GISN & STEM Professional's Blog - GLOBE International STEM Network
Open social media sharing options menu
GISN & STEM Professional's Blog
The GLOBE International STEM Network (GISN) and STEM Professional's Blog is an online collaborative effort where scientists associated with GLOBE post their thoughts, comments, and philosophies about a variety of science topics.
GLOBE strongly encourages positive and productive discussions to further advance the scientific understanding of all involved with The GLOBE Program.
Filter By:
Blogs List
In the fall of 2016, the students in my Weather and Climate class, GEPL 4490/5490, at the University of Toledo developed projects based on El Nino. The students in class were give the task to look at GLOBE data from a part of the world in which El Nino has an effect. The students were also tasked to do research on El Nino and La Nina to see what it is.
The students looked at the following locations:
Taiwan 2015 – Nicole Jablonski, Bailey Hafner, Cortnee Halpin
Japan 1998 – Sean Smith,
Australia 1998 – Madhusanka Jayawardhana, Josh Coll, and Justin Maluchnik ...
Read More »
Posted in:
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
Hello GLOBE friends!
The Evaluation Working Group has recently shared with you the results of the 2015 survey that was sent to the GLOBE teachers. The results from this survey, along with the results from the Annual Partner Survey provided us with useful information as to how to better support GLOBE in the classroom. Among other things,. the feedback we had from the teachers was that they are asking for evaluation tools they can use in their classrooms and for guidance on how to use these tools.
During our discussions in the Working Group we thought about this ...
Posted in:
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
Hi All,
The Urban Heat Island/Surface Temperature Research Campaign was very successful this year. There were a total of 1306 surface temperature observations from 59 schools during the Urban Heat Island/Surface Temperature Research Campaign.
Schools that have participated so far (I put the country the schools are in and the state for the schools in the United States):
21CCLC Newport Community School - 12
Al Fisaliah Gifted School at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – 10
Al-Anjal Intermediate Schoo at Rejal Alma’a, Saudi Arabia - 2
Al-Fahd Secondary School at Rejal Alma'a, Saudi ...
Posted in:
It was great to see the GLOBE presence at the AMS Annual Meeting in Seattle last week. Monday, the Symposium on Education is focused on K12 initiatives. The morning sessions all focused on GLOBE related activities and projects that included the NASA Mission Earth Project, GOES-R/16, the new Elementary GLOBE Climate book, and the International Virtual Science Fair. The new GLOBE Cloud app was presented in the afternoon. There were several projects presented in the Education Poster session as well. It would be great to see even more presentations of all the innovative and ...
Posted in:
Hi All,
We are well into the Urban Heat Island/Surface Temperature Student Research Campaign. Data are coming into the GLOBE website from schools from around the world. To date there have been 43 schools that have uploaded data to the GLOBE website. As I am writing this, there are a total of 596 surface temperature observations taken and entered on the website from December 1 to December 14, 2016. That’s a whole lot of data.
The most observations have come in from Rick Sharpe’s students at Huntington High School in West Virginia with a total of 202. Kim Clark’s students from John ...
Posted in:
Hi All,
It is exciting that we started a new Urban Heat Island/Surface Temperature Student Research Campaign that was formally knows as the Surface Temperature Field Campaign. I wanted to get an email out before the campaign started, but I came down with a bad cold. 27 schools have taken observations and entered them on the GLOBE website. I know that many more of you have taken observations or are planning to take observations. If you can, please enter your observations on the GLOBE website sooner than later. I will take a look at the observations. This research campaign is a chance ...
Posted in:
In most scientific research an important test is whether the results of an experiment can be repeated, typically repeated by another lab and research group. A result that cannot be confirmed in this way is generally viewed as invalid. This is a great test for controlled experiments where virtually identical experimental conditions may be achieved.
In Earth science research involving observations of the natural world, experimental conditions cannot be reproduced. For environmental research the standard must switch for repeatable to intercomparable – capable of being compared. ...
Posted in:
GLOBE Science Topics:
GENERAL SCIENCE
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE
BACKYARD SCIENCE
GLOBE PROTOCOLS
Investigation Areas:
HYDROSPHERE
PEDOSPHERE (SOIL)
ATMOSPHERE
BIOSPHERE
Primary Audience:
TRAINERS
TEACHERS
STUDENTS
SCIENTISTS
ALUMNI
Yesterday, I visited Bell Multicultural High School and Lincoln Middle School, which share a campus near my home. It was inspiring, and I saw good science teaching with students doing research experiments dealing with bioremediation of soils. In discussions, I found myself talking about GLOBE and the many aspects of what the Program offers.
