This issue of the free online magazine, Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears, explores how elementary teachers can move from a study of the weather at home to the weather of the polar regions through hands-on activity, reading, and discussion.

This article highlights children's literature about weather and climate, the polar regions, and climate change for use in the elementary classroom.

This article explains the difference between weather and climate, the role of the polar regions in the global climate system, and how climate change is affecting these areas. Links to content knowledge resources and the National Science Education Standards are provided.

This article assembles free resources from the Weather and Climate issue of the Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears cyberzine into a unit outline based on the 5E learning cycle framework. Outlines are provided for Grades K-2 and 3-5.

This formative assessment item is used to uncover student ideas about weather at the North and South Poles. It will help to determine whether students understand that weather is different at the North and South Poles and the reasons behind the differences. Teacher resources are provided that give general information as well as instructional suggestions. This probe is aligned with National Science Education Standards.

This nonfiction article, written for students in grades 4-5, explores blue whales, their food chain, and their home in the Southern Ocean. Modified versions are available for students in younger grades.

This informational text explores the characteristics of blue whales and a simple food chain of the Southern Ocean. The text is at a reading level appropriate for a reading level of second through third grade. It is a full-color pdf file that can be printed, cut, and folded to form a 2 1/8" by 2 3/4" book. It contains color photographs and illustrations.

This informational text explores the characteristics of blue whales and a simple food chain of the Southern Ocean. The text is at a reading level appropriate for a reading level of second through third grades. It is a pdf file that includes only the text and a glossary.

This informational text explores the characteristics of blue whales and a simple food chain of the Southern Ocean. The text is at a reading level appropriate for a reading level of fourth through fifth grades. It is a pdf file that includes only the text and a glossary.

This informational text explores the characteristics of blue whales and a simple food chain of the Southern Ocean. This text is at a reading level appropriate for a reading level of Kindergarten through first grade. It is a full-color pdf file that can be printed, cut, and folded to form a 2 1/8" by 2 3/4" book. It contains color photographs and illustrations.

This informational text explores the characteristics of blue whales and a simple food chain of the Southern Ocean. The text is at a reading level appropriate for a reading level of Kindergarten through first grade. It is a pdf file that includes only the text and a glossary.

This formative assessment item is used to uncover student ideas about solar radiation. Students will decide what they believe the sun provides to Earth. It is aligned to National Science Education Standards. Resources are provided to give additional information, as well as instructional suggestions.

This article describes research conducted by Dr. Ross MacPhee of the American Museum of Natural History. MacPhee is studying the possible causes behind the extinction of the woolly mammoth.

This article provides an overview of research-based resources for engaging girls in math and science available from the Doing What Works web site, a site sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education.

This site provides an overview of research-based resources for teaching English Language Learners available from the Doing What Works web site, a site sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education.

This article provides links to interactive web sites and lesson plans for teaching about paleontology, dinosaurs, and archaeology in the elementary classroom.

This formative assessment item uncovers student understanding of weather and seasons. It uncovers student ideas about differences in seasons depending on whether a person lives in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, or along the Equator. The probe follows along with National Science Education Standards. Resources are available to assist teachers in background information as well as lesson ideas dealing with the seasons of the world.

This formative assessment item uncovers students' prior knowledge about the distribution of penguin species throughout the world. Teacher resources are given, including information about the content, instructional strategies as well as alignment to The National Science Education Standards. Additional resources include information, pictures, and lesson ideas involving penguin facts.

This article points out that there is no one official definition for the Arctic. Then the author identifies definitions ranging from geography to climate to culture and more. Maps and other visuals illustrate the definitions. The author suggests that defining the Arctic can be an example for K-Grade 5 students of the nature and challenges of classification systems. The article appears in the free, online magazine Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears.

This article provides a lesson plan that teaches elementary students to write poems about home using sensory language and imagery. Examples of student work are provided.