ED32B-01 INVITED 10:25h
Promoting Post-Graduate Collaboration in the IPY
The International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008 will be a hallmark scientific effort between scientists and nations around the world. It will be an intense, coordinated campaign of polar observations, research, and analysis that will be multidisciplinary in scope and international in participation. The IPY 2007-2008 follows in the tradition of three international science endeavors during the last 125 years (IPY 1882-1883; IPY 1932-1933; IGY 157-1958), when nations around the world united to advance scientific discovery in ways that single countries or scientists could not do alone. Each of these seminal events led to discoveries that have fashioned modern Earth and space science as we know it today. The National Academies' Polar Research Board formed the U.S. National Committee (USNC) for the IPY (http://us-ipy.org) to facilitate and coordinate IPY planning in the United States and develop an initial report outlining some U.S. interests in the IPY. This report noted that programs in education and outreach should be developed for IPY that build on the inherent public interest of the polar regions and provide a broad lay audience with a deeper understanding of the polar regions. The IPY also should develop the next generation of scientists, engineers, and leaders and include underrepresented groups and minorities, and also provide mechanisms for individuals, early-career researchers and small teams to contribute to the IPY. This presentation briefly highlights some of the education ideas for the IPY, and focuses specifically on the development of post-graduate mechanisms for the IPY modeled after the highly successful Dissertations Initiative for the Advancement of Climate Change Research (DISCCRS).
http://us-ipy.org
ED32B-02 INVITED 10:40h
Bridging the Poles: Education Linked with Research
An international group of 65 scientists, educators and media specialists gathered at the "Bridging the Poles" workshop in Washington, DC on June 23-25, to define strategies that will inspire the general public and engage the next generation of polar scientists, engineers and leaders. This NSF-sponsored workshop was the first effort to develop an integrated education and outreach program for the International Polar Year of 2007-2009. Through a series of plenary talks and roundtable discussions, workshop participants focused on: engaging diverse communities, opportunities and needs for different levels, possibilities for thematic areas, and programs to feature nationally and internationally over the next 5 years. To maximize the potential of the International Polar Year, we need to coordinate research, education and outreach efforts, at the international as well as national level, with the goal of building an integrated and exciting public presence during 2007-2009. Successful education and outreach programming requires leveraging existing resources, creating new programs, connecting communities, and developing partnerships between agencies, scientists, educators, and the public. We need to consider the rich heritage of indigenous Arctic peoples, build capacity within communities through targeted efforts, and focus on making the poles relevant to diverse communities by using interdisciplinary approaches, e.g. cultural as well as scientific. A series of education and outreach packages for large-scale science endeavors should be rolled out to the public as major media events. The media -- television, radio and print -- as well as educators, zoos and museums are eager to use timely, accessible, and meaningful content. An Interagency Working Group on IPY Education and Outreach, with a staff and a central office, must be created to coordinate and leverage programs. A sophisticated web portal should be developed to serve content and contacts for researchers, educators, the media, and the public at all levels. Multi-level access to high-quality data and content requires improved high bandwidth communications -- this is an issue that emerged repeatedly as critical to timely and dynamic connections between the poles, the media and other communities. Sustained funding for polar education and outreach programs will be essential. To be ready for the IPY we need to start this effort now: it takes years to develop meaningful education and outreach programs.
