ED51B-0407
Strengthening Student Interest and Learning of Watershed Science using a Case-History Investigation of a Rapidly Changing Semi-Arid Watershed
In a changing climate, watershed disturbances such as drought, large-scale wildfires, and extreme rainfall patterns are on the rise, particularly in the southwestern U.S. Yet, at high-school grade levels, hydrology and watershed science get minimal coverage in classrooms. To address this situation, we developed a set of GIS- based student investigations on the affect of natural and human-induced disturbances on watershed hydrology. The case history focuses on the 2003 Aspen Fire in southern Arizona, but also incorporates investigations of undisturbed watersheds. We structured these investigations around recent hydrologic, geologic, and fire data collected by USGS, USFS, and University of Arizona scientists. The investigations encourage students to use Google Earth and MyWorld GIS to learn about the watersheds of the Santa Catalina Mountains in southern Arizona. Students use precipitation and streamflow data to discover the "normal" response of a semi-arid watershed to rainfall. Through spatial visualization and analysis of the data, they learn how and why a semi-arid watershed may become vulnerable to change due to "unusual" conditions. The large-scale Aspen wildfire and subsequent massive debris flows caused watershed instability and were used as teaching tools in these investigations. Field testing has focused on increasing usability and pedagogical effectiveness, whereas external peer reviews have addressed scientific accuracy. We found the overall response to these investigations by both students and teachers to be positive. The benefits of using real, scientific data in combination with spatial visualization tools to teach about a watershed's response to fire were measured using a survey assessment of student learning during field testing.
ED51B-0408
Field Test of a Peer Review System for Digital Geoscience Education Resources
We report the results of an experiment aimed at developing a rigorous peer review system for evaluating digital geoscience education resources under consideration for acceptance into a digital library. The objective is the basis for developing a digital library of the highest quality that will become a trusted resource for Earth science instructors. Our model is NSF-style review panels. Panels were convened in locations having colleges, universities, and labs: Philadelphia, Boston, Austin, St. Petersburg, Seattle, Tucson, and Portland (Maine). The conveners traveled to the sites for the panel meetings. Panelists were reputable geoscience and geoscience education experts. The panelists proved to be uniformly supportive of the process and valued both the experience of serving on the panels and the introduction to resources they could take back to their classroom; thus, the process proved to have a valuable community-building component. The resources reviewed in the experiment, grouped by theme, were provided by the Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College; they are also catalogued in DLESE and NSDL. Panelists wrote reviews that addressed the criteria: 1) scientific accuracy and currency, 2) usability, and 3) pedagogical effectiveness. Additionally, the reviews addressed the questions: 1) Does this resource make an important contribution to Earth system education? 2) Would you recommend this resource to a colleague? and If you recommend major revisions for this resource, would you be willing to review it again? Each review concluded with a recommended action: 1) Accept, 2) Accept with minor revisions, 3) Accept with major revisions, or 4) Reject. Accept with major revisions requires a review by a subset of the panel conducting the original review. Once accepted, a resource enters a reviewed collection, with a specific indicator that it has been through the peer review process. Each panel was invited to single out those resources they considered particularly exemplary, which we refer to as a gold star rating; such resources will be indicated as such in the reviewed collection. Following the panel meetings, the conveners wrote summaries of the panel discussion for each resource; these are transmitted to the creator, along with anonymous versions of the reviews. The panel process proved to be a critical filter for the reviewed resources. Relatively few resources were accepted as is. In most cases, the majority of the resources were either designated as 1) Reject or 2) Accept with major revisions. Resources were most often rejected for their lack of completeness to be used in a classroom or they contained scientific accuracies. The review process modeled provides a basis for building a trusted geoscience education digital library of the highest quality on a less-is-more foundation, as opposed to the prevailing more-is-better philosophy. http://www.dlese- project.org/isovera/peerreview
ED51B-0409
Enabling the Use of Authentic Scientific Data in the Classroom—Lessons Learned from the AccessData and Data Services Workshops
