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Quaking aspens can grow in a wide range of environmental conditions. They can tolerate a wide variety of variations in climate and environmental conditions including slope, moisture, surrounding vegetation, and soil ( https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/beauty/aspen/ecology.shtml ). I found this information with a simple web search. But, before there was access to infinite articles, websites, and papers all a click away, scientists had to figure out growth trends using data. So, before I decided to do a web search about the environmental conditions of aspen habitats (my memorized aspen ...


Posted in: Event Topics: SCIENCE SYMPOSIA AND FAIRS   GLOBE Science Topics: SCIENTIST SKILLS   Investigation Areas: EARTH AS A SYSTEM HYDROSPHERE PEDOSPHERE (SOIL) ATMOSPHERE BIOSPHERE   News Topics: VIRTUAL SCIENCE FAIR   Primary Audience: TEACHERS STUDENTS


I recently had the pleasure of meeting a GLOBE student named Aspen. I was excited because my favorite type of tree is Aspen (Quaking Aspen to be more specific, Populus tremuloides to be even more specific), and I was able to tell her some of the fun facts about her namesake. My favorite thing about aspens is their bark. The white powder on it can act as sunscreen. It’s only about an SPF of 5 but it’s still pretty cool. The bark also contains chloroplasts which means it can photosynthesize, making it one of the few deciduous trees that do not solely rely on leaves for ...


Posted in: Investigation Areas: BIOSPHERE   Primary Audience: TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS


 I was selected as a National Geographic  2017 Grosvenor Teacher Fellow  which is a professional development opportunity that provides educators a rich, immersive experience exploring the world to bring back to their teaching and communities. I and two other educators traveled with Lindblad Expeditions around Svalbard, Greenland and Iceland on the ship the National Geographic Explorer, making stops for excursions along the way. I decided to do field work on my Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship because 1) that is what one does on an expedition according ...


Posted in: Curriculum: SCIENCE AND MATH   GLOBE Science Topics: EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE GLOBE PROTOCOLS   Learning Activities: ATMOSPHERE AND CLIMATE   Primary Audience: TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS


As Earth science has a single uncontrolled object of study, the first rule is to take today’s data today. While ice and sediment cores and fossils can reveal past conditions, the observations that can be made right now cannot be replaced by ones taken later. This goes well with the Native American adage, “You can’t step in the same river twice.” The environment is constantly changing and doing so on a wide range of time and space scales. In a recent video post, Neil deGrasse Tyson said, “One of the great things about science is that it is an entire exercise finding what is true. You ...


Posted in: Curriculum: SCIENCE AND MATH   Event Topics: CAMPAIGNS AND PROJECTS (IOPS, ETC) GLOBE LEARNING EXPEDITIONS SCIENCE SYMPOSIA AND FAIRS   Field Campaigns: EL NIÑO SMAP   GLOBE Science Topics: EARTH AS A SYSTEM EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE GENERAL SCIENCE CLIMATE CHANGE CLIMATE   Investigation Areas: EARTH AS A SYSTEM   Primary Audience: TEACHERS STUDENTS ALUMNI


Mr. Jeff Bouwman and his Shumate Middle School students are NASA GLOBE ENSO Student Research Campaign superstars.  Check out what they have been doing in the video below!   Shumate Middle School was the first location for a new WeatherSTEM program, including a weather station, cloud camera, and an agricultural station. Learn more in the video below!


Posted in: Field Campaigns: EL NIÑO   Investigation Areas: ATMOSPHERE EARTH AS A SYSTEM HYDROSPHERE PEDOSPHERE (SOIL) BIOSPHERE   Primary Audience: TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS


Check out the wonderful ENSO Introductory Video from the National Weather Service Office in Bismarck, North Dakota. USA! Also, to gain a more in-depth knowledge of the science of ENSO, please visit our friends at the State Climate Office of North Carolina. The have some excellent ENSO information, with links to some pertinent external expertise.


Posted in: Field Campaigns: EL NIÑO   Primary Audience: TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS


Scientists rely on research, statistical models, and climate forecast models to help them determine upcoming natural events. Currently, scientists are have a difficult time deciding if and when the potential big El Niño event will happen. It will happen in 2017, but will it be the Summer or Fall? "Right now, many climate forecast models do predict the development of a full-fledged El Niño during this summer or fall. It’s likely that these models are acting on the much warmer-than-average waters near the coast of South America—the “Coastal El Niño" says Anthony Barson in his NOAA ...


Posted in: Curriculum: STEM ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION EDUCATION RESEARCH LANGUAGE CULTURE AND ARTS SCIENCE AND MATH TECHNOLOGY   Field Campaigns: EL NIÑO SMAP   Investigation Areas: ATMOSPHERE EARTH AS A SYSTEM HYDROSPHERE PEDOSPHERE (SOIL) BIOSPHERE   Learning Activities: EARTH AS A SYSTEM ATMOSPHERE AND CLIMATE LAND COVER/BIOLOGY HYDROLOGY SOIL   Primary Audience: PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS


Just when you think that perhaps the weather systems are settling down- our amazing scientific instruments are able to detect a potential change! I never cease to be amazed at what we are able to learn about Earth's systems- both from the ground and from space!  This article from the New York Times just came across my newsfeed- " It's Like it Never Left: Another El Nino May be on the Way ". In the article, it states that " Among the potential effects are wetter conditions across the southern United States, including Southern California; a drier Midwest; and drought in ...


