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Endangered Polar bears
Type: Activity
Learning Strategy: Interactive teaching
Topic: Atmospheric pollution
Polar bears habitat is disappearing. Global warming means hotter summers in the Arctic. This in turn means that the sea ice, which polar bears need to help them catch food, is melting too fast.
This activity is the first in a series, based around beautiful images. It's a fun quiz, presented in PowerPoint, and designed to get pupils talking and thinking about the science. The format is similar to the new TV quiz show QI (stands for Quite Interesting), hosted by Stephen Fry. Students get 'points' for 'interesting' answers - correct or not (to reward them for paying attention to the news). They lose points for 'obvious and wrong' answers' which we've designed to expose some of their misconceptions. Tell us what you think!
Published: 22nd January 2005
Reviews & Comments: 9
Try the activity
- Activity sheet
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Curriculum link
11-14 (KS3)Environmental Chemistry QCA 9G: Is global warming happening? KS3 science strategy:
Interdependence Year 9 yearly teaching objectives: Recognise that habitats change in response to changes in physical factors
Running the activity
The PowerPoint quiz is designed to be projected onto a screen. The slides could be printed out onto if a digital projector is not available.
To play the quiz competitively, you could split the class into two teams. The rules:
Tell pupils that you will give up to 5 points for any interesting answer, or the correct one. But for an obvious and wrong answer, you will deduct 10 points.
Running the presentation:
The first slide shows the main image of a large image of a polar on a huge expanse of ice (with sound effect).
Following slides present the questions. You click 'left' or 'right' arrows to go forward or back.
When you have collected answers from pupils, you reveal the correct answer by clicking the 'tick' button
If someone gives the 'obvious and wrong' answer, click the 'cross' button. The wrong answer will flash with an alarm sound. You can then click the 'tick' button to get the correct answer
Web links
News links
- World Wildlife Fund
- Find out all about polar bears, and even track where two polar bears are on the Arctic ice right now
Reviews & Comments
Write your online review to share your feedback and classroom tips with other teachers. How well does it work, how engaging is it, how did you use it, and how could it be improved?
Endangered Polar bears review
Apr 15th, 2009
My year low ability year 10 class loved it and were dissapointed that there weren't more questions.
Reviewer: Alysia Relf-Phypers
Science
Jan 8th, 2009
This is an excellent activity and I used it with my year 7s as a link to adaptation.
My only criticism is having the cross on some slides removes the suspense a little when pupils clearly see you clicking the cross. A different less obvious icon, would be beter.
Reviewer: Niamh O' Neill
Endangered Polar bears review
Sep 17th, 2008
I used this ppt for an open day activity. It is topical and evokes interest from everyone.
Reviewer: Laura McSharry
Polar bears
Jan 27th, 2008
Excellent. A really good way of getting pupils to share and discuss their ideas. I used it with bottom set year 9 after studying glogal warming ( Environmental chemistry).
Reviewer: kantha choudhury
Science
Nov 20th, 2007
Great idea using the new QI format. It allowed my kids to share what they knew about polar bears. This was shown alongside a video about loss of polar bear habitat and it was a great consolidating activity.
Reviewer: Carol Pratt
Endangered polar bears
Nov 28th, 2006
Very interactive . Used with a year 9 class. requires about 20 minutes I used as main section of global warming lesson
Reviewer: Erin Lashmar
Polar Bears 26 May 2006
May 26th, 2006
I did this activity with top set year 8. They really enjoyed it and it sparked a really interesting discussion. They happen to be doing global warming in geography as well at the moment so it helped to avoid a repeat lesson. I will definitely use it again...maybe even have some prizes!
Reviewer: Helen Evans
Polar bears
Nov 17th, 2005
Great to have real photos - a really super starter for my Y10 group
Reviewer: Mrs R Hodson
Game quiz fun!
Jul 15th, 2005
It really was a great way to get the pupils talking about issues. They keep on asking me if they can do another activity like this.
Reviewer: Shaelene Bruce
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