Just wanted to wish everyone a happy holiday season from the top of the world! We are on winter break (it's three weeks long, we return to school on January 7th).
We decided to stay here over break since it's tough flying in the winter in Alaska with two dogs. We have been relaxing and enjoying the time off. The weather turned really cold though--negative 30 for a few days! That seems to be the major cutoff when you feel the intense cold. Today it is warmer, at only four below right now.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Monday, December 3, 2007
So Busy!
Sorry for the sporadic posting again--things have just been so busy! We had our big basketball tournament this past weekend where the village kids came in to play our middle schoolers. The kids had a great time.
This week we have a band concert for our school on Thursday, and there is a big craft fair at the Inupiat Heritage Center this weekend. We are looking forward to checking out the handmade Inupiat Eskimo crafts. No doubt there will be a lot made with baleen, polar bear fur, fox fur, and much more.
Today in Inupiat class at school, the teacher brought in a seal and the class cut it up right there in the classroom. One of my reading students video taped the whole process, and she was trying to email the video to me. It's certainly not for the weak stomached, but it is quite interesting. The locals will eat the seal meat and use other parts for lots of different things.
Challenge this week: Find three facts you didn't know about seals.
This week we have a band concert for our school on Thursday, and there is a big craft fair at the Inupiat Heritage Center this weekend. We are looking forward to checking out the handmade Inupiat Eskimo crafts. No doubt there will be a lot made with baleen, polar bear fur, fox fur, and much more.
Today in Inupiat class at school, the teacher brought in a seal and the class cut it up right there in the classroom. One of my reading students video taped the whole process, and she was trying to email the video to me. It's certainly not for the weak stomached, but it is quite interesting. The locals will eat the seal meat and use other parts for lots of different things.
Challenge this week: Find three facts you didn't know about seals.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Out of the Turkey Haze and Back to Work
I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving break (to my USA readers) and are well rested after eating way too much! We had off from school on Thursday and Friday. Mr. Tundrateacher and I cooked a big dinner and had another teacher over to join us. Everyone made sure that people who were up here alone had somewhere to go for the holiday. We spent the day eating, relaxing, eating, watching movies, and eating. The rest of the weekend was pretty lazy for us, which was just what we wanted. We have three weeks of school now until our holiday/winter break.
This coming weekend is a big basketball tournament that is being hosted at our school. Kids from all the villages that are part of our school district come in to play. They are staying at the school while they are here. We will be running the school store during the tournament.
Also, Saturday is the annual craft fair held at the elementary school. I am hoping to get a chance to go and see if there are some native crafts to buy for gifts and for ourselves.
This week's challenge: Find out the names and population of the other villages that are part of the North Slope Borough.
Have a great week! And to my anonymous commenter on the last post--please feel free to email me. My address is over on the right.
And below is a photo from our Apple Mini Camp the other week--we were in costume from the play of "The Three Little Foxes and the Big Bad Polar Bear".
This coming weekend is a big basketball tournament that is being hosted at our school. Kids from all the villages that are part of our school district come in to play. They are staying at the school while they are here. We will be running the school store during the tournament.
Also, Saturday is the annual craft fair held at the elementary school. I am hoping to get a chance to go and see if there are some native crafts to buy for gifts and for ourselves.
This week's challenge: Find out the names and population of the other villages that are part of the North Slope Borough.
Have a great week! And to my anonymous commenter on the last post--please feel free to email me. My address is over on the right.
And below is a photo from our Apple Mini Camp the other week--we were in costume from the play of "The Three Little Foxes and the Big Bad Polar Bear".
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Darkness
We have lost our sun. The sun will not rise again until mid-January. It isn't quite "midnight dark" all the time, but it's not even really twilight-light.
Some people have trouble with the constant darkness. In fact, there's actually a name for it called Seasonal Affective Disorder, where people get very depressed and even have physical symptoms. We never really minded the darkness. The daylight in the summer is actually tougher for us.
I will try to take a picture at noon one of these days and post it so you can see how dark it is.
Some people have trouble with the constant darkness. In fact, there's actually a name for it called Seasonal Affective Disorder, where people get very depressed and even have physical symptoms. We never really minded the darkness. The daylight in the summer is actually tougher for us.
I will try to take a picture at noon one of these days and post it so you can see how dark it is.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Apple Camp
Sorry I haven't posted--we were so busy last week with our Apple Mini Camp! Some people from Apple came up to help lead a short camp where the students went to training sessions on various programs like iMovie and GarageBand, then each group came up with a project. We showed the projects to the community on Friday night.
My class rewrote the fairy tale "The Three Little Pigs" and made it set in Barrow. They did a great job with it! Then we turned it into a reader's theater script and created a podcast of it in Garage Band with some still photos. It was lots of fun, and really exciting to see what all the other groups came up with.