Enabling the Use of Authentic Scientific Data in the Classroom—Lessons Learned from the AccessData and Data Services Workshops Since 2004, the annual AccessData and DLESE Data Services workshops have gathered scientists, data managers, technology specialists, teachers, and curriculum developers to work together creating classroom- ready scientific data modules. Teams of five (one participant from each of the five professions) develop topic- specific online educational units of the Earth Exploration Toolbook (serc.carleton.edu/eet/). Educators from middle schools through undergraduate colleges have been represented, as have scientific data professionals from many organizations across the United States. Extensive evaluation has been included in the design of each workshop. The evaluation results have been used each year to improve subsequent workshops. In addition to refining the format and process of the workshop itself, evaluation data collected reveal attendees' experiences using scientific data for educational purposes. Workshop attendees greatly value the opportunity to network with those of other professional roles in developing a real-world education project using scientific data. Educators appreciate the opportunity to work directly with scientists and technology specialists, while researchers and those in technical fields value the classroom expertise of the educators. Attendees' data use experiences are explored every year. Although bandwidth and connectivity were problems for data use in 2004, that has become much less common over time. The most common barriers to data use cited now are discoverability, data format problems, incomplete data sets, and poor documentation. Most attendees agree that the most useful types of online documentation and user support for scientific data are step-by-step instructions, examples, tutorials, and reference manuals. Satellite imagery and weather data were the most commonly used types of data, and these were often modified for use in the classroom. This presentation will discuss supports and barriers to the use of scientific data in the classroom, as well as the benefits and challenges of using collaborations between technical and educational professionals to develop resources for the classroom. http://serc.carleton.edu/usingdata/accessdata/index.html
ED51B-0410
Promoting Use of Remote Sensing Data and Technology through Polar Case Studies for Post-Secondary Education and Research
Earth science education is relying increasingly on archived and near real-time remote sensing data to characterize the Earth's surface and how it is changing over time. Earth's prominent landscape elements are changing spatially and temporally in response to natural and human-induced forces. These changes are more amplified in the Polar Regions, making these regions particularly suitable to study and understand the processes operating in the Earth system. Though the significance of using remote sensing data for Earth science education and research is recognized widely, access to data and how these data can be effectively used in higher-education remains a challenge. "Polar Remote Sensing" is a web based resource of case studies generated from research work of polar researchers, and research projects of graduate and undergraduate students. These case studies are meant to serve as guiding examples on how to tap on to the wealth of existing scientific data and data analysis tools, especially for undergraduate education. The resource is developed and now being expanded through the support of NASA programs such as the Earth System Science Education for the 21st Century (ESSE21), Alaska Space Grant Program, and Geobrain. It is of particular significance in the context of the International Polar Year. http://www.polar- remotesensing.alaska.edu
ED51B-0411
Inquiry-Based Learning in an Intermediate-Level Undergraduate Neotectonics Course
Integrating student-conducted research into the curriculum can provide students with many educational benefits. Documented benefits include, among others, increased communication skills, the ability to work as part of a research team, and enhanced self-confidence in individual problem-solving skills (e.g., Kardash, J. Ed. Psych., 2000; Seymour, et al., Science Education, 2004). As part of a larger departmental goal of integrating student- conducted research into all levels of the Pomona College Geology Department curriculum (e.g., Reinen, et al., CUR-Q, 2006), I have recently developed an intermediate-level Neotectonics course with a strong component of inquiry-based learning. This course was offered for the first time during the spring semester 2007, and will continue to be offered each year. In a series of guided inquiries throughout the course, students investigate recent seismicity and tectonic geomorphology in Southern California. With each subsequent assignment, student contributions to the research direction increases (e.g., data used, area studied, question addressed, methods used), culminating in team proposals and research projects investigating specific student-generated questions of regional tectonics. Students collect data for these investigations from several sources: (1) databases available online (e.g., IRIS, Harvard earthquake catalog), (2) desktop experiments (e.g., the "earthquake machine"), (3) topographic maps, and (4) field observations. The objective of this paper is to present initial results from this teaching experiment and examples of the projects which have been executed, including the preparation students received to be able to use the available data. Discussion and suggestions (particularly about effective means of conducting a rigorous long-term assessment) are strongly encouraged.
