My PolarTREC expedition to the Dry Valleys of Antarctica was an experience of a lifetime. Notice I did not use the word “trip” of a lifetime. This was far more than a trip. It was an experience that is a life-changer. It has been a life-changer for myself, my students, my family, other educators, and other folks
PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) is a program in which formal and informal educators spend 3-6 weeks participating in hands-on field research experiences in the polar regions. The goal of PolarTREC is to invigorate polar science education and understanding by bringing educators and polar researchers together.
Nanjemoy civic leader and school teacher Deanna Wheeler was honored with the 2014 Charles County Heritage Award presented by the Conservancy for Charles County during its recent annual meeting at the Jaycees center in Waldorf.
Online newspaper from Massillon, Ohio interviews teacher Deanna Wheeler about her second PolarTREC expedition to the Arctic and describes how her students have become directly involved in arctic studies.
This press release in the Bayonet online newspaper from Maryland outlines teacher Deanna Wheeler's second "educational experience of a lifetime" in the Arctic with PolarTREC.
Follow the Polar Expedition is a booklet designed for students to help them learn about the 2012 Chukchi Sea Offshort Monitoring in the Drilling Area (COMIDA) Hanna Shoal Ecosystem Study with PolarTREC teacher Deanna Wheeler. The expedition is August 5-25, 2012, aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter.
The booklet has terms used on the ship as well as several activities
Article from newspaper describing PolarTREC teacher Deanna Wheeler's expedition to the Chucki Sea in August 2012. This article is online in the Southern Maryland News.
What happens to the salinity in the Bering Sea during ice and no ice conditions? Does it change throughout the year and at different depths during different seasons? Create a model of the Bering Sea in ice conditions. Change the conditions based on seasonal changes to explore the effects of runoff on salinity.
Students will develop research questions that will help them develop an ecosystem profile (species/conditions etc.) of a local pond. Their results will be compared with data from the McMurdo Dry Valley Lakes in Antarctica. Discussions about climate and energy dynamics will be conducted as conclusions are drawn. A map and key for the local pond (species/locations/conditions) will be