Danger in Our Backyard: Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis!

Explain ~ What new learning have you taken from this module?

In this module I have learned about the creation story of Hawaii and the controversy surrounding the astronomy site in Hawaii.  These were both things that I previously did not know about.  We used Google Earth several times in this module and I think that I can know say I feel comfortable with it and would now feel comfortable using it in my classroom. 

Image from Google Earth- real time earthquakes.

Extend ~ How can/will you use this week’s resources and/or others in your community in your lessons? 

There is emotion and excitement in watching a cataclysmic event and it catches our attention.  This module presented a lot of material that can be used to engage students and allow them to explore the material.  In addition, The Ultimate Guide: Volcanoes is a Discovery Channel video that highlights the dangers of volcanoes, the link is connected to a clip from the video.  The Alaska Volcano Observatory has an  interactive map that allows students to explore the Alaskan volcanoes.  It is similar to the TD resource, however, students can look at recent earthquakes, webcams, monitored and other volcanoes, and seismic stations, in addition there is more information stored within the website.

Image from Google Earth- real time earthquakes.

  Using the Resources

It could be a good exercise for students to create a emergency plan for the community they live in.  I would incorporate the stories of people that have lived through these cataclysmic events before and stories that have been passed down.  Students could use Google Earth to evaluate the surrounding landscape and decide how a earthquake, volcano, tsunami would affect the village/town/city.  Where would be a good location for people to gather?  What resources would still be available?  What would be the best escape route?  What community members would need assistance?  These are very relevant questions for a community that has the potential to face a natural disaster. 


Evaluate ~ how useful, insightful, or relevant are this module’s information and resources for you?  

The content presented in the module is very relevant living in the geologically dynamic state of Alaska.  It is also very relevant for people in other states, countries, and of various cultures.  Cataclysmic events have an ability to remind humans that we are small in comparison to the forces of the world and this feeling connects all people when these natural events occur. 

As I was going through this week’s module, I continuously thought about my travels in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.  The Galapagos were also created through the hot spot plumes.  The USGS has website that discusses hot spots and includes the map of the prominent hot spots in the world. 

Ecuador is home to several volcanoes due to the subduction of the Nazca plate under the South American plate.  One of these volcanoes is Tungurahua.  The video The Ultimate Guide Volcanoes shows the story of two foreign volcanologists that are trying to predict the eruption of Tungurahua and protect the
local community of Banos.  The community is evacuated, but the residence return when the volcano doesn't erupt.  The video ends and lives you wondering, what happens?  Does the volcano erupt?

Volcano in Ecuador, Kuehl

Google Earth Image- the town of Banos, Ecuador and Tungurahua.

And yes, eventually the volcano did erupt.  You can visit the youtube clip of the CNN broadcast or read the article also posted by CNN for more information.

In the video the volcanologist are outsiders, trying to warn people that have a long history connected to an area that there is was imminent threat to their life.  Would it have been different had the volcanologist been from Ecuador?  Or perhaps even from that region in Ecuador?  If the community had created an emergency plan and made provisions to safeguard the community upon evacuation, would it have been easier to leave?  When people have the ability to critically examine threats to their community and determine their own plan, the implementation is usually more successful and the results more positive.  

3 Colleagues

Dan Aldair referenced the PHet simulations.  Those are great for helping students grasp concepts- I have used them numerous times in my teaching!

Sabrina Sutton comments on Module II are very insightful.  Thank you very much for sharing your experiences growing up on Kodiak, at UAF, and then as an adult in Kodiak.  I also enjoyed the idea of the potluck for the new teachers to connect them to the local network of agencies and people.  As a new teacher that would have been awesome!


Marilyn thanks for introducting me to the Mac seismometer!  I am going to have to check it out!

3 Colleagues

Thank you Amy for including the information about the Yup'ik word for food (fish).  I also found that very significant when I was watching the TD video. 

Alison, you share a very unique perspective on living in Alaska.  Thank you.  I would imagine your sense of loss is shared.  In one of the videos, a parent was speaking about how there is less fish but they still go to the fish camp every summer.  They just spend more time playing in hopes that their children will still cherish fish camp and the tradition of going.  This sounds very similar to the way you are trying to share your experiences with your daughter the best you can.  Thank you for pointing out the information the lack of information given about still registering the aftershocks of the 1964 earthquake.  I found myself going... huh.. really?  Wow... how do they know is the the 1964 earthquake, and then yes, the film ended.     

Cheryl Explore Palmer!  The picture of your father-in-law in the crack from the 1964 earthquake is awesome!

Landscape Defines Culture

EXPLAIN

"The more we limit our options, the more we limit our ability to survive."  This quote, taken from the first TD film On the Yukon River, summarizes what I took from the module.  Alaska Natives have developed a deep understanding of the natural world around them that allowed them to survive off the land for thousands of years.  The understanding is complemented with spiritual reverence for the land and each animal within it.  The land and it resources provide for survival but also control survival.   All resources of the land were utilized but taken in moderation. 

What unique challenges do rural or urban Alaskan students face?   Although there are several challenges, one thing really hit me was the lack of understanding that urban and rural students have for their respective environments and cultures.  The Alaska Native culture, and Alaska as a state, depend upon the abundance natural resources that Alaska has to offer.  Understanding how the resources influence life and culture in rural Alaska, verses how the resources influence urban Alaska is very important.  Being able to see the point of view and culture of each unique place in Alaska is essential for developing and protecting Alaska’s future. 