ED51B-0412
Project SPECTRA! Phase II: Developing Solar System Exploration Data Stories
Project SPECTRA!, a program that combines math and science in an engineering framework, emphasizes hands-on and data-based activities for students in Grades 7 through 10. During the initial phase of Project SPECTRA!, we developed a series of foundational lessons that engaged students in the basics of light and spectroscopy, building spectroscopes at a variety of levels, and learning how to use light to give information about our solar system. During Phase II of the program, Project SPECTRA! is developing a wide range of Solar System Exploration Data Stories, where authentic data from NASA missions are brought into the classroom in a constrained and contextual way and work towards a specific space science teaching goal. Data stories explore a myriad of solar system bodies, looking at surface and atmospheric composition, atmospheric dynamics, planetary history and habitability. http://lasp.colorado.edu/education
ED51B-0413
Sismos a l'Ecole : a Seismic Educational Network (FRANCE) linked with Research
Ahead of the quick evolution of our society, in which scientific information has to be accurately understood by a great majority, the promotion of a responsible behaviour coming from educated and trained citizens has become a priority. One of the roles of school is to enable children to understand sciences, these same sciences that were long ago the prerogative of scientific laboratories. The educational network SISMOS à l\'"Ecole is an example of a project structured on the knowledge of seismic risks through a scientific and technological approach. It develops a teaching method leading to an approach towards the knowledge of natural disasters. The original and innovating feature of this educational network is to enable students to set up a seismograph in their school. The recorded signals - coming from a regional or a worldwide seismic activity - feed an on- line database, which is in fact a real research centre for seismic resources as well as a starting point for educational and scientific activities. The network, that numbers about thirty stations set up in France, in its overseas departments and territories, and in a couple of French schools abroad, is based upon an experience initiated in the French Riviera ten years ago or so. The achievement of the program has from then on gone beyond the simple purpose of conveying seismic data that research and monitoring centres could have recorded. Thanks to the use of scientific measures, students become involved and get into complex notions revolving around geophysics and geosciences. Developing simple tools, setting up concrete experiments combined with an investigate reasoning makes it easier to build up a quality scientific culture as well as an education of citizens to risks. http://www.edusismo.org
ED51B-0414
Development of a Visualization Rain Table: A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
At first glance, water flow seems like such a deceptively simple concept. Water flows downhill, so what could be easier to understand? But the movement of water across the Earth's surface is among the most misunderstood and underestimated concepts in earth science. A host of misconceptions bound concerning water flow, from rivers always flowing south or curving due to the Earth's spin, to deeply held ideas about rivers" immutable nature. The one consistent aspect is that students almost always underestimate the complexity of water flow. The movement of water across the Earth is the integrating connection between its physical and biological systems. Combine these misconceptions with the realization that water use issues will be among the most crucial and complex social and political issues facing the next generation and it is difficult to overstate the importance of being able to teach a good understanding of natural water flow. Without a doubt, the best way to understand water flow is to watch the movement of water across the Earth's surface, but this has not been possible in past classroom settings. Physical models help, but are a poor substitute for the complexities of real world flow. In addition, it can be extraordinarily difficult for students to scale up from small physical models to real life stream flow. Rain Table is a tiled display system that uses six 30" flat panel monitors to display a large image of a region of the Earth's surface. This large image is co-registered with digital elevation data, so as students generate rainfall, the water will "flow" across the area, following the topography of the visualized region. Students move small disc-shaped devices across the panel surface to determine where rain should fall. The rain is displayed as small blue dots that flow down across the surface in accordance with the digital elevation data. Mathematical algorithms determine the water flow velocity based on the slope of the visualized surface and from the velocity, the extent of sediment transport (displayed as small brown dots). Since any portion of the Earth's surface can be displayed, students can investigate water flow any where, including their own home area. With Rain Table, students can interactively explore flow of water across the Earth's surface, investigate sediment transport and discover the concepts of watersheds, floods and the interconnectivity of river systems and the Earth's topography. Multiple pucks allow each student to generate water flow independently of one another so small groups work together interactively, eliminating passive viewing and equalizing students" control of the visualization model. Past studies of computer visualization technology have demonstrated that the student who controls the mouse learns the most. With Rain Table, all members of the group control the mice, providing an egalitarian approach to the study of stream processes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNGXG9xS2Sg
ED51B-0415
Bringing the ocean to the classroom: Using real scientific data to engage students in environmental stewardship
Within the broad context of environmental concerns that include coastal pollution, global warming, and Gulf Coast hurricanes, clear understandings of coastal processes and their response to change are essential for protection of coastal resources. Multiple locations along the Pacific coastline near Bodega Bay, California, provide an opportunity to collect a long-term data set of coastal morphology that students can use to examine environmental change in the coastal environment over a variety of spatial and temporal scales. As part of this exercise, undergraduate, general education students employ a variety of surveying tools, including total stations, laser rangefinders, tape measures, and telescoping staffs to compile profiles of the beach face perpendicular to the shoreline. Data collected by students are used to evaluate beach topography, sea cliff steepness, and the role of vegetation and land use in the stability of the sea cliff at the various study locations. Finally, students interrogate these data to evaluate erosion patterns and rates along the northern California coastline by comparing their results to data collected by previous classes and similar sets of data collected from Southern California beaches. While coastal erosion rates in Southern California are well understood, rates of erosion in Northern California are poorly constrained; student data collected during this project will contribute to the broader knowledge of coastal systems in California. Repetition of this exercise during the summer and winter seasons at the northern California study sites over several years will provide a basis for monitoring long-term changes in beach morphology and allow students to contribute to research on sea cliff and beach erosion rates. Thus, beach profiles are an example of a simple exercise where students can make accurate measurements with simple tools and relatively little training. In this example, the original data collected by students is added to long-term data sets that can be creatively integrated in to classroom and laboratory activities designed to develop skills related to data interrogation. Long-term data sets such as this allow continual evolution of guided instruction, as well as genuine opportunities for open-ended research.
