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Students put GLOBE Data Collection into Practice at Croatia Annual Competition

Sep 15, 2011

Every year Croatia brings together GLOBE Students and Teachers for a countrywide festival and competition. Teams from each GLOBE School are required to compete in a variety of events and present a poster project. Student teams also have the option of presenting original research projects based on GLOBE Protocols and data collection. This year over 25 schools presented research, an activity that is especially encouraged by the Croatian GLOBE network as it directly contributes to current scientific research activities as well as pedagogical practices. According to GLOBE Country Coordinator Diana Garasic, the Annual Festival and Competition is one of GLOBE Croatia's most exciting events. "In this rich experience of 14 years, I could really say that these annual conferences are the most important driving force in GLOBE implementation and we hope that our Ministry of Science, Education, and Sports, together with the Education and Teacher Training Agency will continue to support them," she stated.

Croatia's 14^th Annual GLOBE Conference and Competition took place 11-13 May 2011 in Čakovec, Northern Croatia. Over 160 students from 52 GLOBE Schools came together to present their work, to inspire each other through a competition in knowledge of GLOBE Protocols, and to enhance their understanding of the meaning of GLOBE data. Each school team is comprised of three students and one GLOBE Teacher. The competitions are interactive, requiring students to find and pass through several checkpoints, marked on a map, using a compass and precisely following the orientation indicated in their instructions. At each checkpoint, teams answer theoretical and computational questions about GLOBE Protocols, data collection and their analyses of these data in relation to their research projects.

In one location, students were required to observe a nearby stream marked on their map. They had to then determine and mark the best place to take water samples, noting possible contaminants such as runoff from neighboring housing structures. Students were asked to think about the safest GLOBE measurements that would indicate the presence of sewage contamination of the water and to write down two GLOBE Protocols that could be used to test for the presence of pollution, as well as explain the reasons for their choices. Another question asked students to determine how many gallons of precipitation could be collected from a given area if 40 liters of precipitation had fallen in the past 24 hours.

All students received a commendation for participation in the competition and poster presentation. Special commendations were awarded to schools that achieved outstanding results in implementing GLOBE during the past year and diplomas were awarded to schools whose projects were judged to be extremely successful. The GLOBE Croatia team wishes to thank all participating students, teachers, and sponsors for standing behind a tradition that promotes active GLOBE involvement throughout the school year in preparation for this day of friendly competition.

Bolstered by the Annual Conference, the GLOBE network continues to thrive in Croatia. Since Croatia joined the GLOBE community on 12 April 1995, the program has been implemented in 142 Croatian schools and many national science events have included presentations by GLOBE representatives. In the spring of 2011, GLOBE Teachers gave a presentation and led a practical workshop teaching GLOBE Atmosphere Protocols to students at a conference hosted by the Croatian Meteorological Society for World Meteorological Day in March which promoted public awareness and education. In addition, a GLOBE Hydrology workshop focused on water quality was held at Croatia's traditional spring science festival in April, and another workshop centered around the Tree Ring Project is scheduled to occur on 5-8 October. For more information about this event contact GLOBE in Croatia!

Read more about GLOBE student research in Croatia:

15 September 2011

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