Posted in: Curriculum: STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH SCIENCE AND MATH   Event Topics: CAMPAIGNS AND PROJECTS (IOPS, ETC)   Field Campaigns: EL NIÑO   GLOBE Science Topics: EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE CLIMATE CHANGE BACKYARD SCIENCE CLIMATE EARTH AS A SYSTEM SCIENTIST SKILLS GLOBE PROTOCOLS   GLOBE Working Groups: EDUCATION WORKING GROUP   Investigation Areas: ATMOSPHERE EARTH AS A SYSTEM HYDROSPHERE PEDOSPHERE (SOIL) BIOSPHERE   News Topics: VIRTUAL SCIENCE FAIR   Primary Audience: PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS


How do you ENSO? Did you know that students from around the world are taking measurements as part of the NASA GLOBE ENSO Student Research Campaign?  Check out what's happening at the Medford Memorial Middle School in New Jersey, USA! We are looking for YOUR videos, showcasing your students taking measurements that are part of the NASA GLOBE ENSO Student Research Campaign. (Note, you will need to have GLOBE photo releases for each of the students shown in your video. They can be found HERE .   Please contact Brian Campbell for more details and/or ...


Posted in: Curriculum: STEM   Field Campaigns: EL NIÑO SMAP   Investigation Areas: ATMOSPHERE EARTH AS A SYSTEM HYDROSPHERE PEDOSPHERE (SOIL) BIOSPHERE   Primary Audience: TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS


Consider the rain gauge used in GLOBE, CoCoRaHS, and other citizen science programs. Just four pieces plus 2 mounting screws – an inner graduated cylinder, an outer cylinder, a cap/funnel, and a mounting bracket. The area of the outer tube is exactly 10 times the areas of the inner tube and the cap/funnel, so the graduations on the inner cylinder can be spaced ten times further apart. Thus, 0.2 mm of rain fills the inner tube to a depth of 2.0 mm, which one can read. In addition, if heavy rainfall fills the inner cylinder, the rest of the rainfall overflows into the outer cylinder, ...


Posted in: Curriculum: STEM   Field Campaigns: EL NIÑO GPM   GLOBE Science Topics: BACKYARD SCIENCE GLOBE PROTOCOLS   Investigation Areas: ATMOSPHERE   Primary Audience: TEACHERS STUDENTS ALUMNI


This time was my first visit to Trinidad and Tobago and to the LAC region. The visit was first of its kinds, knowing vividly that Africans and the People of Trinidad and Tobago have so many things in common in terms of Geography and Historical antecedent.  The motivation for my visit to Trinidad and Tobago started during the 17 th GLOBE Annual meeting at Maryland. Initially, it was just a brief discussion with Henry Saunders (Country Coordinator, GLOBE Trinidad and Tobago). However, after a year, I met Mr. Michael at GLOBE Expedition in New Delhi, India where we had in-depth ...


Posted in: GLOBE Science Topics: MEETINGS/CONFERENCES   GLOBE Working Groups: SCIENCE WORKING GROUP   Investigation Areas: PEDOSPHERE (SOIL)   Primary Audience: TEACHERS STUDENTS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS


Concerns regarding the impact of global warming on vector-borne diseases have intensified interest in the relationship between atmospheric factors and dengue fever incidence. Global climate change poses the threat of serious social upheaval, population displacement, economic hardships, and environmental degradation. Changes in temperature, rainfall and relative humidity have potential to enhance vector development, reproductive and biting rates, shorten pathogen incubation period and encourage adult longevity. In addition, changes in wind direction, velocity and frequency will have an ...


Posted in: GLOBE Science Topics: CLIMATE CHANGE GLOBE PROTOCOLS   Investigation Areas: HYDROSPHERE   Learning Activities: HYDROLOGY   Primary Audience: TEACHERS STUDENTS


Please welcome Guest Blogger Jayme Margolin-Sneider , a GLOBE 6-8 grade science teacher and STEM Advisor from Westview Middle School in Longmont, Colorado.   This is the second in a series of posts by GLOBE teachers sharing classroom experiences to support the student research process. The series is supported by NSF funding for the United States Regional Student Research Symposia . If you are a teacher interested in contributing, please contact Haley Wicklein for more information. Thank you to Jayme for sharing this! Last year, I had two different groups of ...