ED51B-0416
Teachers Accessing and Utilizing Paleoclimate Data to Facilitate Inquiry in the Classroom
A new way of teaching climate science introduces users to the idea of utilizing models as scientific tools. Although there is an abundance of climate model output available on the World Wide Web to both teachers and students, few of the interfaces are designed specifically for this audience. One of the main objectives of this research project is to develop a user-friendly interface that will provide teachers with a discipline-oriented approach to inquiry problem-solving through selecting and analyzing relevant paleoclimate model output data. The intent of the interface is to offer prospects for considering how climate forcing factors have contributed to Earth's climate and ecology of the past, present, and future. Users have some control over the timeframe (e.g., modern or Eocene), type of dataset to explore (e.g., temperature, precipitation, and cloud cover), and method of graphical representation. Brief descriptions aimed at stimulating the generation of questions within several science disciplines (e.g., biology, chemistry, meteorology, to name a few) are provided to assist the facilitation of open-ended inquiry. A few samples of guided-inquiry investigations using climate model output are also provided to teachers for use in their classrooms. The interface is incorporated into a prototype learning module that provides experiential opportunities for understanding how climate models work and how they are used in scientific research today.
ED51B-0417
Introducing the Importance of Scientific Methods and Tools to Students Using Real Data and Inquiry Based Teaching.
The National Science Education Teaching Standard states that teachers should "select teaching and assessment strategies that support the development of student understanding and nurture a community of science learners." The combination of scientific inquiry with ‘real' data in the classroom would meet this standard and improve teaching methods, providing the scaffolding necessary for inquiry-based learning. The introduction to and use of real scientific data by students at a primary or secondary level would require from the teacher careful preparation and a detailed understanding of the material presented, but could improve the students' learning experience and increase the level of interest in scientific careers. This poster presents an example of an inquiry- based lesson driven by real scientific data. In the lesson, students were shown scanning electron micrographs of natural objects, such as flower pollen and mineral samples, and were allowed to examine the actual objects from which the micrographs were taken. Through guided discussion and conjecture, the relationship between the microscale features and the macroscale objects was explored. The students were prompted to explain the functional significance of the microscale features, e.g., the reason for the ridges on the surface of the pollen, and allowed to develop hypotheses to evaluate against the objects at hand. The students were encouraged to reach conclusions, and these conclusions were not evaluated to be correct or incorrect; the teacher's role was to facilitate observation and reasoning. The discussion about features apparent in the images but not in the actual samples provided an introduction to the importance of scientific methods and tools in many modern occupations and research areas. Using micrographs to show students an application of multi-scale images in the real world allowed them to have experience with real data and also allowed them to learn in a more hands-on and less controlled environment. This approach to science learning seemed to help to build interest and understanding of natural phenomena and engage students in science more so than a traditional lecture format.
ED51B-0418
Data Analysis as a Component of Inquiry-Based Science Instruction for Elementary- Undergraduate Students
Recent efforts from the NSF-funded SCALE (System-wide Change for All Learners and Educators) project have led to the enrichment of science inquiry-based instruction in elementary, secondary, and university classrooms. The SCALE initiative seeks to enhance the quality of K-20 science education through the two-pronged approach of 1) Creating science inquiry-based curricula (termed Immersion Units), and 2) Facilitating the professional development of science educators (elementary and secondary teachers, and university faculty) to teach science using a student-centered, evidence-based pedagogy. Evidence which students must analyze in this inquiry- based approach are frequently published, scientific data sets. This presentation will discuss the pedagogy and materials for several such inquiry-based, data-rich assignments that have been developed for elementary and university science classrooms. These include the analyses of National Weather Service meteorological data for precipitation and severe weather, and NOAA Paleoclimatology ice core records.