This week we have school for three days, then we get Thursday and Friday off for Thanksgiving. Everyone is excited for the break.
My class rewrote the fairy tale "The Three Little Pigs" and made it set in Barrow. They did a great job with it! Then we turned it into a reader's theater script and created a podcast of it in Garage Band with some still photos. It was lots of fun, and really exciting to see what all the other groups came up with.
This week we have school for three days, then we get Thursday and Friday off for Thanksgiving. Everyone is excited for the break.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Wait, what was that last thing you said?
In the announcements after school yesterday, the secretary warned us all to be careful if we were walking home because five polar bears were spotted heading into town.
The excitement of living at the top of the world!
The excitement of living at the top of the world!
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Getting Colder
The ocean has started to freeze up some more. It's not totally frozen yet, but there are lots of icebergs floating around and some patches of ice across the water. I NEED to get out and get some pictures this week before it freezes completely. This week we are supposed to finally see some temperatures in the single digits. I don't think it's really been below the teens yet (at least not much, if at all) so we will start bundling up more.
Mr. Tundrateacher and I both have heavy parkas with fake fur ruffs around the edge of our hood. These help keep us warm. When we are going to be outside for an extended period of time (like walking somewhere or out for an activity), we wear Carhart overalls to keep us warmer. We both have decent boots, heavy gloves, and knit hats with flaps over the ears for protection against the wind. Some teachers who spend a lot of time walking outside get crampon type things to clip onto their boots for better traction on the ice.
In honor of our snowy flighted friend, this week's challenge is to learn three interesting facts about the snowy owl.
**Special note to my New Zealand reader: If you email me at the address on the right, I can give you more information about finding teaching jobs in Alaska (if you are seriously interested).
Mr. Tundrateacher and I both have heavy parkas with fake fur ruffs around the edge of our hood. These help keep us warm. When we are going to be outside for an extended period of time (like walking somewhere or out for an activity), we wear Carhart overalls to keep us warmer. We both have decent boots, heavy gloves, and knit hats with flaps over the ears for protection against the wind. Some teachers who spend a lot of time walking outside get crampon type things to clip onto their boots for better traction on the ice.
In honor of our snowy flighted friend, this week's challenge is to learn three interesting facts about the snowy owl.
**Special note to my New Zealand reader: If you email me at the address on the right, I can give you more information about finding teaching jobs in Alaska (if you are seriously interested).
Friday, November 2, 2007
Great Sighting!
Yesterday, Mr. Tundrateacher and I saw our first snowy owl! We were driving by a small field near our school and Mr. T said, "Wait a minute, that snow pile is looking at us!" It was an owl just sitting in the middle of the field. As if that weren't cool enough, the owl then took flight and went pretty much right over our car. It was amazing! And quite huge. We were both surprised at its size. We definitely need to keep an eye on our dogs (particularly SoCo, the littler one) because we both thought the owl was capable of getting her if it really wanted to. Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera at the time, so I will post someone else's picture:
The picture from Wednesday is of an Arctic Fox. Sadly, we did not take that photo either. I actually don't think we've seen a fox here yet. We used to see foxes in the interior village we taught in a few years ago, but we haven't seen an Arctic one here. One of my commenters said the kids have been seeing them around town, so hopefully we'll catch a glimpse.
We're all glad it's Friday (although the teachers at our school have inservice tomorrow). We showed a movie as a reward for the kids who met their first quarter reading goals after school today. It was fun to hang out with them outside of class.
Tomorrow is also a big carnival sponsored by the Rotary Club at our district's elementary school. Lots of the kids and community members attend for games and fun.
The picture from Wednesday is of an Arctic Fox. Sadly, we did not take that photo either. I actually don't think we've seen a fox here yet. We used to see foxes in the interior village we taught in a few years ago, but we haven't seen an Arctic one here. One of my commenters said the kids have been seeing them around town, so hopefully we'll catch a glimpse.
We're all glad it's Friday (although the teachers at our school have inservice tomorrow). We showed a movie as a reward for the kids who met their first quarter reading goals after school today. It was fun to hang out with them outside of class.
Tomorrow is also a big carnival sponsored by the Rotary Club at our district's elementary school. Lots of the kids and community members attend for games and fun.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
Monday!
The costume dance was a big hit with our middle schoolers on Friday. We had lots of kids participate. It was also the end of our Red Ribbon Week, so we had a dual theme with "Say BOO to drugs". The students took part in a poster contest and an essay contest for Red Ribbon Week.
