How do we know what kind of phytoplankton are in the water? The Imaging FlowCytobot (IFCB) is a robot that scientists use to image phytoplankton in the water. One IFCB can take up to 30,000 pictures per hour! The IFCB can be used in the field to detect plankton blooms in real time. In this activity, students will practice
From July 19, 2022, to August 15, 2022, I participated in the Harmful Algal Blooms in Arctic Waters research cruise on the R/V Norseman II. The Chief Scientist was Dr. Robert Pickart from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and the research team included scientists from WHOI, Oregon State University, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
This event with teacher Rebecca Siegel was broadcast live on 4 August 2022 from the Norseman II in Arctic waters. Rebecca is joined by team members from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute working on Harmful Algal Blooms in Arctic Waters.
Students will learn about the difference between the methods of neutrino detection – optical versus radio. This will then allow them to understand why the relative size of the detectors is so different. Students will also engage in a hands-on activity to understand scale through creating models of the two detectors.
PolarTREC, the teacher-research program run through ARCUS (Arctic Research Consortium of the United States) and the National Science Foundation is a transformative, inspirational, and highly valuable experience for science teachers. Being provided with the opportunity to engage in authentic scientific practices allows teachers to enrich their own classroom activities and inspires the next generation of young scientists to
Lesley Anderson was connected with local California radio station KSON before and during her trip to South Pole, Antarctica as part of the PolarTREC program.
1. KSON Radio Station hosts a live interview with Lesley Anderson at the food fund in Bonita, CA.:
http://www.kson.com/media/audio-channel/john-and-tammys-food-fund-friday-bonita
2. Article in John & Tammy Blog (see downloadable article).
3. Facebook post during her stay
The Star News, a Chula Vista newspaper interviews Lesley Anderson about her experience studying neutrinos at the South Pole and her plans to bring the research back into her classroom.
Models are great to use to make a concept easier to understand, to visualize a process or outcome, and also to allow a scientist to test selected variables. IMOLD is a great model of leaf decomposition, because it allows the students to interact with two variables affecting decomposition rates, and test those variables in many more ways than they could
This lesson describes how decomposition happens, and the role of microorganisms in this process. The animation, which runs for 3:23 minutes total time, covers information that students may or may not be familiar with. Here is one suggestion for working your students through the animation. By actively taking notes during the animations, students can engage in a dialogue with the