Posted in: Curriculum: SCIENCE AND MATH   Event Topics: MEETINGS COMPETITIONS SCIENCE SYMPOSIA AND FAIRS   GLOBE Science Topics: SCIENTIST SKILLS GLOBE PROTOCOLS GENERAL SCIENCE DATA INCLUDED MEETINGS/CONFERENCES   News Topics: COMPETITIONS MEETINGS REGIONS   Primary Audience: TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS


Currently, we are in an ENSO-neutral period called "La Nada." La Nada is the midpoint between an El Niño and La Niña. This occurs when the ocean temperatures in the Pacific Ocean are near average. The "in-between" ocean state can be frustrating for long-range forecasters. "It's like driving without a decent road map — it makes forecasting difficult," said climatologist Bill Patzert of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. With this said, scientists are now saying that we currently have a 50% chance of a return of El Niño in approximately 6 months. This would coincide with the Atlantic ...


Posted in: Field Campaigns: EL NIÑO   Investigation Areas: ATMOSPHERE EARTH AS A SYSTEM HYDROSPHERE PEDOSPHERE (SOIL) BIOSPHERE   Primary Audience: TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS


One of the important aspects of a scientist's job is to look at the data that was collected and try to make sense of it in order to better understand natural phenomena. With the ENSO Student Research Campaign, we have a unique opportunity to analyze data and use the analysis to help us better understand the impact of the ENSO cycles on weather and climate in locations all around the world.  I was looking at some of the data that many of our wonderful GLOBE teachers have sent during the ENSO campaign, and I noticed that we had data analyses sent to us from different ...


Posted in: Curriculum: SCIENCE AND MATH   Event Topics: CAMPAIGNS AND PROJECTS (IOPS, ETC)   Field Campaigns: EL NIÑO   GLOBE Science Topics: EARTH AS A SYSTEM SCIENTIST SKILLS EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE CLIMATE CHANGE CLIMATE   Investigation Areas: ATMOSPHERE EARTH AS A SYSTEM HYDROSPHERE   News Topics: SCRC RESEARCH   Primary Audience: TEACHERS STUDENTS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI


Students from Mr. Jeff Bouwman’s science class at Shumate Middle School in Gibraltar, MI are not just budding scientists, but artists as well. Check out the awesome wall mural they have created just Mr. Bouwman’s classroom. #NASASMAP #GettingScienceDone #ShumateScience


Posted in: Field Campaigns: EL NIÑO   Primary Audience: TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS


ENSO Student Research Campaign Students in the United States, here is where you take your GLOBE date to the next level! The US Student Research Symposium is ready to learn all about the data that you have taken! https://www.globe.gov/web/united-states-of-america/student-research-symposia Teachers, if you are interested in attending with a group of students, please indicate your interest and apply for funding through this Google Form  by February 27th, 2017 .  Funding decisions will be made by March 27th, 2017. 


Posted in: Field Campaigns: EL NIÑO SMAP   GLOBE Science Topics: EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE   Investigation Areas: EARTH AS A SYSTEM HYDROSPHERE PEDOSPHERE (SOIL) ATMOSPHERE BIOSPHERE   Primary Audience: TEACHERS STUDENTS


Please welcome Guest Blogger Bill Meyers , a GLOBE teacher from Alexander Dawson School in Lafayette, Colorado . This is the first in a series of posts by GLOBE teachers sharing classroom experiences to support the student research process. The series is supported by NSF funding for the United States Regional Student Research Symposia . If you are a teacher interested in contributing, please contact Haley Wicklein for more information. Thank you to Bill for sharing this and starting off our series! I currently have two students who are doing research for this year’s Science ...


Posted in: Event Topics: SCIENCE SYMPOSIA AND FAIRS   GLOBE Science Topics: SCIENTIST SKILLS MEETINGS/CONFERENCES   News Topics: VIRTUAL SCIENCE FAIR REGIONS CALENDAR   Primary Audience: TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI


As you know, the ENSO phenomenon affect the entire planet. Check out this great video from the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology. In this video, you will see the extremes that ENSO brings to all corners of Australia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzat16LMtQk Are the affects of ENSO in your country the same or different than in Australia? Try to draw some conclusions based upon your data and other data from around your home country.


Posted in: Event Topics: CAMPAIGNS AND PROJECTS (IOPS, ETC)   Field Campaigns: EL NIÑO   Investigation Areas: ATMOSPHERE EARTH AS A SYSTEM HYDROSPHERE PEDOSPHERE (SOIL) BIOSPHERE   Primary Audience: TRAINERS STUDENTS TEACHERS PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS


Have you missed some of the ENSO Student Research Campaign webinar? Look no further. We have a 1-stop-shop to view the webinars from our current Phase II, and also from Phase I. Please click HERE to view all the past webinars and learn about future ones!


Posted in: Event Topics: CAMPAIGNS AND PROJECTS (IOPS, ETC)   Field Campaigns: EL NIÑO   Investigation Areas: EARTH AS A SYSTEM ATMOSPHERE HYDROSPHERE PEDOSPHERE (SOIL) BIOSPHERE   Primary Audience: TRAINERS TEACHERS STUDENTS PARTNERS SCIENTISTS ALUMNI COUNTRY COORDINATORS