Saturday was filled with intramural basketball games. Mr. Tundrateacher's team had to play twice. Unfortunately, they lost both games. But the teams had fun, and Mr. Tundrateacher took the boys out for pizza afterwards.
There are several restaurants here, but our favorite is called Northern Lights. They have lots of different choices on their menu, and their pizza is the best in town (in our opinion).
The weekly challenge this week is to figure out how many hours of daylight Barrow is having right now. We are slowly starting to lose our sunshine.
Saturday was filled with intramural basketball games. Mr. Tundrateacher's team had to play twice. Unfortunately, they lost both games. But the teams had fun, and Mr. Tundrateacher took the boys out for pizza afterwards.
There are several restaurants here, but our favorite is called Northern Lights. They have lots of different choices on their menu, and their pizza is the best in town (in our opinion).
The weekly challenge this week is to figure out how many hours of daylight Barrow is having right now. We are slowly starting to lose our sunshine.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Fluffy Flakes
The weather has been so wonderful these last two days! It has been snowing big, fluffy snowflakes and hasn't been too terribly cold and not windy at all. I love weather like that!
This Friday, there is a dance at the middle school. We have one once a month. This one is our costume dance for the approaching Halloween. A reader from down south wanted to know if the kids celebrate Halloween--yes, they do. The kids are very excited for the costume dance, and most of the kids in town will go trick-or-treating.
Saturday is going to be filled with intramural basketball games. The kids live for that, too.
Other things our kids like to do are ride snowmachines, four wheeling, play outside with friends, go to Boys and Girls Club to play games, and go to the town rec center.
Have a great weekend!
This Friday, there is a dance at the middle school. We have one once a month. This one is our costume dance for the approaching Halloween. A reader from down south wanted to know if the kids celebrate Halloween--yes, they do. The kids are very excited for the costume dance, and most of the kids in town will go trick-or-treating.
Saturday is going to be filled with intramural basketball games. The kids live for that, too.
Other things our kids like to do are ride snowmachines, four wheeling, play outside with friends, go to Boys and Girls Club to play games, and go to the town rec center.
Have a great weekend!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Arctic Desert
Sorry I have not posted a lot lately--I'm still playing catch up from being out of town. We also had an inservice day on Saturday, which made the weekend fly by more quickly than usual! Saturday was also our first day for intramural basketball. Basketball is really big with all the kids here. The middle school only has intramural teams, plus a traveling varsity team for basketball that fundraises to be able to fly out to a big tournament each fall. Mr. Tundrateacher is coaching a team this year. Unfortunately, they didn't win their first game, but everyone still had a good time. Next Saturday, we will take the boys out for pizza after the game.
One of the commenters, Cavatica, pointed out that our average annual snowfall is actually less than where she lives. I happen to know where she lives, and it is not in Antarctica! She lives in an average, four seasons of the year, lower 48 state. And she is absolutely correct--we do not get as much snowfall as many places in the lower 48. Each year, Chicago gets way more snow than we do.
So why is that? The Arctic is actually considered a desert because of the amount of precipitation we get here. However, it is not so much because it is too cold to snow. Snow can occur even at very cold temperatures, but most snowfall occurs at temperatures just below freezing since warmer air can hold more water vapor, which is necessary for the white fluffy stuff. The air here can be very dry, and does not hold a lot of moisture, which is why it does not snow as much.
When we do get snow, though, it falls and does not melt--it stays with us throughout the winter and spring. So it appears as though we have more snow than most places because it is always around!
This week's challenge: Check out the average temperature and snowfall for three different towns in Alaska and compare them.
One of the commenters, Cavatica, pointed out that our average annual snowfall is actually less than where she lives. I happen to know where she lives, and it is not in Antarctica! She lives in an average, four seasons of the year, lower 48 state. And she is absolutely correct--we do not get as much snowfall as many places in the lower 48. Each year, Chicago gets way more snow than we do.
So why is that? The Arctic is actually considered a desert because of the amount of precipitation we get here. However, it is not so much because it is too cold to snow. Snow can occur even at very cold temperatures, but most snowfall occurs at temperatures just below freezing since warmer air can hold more water vapor, which is necessary for the white fluffy stuff. The air here can be very dry, and does not hold a lot of moisture, which is why it does not snow as much.
When we do get snow, though, it falls and does not melt--it stays with us throughout the winter and spring. So it appears as though we have more snow than most places because it is always around!
This week's challenge: Check out the average temperature and snowfall for three different towns in Alaska and compare them.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Back in Barrow
The trip to Anchorage was great! I loved the literacy conference, and was able to meet one of my favorite reading people. I also shopped more in three days than I have in three years, I think. Alaska Air Cargo has wonderful rates so you can buy lots of groceries and have them flown up way cheaper than through the post office. Very good deal!
