Melissa Lau spent a month in the tundra ecosystem gathering data using a device called a Greenseeker. This device measures exactly how green a plant is by calculating its NDVI or Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. In this lesson, students will explore light waves, how they interact with plants, and find out how green is green.
The attached PDF contains 5 different lessons and lab activities for high school earth science, environmental science and biology classes. The focus is on permafrost and related topics including the earth’s carbon cycle, the greenhouse effect, climate change, and aqueous geochemistry. The diagrams and photographs included in this manual, along with additional visual materials, are included in the attached Thawing
PolarTREC teacher Nell Herrmann writes a compelling article for Town and Gown, the local newspaper in her home town of State College, PA. Nell reports on her adventures with a team of scientists in Antarctica and the profound way in which her journey has influenced her both personally and professionally. Note: The online article starts on p. 50 of the
Listen in to this radio interview on National Public Radio's program, "All Things Considered" with PolarTREC teacher Nell Herrmann. Nell describes her excitement about traveling to Antarctica and her role in a study of Antarctic seafloor organisms and their response to changes in water acidification and temperature. Nell outlines her plans for sharing the research team's findings with her students
"It is so much more meaningful to students to have real world applications of science. It helps them make connections and broadens their understanding of science"
This article highlights Nell's upcoming PolarTREC field expedition to Antarctica as well as the many educational excursions she has undertaken around the world that have influenced her teaching and her life.
Article about PolarTREC teacher Nell Herrmann's expedition to Antarctica written by her former student. The article was published in The Lion's Digest, her school's newspaper in State College, Pennsylvania.
Plan and run a family fun afternoon or evening with several hands-on activities. Students help run the activity stations and share what they have learned about the Polar Regions. A great culminating activity for a unit on the Arctic, Antarctica, or both, and a fun way to involve families in the learning experience.
The local on-line newsletter interviewed Mr. Wood over the phone and talks about the upcoming expedition to the interior tundra of Alaska and how it will involve the students at Talbert Middle School in Fountain Valley.