The extreme challenges of life in the polar regions require the animals who make their habitat there to make many adaptations. This unit explores the polar climate and how animals like reindeer, polar bears, penguins, sea life and even humans manage to survive there. It looks at the adaptations to physiological proceses, the environmental effects on diet, activity and fecundity, and contrasts the strategies of aquatic and land-based animals in surviving in this extreme habitat. This unit builds on and develops ideas from two other 'Animals at the extreme' units: The desert environment (S324_1) and Hibernation and torpor (S324_2).

Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears is an online professional development magazine which focuses on preparing elementary teachers to teach polar science concepts while also integrating inquiry-based science and literacy instruction. The project draws on research showing that an integrated approach can improve student achievement in science, as well as in reading comprehension and oral and written discourse abilities. Ultimately, the project seeks to bring the polar regions “closer to home” for elementary teachers and their students.

The Digital Earth Workbench is an interactive application that runs on a SGI Onyx Infinite Reality system and is controlled by an Immersive Workbench, tracked stereo glasses, and a tracked wand. The application allows an unprecedented freedom to roam georeferenced datasets at multiple resolutions and timescales. This animation is one of a series of direct screen captures of the application in operation. The occasional menu appearance denotes direct intervention by the operator to add or delete data or to activate a new control option.

Coronal Mass Ejections from sunspot 10484 sweep by the Earth on November 20, 2003, generating aurora displays worldwide. This view is from the Polar spacecraft with a false-color data overlaid on the Earths surface. Red marks the highest intensity, blue the lowest.

Highlights of Calculus is a series of short videos that introduces the basics of calculus—how it works and why it is important. The intended audience is high school students, college students, or anyone who might need help understanding the subject. The videos were created by renowned mathematics professor Gilbert Strang who has taught at MIT since 1962.

The video series reviews the key topics and ideas of calculus with applications to real-life situations and problems
and then fully covers the concept of Derivatives.

Organic chemistry is the study of the carbon and the bonding patterns that make carbon the central element to life. A well-rounded science student must take courses in organic chemistry to understand its application to various other topics, such as the study of DNA, pharmaceuticals, and plastics. In the first semester of organic chemistry, the student will cover the basics. The student will explore different explanations of how molecules bond and learn about the simplest carbon structures (alkanes) before moving on to more complex carbon structures (alkenes and alkynes) and their reactions. The student will then transition into stereoechemistry (the spatial arrangement of atoms) and spectroscopy (methods of identifying molecules) and will conclude the course by examining the four basic organic chemistry mechanisms. This last section will demonstrate electron movement in chemical reactions. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: Describe organic molecules in terms of bonding, stereochemistry, functional groups, and resonance; Demonstrate proficiency in the nomenclature of organic molecules; Derive the intermolecular force of given molecules based on their chemical structures; Draw and represent organic molecules, using arrow notation to show the movement of electrons; Demonstrate proficiency in identifying various classes of reactions (i.e. addition, elimination, arrangements); Describe the thermodynamics of organic reactions using energy diagrams; Analyze the stereochemistry of simple organic molecules and the stereochemical consequences of reactions; Demonstrate proficiency in Newman projections and conformations of cyclohexanes; Demonstrate proficiency in determining whether alkyl halides will undergo a substitution or elimination reaction for a given set of reaction conditions; Describe the basic reaction mechanisms of alcohols; Demonstrate proficiency in calculating the degree of unsaturation of molecules; Describe the basic reaction mechanisms of alkenes and alkynes; Explain the concept of chirality, optical activity, and stereoisomerism; Explain the concept of a carbocation, which is an ion with a positively-charged carbon; Rank different carbocations according to their stability and/or reactivity; Explain the differences between SN1 and SN2 substitution reactions and between E1 and E2 eliminations reactions. (Chemistry 103; See also: Biology 107)

This article presents text, images, and animations of a solar flare and coronal mass ejection that occurred in August 1999. Links to related topics and articles are included

This educational brief provides an overview of the types of solar activity and their potential effects on Earth, along with brief descriptions of some spacecraft and instruments that are used to study solar activity Links to a glossary and to additional information are included.

Students use their research on black bears and one other bear (panda, polar or grizzly) to complete a Venn Diagram.