Yesterday when I arrived home, it was very windy, but the ocean was still clear of ice as far as you could see. However, today on the way home from work, we could see sheets of ice all across the horizon in the ocean. The sea will start to change drastically each week now. I always like when the big icebergs start to come in, so hopefully I'll see them soon and get some good pictures.
This week's challenge is to find the average snowfall in Barrow each year and compare it to the average yearly snowfall of your town.
Yesterday when I arrived home, it was very windy, but the ocean was still clear of ice as far as you could see. However, today on the way home from work, we could see sheets of ice all across the horizon in the ocean. The sea will start to change drastically each week now. I always like when the big icebergs start to come in, so hopefully I'll see them soon and get some good pictures.
This week's challenge is to find the average snowfall in Barrow each year and compare it to the average yearly snowfall of your town.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Off to Anchorage
I am headed to the state literacy conference tomorrow, which is in Anchorage this year. We have to fly out any time we go to a workshop or conference. We will also build in some time to shop for cheaper groceries. I won't be able to post until I get back (Monday) so have a wonderful weekend!
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
More Whales
Later in the day on Sunday, two more crews got whales. One of them was over 44 feet long! They stop whaling after three strikes in one day. It is quite a long process to cut all the whales up and distribute the shares. So many people from town were out to watch and to help. It's definitely a time for celebration in this village.
The crews will continue to whale on the days that the weather permits. They are allowed ten whales total for the village each season. The kids who have lived here their whole lives still get very excited when a crew gets a whale, and it is a huge deal when they are allowed to start accompanying the family on the whaling hunts.
Each crew has a whaling captain, and this is certainly a respected position. The whaling captain is responsible for all the fees involved with the whale hunts, including the upkeep of their boat and the meals for all the crew members while on hunts.
The crews will continue to whale on the days that the weather permits. They are allowed ten whales total for the village each season. The kids who have lived here their whole lives still get very excited when a crew gets a whale, and it is a huge deal when they are allowed to start accompanying the family on the whaling hunts.
Each crew has a whaling captain, and this is certainly a respected position. The whaling captain is responsible for all the fees involved with the whale hunts, including the upkeep of their boat and the meals for all the crew members while on hunts.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
First Whale!
A crew got the first whale of the season today! They were out in a boat, hauled it in, and hoisted it up on to an old runway away from the main part of town. This one was a little smaller than they typically are, but still an important accomplishment.
So many people from town gather down at the site where they pull the whale up to see it before butchering, and during. Everyone who helps in the process--whether it is pulling it in from the water or cutting it up--is given a share of the whale meat. Later, the crew will put their whaling flat outside their house to let people know that they have muktuk, or whale meat, and anyone is welcome to come in for a share.
We went out this time before the butchering, so we have some good pictures to share. We have some of the "after" pictures from the last time we were here, but they aren't for the weak stomached!
Student Weekly Challenge: Find three facts about bowhead whales and several uses the Eskimos have for them.
So many people from town gather down at the site where they pull the whale up to see it before butchering, and during. Everyone who helps in the process--whether it is pulling it in from the water or cutting it up--is given a share of the whale meat. Later, the crew will put their whaling flat outside their house to let people know that they have muktuk, or whale meat, and anyone is welcome to come in for a share.
We went out this time before the butchering, so we have some good pictures to share. We have some of the "after" pictures from the last time we were here, but they aren't for the weak stomached!
Student Weekly Challenge: Find three facts about bowhead whales and several uses the Eskimos have for them.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Happy Friday
I'm noticing some changes in the daylight/darkness hours now. The sun doesn't really rise until about 9:00 or so, and it starts to set around 7 pm. We will gradually have shorter days, and in just over a month, we will be blanketed in darkness until late January.
You know, our kids here once had to take a standardized test that asked them a question about what time of day it was when the moon was out. For our kids, that could be ANY time of day, depending on the month. I'm noticing those language issues a lot more this time. A student asked me just this morning what a "meadow" was, and earlier in the week, a boy asked what a "cottage" was. We have a few students who have never been off the north slope, meaning they have never been in a city of any size and haven't really been out of the arctic villages. This means those kids have never seen a real tree, have never witnessed cars driving on a highway, have never shopped in a mall, and have never eaten a cheeseburger from M*Don*lds.
I share this because I know many of my readers are teachers, and these language barriers pop up so often, when we least expect them, and they certainly affect their learning. Good things to be aware of.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
You know, our kids here once had to take a standardized test that asked them a question about what time of day it was when the moon was out. For our kids, that could be ANY time of day, depending on the month. I'm noticing those language issues a lot more this time. A student asked me just this morning what a "meadow" was, and earlier in the week, a boy asked what a "cottage" was. We have a few students who have never been off the north slope, meaning they have never been in a city of any size and haven't really been out of the arctic villages. This means those kids have never seen a real tree, have never witnessed cars driving on a highway, have never shopped in a mall, and have never eaten a cheeseburger from M*Don*lds.