ED32B-03 INVITED 10:55h
The Role of Space Based Observations in the IPY and IHY Education Outreach
The rapid development in satellite technology in the past few decades has revolutionized the way we conduct scientific research and science education. In 1972, when the first Landsat satellite was launched and provided a synoptic view of parts of the Earth, researchers could see a much larger picture. Not surprisingly, the thrust of the research in the late eighties and nineties drifted from conventional, local scale studies to more encompassing global scale modeling. More recently, with the launch of more specialized satellite missions, we have reached a point where satellites are not only used for Earth Observations, but also for observing the sun, other planets and the interplanetary space. The natural progression of this technological advancement is that, for the first time, it will be possible to study the Sun-Earth-Atmosphere and their interaction at the same time. This implies that research will become increasingly multidisciplinary leading to strengthening of the 'systems approach' to science. Consequently preK-16 educational programs will need to be retailored to reflect the current developments in science. Processed multisensor images from various Earth Observing Satellites are presented. The emphasis is on remote sensing research results from high latitude Polar Regions where the spatial and temporal dynamics of change is amplified. The 'A Train' constellation of satellites that will be providing near simultaneous measurement of land, water and atmosphere is introduced. The concept of centralized repository for data, models and processed results from satellite missions, such as the A Train, is presented which would facilitate education outreach to global audience at all levels. The mechanism for disseminating information and knowledge of to distant audience, minority and native communities is proposed.
ED32B-04 INVITED 11:10h
Space Science Education and Public Outreach Opportunities in 2007 and Beyond
The International Heliophysical Year follows in the tradition of the incredibly successful International Geophysical Year that was organized in the late fifties. The scientific objective of the IHY is to study space phenomena on the largest possible scale with simultaneous observations from a broad array of instruments (ground-based and space-based). These spacecraft along with ground-based observatories provide an extraordinary view of the dynamic Sun, the near-Earth environment, and the vast heliosphere. IHY is truly a unique opportunity to study the coupled Sun-Earth system. This report will focus on a variety of education programs that have been developed and a look into the future about what opportunities exist later in the decade. Education, both formal and informal, has been undergoing rapid changes just like space science. The role of science centers (both nationally and internationally), citizen science programs, virtual science communication via the web, and initiatives such as Space Day, will all be discussed in the context of a changing education system both in the U.S. and in other countries.
ED32B-05 11:25h
Looking Forward to the electronic Geophysical Year
During the International Geophysical Year (1957-1958), member countries established many new capabilities pursuing the major IGY objectives of collecting geophysical data as widely as possible and providing free access to these data for all scientists around the globe. A key achievement of the IGY was the establishment of a worldwide system of data centers and physical observatories. The worldwide scientific community has now endorsed and is promoting an electronic Geophysical Year (eGY) initiative. The proposed eGY concept would both commemorate the 50th anniversary of the IGY in 2007-2008 and would provide a forward impetus to geophysics in the 21st century, similar to that provide by the IGY fifty years ago. The eGY concept advocates the establishment of a series of virtual geophysical observatories now being deployed in cyberspace. We discuss plans to aggregate measurements into a readily accessible database along with analysis, visualization, and display tools that will make information available and useful to the scientific community, to the user community, and to the general public. We are examining the possibilities for near-realtime acquisition of data and utilization of forecast tools in order to provide users with advanced space weather capabilities. This program will provide powerful tools for education and public outreach concerning the connected Sun-Earth System.
ED32B-06 11:40h
Bringing Polar Science to the Classroom
The NSF sponsored IceCube (OPP-0236449) and Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic (TEA) projects have developed a model for engaging K-12 teachers in a variety of scientific disciplines using polar science as a unifying theme. An intensive workshop, Science in the Ice, provided teachers with background content knowledge and seed ideas for activities aligned with national teaching standards. These activities were used to support the introduction of authentic science investigations related to current polar research in the classroom. The pilot workshop, sponsored by the NSF supported Math-Science Partnership SCALE (0227016), demonstrated the viability of this approach for involving a continuum of teachers from novice to master in a meaningful professional development model that can lead to sustainable classroom changes. This model for teacher professional development is based on the premise that the most robust educational outreach efforts involve teachers that are prepared, supported, and connected to a network of researchers and educators. This network can also serve to both stimulate interest in polar research and as a vehicle for delivering classroom materials related to the International Polar Year. An overview of Science in the Ice will be provided to show how the natural fascination with extreme environments can be used to introduce on-going research to the classroom from multiple disciplines---glaciology, geology, and astrophysics---with a common thread of polar science. The case for involving teachers now to fully capitalize on the potential of the International Polar Year, by providing professional development opportunities including field experiences with researchers, will be made.
