Polar Bear International Tundra Connections

Live Webcasts for Students and Teachers — Upcoming Webcasts, Nov . 15 and 16. See Schedule below.

PBI conducts live, free broadcasts—both videoconferences and webcasts—from the tundra during the annual gathering of polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba.

Meet and talk with leading polar bear scientists, zoologists, and educators as they conduct live broadcasts that are informative and educational, focusing on the topics of polar bears and climate change.

Get connected: Join our webcasts or request a video conference for your school, zoo, board members, green clubs, or business and community leaders.

For educators, your PBI Tundra Connection includes:

• Virtual front row seat on the tundra.
• Opportunities for participants to ask questions and receive answers from experts in real time.
• Interdisciplinary curriculum targeted toward primary, secondary schools, and universities. This can be easily adapted to general audiences.
• Online resources that include lesson plans with pre- and post-conference activities.

What type of equipment do I need to participate?

• Computer with Safari, Firefox, or Internet Explorer browser.
• Internet connection (high speed, fairly robust).
• QuickTime® Player (free download for both Mac and Windows machines from http://www.apple.com/quicktime).
• E-mail account so that you can submit questions to the panel of experts at questions@pbears.org during the webcast.
• Video conferencing equipment (i.e., Polycom or Tandberg) if participationg in a video conference.

Who can participate?

• Webcasts are open to anyone who signs in. During the migration, this link will take you to PBI Tundra Connections. We recommend you follow the link approximately ten minutes prior to the actual webcast. Check out this year’s schedule.
• Video conferences must be prescheduled to participate or you can join a previously-scheduled video conference if invited by another organization.

How do I prepare for a webcast or videoconference?

• Be sure to have the most recent version of QuickTime installed on your computer prior to participating in a webcast. QuickTime is a free download from http://www.apple.com/quicktime.
• Use questions@pbears.org to email questions during webcasts.
• Test the video connection for scheduled videoconferences at least one day prior to the event. 
E-mail kwright@pbears.org to schedule a time to test IF you have a scheduled and confirmed videoconference. If you are participating through a content provider, check it policy on testing prior to the scheduled event, and please conduct your test video conference directly with the provider, not with PBI Tundra Connections.

Helpful hints. Background information is important prior to participation in a PBI Tundra Connections event. Spend a little time at http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/polar-bears. You may view archived webcasts here.

If participating with students, we recommend that they know something about how webcasts or video conferences work and that they think of thoughtful questions to ask prior to the event.

Schedule Nov. 15 -16, 2010

NOVEMBER 15 at 10:00 a.m. CST (Global Education Conference)

Understanding Polar Bears: Questions for Students from Around the World

Jill Marvin (General Curator, Quebec du Aquarium, Canada Association of Zoos and Aquariums. PBI Advisory Council)
Marie Auger-Meth (University of Alberta)
Lance Rougeux (Discovery Education)
Geoff York (Arctic Programme, World Wildlife Fund, PBI Advisory Council)

NOVEMBER 15 at 12:00 p.m. CST (Discovery Education)
Understanding Polar Bears: Questions for Students from Around the World

Jill Marvin (General Curator, Quebec du Aquarium, Canada Association of Zoos and Aquariums. PBI Advisory Council)
Marie Auger-Meth (University of Alberta)
Lance Rougeux (Discovery Education)
Geoff York (Arctic Programme, World Wildlife Fund, PBI Advisory Council)

NOVEMBER 16 at 10:00 a.m. CST (Discovery Education/Siemens STEM)
Polar Bears and Climate Change

Jill Marvin (General Curator, Quebec du Aquarium, Canada Association of Zoos and Aquariums. PBI Advisory Council)
Marie Auger-Meth (University of Alberta)
Lance Rougeux (Discovery Education)
Dr. Ian Stirling (Adjunct Professor, University of Alberta, PBI Advisory Council)

NOVEMBER 16 at 12:00 p.m. CST (Canadian Association of Zoos & Aquariums, CAZA)
Polar Bears and their Environment

Jill Marvin (General Curator, Quebec du Aquarium, Canada Association of Zoos and Aquariums. PBI Advisory Council)
Marie Auger-Meth (University of Alberta)
Lance Rougeux (Discovery Education)
Dr. Ian Stirling (Adjunct Professor, University of Alberta, PBI Advisory Council)

NOVEMBER 16 at 1:00 p.m. CST (American Association of Zoo Keepers, AAZK)
Polar Bears and their Environment

Jill Marvin (General Curator, Quebec du Aquarium, Canada Association of Zoos and Aquariums. PBI Advisory Council)
Marie Auger-Meth (University of Alberta)
Lance Rougeux (Discovery Education)
Dr. Ian Stirling (Adjunct Professor, University of Alberta, PBI Advisory Council)

NOVEMBER 16 at 2:30 p.m. CST (Discovery Education/Canadian STARS)
Polar Bears and their Environment

Jill Marvin (General Curator, Quebec du Aquarium, Canada Association of Zoos and Aquariums. PBI Advisory Council)
Marie Auger-Meth (University of Alberta)
Lance Rougeux (Discovery Education)
Dr. Ian Stirling (Adjunct Professor, University of Alberta, PBI Advisory Council)

Image credit: PBI slide show and Daniel J. Cox

Filed under: For Teachers, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, K-12 Outreach Programs, Web Resources

Tags: Environmental science, Live Web Chat, Polar Regions, Web Resources