I share this because I know many of my readers are teachers, and these language barriers pop up so often, when we least expect them, and they certainly affect their learning. Good things to be aware of.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Brrr
The temps are starting to fall! Later this week it's supposed to be a high of 17. Of course, that's nothing compared to what February will be like. That's always our coldest month. Right when the sun comes back after the 24 hour darkness, the wind picks up and the temperature sinks down to -30 at times.
The lagoon had some icy spots just on the surface today. Soon, we will start to see chunks of ice and small icebergs floating in the ocean towards shore. Then the ocean will gradually start to freeze up. That is truly a magnificent sight, and I will be sure to share many photos of the frozen Arctic ocean!
I would like to start posting more info and pictures on our schools, the houses, things to do in town, etc. If there's something you want to know more about, please don't hesitate to ask!
The lagoon had some icy spots just on the surface today. Soon, we will start to see chunks of ice and small icebergs floating in the ocean towards shore. Then the ocean will gradually start to freeze up. That is truly a magnificent sight, and I will be sure to share many photos of the frozen Arctic ocean!
I would like to start posting more info and pictures on our schools, the houses, things to do in town, etc. If there's something you want to know more about, please don't hesitate to ask!
Monday, October 1, 2007
Weekly Challenge
The snow has arrived! I will post pictures later, but we finally have some snow on the ground. Some of it might melt, but I think we are going to see it permanently now until June. It's coming down in big flakes right now. I'm hoping it gets just a tiny bit colder so that the mud is completely done.
The challenge this week is a computer one. Leave me a comment if you are checking in with this site frequently. I want to continue with it, but only if there are people using it. So whether you are a teacher, a student, or just someone interested in the arctic, please leave me a short comment.
Have a great Monday!
The challenge this week is a computer one. Leave me a comment if you are checking in with this site frequently. I want to continue with it, but only if there are people using it. So whether you are a teacher, a student, or just someone interested in the arctic, please leave me a short comment.
Have a great Monday!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Weekly Challenge
I hope you were all able to figure out how far you live from Barrow. It's probably quite far away!
Yesterday, we saw a walrus swimming in the ocean. It was the first one we had seen (not including ones in zoos) so we were pretty excited. There were actually two swimming around, and a seal was nearby as well.
In honor of that event, for this week's challenge, answer these questions about walruses:
1. What do they eat?
2. How much can they weigh?
3. What is one other interesting fact about them?
Things are getting chillier up here, and we even had a little bit of snow over the weekend. None of it stuck around, but we are looking forward to hopefully getting more this week.
Yesterday, we saw a walrus swimming in the ocean. It was the first one we had seen (not including ones in zoos) so we were pretty excited. There were actually two swimming around, and a seal was nearby as well.
In honor of that event, for this week's challenge, answer these questions about walruses:
1. What do they eat?
2. How much can they weigh?
3. What is one other interesting fact about them?
Things are getting chillier up here, and we even had a little bit of snow over the weekend. None of it stuck around, but we are looking forward to hopefully getting more this week.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
Weather
Did you keep the weekly record of your temperatures and ours? We are probably much colder than you are, but we are actually a lot warmer than we usually are at this time of year. In fact, one day this week we set a record as the highest temperature on that particular day ever recorded. Sometimes we already have snow by mid-September. You might think that high forties and low fifties is still quite cold, but we walk around without jackets and look forward to taking the dogs swimming in the lagoon in such "spring like" weather.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Weekly Challenge
Our high school football team won their last home game of the season this weekend! It was quite cold for that last game, and the wind was whipping right off the ocean. But they pulled off a victory anyway! They have a few more games left, but they are all away. The team will need to fly on a plane to all the away games. Imagine doing that every time you played against another school in one of your sports!
The weather turned cold and windy this weekend, but Friday afternoon was gorgeous! It was probably close to fifty degrees, which felt quite warm. We took our dogs out running and one of them even took a little swim in the lagoon! Everyone tries to get out on those sunny afternoons before the weather turns wintry and we start to lose our daylight.
For this week's challenge, keep a record of the temperature in Barrow each day. Also, keep a record of the temperature in your own town each day. Compare the two and figure out the temperature difference for each day.
Have a great Monday!
The weather turned cold and windy this weekend, but Friday afternoon was gorgeous! It was probably close to fifty degrees, which felt quite warm. We took our dogs out running and one of them even took a little swim in the lagoon! Everyone tries to get out on those sunny afternoons before the weather turns wintry and we start to lose our daylight.