ED32B-07 11:55h
The Earth Exploration Toolbook: Facilitating the Use of IPY and IHY Data in Education
The International Polar Year and International Heliophysical Year are excellent opportunities to spark the interest and curiosity of students about Earth system science by providing them with the capability to explore the scientific data being gathered by these exciting research programs. However, the issues that need to be addressed before the IPY and IHY data can be used meaningfully by educators and students revolve around how to access the data and how to effectively use the tools needed to analyze it. The Earth Exploration Toolbook (EET, serc.carleton.edu/eet) addresses these issues, providing a mechanism by which these research programs can facilitate the use of their data by educators and students. EET chapters provide step-by-step instructions for using specific Earth science datasets and software tools in educational settings, walking users through an interesting example that explores issues or concepts in Earth system science. In addition, each chapter provides the teacher information on the outcome of the activity, grade level, standards addressed, learning goals, time required, and ideas for exploring further. In order to facilitate the development of additional chapters featuring new datasets such as those to be collected by IPY and IHY scientists, an EET chapter template and chapter author support documents have been developed. Research projects interested in having their data and tools used by the educational community can use the EET template in collaborate with the EET team to develop a new EET chapter. The EET project also works to facilitate the effective use of EET chapters by educators by conducting 2-hour telecon-online workshops monthly. Each workshop walks participants through a specific chapter, after which they are in a better position to use the data and tool effectively with their students. In this presentation we will look at the components of an EET chapter by examining a new chapter which features Antarctic Ozone Hole data and image processing software. The features of the EET chapter template and the process by which new chapters are developed and reviewed will also be described.
http://serc.carleton.edu/eet
ED32B-08 12:10h
Potential Uses of EarthSLOT (an Earth Science, Logistics, and Outreach Terrainbase) for Education and Integration in the International Polar Year
EarthSLOT is an internet-based, 3D, interactive terrain and data visualization system that may have many potential uses as an education and integration tool for International Polar Year projects. Recently funded by NSF's Office of Polar Programs for use in the Arctic, the global nature of the application lends itself well for use at both poles and everywhere in between. The application allows one to start with a spinning earth and zoom down to surface level. The highest resolution digital elevation models available provide the necessary 3D topographic perspective and a variety of possible high-resolution satellite and aerial imagery layers add surface realism; resolution can be down to the centimeter level for either type of data, and frequently acquired satellite imagery may be updated automatically as it arrives. Superimposed on this can be nearly any form of vector or annotation layers, such as shapefiles, polygons, point data, and 3D models (still and moving), which can be easily imported from existing GIS applications or spreadsheets. External databases can also be queried and the results served seamlessly. The entire application is served over the internet, and any connection with speeds over 300kps allows one to interactively fly with a minimum of performance lag. EarthSLOT stands for Earth Science, Logistics, and Outreach Terrainbase, targeting the user-groups of scientists, logisticians, and the public. Approved scientific users can add their own vector content to the application on their own, such that they can create their own custom applications featuring their data but using our underlying earth model with a minimum of interaction with us. For example, an oceanographer can add ship tracks or buoy locations to the model with links to data, host the link on his or her own web page, and invite collaborators to view the spatial relationship of their data to underlying bathymetry. Logisticians or program managers interested in understanding the spatial relationships between different projects for the purposes of coordinating or facilitating cost sharing of logistics can add layers that show the locations and timing of their projects. Educators or principle investigators interested in outreach can design and implement custom applications to share the motivation, rationale, and results of their work in a large variety of ways. Each of these applications can be freely-shared or password-protected, depending on their nature, on either project home pages or on a central IPY-EarthSLOT site. Our prototype application can be found on-line at www.earthslot.org. We already have substantial Landsat coverage of the Arctic, and in the near future plan to incorporate high resolution mosaics of Greenland and Antarctica. With modest additional funding, we propose that EarthSLOT could be used a central integration tool for projects related to the International Polar Year.
http://www.earthslot.org