Why are Arctic Rivers Turning Orange?
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10Biology, Earth and Space Sciences
What it is
This scientific article explains how thawing permafrost is impacting the Salmon River, connecting climate change to pyrite weathering, toxic metals, water quality, and salmon.
Students follow scientists who hiked and rafted the Salmon River to collect water samples, compare them to earlier measurements, and test whether the water is harmful to fish.
An audio version of the article and curated links to permafrost lesson plans are included.
Teaching tips
Prerequisites:
Define permafrost and consider explaining how it is impacted by climate change.
Preparation:
Enter a teacher email to gain access to the teacher answer keys.
Extensions:
Take a trip to a nearby body of water to test the water quality using a protocol like this one.
Use the pyrite weathering process to introduce oxidation and acid formation.
Connect the article to salmon life cycles and stream food webs.
Differentiation:
Allow auditory learners to follow along with the read-aloud video version of this article.
Ready to use it?
Hosted on sciencejournalforkids.org
Want this to fit your class?
Add your location for local examples, questions, and action ideas.
