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K-12 CONNECTION
[NOTE: THE LINKS BELOW WILL TAKE YOU TO ARCHIVED VERSIONS OF
PRESENTATIONS DURING THE 2000 - 2001 ACADEMIC YEAR. POWERPOINTS AND OTHER
RESOURCES PROVIDE VALUABLE INFORMATION ON THESE TOPICS SUITABLE FOR TEACHER AND
STUDENT INVESTIGATIONS.]
Fall 2000 - Spring 2001 Workshop Index
Each workshop features special presentations by Lamont research scientists and
staff about their areas of investigation, combined with teacher-training and
classroom instructional activities related to science and technology integration
standards. Sample projects and materials are made available
to participants so they can start implementing the content
right away in their classrooms.
Workshops Archive
Click on the links below to access the workshops from the
previous series
Spring 2000
Earth Science Saturdays at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
(index of workshops)
Workshop Descriptions and materials
Overview of the 2000 - 2001 Workshops
Sep. 23, 2000 --Introduction to Web-Based Science Teaching and "Earth to
Science" (E2C) Technology
Guest Scientists: Alex deSherbinin of CIESIN and Benno
Blumenthal of IRI
The "Earth2Class" Team will provide instruction
for using the E2C web site resources for professional
development and designing student-oriented activities. Also
featured will be other LDEO-based programs that provide
valuable Internet resources for teachers, including the
International Research Institute (IRI) for Climate Change
and the Center for International Earth Science Information
Network (CIESIN). Participants will begin to develop
projects designed for student investigations using
"Trackstar" and other Internet-based strategies.
Top
Oct. 28, 2000 --Rocks and Minerals
Guest Scientist: David Walker
Rocks and minerals are, obviously, basic to teaching Earth
science. In this program, we find out how a petrologist looks at them,
especially the crystalline state that characterizes minerals. The best way to
demonstrate that minerals are crystalline is to show that they diffract X-rays.
The variety of diffraction patterns produced is extremely useful in
distinguishing different minerals from each other. A demonstration of
diffraction and the theory behind it will be presented with practical
applications.
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Nov. 11, 2000 --Earthquakes and Other Hazards
Guest Scientist: Arthur Lerner-Lam
How predictable are natural disasters? How can seismologists use
what they learn about the crust and upper mantle to understand more
about earthquakes? What about other natural hazards, such as hurricanes,
tornadoes, and flash floods? What do we need to know to help our
students prepare for potential disasters?
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Dec. 16, 2000 --Core/Mantle Studies
Presenter: Michael J. Passow
The deep layers of our planet exert important, but
not-well-understood influences on the Earth's surface, where
we live. What makes up the rocks far below us? What do we
know about these subtle interactions? In recent years,
Lamont scientists have discovered many of the innermost
secrets of Earth's innermost layers.
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Jan. 27, 2001--Paleoclimatology
Guest Scientist: Joseph Ortiz
The objective of this workshop will be to provide
teachers with an introduction to the factors that drive
climate change on a variety of time scales. Dr. Ortiz will
discuss processes that drive climate on a variety of
timescales from the seasonal to 10's of thousands of years.
Study of the Monsoon system serves as an example of how some
of these climatic forcing functions interact. On seasonal
timescales, Monsoon circulation systems in African, India
and Asia are driven by the thermal contrast between land and
sea. Likewise, during times in the geologic past when
orbital parameters maximized seasonal contrast, enhanced
Monsoon systems existed. This effect has been successfully
simulated with global climate models (GCMs) and observed
using geologic data such as lake level records. Material
presented in the workshop, including a presentation of
educational software on the Monsoon, and lists of
internet-based educational material provides a rich context
for teacher to explore the natural phenomenon of climate
with their students on a variety of levels.
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Feb. 10, 2001 --Air-Sea Interactions
Guest Scientist: Martin Visbeck
My main research interest is to understand the ocean's
role in the climate system and its consequences for society.
How is decadal climate variability orchestrated? Does the
ocean influence atmospheric variability in mid-latitudes?
What is the North Atlantic Oscillation? Does primary
productivity depend on decadal variability? Can we forecast
deep convection in the Labrador Sea? And what role do the
polar oceans have in the climate system? I have worked on a
number of problems using ocean models and data from
sea-going expeditions and enjoy thinking about the nuts and
bolts of the daily science as much as developing new
multidisciplinary research programs for the years to come.
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Mar. 10, 2001 --Circulation
and Winds: Exploring the Oceans with Satellites
Guest Scientist: Donna Witter
The scientific presentation for this workshop will focus
on applications of satellite observations to understanding
variations of ocean circulation and marine winds. These
elements of the ocean affect human populations and induce
changes in other parts of the climate system, including the
atmosphere, biosphere, and cryosphere (i.e., the portions of
the Earth covered by ice and snow). The presentation will
begin with a description of ocean circulation, marine winds
and how they are related to variations in climate. The
techniques used to measure ocean circulation and marine
winds from satellites will then be discussed. The
presentation will wrap-up with an overview of recent
scientific discoveries based on information from
oceanographic satellites. We will specifically consider how
satellites have improved understanding of the effects and
development of El Nino patterns, how year-to-year changes of
South Atlantic ocean circulation revealed by satellite
measurements may affect the global oceans, and how
satellites have produced a new understanding of decadal
variability in the Pacific Ocean.
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April 28, 2001
Sea Floor Structures and Evolution
Guest Scientists: Christopher Small and Gregory Mountain
Visit to the LDEO
Deep-Sea Core Repository with Curator Rusty Lotti Bond
The configuration of the world's ocean basins influences
processes ranging from global climate to biological evolution. Our understanding of ocean
basin structure and evolution is a consequence of our relatively recent
ability to map large areas of seafloor and infer their geologic history.
This class will provide an overview of how ships, satellites and
submersible mapping tools are used together to map seafloor and
subseafloor structure.
Rusty Lotti Bond, Curator of the Lamont-Doherty
Deep-Sea Sample Repository, oversees the collection,
processing, archiving and physical properties
analyses of the largest collection of material from the
below the ocean floor. The Lamont-Doherty Deep-Sea
Sample Repository collection of sediment samples
provides material for scientists worldwide to research
many facets of our earth's systems. Deep-sea cores
contain microfossils and minerals that can be used as
environmental indicators, or reveal climate change. The
cores hold a permanent record of geological events such
as earthquakes, changing sea levels and shorelines, and
the earth's magnetic history. Variations of color and
texture resulting from changes over time in the sediment
are clearly visible in the cores. Samples from the
different intervals can be easily processed for
observation of the variations in number or kinds of
microfossils or minerals. The dynamics and significance
of these changes will be explored in the workshop.
For those of you who
requested more technology time, we've scheduled an extra 2
hours on Saturday, from 1pm to 3pm, in the Seminar Room. You
will have an opportunity to build your own WebQuest using
free web tools. Bring your own lunch and come join us!
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May 12, 2001 --Hydrology/Series
Wrap-up
Guest Scientist: Upmanu Lall
Water is, perhaps, the most important substance on our
planet. Upmanu Lall, Visitng Scientist in the IRI
Applications Research Division, will shape some of his
investigations about this fascinating topic. Also featured
will be an overview and sample activities from the new
American Meteorological Society on-line teacher-training
project, "Water in the Earth Systems."
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