Teaching in Anchorage, in a wealth of diversity with many cultures, many students do not know what it is like outside the city.  If they represent about half of the student population, how can we increase their awareness of the lifestyles around them?

EXTEND

The website of the Alaska Native Heritage Center, has a page titled

 Cultures of Alaska which has links to pages that give a brief and detailed overview of the five general groupings of Alaska Natives.   I found this link most helpful when considering how cultures were influenced by their landscape.   There are so many ways that the Alaska Native cultures, the way of life, have been shaped by the land.  Below is just a few that stuck out to me.

Compare the dwellings of the various groups based upon their locations.  If possible visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center because there are traditional housing for each group all set up.   The Uanagax & Aluutiq, as well as the Inupiaq had subterranean dwellings.  These groups resided in physical locations that made them extremely vulnerable to the elements.  Subterranean dwellings were sturdy and offered more protection from the weather.  The Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian of Southeast had large, cedar, long houses made from the wood of the abundant forest.  These structures were permanent and strategically located near freshwater and the ocean.  Unlike the dwellings of the Yup'ik, Cup'ik, and Athabascan people, who were often moving in pursuit of their food; traveling with the game, moving to rivers, and harvesting ripe berries.  The dwellings were not permanent and differed depending upon the season and location.  The geography of the land and the food provided shaped the physical structure that various Alaska Native groups lived in.

Two other resources that are very useful are the Alaska Native Knowledge Network and Alaskool.

EVALUATE

Module III was very informative.  I found the TD interactive lessons and videos about landform forces a great combination.  I was thinking about how I would use in the classroom and I wonder how do I make the interactive lessons available to all my students for individual navigation?

How are landscapes formed and how, in turn, are cultures shaped by their landscapes?  This question is one I have considered when I am traveling.  There are similarities between the cultures of places that are very far apart if they have similar landscapes and natural resources.  This only emphasizes importance of land on the culture of a people.  Pairing that cultural understanding with the scientific understanding of why is the Earth the way it is becomes a powerful tool to understanding the world around us.

Connections to Others

Just a few of the thoughts gained from reading other posts:

Esther commented on the theme of preserving the land as long as possible.  I agree that both ways of knowing are seeking to preserve the land and explain the land.  This provides common ground for using both ways of knowing.

Alicia used four words at the beginning of her blog that accurately describe this module,"learning, growing, reflecting, adapting".  In many ways both the western and traditional way of knowing incorporate these words.  By adapting and reflecting one is better able to allow both ways of knowing impact their life.

Thank you Debbe for such an informative and interesting post about Point Hope.  Your blog introduction caught my attention right away.  I grew up in Alaska, but being that it is such a large state I still have a lot to see and experience.  From your blog, I was able to see a glimpse of life in Point Hope.  I also noticed your photo of Tatilik and I had the opportunity to briefly visit two years ago, and it was a beautiful place.    

Everything is Connected~ Module II

Essential Question: 

How is everything connected from the perspectives of indigenous peoples and Western scientists? What are the advantages to knowing both ways?

I have been presented with the venn diagram and tables demonstrating the similarities and differences of traditional and western ways of knowing before.  However, that was as a pre-teacher.  Now as a practicing teacher, when I think about the ways of knowing I am reflecting on my current teaching practices rather than just philosophizing about it.  Do I faciliate the learning that is HOLISTIC and not compartmentalized?  Do I create a science classroom in which students see science as a tool in their lives and see themselves as capable of using it in the real world?  Do I support real life application when I really have very little experience in that myself? 

Both last year and this year, I have taught at least one integrated science class (foresnics and natural resources technology).  Classes in which the curriculum is set up to combined various disciplines of science.  In these classes I have enjoyed the intricacies of how all things are connected and helping students apply all disciplines of science and other subjects to solve problems.  But I also get overwhelmed, because my traditional way of knowing (the western way) means everything is compartmentalized and there have been few examples throughout my past of how to teach holistically.  In this module, I was reminded of how important it is to be able to integrate our knowledge and to transfer the knowledge from one situation to another.  I think all students benefit from seeing the application of their knowledge to the "real world".

Currently, in the courses I am teaching one of the best ways I believe for students to understand the application of science and to be able to picture themselves as scientists, is to connect students to other people.  This can be done through field trips (I will be taking my students to the state crime lab this year), guest speakers, or in class tutors.  In class tutors, such as college students studying in that field, are very effective as being role models and helping students see themselves in that role.  

Lastly, I see the use of Teacher Domain in my clasroom.  Using background essays and discussion questions to frame, focus, and follow up, are an effective way to utilize the short video clips in the classroom.  

Home ~ Forest, Ocean, and Community

Ketchikan, Alaska.
I grew up in Ketchikan and it will always be one of my favorite places.  The landscape is filled with islands covered with the lush, green forest that extends to the ocean.  It is truly spectacular (especially when it is sunny) and according to me, Southeast Alaska is one of the most beautiful places in the world.  I may be a little biased!  My parents did not grow up in Alaska, but there are families and friends in Ketchikan that have filled the role of my aunts, uncles, and cousins.  As with many places in Alaska, perhaps most places, the friends one makes become family for those whose 'real' family is thousands of miles away.  Now, as a young adult, building a life of my own in a new part of Alaska, I realized the importance of that community and the time it takes to develop.