Teacher Script: The Arctic Web of Life Story

Arctic Web of Life Student Cards

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Polar Bears: Climate Change Lesson

Teacher Document

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Polar Bears at Risk

The Arctic Web of Life Story

In the frozen ice and snow of the Arctic, the bright sun paints the sky in hues of pink and purple. Despite the frigid temperatures, a lively community of friends live here, big and small, each with a unique role on the tundra. The sun's rays glimmer over the icy waters, waking up tiny but mighty phytoplankton. These little plantlike creatures are algae that seem to dance in the water, using sunlight to turn carbon dioxide into sugar through an important process called photosynthesis. Phytoplankton provide a source of food for the zooplankton, which are tiny water animals that are at the mercy of the ocean’s currents. In turn, the zooplankton are eaten by herring, polar cod, and smelt, who live in large schools with scales that sparkle like millions of silver coins. These fish are the favorite food of narwhals and Arctic terns. Narwhals, with their long, spiral tusks, add a touch of mystery to the Arctic waters with their unicorn-like presence captivating the imaginations of all who encountered them. Mammals, such as beluga whales and orcas swim gracefully, their watery world a symphony of bubbles and clicks. Walruses, with their long tusks, and other ocean pals join the underwater parade. All of these animals must surface to breathe air. While whales stay submerged in the water, walruses must climb onto ice shelves to rest. Everyone moves at the same time every year; Indigenous people, called the Inuit, come to the same hunting grounds year after year, only taking as many belugas, narwhals, and walruses as they will use.

Above the ice, Arctic terns, the bravest of the bird explorers, soar and chirp, making long journeys to and from their Arctic homes. In spring, they nest on the cliffs and dive for zooplankton and herring to feed their young. Puffins, with their colorful beaks, add lively chatter to the cliffs where the Arctic terns nest. Another important bird of this cold region is the Arctic ptarmigan, which Arctic foxes roam about searching for, along with other small birds and mammals. Lemmings, which are small mammals, are a perfect food source for snowy owls. Arctic tundra caribou are majestic reindeer-like creatures that roam the lands in herds. Herbivores like the caribou and hare eat grass, lichens, and moss, and leaves from the Arctic willow, one of the few plants that thrives in the cold Arctic conditions. Small songbirds known as snow buntings contribute to the overall harmony of the Arctic environment. Snow buntings survive by eating seeds from the Arctic willow and insects, like the Arctic ground beetle, which is a small insect that scuttles through the snow, adding a tiny but essential element to the ecosystem. Most of these animals change color with the seasons for camouflage. If the weather is unusual, it can greatly affect how the camouflaged species will survive.

On the ice, ringed seals wiggle and slide across the ice, feeding and protecting their seal pups. They live on land and breathe air, but must return to the sea to hunt polar cod. Seals are a very important part of a polar bear's diet. The bears rely on the air holes that the seals use to get air through in the ice in order to hunt. When the seals emerge from their air holes the polar bear ambushes them. If there is no ice, then there is no meal. When there is ice and snow in the winter, everyone is in balance. There are not too many and there are not too few.

Pause and have your students gently tug on the web to see how it affects everyone else hanging onto the string.

Due to climate change, the Arctic is thawing. As the ice melts too fast or doesn’t freeze at all, the Arctic friends are left in a world changing too fast. Unable to hunt for seals, one polar bear was recorded to have swum over 400 miles in search of ice, which took nine days! Fish are confused by the warming waters. They are not sure where to go, so they swim to new places. The Arctic terns return from their journeys to find their nests on rocky cliffs unavailable due to the melting snow, and everyone who eats fish struggles to find food. Winter rains freeze and create an ice shield under the snow that prevents lemmings from reaching food on the ground. Predators that rely on lemmings change their diet and are unable to reproduce. When there are no lemmings, no Arctic fox pups are born. Orcas take over as the top predator, replacing polar bears and scaring belugas and narwhals away from hunting areas of Indigenous people. All the Arctic friends struggle like pieces of a puzzle that doesn't quite fit together anymore.

Please note that while this story tries to depict ecological relationships accurately, some imperfections in ecological portrayal may exist for the sake of storytelling.

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the sun

ice and snow

phytoplankton

icy waters

herring

zooplankton

smelt

polar cod

arctic tern

narwhals

orcas

beluga whale

Inuit

walruses

ptarmigan

puffins

lemmings

Arctic fox

caribou

snowy owl

Arctic willow

grass, lichen, and moss

Arctic ground beetle

snow bunting

polar bear

ringed seals

Arctic hare

Inspire

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