Mrs Youngman returns to the Polar Regions !


Mrs.Youngman spent the summer of 2001 at Summit, Greenland studying the snow and the atmosphere. In 2002 she travelled to Antarctica for more research. To learn more about her expeditions and science projects, read on!

cactus man visits greenland summer 2001
 

Introduction and Overview TEA - Teachers Experiencing the Antarctica and the Arctic

Understanding the Polar regions is crtitical to the understanding of our planet. And yet, because of their remote locale and inhospitable climate, we are only beginning to have the opportunity to travel and work in these places as scientists. Even more rare is the opportunity for teachers to not only experience the world's more unusual regions , but also to experience and particapte in true field research. The TEA program brings together teams of teachers and scientists in these regions. This partnership captures the essence of science and of education and excites teachers to bring back the experience of travel and field research to the students in their classrooms.

 

 

 

new TEA's at the summer orientation in Hanover,New Hampshire July, 2000

 


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Greenland - the red dot is where the Summit camp is located on the polar ice cap

International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition

Mrs. Youngman had the opportunity to travel to Greenland's ice cap in 2001 to study the climate and in 2003 she went to the South Pole!

Timetable of events for her work...

November 2002-January 2003
Travel with the ITASE team across Antarctica to the South Pole

Summer 2001- field experience in Greenland July 15- August 15th

What is the purpose of this science research project at Summit and in Anarctica?

Atmospheric Photochemistry --
How do the sun, snow and atmosphere interact ?

I am continuing my work as a field assistant in a project analysing snow samples for the gases that are trapped and released back to atmosphere. This information will help the scientists to better understand how the snow and the atmosphere work together in the bigger climate picture. The Greenland ice cap is one of the places that scientists have cored for the ice records that are pointing to climate change and global warming. Antarctica ice cap is the other.

there are many excellent links on this topic, here are a few to start

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Drilling Sites - Greenland and Antartica

To view more information about the Greenland Ice Sheet Project (now called Summit) and climate change studies visit the web site: GISP 2 homepage

Other related projects are taking place in Antartica so that scientists may correlate the data between the two polar extremes. One project, ITASE - is traversing the west antarctic ice sheet. To read more about htis project. Secrets from the Ice - Boston Museum of Science

NOVA's program - "Warnings from the Ice" describes the work in Antartica

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Goals of the Teacher's Experiencing Antartica and the Arctic program

Goals

  • to immerse teachers in the process of research science
  • to increase the understanding of Polar regions
  • to share with others the research experience
  • to transfer the research experience to the classroom

Benefits for teachers and students

resources available allowing for interaction with the teachers while in the field
  • Internet site with journal entries here
  • weekly live broadcasts from the field camps of the researchers over the web

resources available at anytime to teachers in the Phoenix area

  • visits by Mrs. Youngman to your school / classroom
  • extreme weather gear available for students to view
  • scientific research tools available for demonstration
  • live data transmission through the web
  • slideshows from the Arctic and Antarctic available for your school / class
  • lessons and demonstrations of Arctic Science for your class
  • curriculum materials availble from PCDS library

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Lessons and Activities to help students relate to the science at the poles.

There are many lessons and activities written for students at all levels, here are a few web sites with lessons ready to use with your classes.

Polar Science station - a site written by fellow TEA Susan Cowles

Antartica, the Arctic and Us. -- http://ll.terc.edu/arctic/content_students/session01/s01_page01.cfm

requires name and password

Catching Clues - How do you study the Planet's health?
lessons written by Mrs Youngman intergrating physical science, oceanography and polar research.

Earth systems and the Energy balance.

The Frozen Worlds

More TEA classroom activities (links to the TEA site)

Jason XIII - Frozen Worlds www.jason.org

    1. geography and climate
      • global warming and the polar regions
    2. history and culture
      • exploration and discovery
      • arctic tradition and change
      • the language of snow
    3. frozen features
      • all about ice
      • landforms
      • ice melt
    4. what lives there?
      • keeping warm with fur feathers and fat
      • monitoring changes in marine ecosystems
      • blubber contaminates activity
    5. local field investigation
      • waters around the world and in our own backyard

"Snow activities" by the Teel Family from Alaska.

Arctic Alphabet - a web page for very young children, written by TEA Kathie Stevens

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Links to other sites of interest-

Polar links from TEA program

the sun shadows project - http://mrsmith.htmlplanet.com

Know snow - http://whyfiles.org/123snow/index.html

Links for Frozen Features and Fabulous Creatures Workshop

 

 

Mrs. Youngman's clothing and gear for her research trips were supplied by www.marmot.com

 

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To learn more about other programs at Phoenix Country Day School
http://www.pcds.org

view the NSF office of Polar Programs website

UV detecting devices for Mrs Youngman's trip were donated by Vernier Scientific

http:// www.vernier.com

 
 

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