Students will find an expedition within the PolarTREC archives and use the research to make a video explaining why studying polar science is important.
Overview
PolarTREC supports teachers on expeditions with real scientists to study in the field. Studying in the Arctic and Antarctic environments can be a harsh and rewarding experience. I participated in Operation IceBridge, an aerial study
Students will collect soil samples and analyze them with some of the same procedures used by researchers in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. Soil microfauna (e.g. nematodes) will be extracted from the samples using a Baermann funnel. Students will compare their own data to published data from researchers working in Antarctica.
PolarTREC teachers Steve Kirsche and Adeena Teres presented to a group of teachers from around the state of Florida. This is the presentation that they gave at the 2017 Florida Association of Science Teachers (FAST) Statewide Conference on 20 October.
Operation IceBridge is an aerial survey that measures both land and sea ice in the Arctic and the Antarctic. There are many reasons to monitor the polar regions. The cryosphere is essential in helping to maintain global climate. One important reason is to investigate sea level rise. Land ice can cause sea levels to rise, when it melts, by adding
PolarTREC has been an amazing experience, wow! The heart of the PolarTREC program is the field expedition, which allows the teacher to be embedded in a field research team. STEM educators are passionate about what they teach but often lack access to meaningful opportunities to participate in basic research. Programs like PolarTREC provide that missing
WPLG Local News covers teacher Adeena Teres who received a Proclamation for participating in Operation IceBridge. The proclamation was given at her school in front of one of her classes by Commissioner Michael Udine and June 2, 2017 was designated "Adeena Teres Day".