The on-line components of Live From Antarctica 2 (LFA 2) not only provide extensive information but also-perhaps more importantly-help the project come alive by connecting people together...

• linking students and teachers directly with Antarctic experts
• allowing students to collaborate with other students
• encouraging teachers to interact with one another and with the LFA 2 Team

The Passport to Knowledge philosophy is ease of use and equity of access. We want teachers with a wide range of network skills and technologies-from simple e-mail up to full T-1 connectivity-to find success. LFA 2 will work for those just getting started in cyberspace, even if their access is not from the classroom but at home or at the workplace of an involved parent. For schools with a little more technology and training, inexpensive cameras and free software can bring moving images and audio into classrooms, via CU-SeeMe, RealAudio and other similar technologies.

How to start

All participants in Live From Antarctica 2 should sign up for the updates-lfa mail-list. This service won't overwhelm your mailbox (we plan no more than two e-mail messages per week). updates-lfa will keep you informed about the latest opportunities and also bring you lively behind-the-scenes accounts (Field Journals) from the men and women exploring Antarctica. Field Journals can be used as reading exercises, discussion starters, or for information about careers.

Other mail-lists which were available via e-mail include:

Getting On-line for the First Time

If you want to get on-line, but aren't, follow these suggestions:

1. Watch out for Net Day in your state or city... and make sure you're included!
2. Ask your colleagues. It's easy to forget those closest at hand! It's likely there are teachers, administrators, or resource personnel who know what's available locally.
3. Don't forget your students. Today's youth is often leading the charge in this exciting arena.
4. Don't forget your students' parents, there's probably a relative with an Internet connection.
5. Check with a local University. Most have some type of connectivity available, and some provide it to fellow educators.
6. Call your School Administrators, School District, County Office, and/or State Board of Education. Inquire about special deals on hardware, phone rates or Internet subscriptions.

Temporary Access

As noted above, teachers using all three components of PTK projects report they and their students get more from the experience. We really encourage you to go on-line, participate, and -- as pne of our most eloquent PTK Advocates puts it -- "Don't just surf the 'Net, make waves!"

LFA 2's Web Site provides three complementary kinds of on-line materials and experiences, some designed for teachers, and some for students:

• Informational
• Interactive
• Collaborative and Sharing

Informational opportunities include:

• An archive of Biographies and Field Journals. Get to know the men and women of the USAP through their personal stories-what they were like as kids, their diverse career paths, day-to-day activities, their dreams and frustrations, and why they thrive on the danger and hard work of exploring Antarctica!
• Backgrounders -- packed with information about ice. Also, lots of pictures and pointers to other great Antarctic sites.

Interactive Resources

• Researcher Q&A (Question and Answer). Antarctic experts will be available to answer student questions via e-mail. The resource will be supported from January 13, 1997 through March 31, 1997. All questions will be answered, and all Q&A pairs will be archived and searchable using simple key-words.
• Live interactions with Antarctic experts. Using technologies such as WebChat and CU-SeeMe, researchers will connect with your students in real-time. Live events will be scheduled about once per week between the programs.
• A discussion group connecting teachers to one another and to the LFA 2 Team is available via e-mail and on the Web.
• Challenge Questions. Once per week, a new brainteaser will provide your students with a challenge to solve. Submit your answers for a chance at fun prizes.

Collaborative and Sharing

During the first Live From Antarctica Module, classes across North America, from Alaska to Florida, shared data on hours of daylight, as winter turned to spring and summer. This online activity-like Topsy-"just grew", but proved very popular. For LFA 2, we suggest that classes consider a similar activity, perhaps keyed to the experiments with plants and UV-B (Activity 3.2) Teachers, let us know-on-line, via discuss-lfa-if this seems interesting to your students. And comparative plant growth data from Activity 3.2 should also prove instructive, so that students can see if there's a clear and direct effect of geography and climate on their seedlings. Or go on-line and suggest something related to the content of the project that might work even better! Watch updates-lfa for news about this exciting opportunity.

As a Closing Activity, this Guide suggests a formal debate on the societal value of Palmer Station and research in Antarctica: consider sharing your students' comments and conclusions on-line. debate-lfa will provide an on-line forum for their voices to be heard across the nation, not just within the walls of your own classroom.

On the Web, LFA 2's Student Gallery also provides an on-line venue for student work of all kinds, whether journal entries, photos documenting class projects, art work, databases, HyperCard stacks, even student-generated html pages. You'll find directions about how to submit on-line.

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