ED51B-0419
GeoBrain for Facilitating Earth Science Education in Higher-Education Institutes--Experience and Lessons-learned
Data integration and analysis are the foundation for the scientific investigation in Earth science. In the past several decades, huge amounts of Earth science data have been collected mainly through remote sensing. Those data have become the treasure for Earth science research. Training students how to discover and use the huge volume of Earth science data in research become one of the most important trainings for making a student a qualified scientist. Being developed by a NASA funded project, the GeoBrain system has adopted and implemented the latest Web services and knowledge management technologies for providing innovative methods in publishing, accessing, visualizing, and analyzing geospatial data and in building/sharing geoscience knowledge. It provides a data-rich online learning and research environment enabled by wealthy data and information available at NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) Data and Information System (EOSDIS). Students, faculty members, and researchers from institutes worldwide can easily access, analyze, and model with the huge amount of NASA EOS data just like they possess such vast resources locally at their desktops. Although still in development, the GeoBrain system has been operational since 2005. A number of education materials have been developed for facilitating the use of GeoBrain as a powerful education tool for Earth science education at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Thousands of online higher-education users worldwide have used GeoBrain services. A number of faculty members in multiple universities have been funded as GeoBrain education partners to explore the use of GeoBrain in the classroom teaching and student research. By summarizing and analyzing the feedbacks from the online users and the education partners, this presentation presents the user experiences on using GeoBrain in Earth science teaching and research. The feedbacks on classroom use of GeoBrain have demonstrated that GeoBrain is very useful for facilitating the transition of both undergraduate and graduate students from learners to investigators. They feedbacks have also shown the system can improve teaching effectiveness, refine student's learning habit, and inspire students" interests in pursuing Earth sciences as their career. The interaction with the education users of GeoBrain provides much needed guidance and lessens-learned for future development and promotion of GeoBrain.
ED51B-0420
Simple environmental sensor webs for classroom inquiry
This paper describes a platform for inquiry-driven learning in environmental science at the secondary and undergraduate levels including preliminary results from two pilot sensor web-driven projects, in progress. The work presented here emphasizes - Documenting construction and use of the platform - Analysis of results over technology used - Open-ended iteration of the inquiry process Cognitive theory suggests that pedagogical modes of ‘information-transfer' fall short as a means of building (arguably useful) problem solving and critical thinking skills in comparison with inquiry-driven modes. In view of limited classroom time and constraints such as standardized testing, sensor web-driven environmental inquiry faces a two-fold challenge: Minimize time-intrusion into the curriculum and make that time highly productive and valuable for students. The technology employed here is a wireless microcomputer network ruggedized for outdoor use, interfaces to simple environmental sensors, supplemental data from a low-cost meteorological station, and data recovery and analysis by means of a laptop PC. Target cost of the system (not including the PC) is 2000USD. The baseline study subject is watershed hydrology, with a corollary aim of "identifiying the doorways" into related subjects and story lines. The general plan of action proceeds in these steps: - Build and test the system - Students work with the system in the classroom - Students formulate a deployment plan - Instruments deployed, data acquired and formatted - Student analysis, hypothesis generation, research - Reiterate the previous three steps as possible Once this platform/program is established the idea is to expand to include personalized reflection and self- expression per the curriculum established by the River of Words non-profit organization. The second expansion idea is (per the eScience model) to facilitate Internet-based exchanges and equipment sharing with students located in other geographical regions and countries. http://robfatland.net/seamonster
ED51B-0421
Innovative Hands-on Space-Physics Excersises in Moscow University
The paper presents an innovative educational project in the area of space research and near-Earth space sciences, developed by Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics (Moscow State University) in collaboration with its partners. Special attention is devoted to the application of the modern technologies in educational process. One of the key points of our project concerns the development of new generation of practice exercises. The beginning of the project was associated with the launch of the first University satellite "Universitetskij-Tatyana" (January 2005). The scientists developed a number of exercises, based not only on the scientific data obtained from the board of the satellite, but also on technical data and parameters of this and other satellites. It allows to use them not only for special-level students, but also for the students of general physics and engineering departments. Structurally the exercises can be divided into two parts: ââ√¬Å∜traditiona lââ√¬ï¿ 89; practice exercises, implementation of which includes teacherââ√¬â∠82;¢s participation, and fully computerized exercises, which are carried out independently, without teacherââ√¬â∠82;¢s presence. They include two sections: "the Earth" and "the Sun". The developed exercises introduce students to the basics of space physics and at the same time teach them to operate real scientific data, using special programs. The presented exercises can be also used as demonstration of the space processes for pupils of the secondary school.
