Stars and STEM Stories

United States GLOBE Teacher Bruce Huckins' 7th grade class, at West Central Middle School in Maynard, Iowa, is conducting the second year of the Volga River Project. In 2008, Huckins' class created the project by measuring the Transparency, Nitrate, pH, Dissolved Oxygen, and Water Temperature of the Volga River four times throughout the year, beginning in November. Huckins' current class decided to continue the project and repeat the same tests every month starting in November 2009.  >>

Water, one of the most essential elements for our survival, makes up approximately 71 percent of Earth's surface and two-thirds of the human body. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the quality of the ecosystems this imperative resource is obtained from. Participation by GLOBE students in the U.N. sponsored World Water Day allowed GLOBE students from 67 schools in 14 countries to investigate water sources in their local areas by engaging in learning activities such as The pH Game, Water Detectives, Hydrology Site Definition and conducting the GLOBE pH Protocol, among others, and, to gather data for long-term research projects.  >>

On 25 November 2009, Jeddah, a Saudi Arabian port city located on the coast of the Red Sea, awoke to heavy rain and a sky filled with lightning. The rain continued for approximately six hours, turning into a devastating flood that claimed the lives of at least 124 Jeddah citizens through drowning, car crashes, and other tragic accidents. Water filled the streets of Jeddah, destroying everything in its wake and causing a full blackout of electricity across the city. Losses were estimated at 9,878 cars, 10,751 houses and business losses of billions (one billion SAR being equal to $266,666,768.53 in U.S. dollars.)  >>