News - Mission Earth
Summer 2022: GME-UT Works with Upward Bound on UT Campus
GME-UT connected with Upward Bound on the University of Toledo’s campus for a second year. During Summer 2022, GLOBE Mission EARTH engaged 16 high school students from the Upward Bound Program at the University of Toledo in collecting Atmosphere and Hydrosphere data from around the UT campus and the community. GME staff began the summer training the two Upward Bound teachers, Jerry Davis and Esther Oyedele, in the GLOBE protocols. Then, their students were introduced to GLOBE with some engaging materials (including this presentation, which also reviewed the scientific method, the metric system, and other pertinent background information), and shown how to use the sampling equipment. Students went outside each day, 4 days per week, and collected the following data: Atmosphere (air temperature, surface temperature, clouds), and Hydrosphere (ph, water temperature, nitrate/nitrite, and dissolved oxygen). For Hydrosphere, an additional test was included: phosphate, to help students understand the importance of nutrient runoff and how it affects algal blooms in Lake Erie. Students were put into groups and worked together on independent research projects. They gathered their data using custom data sheets provided by GME: Hydrosphere Data Sheet and the Atmosphere Data Sheet. One interesting thing about the custom Atmosphere Data Sheet was that (at the request of the Upward Bound teachers), a column to record temperatures in Fahrenheit was provided, along with a column for Celsius. This was to help students get active practice with the metric system. Students utilized the GLOBE Clouds Data Sheet to collect their clouds observations. Back in the computer lab, students then entered their data onto the GLOBE website. GME staff provided the Upward Bound teachers with some guiding questions/possible research topics for the students, including:
Atmosphere
How do clouds affect surface temperature?
How do clouds affect air temperature?
How does surface temperature change compared to air temperature?
Which surfaces on the UT campus contribute the most to the Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE)?
Hydrosphere
How are turbidity and phosphate/nitrate related?
How do clouds affect water temperature?
How does surface temperature relate to water temperature?
How does pH change over time in the river and does rainfall affect it?
Students utilized these questions to help them in the development of their research projects. Students also interacted with GME staff during periodic visits to their classroom and on campus as they collected their data. Below is the list of projects completed by the students.
Upward Bound Students with Research Project Titles
Students / Research Project
Shinar Walton & Donnie Garrison
The Urban Island Heating Effect: UT Campus
Devon Medley, Thomas Klenk, & Luis Taylor
The Difference in Surface Temperature of Artificial Turf and Natural Grass
Malaysia Ratcliffe, Latrice Parmer, A’Jinae Taylor, & Sanah Walton
How Surface Temperature Relates to Water Temperature
Monica Burleson, Nazarah Garrett, Kylee Irving, & Tenaisha Parmer
How Do Clouds Affect Air Temperature?