ED51B-0422
Surface Ozone Measured at GLOBE Schools in the Czech Republic: A Demonstration of the Importance of Student Contribution to the Larger Science Picture
GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based education and science program and was developed to give students a chance to perform real science by making measurements, analyzing data, and participating in research in collaboration with scientists. When it was first established in 1994, one cornerstone of the vision for GLOBE was that it would provide a mechanism by which K-12 students could contribute meaningfully to the earth science community. As part of the GLOBE Surface Ozone Protocol and with the assistance of the TEREZA Association in the Czech Republic, schools in the Czech Republic have been making and reporting daily measurements of surface ozone and surface meteorological data since 2001. Using a hand-held ozone monitor developed for GLOBE, students at several Czech schools have generated multiyear data records of surface ozone from 2001-2005. Analysis of the data shows surface ozone levels were anomalously high during the summer of 2003 relative to other summers. These findings are consistent with measurements by the European Environment Agency that highlights the summer of 2003 as having exceptionally long-lasting and spatially extensive episodes of high surface ozone, especially during the first half of August. Further analysis of the summer's prevailing meteorology shows not only that it was one of the hottest on record, a finding also seen in the student data, but the conditions for production of ozone were ideal. Findings such as these increase student, teacher, and scientist confidence in the utility of the GLOBE data for engaging budding scientists in the collection, analysis, and eventual interpretation of the data for inquiry-based education.
ED51B-0423
Caught in the Solar Wind: A Study of Space Weather and its Influence on Earth
Space weather is a phenomenon that is becoming more familiar to the general public. As people are increasingly reliant on 21st century technology, the potential for disruption to their daily lives also rises. As the sun approaches its next solar maximum in 2011 or 2012, the peak of Cycle 24 is expected to be the highest of the satellite age, perhaps surpassing that of Cycle 19 in 1957-58. In this teaching unit, we have attempted to create a series of lessons that sheds light on the concept of space weather and the sun’s influences on earth’s magnetic field and upper atmosphere. Within this unit, we have provided ample opportunities for students to access and interpret real scientific data from a variety of sources. The main location is the web site www.spaceweather.com , which has near real time data from satellites such as SOHO, STEREO, ACE and POES. This data is easily viewed and explained within the site, and with appropriate instruction, students can regularly gather data, make predictions, and draw conclusions based on the current behavior of the sun. Examples include sunspot number and development, speed and density of solar wind, orientation and strength of the interplanetary magnetic field, location of coronal holes, planetary K index and X-ray solar flares. Depending on the level of the students, some or all of this data can be compiled over a period of time to better understand the behavior of the sun as well as its influence on Earth. The goal of this unit is to provide a vehicle for students to understand how data is used by scientists. Once they have the base knowledge, students may be able to construct their own questions and follow through with research. An inquiry-based approach is incorporated whenever possible. With the onset of a potentially active solar cycle in the near future, teachers have the opportunity to make a dramatic connection between the natural world and their daily lives. Solar storms can cause disruption to telephone communication, television, GPS systems and power grids, as well as provide dazzling auroral displays. If Cycle 24 lives up to the predictions, space weather will be a newsworthy story and a teachable moment. Many of the activities in this unit have been tested already and all will have been used with high school students by the time of the AGU meeting. Our discussion will include samples of student work and an evaluation of the success of the unit’s ability to incorporate current scientific data into the classroom.