Students were experimenting with plant uptake of soil contaminants and were planning to take water samples from the Anacostia River bordering the area where they had collected soil samples. Their insight into the soil could be greatly expanded ...
Posted in:
A heat lamp and reflector socket with a spring clamp may be purchased on-line for as little as $26. The amount of time required to dry samples depends on many things including the wetness of the initial sample, the soil characteristics, the relative humidity, and the temperature to which the sample is heated. GLOBE protocols specify that samples are not to be heated above 105 o C. In using a heat lamp, the temperature to which the sample is heated depends on the wattage of the bulb and the distance between the heat lamp and the sample bag.
I have tried drying a sample using this ...
Posted in:
Phenology: Community Storytelling in Action
(This is a continuation of my blog about Rising Voices. Click here to see the first blog entry in this series.)
"How healthy is our reef?"
The following day, after meeting Aunty Pua Case and hearing about the sacredness of Mauna Kea and touring the Mauna Loa Observatory, we went to the Ka’upulehu Interpretive Center to learn about place-based learning in Hawai’i. There, we met Aunty Lei - another powerful educator and leader who talked about the educational center that they created in their community and some of the ...
Posted in:
Blog Two
(This is a continuation of my blog about Rising Voices. Click here to see the first blog entry in this series.)
Part One: Mauna Kea
“Let’s do something that is right for our mountain, and our people, and our mountain.”
Location: Pu’uhuluhul, base of the Mauna Kea Mountain, en route to Mauna Loa Observatory
We arrived at the base between two mountains: Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. We met Aunty Pua Case, who shared the importance of Mauna Kea to the people of Hawai’i and led us through a cultural protocol to recognize the sacredness of the space. Similar to ...
Posted in:
Blog One: Rising Voices: Collaborative Science with Indigenous Knowledge for Climate Solutions
Credit: Craig Elevitch
Nana ka maka, look with your eyes.
Ho'olohe ka pepeiao, hear with your ears (not your Heart).
Paa ka waha, shut your mouth.
Hana i ka lima, work with your hands.
According to the United States National Climate Assessment 2014 , “c limate change threatens Native Peoples’ access to traditional foods and adequate water. Alaskan Native communities are increasingly ...
Posted in:
GLOBE friends,
The Annual Meeting in Colorado is only a few days away! We -the members of the Evaluation Working Group- are really excited about having the opportunity to meet in person again and about having the chance to interact with all of you.
Join us for our presentations to see what we have worked on for the past year. Our efforts will be much more targeted and much more effective if you share with us your experience of using GLOBE with your students. We would like to know your success stories, your challenges, your concerns and your suggestions.
At ...
Posted in:
GLOBE Working Groups:
EVALUATION WORKING GROUP
Bird Beaks and What they Eat
Overview:
Students identify ideal beak shape for food.
Age:
Upper primary (4th and 5th graders) assisted 1st graders
Materials:
Bird beak/food handout
Straws
Dixie cups
Juice
Tweezers
Bowls
Wild grain rice
Slotted spoons
Cooked noodles (macaroni or similarly shaped)
Chopsticks
Gummy bears
White rice
Scissors
Marshmallows (jumbo)
Plan:
Ask students why birds have beaks and what they are used for - allow time for discussion. Read a book about beaks to the group. I used ...
Posted in:
Curriculum:
SCIENCE AND MATH
GLOBE Science Topics:
GENERAL SCIENCE
Learning Activities:
LAND COVER/BIOLOGY
Primary Audience:
TEACHERS
STUDENTS
Click on the link forwarded by Dr.Tim Schmit (GOES-R PI) to view some amazing imagery!
http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/ goes/blog/archives/category/goes-14
Posted in:
Looking for collaborators on the GOES-R Weather Watchers Project. Let's bring the satellite and STEM education community together!
Posted in:
This is the second half to a blog posted on 25 March 2016. To see part one, click here . We are pleased that our guest blogger, Jacob Spivey, is back to share more information about oceans and climate. Jacob also blogs at Weatherbolt .
If part of the ocean has a lower salinity, then it’s going to be less dense and there won’t be as much sinking water there. This can trigger the slowdown of another circulation, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC (thank goodness scientists abbreviate some of the names that they come up with!). Like the GTC, this is another ...
Posted in:
—
20 Items per Page