore: Life on Mars? that was developed specifically for use in libraries.

This article discusses research findings about classroom questioning and provides tips for teachers and online and print resources.

Four Antarctica researchers describe how they keep warm while working in extreme cold, taking lessons from adaptations of wildlife.

In this problem-based learning module, students focus on issues related to understanding the nature and transmission of the Rift Valley fever virus, a virus that causes the death of large numbers of livestock in Kenya and in much of sub-Saharan Africa, and can also infect humans. This module is part of Exploring the Environment.

This article assembles free resources from the Rocks and Minerals issue of the Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears cyberzine into a unit outline based on the 5E learning cycle framework. Outlines are provided for Grades K-2 and 3-5.

This article highlights science lessons about mammals, mammal diversity and adaptations, and polar mammals. Literacy integrations and alignment to national standards are included.

Description:  This lesson was created for a 9th grade integrated biology/English classroom with a focus on out door learning.  In this lesson, students will practice their scientific observation skills and reflect on their experience in this out door observation activity.   Students will also take these initial observations and extend them in their writing as they explore various forms of figurative language.  Finally, the reflections will be posted on their blog for their classmates to view and respond to as we begin to practice feedback on each other's writing.

Note:  Before beginning this unit, decide on where students will house their blog posts to allow for feedback from peers.  Keep in mind the time students might need to spend developing and working with the blog before actually posting to it.   A Google Classroom discussion post may work as well, or even better.  Additionally, this lesson also addresses the NGSS Science & Engineering Practices.

This article provides a list of children's literature relating to the geography and characteristics of the Arctic and Antarctica.

This collection of fun facts is from Sharks and Rays: Myth and Reality, part of the Museum's Seminars on Science series. These distance-learning courses are designed to help educators meet the new national science standards. A brief explanation page is provided for the six fun facts: Did you know sharks can gestate for up to two years? Did you know sharks and rays don't have bones? Did you know sharks and rays are cosmopolitan in distribution? Did you know an individual shark can produce upwards of 30,000 teeth in its lifetime? Did you know shark skin, or shagreen, feels rough if you stroke it in one direction, but smooth if you stroke it in the other.

This article, written for students in grades 4-5, introduces the concept of albedo and describes the shrinking of Arctic sea ice. Modified versions are available for students in younger grades.

The purpose of this resource is to investigate the idea that every dynamic system has energy and matter in different forms.

Learners compare a life-size drawing of a Tyrannosaurus rex head and a full-size Sinornithosaurus body to understand that dinosaurs varied in size. Learners trace individual pieces of a dinosaur on paper and then work together as a group to arrange the pieces of the "puzzle". This is an opportunity to understand scale drawings as well as learn how to work as a group.

This article describes the energy that radiates from the sun, the concept of albedo, Earth's radiation budget, and the effect of decreasing albedo on Earth's climate.