|
||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
||||||||
|
Geography Students Speak Out at Science Symposium in Florida
Geography students at Stewart Middle Magnet School presented a science symposium at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) on April 19, 2006, in Tampa, Fla. Guided by career mentors, including U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) representative Ellen Raabe, sixth graders gave presentations on the application of remotely sensed data to scientific research. The program, "Unlocking Earth's Secrets from Space,” was initiated by teachers Lynn McDaniel, Vivian Smithwick, and Shoshanna Milberg. The program was part of a DOE Gifted Challenge Grant, combining geography, science, and career mentoring for gifted students. Six mentors from the community prepared the students with lectures, classroom projects, and field activities. The USGS mentor was Ellen Raabe from the USGS Florida Integrated Science Center office in St. Petersburg, Fla. Each of the six students in the USGS group was assigned a scientific role: oceanographer, hydrologist, geologist, plant biologist, wildlife biologist, and cultural geographer. As scientists, they explored and shared information on tides, sediment, habitats, watersheds, estuaries, and the food web. They also learned about the importance of collaboration in science. The USGS group focused on the link between ground-based surveys and remotely sensed data in coastal areas. In addition to imagery from remote platforms, they explored the 24-satellite global-positioning-system (GPS) constellation for navigation and mapping. Students made field observations and recorded their locations with GPS units. Students, teachers, and mentors discussed the importance of field observations to understanding remotely sensed data. The USGS group had the advantage of additional tutoring from USGS representatives Kristine Martella, Laura Gauron, and Jordan Sanford. Students surveyed features on their school campus and at Crystal Springs Preserve and displayed point, line, and polygon features on aerial photography in a computer-mapping program. The students performed beautifully in the formal setting of the MOSI conference room, with its liquid-crystal-display (LCD) projector, microphones, lights, and professional introductions. They were well prepared after several meetings with career mentors from the USGS, the University of South Florida, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Earth Force. Each mentor worked with a group of 5 to 6 students once a month for a period of 5 months, culminating in the science symposium.
|
 |
in this issue:
Biologists Count Parasites to Assess Health of Marsh Researcher Studies Effects of African Dust on Human and Coral Health Water Temperature Restricts Distribution of Coho Salmon in Redwood Creek
Scientists and Educators Support "Watershed Watchers" Program George Crekos' 30-Year Career Celebrated Geography Students Speak Out at Science Symposium
National Wetlands Research Center Staff Win Awards for Publications
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
U. S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
previous story