ED51B-0424
Fostering Inquiry and Scientific Investigation in Students by Using GPS Data to Explore Plate Tectonics and Volcanic Deformation
The Education and Outreach program at UNAVCO has developed free instructional materials using authentic high-precision GPS data for secondary education and undergraduate students in Earth science courses. Using inquiry-based, data-rich activities, students investigate crustal deformation and plate motion using GPS data and learn how these measurements are important to scientific discovery and understanding natural hazards and the current state of prediction. Because this deformation is expressed on Earth's surface over familiar time scales and on easily visualized orders of magnitude, GPS data represent an effective method for illustrating the geomorphic effects of plate tectonics and, in essence, allow students to 'see' plates move and volcanoes deform. The activities foster student skills to critically assess different forms of data, to visualize abstract concepts, and to evaluate multiple lines of evidence to analyze scientific problems. The activities are scaffolded to begin with basic concepts about GPS data and analyzing simple plate motion and move towards data analyses for more complex motion and crustal deformation. As part of assessment, students can apply new knowledge to explore other geographic regions independently. Learning activities currently include exploring motion along the San Andreas Fault, monitoring volcano deformation and ground movement at the Yellowstone Caldera, and analyzing ground motion along the subduction zone in the Cascadia region. To support educators and their students in their investigations, UNAVCO has developed the Data for Educators portal; http://www.unavco.org/edu_outreach/data.html. This portal provides a Google-map displaying the locations of GPS stations, web links to numerical GPS data that illustrate specific Earth processes, and educational activities that incorporate this data. The GPS data is freely available in a format compatible with standard spreadsheet and graphing programs as well as visualization and analysis tools such as the Integrated Data Viewer (IDV). After becoming familiar with the data available through the Data for Educators portal, students are more prepared to use the full UNAVCO data archive to conduct their own independent investigations.
ED51B-0425
Using Mauna Loa Atmospheric CO2 Data in Large General Education Geoscience Courses
We have been using the Mauna Loa atmospheric CO2 dataset (http://scrippsco2.ucsd.edu/data/in_situ_co2/monthly_mlo.csv) in a large (up to 300) General Education Geoscience course, primarily in small breakout groups (30 students). The exercise is designed to address quantitative literacy including percentages, slopes and linear trends, issues of data completeness and bias, quality of extrapolations, as well as implications for climate change. We are significantly revising the course, which serves 600 students a semester, with help from a curriculum grant. A major goal is to improve student learning by incorporating inquiry based activities in the large lecture setting. Lectures now incorporate several activities throughout a given class period, in which students are asked to use critical thinking skills such as interpreting patterns in data and graphs, analyzing a scientific hypothesis for its coherence with the scientific method, and answering higher order synthesis questions in both verbal and written form. This differs from our past format where class periods were dominated by lecture, with a single short activity done individually about every other lecture. To test the effectiveness of the new course format we will give students the same atmospheric CO2 exercise in the lecture setting that they were given previously in breakout groups. Students will work in small groups in lecture after receiving a short introduction to the exercise by the instructor. They will plot CO2 concentrations, make extrapolations, and interpret patterns in the data. We will compare scores on the exercise with previous semesters. We expect that students will do better having had more experience with interpreting scientific data and practicing higher order thinking skills. We also expect working in small groups will foster better learning through peer teaching and discussion. We will incorporate responses from students who took part in the exercises from current and previous semesters. We administer a greenhouse effect concept inventory both before and after the CO2 exercise and other in-class greenhouse gas activities, and will present those results as well.
ED51B-0426
Survey of Teachers' Use of Planetary Data for Authentic Research in K-12 Classrooms
Science education reform documents universally call for students to have authentic experiences using real data in the context of their science education that mimic actual research. In order for planetary scientists to provide the most useful data or professional development for K-12 teachers, a survey was undertaken to determine how teachers are currently using planetary science data and, if not, why not. A national survey collected data from 320 teachers from 42 states. Teachers targeted for this survey were those who are most likely to be knowledgeable in the ins and outs of using online planetary data. When asked to identify the ESS online resources that they access five or more days per year the three more commonly used websites were USGS.gov (28%), GoogleEarth (23%), and Volcano World (12%). However, at this time, the use of online data for inquiry and analysis in the classroom is actually quite rare. Survey results indicate that 41-24% of teachers use student collected data and teacher- produced hard copies of data for the bulk of any inquiry or analysis that is conducted in class. Most often (52%) teachers' primary use of the internet in ESS involves the downloading of images to share with students. Only 25- 32% of these teachers report that they use online data, in the forms of large WWW data sets real time data, or virtual online data, to engage students in inquiry or data analysis. The most noteworthy finding is that 89% of teachers report that they rarely use the most open and authentic forms of inquiry when instructing students. Data shows that the types of inquiry always or usually used by teachers are confirmation activities (38%) or structured inquiry (46%), in which students investigate the teacher-provided question, using a prescribed procedure. 81% of ESS teachers stated that the amount of time allocated to inquiry in their classrooms is either not enough, or wholly insufficient. Teachers did not perceive that inquiry increases students' assessment scores on state tests. When questioned about barriers to using inquiry in the classroom, 51% of respondents stated that the number of topics covered by state assessments is a great or immense barrier as is the perceived amount of time required to inquire using real data. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/score/pdec/
ED51B-0427
Impacts of Technology-Based Differentiated Instruction on Students with Special Needs
In early 2006, the Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) conducted a national field-test of a new GEMS space science curriculum package developed for use with middle school students. During this field-test we modified a subset of the curriculum materials for use by students with special needs, to be delivered via computer. These computer-based modules were implemented in a subset of the field-test classrooms, and LHS collected pre- and post-test data for each unit. We analyzed the data to determine if students in the classrooms using the modified materials scored differently than students in the larger assessment data base. We disaggregated the date to specifically measure the impact on students with special needs. Our results suggest that many students, not just those with special needs, demonstrate greater achievement gains using materials modified using the principles of best practice for special needs students.
