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How Our Arctic-Themed Art Contest Honors Young People’s Calls to Action

National Geographic Explorer Dr. Jennie Warmouth wrote this post. When I traveled to the Arctic Circle as a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow in 2019, my students at Spruce Elementary School followed along as I posted photos and stories from the field. For most, these daily snapshots provided a first glimpse into the Arctic’s pristine beauty and magnificent wildlife. My students responded with awe and wonder followed … Continue reading How Our Arctic-Themed Art Contest Honors Young People’s Calls to Action

Strategy Share: Stop Motion Filmmakers in the Classroom

How does one even begin to process the professional development of a lifetime as an educator explorer in Arctic Svalbard? Every waking minute was extraordinary, exhilarating, beautiful and captivating. My experiences included witnessing polar bears curiously checking out the humans, blue whales showing off their flukes, and juvenile Arctic foxes playing with their food. Continue reading Strategy Share: Stop Motion Filmmakers in the Classroom

Strategy Share: Environmental Stewardship Through Field-Guide Drawing

While on an expedition in southeast Alaska, I had the privilege of sharing the ship with several young naturalists. These enthusiastic participants in our expedition, ages 6-13, were especially passionate about identifying wildlife. I worked with them to observe, draw, and classify plankton captured with a small trawl net on one of our stops. In my own observations, I was also drawn to our shipboard Sibley’s Guide to Birds, an extraordinary resource for identifying various gulls, puffins, and other birds. Continue reading Strategy Share: Environmental Stewardship Through Field-Guide Drawing

Educator Spotlight: Protecting Our Prairies

Kathrina O’Connell led a cross-curricular project focusing on the human impact on prairie life. Her sixth-grade students collaborated with each other and with field experts to research conservation and maintenance of land, focusing on a part of their local prairie in northwestern Minnesota. They learned to hand-harvest, scarify, and plant seeds to support the growth of prairie grass. Continue reading Educator Spotlight: Protecting Our Prairies

Educator Spotlight: Sharing Diverse Student Stories

Maeve Hitzenbuhler empowered English language learners to share their migration journeys through drawing and writing. Students authored books, which they shared with the school and their community. Maeve’s National Geographic Educator Certification capstone project is titled Invisible to Visible. Continue reading Educator Spotlight: Sharing Diverse Student Stories