News - North America
North Carolina Educators Study Climate and the Earth as a System Using GLOBE
Contributed by Kim Garrett and Alisa Wickliff, UNC at Charlotte’s Center for STEM Education
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) invited area educators to campus on 17 February 2024 to participate in a workshop celebrating the GLOBE Program’s Year of Climate and Carbon. The dynamics of this group of educators created an exciting and successful learning experience for participants as well as workshop leaders.
Of the many learning activities presented, the Earth as a System activity provided an excellent introduction and visualization of Earth’s dynamic weather systems and patterns. It also provided conditions for conversations about climate change and using GLOBE learning activities and protocols in the classroom. This activity was a highlight of the workshop.
Educators spent time reviewing the importance of instrument calibration and practiced calibrating max/min and alcohol thermometers. In addition, everyone collected data for air temperature, soil temperature, surface temperature, percent cloud cover, cloud identification, and precipitation. Participants practiced using the GLOBE Observer app to report cloud observations. Educators also learned about phenology and reviewing Green-Up and Green-Down protocols.
Jake Armour, professor with the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences at UNCC, was a guest speaker. He introduced his research in geomorphology of alpine landscapes and the paleoclimatic information they contain. Participants learned how physically demanding it is to reach the study sites located in the Colorado Plateau (depositional glacial features like cirques, kettle bogs, and lakes) and why these sites are so valuable to understanding the evidence of paleoclimatic changes.
Due to the generous support from the GLOBE Partnership Mini-Grant Program and UNCC’s Center for STEM Education, participating K-12 educators returned to their classrooms with climate change related resource information and learning activities. Educators also received the following GLOBE instruments to collect climate data with their students: max/min digital thermometer, alcohol thermometer, rain gage and an infrared thermometer.
Educators enjoyed the learning activities and were positive that they would be able to lead these protocols in the spring and fall of 2024.
The goal of the GLOBE Partnership Mini-Grant Program is to support U.S. Partner activities to help achieve the GLOBE Strategic Priorities and contribute to the evaluation of the impact of GLOBE within the United States. Access the Mini-Grant Award Padlet to learn about how Partnerships that have been awarded a mini-grant are using the funding.
News origin: United States of America