ED51B-0428
LSST Survey Data: Models for EPO Interaction
The potential for education and public outreach with the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope is as far reaching as the telescope itself. LSST data will be available to the public, giving anyone with a web browser a movie-like window on the Universe. The LSST project is unique in designing its data management and data access systems with the public and community users in mind. The enormous volume of data to be generated by LSST is staggering: 30 Terabytes per night, 10 Petabytes per year. The final database of extracted science parameters from the images will also be enormous -- 50-100 Petabytes -- a rich gold mine for data mining and scientific discovery potential. LSST will also generate 100,000 astronomical alerts per night, for 10 years. The LSST EPO team is examining models for EPO interaction with the survey data, particularly in how the community (amateurs, teachers, students, and general public) can participate in the discovery process. We will outline some of our models of community interaction for inquiry-based science using the LSST survey data, and we invite discussion on these topics. http://www.lsst.org
ED51B-0429
INSPIRE: Interactive NASA Space Physics Ionosphere Radio Experiment
The INSPIRE Project is a non-profit scientific and educational corporation whose objective is to bring the excitement of observing very low frequency (VLF) natural radio waves to high school students. Underlying this objective is the conviction that science and technology are the underpinnings of our modern society, and that only with an understanding of these disciplines can people make correct decisions in their lives. Since 1989, the INSPIRE Project has provided specially designed radio receiver kits to over 2,500 students and other groups to make observations of signals in the VLF frequency range. These kits provide an innovative and unique opportunity for students to actively gather data that can be used in a basic research project. Natural VLF emissions that can be studied with the INSPIRE receiver kits include sferics, tweeks, whistlers, and chorus, which originate from phenomena such as lightning. These emissions can either come from the local atmospheric environment within a few tens of kilometers of the receiver or from outer space thousands of kilometers from the Earth. VLF emissions are at such low frequencies that they can be received, amplified and turned into sound that we can hear, with each emission producing in a distinctive sound. In 2006 INSPIRE was re-branded and its mission has expanded to developing new partnerships with multiple science projects. Links to magnetospheric physics, astronomy, and meteorology are being identified. This presentation will introduce the INSPIRE project, display the INSPIRE receiver kits, show examples of the types of VLF emissions that can be collected and provide information on scholarship programs being offered. http://image.gsfc.nasa.gov/poetry/inspire
ED51B-0430
Promoting Interests in Atmospheric Science at a Liberal Arts Institution
Coastal Carolina University (CCU) students in Computer Science participated in a project to set up an operational weather forecast for the local community. The project involved the construction of two computing clusters and the automation of daily forecasting. Funded by NSF-MRI, two high-performance clusters were successfully established to run the University of Oklahoma's Advance Regional Prediction System (ARPS). Daily weather predictions are made over South Carolina and North Carolina at 3-km horizontal resolution (roughly 1.9 miles) using initial and boundary condition data provided by UNIDATA. At this high resolution, the model is cloud- resolving, thus providing detailed picture of heavy thunderstorms and precipitation. Forecast results are displayed on CCU's website (https://marc.coastal.edu/HPC) to complement observations at the National Weather Service in Wilmington N.C. Present efforts include providing forecasts at 1-km resolution (or finer), comparisons with other models like Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, and the examination of local phenomena (like water spouts and tornadoes). Through these activities the students learn about shell scripting, cluster operating systems, and web design. More importantly, students are introduced to Atmospheric Science, the processes involved in making weather forecasts, and the interpretation of their forecasts. Simulations generated by the forecasts will be integrated into the contents of CCU's course like Fluid Dynamics, Atmospheric Sciences, Atmospheric Physics, and Remote Sensing. Operated jointly between the departments of Applied Physics and Computer Science, the clusters are expected to be used by CCU faculty and students for future research and inquiry-based projects in Computer Science, Applied Physics, and Marine Science.