Dissect an owl pellet to learn more about what they eat. Activity …
Dissect an owl pellet to learn more about what they eat. Activity from Weekly STEM in a Bag. Colorado Americorp agents in Araphahoe, Denver, Garfield, Larimer, and Weld Counties. Work supported by the Corporation for National and Community Service under Americorps grant number 18AFHCO0010008. Opinions or points of view expressed in this lesson are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of or a position that is endorsed by the Corporation or the Americorps program. This resource is also available in Spanish in the linked file.
In this video, a team of paleontologists, paleobotanists, soil scientists, and other …
In this video, a team of paleontologists, paleobotanists, soil scientists, and other researchers take to the field in Wyoming's Bighorn Basin to document how the climate, plants, and animals there changed during the Paleocene- Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). During this time a sudden, enormous influx of carbon flooded the ocean and atmosphere for reasons that are still unclear to scientists. The PETM is used as an analog to the current warming. The scientists' research may help inform our understanding of current increases in carbon in the atmosphere and ocean and the resulting impact on ecosystems.
Students are provided with background information on palynology through in-class overviews and …
Students are provided with background information on palynology through in-class overviews and required readings. The assignment instructions, pollen key, and pollen slides to be counted are provided online through the course Blackboard site. Activities include: identification and counting of a series of pollen slides, organization and graphic presentation of collected data, comparison with global environmental data. Students must provide a summary that includes their interpretations and conclusions. The activity provides an example of how fossils can be used to recognize patterns of environmental change.
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In this activity, students reconstruct past climates using lake varves as a …
In this activity, students reconstruct past climates using lake varves as a proxy to interpret long-term climate patterns. Students use data from sediment cores to understand annual sediment deposition and how it relates to weather and climate patterns.
In this activity we work students through a series of simple activities …
In this activity we work students through a series of simple activities that allow them to recognize modern landforms in Alaska as existing in a central PA landscape to conclude that at some time in the past PA must have had climate conditions similar to AK. We think about the Last Glacial Maximum and finally consider similar features from aerial surveys of Mars to develop the idea that extant processes on Earth occur on other planets - nothing special about Earth. :)
In this activity, students examine pictures of pollen grains representing several species …
In this activity, students examine pictures of pollen grains representing several species that show the structural differences that scientists use for identification. Students analyze model soil samples with material mixed in to represent pollen grains. They then determine the type and amount of 'pollen' in the samples and, using information provided to them, determine the type of vegetation and age of their samples. Finally, they make some conclusions about the likely climate at the time the pollen was shed.
In this lab activity, students make observations on four assemblages of fossils, …
In this lab activity, students make observations on four assemblages of fossils, identify the major groups represented, interpret ecological roles and interactions and use this information to reconstruct environmental conditions.
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This activity introduces students to stratigraphic correlation and the dating of geologic …
This activity introduces students to stratigraphic correlation and the dating of geologic materials, using coastal sediment cores that preserve a record of past hurricane activity.
In Part 1 of this unit, students will develop protocols for the …
In Part 1 of this unit, students will develop protocols for the collection of sensory data to address a guiding question. The data collected will consist of scents or sounds. The advantage of using sensory data is that students are equipped with the analytical equipment (ears and nose) and are familiar with its use. However, students may not have taken the time to consider the variety of perceptions that occur within a group of people who are sharing a sensory experience and the impact that variation can have when attempting to collect objective data to help characterize environmental problems. Protocols are necessary to ensure consistency of data between collection points and between data collectors, and to link data collected to a research question. Protocols also serve as a record of the methodology used by an investigator that may be subject to scrutiny by subsequent data users or by anyone reading or using a report containing the data. Data collection in all scientific fields may be collected using protocols common within the field or developed by an investigator for use in a specific study. Because sensory data is inherently qualitative and subjective, students will need to develop methods of quantification that ensure as much objectivity as possible. Likewise, scientists collecting field data may need to develop unique protocols that ensure that field data is collected in as objective a manner as possible. Ideally, the unit will span two class sessions to allow for the gradual development of a data collection protocol and field plan.
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In Part 2 of this unit, student groups will plan and execute …
In Part 2 of this unit, student groups will plan and execute the field collection of sensory data (scents and/or sounds) using previously developed data collection protocols. The advantage of using sensory data is that students are equipped with the analytical equipment (ears and nose) and are familiar with its use. Class time will be devoted to developing a field investigation plan. Students will create guiding questions and choose a study area, develop or obtain maps of the study area, assign field roles to group members, and develop a timeline for completion of fieldwork. The plan will need to ensure proper execution of data collection protocol, a clear record of the data collected, and a record of field conditions. Careful planning of fieldwork is important to ensure that the time in the field is utilized efficiently and effectively and that the data collected meets the intended requirements. Likewise, an environmental professional (such as a geoscientist) undertaking an environmental investigation would need to develop a field investigation plan to meet the needs of the investigation.
