The Dry Valleys Ecosystem project (a Long Term Ecological Research program - LTER) has been a continuous line of research since the inception of the McMurdo Dry Valley LTER since 1992. This project seeks to test hypotheses regarding the response of Antarctic biotic communities to changes in climatic conditions over time. I participated in the 30th
Teacher Bill Henske describes the science and fieldwork behind the Dry Valleys Ecosystem Study from McMurdo Field Station in Antarctica. This presentation took place on 24 January 2023.
PolarTREC, funded by ARCUS (Arctic Research Consortium of the United States) and NSF (the National Science Foundation), brings educators to Polar Regions for immersive field work with researchers. This professional development opportunity allows educators to share real world experience with polar science in their communities, in the form of outreach and education. As an exhibit developer who
Video created by PolarTREC teacher Kate Miller on her experience working with researcher Dr. Jim Madsen and other teachers with the Upward Bound Program in July 2017 in Rivers Falls, Wisconsin.
Kate Miller co-presents with Jennifer Burgin, a kindergarten teacher who recently went to the Galapagos through the National Geographic Lindblad Expedition Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship, at Festival of Minds. Festival of Minds is a professional learning conference run by Arlington Public Schools that provides a diversity of sessions for all PK-12 instructional staff to hone their instructional practice (https://www.apsva.us/fom/). Kate and
Over 100 students, teachers, and interested members of the community came out for Antarctica Community Night at Washington-Lee High School. It started with a 20-minute presentation by Kate discussing neutrinos, IceCube, and life at the South Pole. Younger attendees could color an Antarctica-themed coloring book, drawn by students Douglas Aparicio and Erin Ingram. This was followed by 4 stations -
Arlington Public Schools puts together the event "Dream, Explore, Create your own path" so that local families can explore available career options. Kate, along with colleague Laurie Sulliven, represented the career of a science educator, featuring her PolarTREC expedition as one of the out-of-the-classroom opportunities available to science teachers. Over 400 people attended of all ages.