On December 17, 2014, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its “Arctic Report Card: Update for 2014”. The Arctic Report Card has been issued annually since 2006. “It is a timely and peer-reviewed source for clear, reliable and concise environmental information on the current state of different components of the Arctic environmental system relative to historical records. The Report Card is intended for a wide audience, including scientists, teachers, students, decision-makers and the general public interested in the Arctic environment and science.”
The basic message of this report card is that “In 2014 we continued to see the impacts of a persistent warming trend that began over 30 years ago and which overlies significant year-to-year and regional variations. Central to the story are Arctic air temperatures, which continue to increase at a rate of warming that is more than twice as fast as at lower latitudes. This well- documented effect is called ‘Arctic Amplification’ of global warming.”
While much of the material on this website will serve as background information for instructors and tutors, there is ample opportunity for students to learn about the geography of the region, photosynthesis, primary production/food web, and climate issues. There are many charts, graphs, and other sources of data with which to practice analysis skills. There is an excellent 2 minute video available at the NOAA website: Arctic Theme Page: http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/index.shtml It is also available on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45NOi055rHU
There is also an excellent list of Arctic-related educational resources here: Arctic Theme Page: Educational resources http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/education.html