This module could easily have been named: "Earth Science: The Short Course" with the amount and variety of subjects that it spanned. This further indicates the vast array of diversity that Alaska offers and that diversity is reflected in how it all fits together.
I wonder how much time the average commuter in southern California takes each day to reflect on the size of the carbon footprint being created each time the SUV roars to life and begins its journey to the workplace. In addition, I wonder if this same individual ponders the affect of his or her greenhouse gas contribution on what is happening to arctic temperatures. No, I'm not an environmental activist, I am just trying to illustrate how things that occur in one area have an impact on something entirely different in another location, either relatively close by or across the globe. Analysis of these events is done through the use of digital information that flows from point A to Point B, literally at the speed of light.
The above photography illustrates how time and space shrink through the use of digital information. Information that used to take years to gather, formulate, and then distribute is now done in a fraction of the time. As James Earl Jones states in the video Earth as a System, "Spacecraft and satellites that image earth have forever changed our view of the planet." Also, "back in the day", an event such as an earthquake in Alaska might never have been known by someone in Northwest Wyoming let alone how it impacted his or her world. However, in our digital age, we can process data relatively quickly to see how Yellowstone geysers are impacted by an Alaskan quake.
Examine Question: Relative Locations vs. Absolute Locations
Where on Earth is Alaska?
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| Alaska from Space. Orthographic projection. |
Looking at the diagram on the left, it is easy to see where General Billy Mitchell in the 1930's came up with the idea that Alaska is at the center of the earth. The red dots representing major trade cities are roughly equidistant from Alaska. Alaska is also found in the Northern, Eastern and Western Hemispheres. When Alex Trebek reads the answer "The most north, west, and east state in the union" the only question can be "What is Alaska?"
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| Satellite Image of Alaska - geology.com |
What are the physical dimensions of Alaska?
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| Alaska's Dimensions in Perspective |
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| Google Earth Map with Alaska's most Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Points |
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| Google Earth Map of Cook Inlet & Soldotna Area of Kenai Peninsula |
Three Blog Reviews:
Peter's Alaska Blog
It was well written with many local examples to illustrate ideas and topics. Pictures and links were nicely used also.
Crossing Alaska
I enjoyed reading about Kristi's development and usage of connections to local resources. I related to the point that each generation has it's own technological toys and that we can either fight them or incorporate them into the learning environment.
Diane is Exploring Alaska
I could relate to Diane's concept of Place in relation to the internet. It is so expansive and encompassing that it is hard to see it in terms of Place. I have also had experiences in which the locals offerred their knowledge in helping out a newcomer.
Evaluate:
This was an interesting topic to me. I was easily sidetracked in my research. One of the subjects that distracted me was the local history of Southcentral Alaska. Around here, exploitation was the name of the game. In Kenai, at the height of the fur trade in the area, over 10,000 beaver skins were traded in one year and in Kasilof, at Alaska's first salmon cannery, 20,000 fish were caught in one day. Only king and sockeye were canned, all the coho, pink, and chum were wasted. This fits in with this lesson because the those involved with what we would call a travesty, looked at what they were doing through a microscope. They did not have, or maybe did not want, a global picture and did not see how what they were doing impacted the local native Alaskan population or various aspects of the environment.
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