For this week's challenge, keep a record of the temperature in Barrow each day. Also, keep a record of the temperature in your own town each day. Compare the two and figure out the temperature difference for each day.
Have a great Monday!
Friday, September 7, 2007
Weekly Challenge Answer
The Alaska state flower is the forget-me-not.
Tomorrow is our last home football game. Perhaps you've caught some of the stories about our team on TV lately--we are getting a lot of attention for being the northernmost football team in America! Go Whalers!
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Sunsets
The other night I had our dogs out around 11:00 pm, and there was a gorgeous sunset. I grabbed my camera and took off for the beach, which is a couple minute walk away. This week's Wordless Wednesday pic was from that night. Here are a couple others:
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Monday, September 3, 2007
Weekly Challenge
Last Friday, the students at my middle school had their first school dance of the year. The kids here listen to basically the same music that many of the students in the lower 48 listen to. There was lots of rap, hip hop, and rock that is popular on the radio. Everyone seemed to have a great time!
Our students are beginning their third week of school and are well into the swing of things with their classes. Each student in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade has two core teachers. One teaches language arts and social studies, while the other teaches math and science. They also have two "elective courses", which could either be band, P.E., computers, or Inupiat. Eventually some students will have my reading class as an elective.
This week's weekly challenge question is: What is the Alaska state flower? Try to also draw a picture of it.
Our students are beginning their third week of school and are well into the swing of things with their classes. Each student in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade has two core teachers. One teaches language arts and social studies, while the other teaches math and science. They also have two "elective courses", which could either be band, P.E., computers, or Inupiat. Eventually some students will have my reading class as an elective.
This week's weekly challenge question is: What is the Alaska state flower? Try to also draw a picture of it.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Weekly Challenge Answer
The Yukon River is approximately 2,300 miles long. It runs through Alaska and part of Canada. It ranks at number twenty for the longest rivers in the world.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Weekly Challenge
The Yukon River runs through a large part of the state of Alaska (and in Canada). How long is the Yukon River?
Sunday, August 26, 2007
A Little Chillier
The temperatures are definitely starting to feel more like fall. The evenings still warm up to the high forties/low fifties, but the days have been cloudy and cool.
Over the next few weeks, we should start to see cooler temperatures more often and maybe even some snow by the middle of September. I always look forward to the first snow. I also like when things freeze up because it is easier to walk around on the ice than on the mud!
The whales have been seen by a few people (of course, we didn't get to see them!). Fall whaling season will start soon. I will post more information on that when the time comes.
Today is a cloudy day, one that is perfect for snuggling up with a good movie on the couch. We don't have any movie theaters here in town, so we have a subscription to Ne*fl*x to get movies up here. There are some places around town that you can rent movies, but the selection is not huge. Sometimes the high school will show movies on Friday evenings as a fundraiser for the school band.
Over the next few weeks, we should start to see cooler temperatures more often and maybe even some snow by the middle of September. I always look forward to the first snow. I also like when things freeze up because it is easier to walk around on the ice than on the mud!
The whales have been seen by a few people (of course, we didn't get to see them!). Fall whaling season will start soon. I will post more information on that when the time comes.
Today is a cloudy day, one that is perfect for snuggling up with a good movie on the couch. We don't have any movie theaters here in town, so we have a subscription to Ne*fl*x to get movies up here. There are some places around town that you can rent movies, but the selection is not huge. Sometimes the high school will show movies on Friday evenings as a fundraiser for the school band.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Weekly Challenge Answered
Secretary of State William H. Seward arranged for the United States to purchase Alaska from Russia in 1867 for 7.2 million dollars, or 2 cents per acre. However, it did not become a state until January 3, 1959. It was the 49th state.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Whales
Yesterday, some teachers at our school spotted several bowhead whales out in the ocean. They were supposedly quite close to shore. Fall whaling season will begin in a few weeks, so this is definitely the time of year to start seeing them.
The Bowhead whale was named for its distinctive bow-shaped skull, which is quite large; about 40% of total body length. It is the only large whale living exclusively in the Arctic. Its blubber can be up to 28 inches thick, helping it to withstand the extreme cold.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Weekly Challenge
This weekend, our Barrow High football team had their season opener and they won! It was very exciting for everyone. The football field is new this year. You can read several articles about the team on the ESPN website.
This week's challenge is:
When did Alaska become a state?
Have a great week!