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Lab: Particle Size Analysis, Soil Texture, and Hydraulic Conductivity (Note: this resource …
Lab: Particle Size Analysis, Soil Texture, and Hydraulic Conductivity
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Students are asked, as individuals in a team, to critically review the …
Students are asked, as individuals in a team, to critically review the draft of a multimedia web site authored by another team in my course. Student must follow a template with 5 review criteria, and submit their review to each member of the web site author team and to me.
Please see the handout below for instructions I give to students for this activity.
This video highlights the Pentagon's focus on climate change as the military …
This video highlights the Pentagon's focus on climate change as the military examines potential risks, strategic responses, and impacts of climate change on future military and humanitarian missions. In 2010, for the first time, the Pentagon focused on climate change as a significant factor in its Quadrennial Defense Review of potential risks and strategic responses. Rear Admiral David Titley, Oceanographer of the Navy, explains why the US military sees clear evidence of climate change and how those changes will affect future military and humanitarian missions.
In this activity, students analyze regional temperature trends over a decadal time …
In this activity, students analyze regional temperature trends over a decadal time span using temperature archives supplied by the Earth System Research Laboratory's Global Monitoring Division (ESRL/GMD). Using a spreadsheet to construct seasonal distributions of temperature, analysis focuses on how those distributions have changed since record-keeping began. The activity concludes with a discussion of how perceptions of climate change depend on the width of these distributions (indicating natural temperature variability) as well as the shift over time.
A wide range of environmental conditions are experienced while hiking the Grand …
A wide range of environmental conditions are experienced while hiking the Grand Canyon. Climate change is often presented in disconnection from human experiences central to equitable and just decision making. In this activity students use PocketLab temperature probes to collect and analyze data on campus or in a local park and describe the sources of variation. They then reflect on how climate decision making is improved by considering inequities in lived experiences such as lack of air conditioning in schools, lack of shelter during sustained heat or cold, or even the access people have to park spaces, or other outdoor environments that impact our enjoyment.
This climate justice activity was developed by collecting personal monitoring data at national parks, but has been tested in campus-urban environments. The activity can been extended by comparing personal experiences with meteorological station data and longer term climate averages.
This collection of learning activities allows students to explore phenology, phenological changes …
This collection of learning activities allows students to explore phenology, phenological changes over time, and how these changes fit into the larger context of climate change. Students explore patterns of solar radiation and seasons as well as phenological cycles and ecological affects of these patterns.
In this module, students will practice answering a specific question about how …
In this module, students will practice answering a specific question about how climate change has affected the flowering date in American elm trees. After students learn to manipulate the elm data set, build graphs, and analyze the data with a regression, they can then practice on a species of their own interest. Students can then share their species' information with the class for a larger discussion about what types of species may be affected by climate change.
Students explore the life of pikas, tiny mammals that live in alpine …
Students explore the life of pikas, tiny mammals that live in alpine areas, and how they are being impacted by climate change. After a brief introduction which includes a reading, a short video, and a story that includes a mathematical model, students engage in a kinesthetic simulation to gain first-hand experience of life as a pika and how the animals can be impacted by shrinking habitat. Students then create line graphs with data from the simulation and analyze them.
Piscinas Anquialinas Equipo STEM. Este equipo proporciona recursos para socios del Parque …
Piscinas Anquialinas Equipo STEM. Este equipo proporciona recursos para socios del Parque Histórico Nacional Kaloko-Honokōhau en Hawái. El equipo incluye referencias al idioma nativo hawaiano y la ecología con una entrevista con el tío Fred Cachola, un ambientalista local. El Centro de Extensión y Educación en Ciencias Naturales colabora con la facultad de CSU, los Parques Nacionales y los programas de ciencia ciudadana para traducir su investigación científica actual en experiencias STEM únicas para los estudiantes en forma de kits educativos que se pueden prestar. Cada kit contiene casi todos los materiales necesarios (menos cosas comunes como agua y toallas de papel) para explorar algunos temas de investigación científica realmente interesantes. enviando un formulario de recogida local o un formulario de entrega disponible en el sitio web vinculado. Utilice la información de contacto en la página de descripción general del kit STEM para obtener más información. https://www.cns-eoc.colostate.edu/stem-kits/ Este kit se proporciona de forma gratuita para uso educativo.
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