PolarTREC teacher Ruthie Rodriguez and researcher Vanessa Lougheed discuss the research and ongoing field work being carried out by students from UTEP for the Research Opportunities in the Arctic for Minorities Program (ROAM2) from Utqiaġvik, Alaska.
This PolarConnect Event was held on 19 August 2010 with PolarTREC Teacher, Jim Pottinger, Nicolas Bayou (PhD Student at CIRES University of Colorado at Boulder), Katrine Gordham (Science Project Manager with Polar Field Services), John Augustine (NOAA), and Ken Jensen (Station Manager, CH2MHILL). They talked about living and working at Summit Station, including information about the Automatic Weather Station project
In this lesson students research scientific field expeditions and learn what it is like working in the field. Students are able to ask questions of the research team as part of their project. Students then share what they have learned with their classmates.
Objective
1. Students understand what really goes on in the field during a scientific study.
2
This activity was adapted from a TEA activity authored by:
* Sandra Kolb, Education Consultant, Poulsbo, Washington
* Kolene Krysl, Westside Community Schools, Omaha, Nebraska
* Larry Rose, Pleasanton Middle School, Pleasanton, California
* Wendy Slijk, La Costa Canyon High School, San Diego County, California
The original activity can be found at: http://tea.armadaproject.org/activity/kolb/tobesaltyseaiceornottobesaltyseaice_main.html
An important science skill that needs to be developed is asking significant questions that advance knowledge. This activity helps students to understand the difference between significant and trivial questions.
Objective
Students should be able to distinguish between significant questions that advance knowledge and trivial questions.
Procedure
1. Have the students define significant question and trivial questions in a
Students will independently explore the PolarTREC expeditions, and reflect on the scientific questions, discoveries, and outcomes of the work that is or has been done.
Description
Students will visit the PolarTREC website at www.polartrec.com, where they will find a teacher who is in the field presently, or was already in the field. You may select one expedition
Craig Kasemodel is joining researcher Lee Cooper aboard the USCGC Healy in the Bering Sea. This live event highlights some of the research and activities taking place on board the ship. There were about 11 parties who joined the event, and there were about 60 students.
Students are presented with an actual series of tundra photos, which they use to develop a hypothesis for which sort of ground cover will have the most/least permafrost depth. Then they are given a set of actual data and use this to test their hypothesis
Objective
Students will:
* understand what permafrost is and how it develops