Friday, August 17, 2007
Weekly Challenge Answers
1. Juneau is the capital of Alaska.
2. Depending on which source you use, the population of Juneau is approximately 31,000 people.
3. The governor of Alaska is Sarah Palin.
2. Depending on which source you use, the population of Juneau is approximately 31,000 people.
3. The governor of Alaska is Sarah Palin.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Muddy Season
This is the time of summer when the rain starts up in Barrow. The roads are dirty, not paved, so during most of the summer we need trucks to come around and dump water on the roads so that it isn't too dusty.
Once the rain starts, this isn't a problem. There is mud everywhere! It's about this time that we start wishing for the first snow and freeze up just so walking around is a bit easier.
The temperatures are still quite mild--mid fifties this whole week.
We are getting about four hours of darkness each night now, and are gaining about twenty minutes each day. Soon enough, we will start to have a more "normal" daylight/darkness cycle.
Once the rain starts, this isn't a problem. There is mud everywhere! It's about this time that we start wishing for the first snow and freeze up just so walking around is a bit easier.
The temperatures are still quite mild--mid fifties this whole week.
We are getting about four hours of darkness each night now, and are gaining about twenty minutes each day. Soon enough, we will start to have a more "normal" daylight/darkness cycle.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
Weekly Challenge
1. What is the capital city of Alaska?
2. What is the population of the capital?
3. Who is the governor of Alaska?
Another feature we are starting this week is to introduce an Inupiaq word of the week. Inupiaq is the traditional language that is spoken here in Barrow. Many of the elders still speak a lot of Inupiaq, and the kids know some. The schools have Inupiat Studies teachers as well.
2. What is the population of the capital?
3. Who is the governor of Alaska?
Another feature we are starting this week is to introduce an Inupiaq word of the week. Inupiaq is the traditional language that is spoken here in Barrow. Many of the elders still speak a lot of Inupiaq, and the kids know some. The schools have Inupiat Studies teachers as well.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Sunday, August 5, 2007
WEEKLY CHALLENGE
We are going to start a regular feature on the blog called "Weekly Challenge". This is geared for the students who read the site. Each Monday, we will post a question or some other activity for students to complete throughout the week. On Friday, we will post the answer.
The K-3 site will sometimes have the same question, but will often have a different one.
This week's challenge:
What is the latitude and longitude of Barrow, Alaska?
The K-3 site will sometimes have the same question, but will often have a different one.
This week's challenge:
What is the latitude and longitude of Barrow, Alaska?
Friday, August 3, 2007
Sunset at Last!
This morning at approximately 1:49 am we had our first sunset since the middle of May. Each day, the sun will continue to set for a slightly longer period of time. Eventually, our days and nights will be much like the lower 48. Then in November, our sun will rise for a final time until January.
The reason for this is that in the summer, the top of the earth is tilted toward the sun. During the winter, the opposite is true, and the top of the earth is pointed away from the sun.
Photo from blaketrask.com.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Wordless Wednesday: UPDATED
UPDATE: This is a picture of a snowy owl. "Ukpaigvik" is an Inupiaq Eskimo word for t Barrow. Roughly translated, it means, "the place to hunt snowy owls."
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Typical Summer Weather
Today is a little cooler than it has been, with temperatures in the forties. This is the weather we remember.
For the last two weeks, it has felt like spring in the lower 48. A few days even saw temperatures reaching 70 degrees.
We still don't have our camera cord, so I am not able to post a picture of the ship we saw in the ocean. It was fairly large, and Mr. Tundrateacher guessed it to be a research ship of some sort. It looked pretty impressive with its bright red colors against the blue of the ocean.
We also saw some icebergs floating pretty far out in the ocean. The water may look inviting when the sun is warm, but we know better!
For the last two weeks, it has felt like spring in the lower 48. A few days even saw temperatures reaching 70 degrees.
We still don't have our camera cord, so I am not able to post a picture of the ship we saw in the ocean. It was fairly large, and Mr. Tundrateacher guessed it to be a research ship of some sort. It looked pretty impressive with its bright red colors against the blue of the ocean.
We also saw some icebergs floating pretty far out in the ocean. The water may look inviting when the sun is warm, but we know better!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Wordless Wednesday: Updated
*Each Wednesday, we will post a picture of something related to Alaska. Sometimes it will be other parts of the state, not just Barrow. We won't write about it, but we will tell you on Thursday what it was a picture of. See if you can figure it out!
UPDATE: This is a picture of a snow bunting. They live up here on the tundra and feed mostly off the ground. There are lots of them all around our apartment, and last night we saw three of them sleeping on the walkway behind our building.
UPDATE: This is a picture of a snow bunting. They live up here on the tundra and feed mostly off the ground. There are lots of them all around our apartment, and last night we saw three of them sleeping on the walkway behind our building.
Friday, July 13, 2007
We are Here!
We made it to Barrow! We just arrived last week and have spent the last several days adjusting to the time change and the constant daylight. The weather has been fantastic! We have seen temperatures reach 65 degrees, which is very uncharacteristic for Barrow.
I will try to post pictures as soon as possible, but the cord to connect the camera to the computer is in a box on its way (along with 54 other boxes!). So stay tuned for photos.
I will try to post pictures as soon as possible, but the cord to connect the camera to the computer is in a box on its way (along with 54 other boxes!). So stay tuned for photos.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Barrow
Barrow is the northernmost community in the United States. The population is approximately 4500 people, with about 60% of the residents being Inupiat Eskimo.
There are no roads that connect Barrow to other villages. The only access is by plane, with the exception of a barge that comes in the summer. We have a small hospital, a community college, two grocery stores, several restaurants, and a recreation center.
There is a separate elementary, middle, and high school. We will be teaching at the middle school in Barrow. The school houses students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade.
When we arrive in Barrow in a couple weeks, there will be 24 hours of daylight. The last sunset was on May 10 and the next one is on August 3. Because of our far north location, the sun is always above the horizon in the summertime.
This is a picture of Barrow:
There are no roads that connect Barrow to other villages. The only access is by plane, with the exception of a barge that comes in the summer. We have a small hospital, a community college, two grocery stores, several restaurants, and a recreation center.
There is a separate elementary, middle, and high school. We will be teaching at the middle school in Barrow. The school houses students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade.
When we arrive in Barrow in a couple weeks, there will be 24 hours of daylight. The last sunset was on May 10 and the next one is on August 3. Because of our far north location, the sun is always above the horizon in the summertime.
This is a picture of Barrow:
Thursday, June 14, 2007
General Site Info
Just some information for people new to the site:
*This site is geared for both teachers and upper grade students who want to know more about Alaska, especially the arctic. There is a link at the top right for students in lower grades, especially K-3. There, the text will be easier to read and there are links with games and activities for students to explore.
*The links to the right are geared mostly for teachers, but many of them also have activities and information for students to explore.
*If you visit the site, we'd love to hear from you! Just click on the comments below the post. At the bottom of the other comments is a spot for you to add one. If you don't have a google account, you can post your comment under anonymous, but you can sign your name to the comment if you choose. Or you can email us at tundrateacher@yahoo.com
*No question is a silly one! Ask away!
*This site is geared for both teachers and upper grade students who want to know more about Alaska, especially the arctic. There is a link at the top right for students in lower grades, especially K-3. There, the text will be easier to read and there are links with games and activities for students to explore.
*The links to the right are geared mostly for teachers, but many of them also have activities and information for students to explore.
*If you visit the site, we'd love to hear from you! Just click on the comments below the post. At the bottom of the other comments is a spot for you to add one. If you don't have a google account, you can post your comment under anonymous, but you can sign your name to the comment if you choose. Or you can email us at tundrateacher@yahoo.com
*No question is a silly one! Ask away!
Monday, June 11, 2007
You're Going Where?
Yes, that red dot at the top is Barrow. That is where we are headed. We just bought our plane tickets, and are scheduled to leave during the first week of July. It will take approximately twelve hours of flight time total to get from the east coast to Barrow.
We needed to pack up our belongings and mail them up to our apartment. There aren't any roads that connect Barrow to other cities, so a moving van is not an option. So all of our things will be packed into thirty or so boxes and mailed. Then we keep our fingers crossed that we receive them all!
Driving up was our original plan. We were excited to make the road trip and get to experience driving through Canada and parts of Alaska that we hadn't yet seen. However, our two dogs are joining us on our journey and they have recently become extremely carsick after five minutes in the car. So we figured that twelve days probably wouldn't work well for them.
We needed to pack up our belongings and mail them up to our apartment. There aren't any roads that connect Barrow to other cities, so a moving van is not an option. So all of our things will be packed into thirty or so boxes and mailed. Then we keep our fingers crossed that we receive them all!
Driving up was our original plan. We were excited to make the road trip and get to experience driving through Canada and parts of Alaska that we hadn't yet seen. However, our two dogs are joining us on our journey and they have recently become extremely carsick after five minutes in the car. So we figured that twelve days probably wouldn't work well for them.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Who Are We?
We are a husband and wife originally from the east coast of the lower 48. Both of us teach here in Barrow, at the middle school.
We want this site to be about life in the arctic, as well as provide information about other parts of Alaska. We will both post to it, and we hope to include posts written by some of our students in the future.
Please check in often and experience life at the top of the world!
We want this site to be about life in the arctic, as well as provide information about other parts of Alaska. We will both post to it, and we hope to include posts written by some of our students in the future.
Please check in often and experience life at the top of the world!
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