EdGCM: A Global Climate Model for the Classroom

该奖项资助了一个试点项目，以适应全球气候模型（GCM），目前运行在大型主机计算机上，作为一个全面的，三维的GCM能够运行在廉价的台式计算机上常见的大多数高中和大学实验室。 此外，研究小组将在一系列互动研讨会上与教育工作者会面，讨论如何将气候模型工作与科学课程最好地结合起来。 总体目标是为高中高年级学生和大学生提供一个研究地球气候系统的教育工具。三维GCM是气候变化研究中使用的主要工具之一。 然而，大多数运行中的大气环流模型仍然存在于拥有大规模计算资源的机构，如拥有超级计算机的国家实验室。 因此，很少有学生在研究生院之前接触GCM。 在某种程度上，由于不熟悉研究气候的最基本工具和概念，人们对采用这些方法的重要科学发现产生了不信任。研究人员已经做了一些修改，以适应GCM，并与教育工作者合作，以确定如何最好地为教育服务。 最初的GCM是由美国国家航空航天局（NASA）开发的，是一个完全可操作的模型，用于研究过去，现在和未来的气候。 为了在课堂环境中操作GCM，研究者开发了一个用户友好的界面，其中包括一个数据库，允许教师管理模型。 此外，最初的软件包允许教师添加教学材料，如文字，图表，图形和网络链接，以适应具体的lesson place.The拟议的研究有可能在广大的公众和更广泛的教育和研究社区的巨大影响，通过提供方便的用户友好的GCM研究气候。 在可预见的未来，气候变化可能仍然是公众高度关注和科学审查的话题，因为它影响到从经济到环境的一切。 潜在地，这个奖项将扩大对气候和建模的理解，超越相对较小的专家组的领域。 因此，这可能会鼓励其他人对地球气候的运作提出新的见解。

This award funds a pilot project to adapt a Global Climate Model (GCM), currently run on large mainframe computers, for use as a full-scale, 3-dimensional GCM capable of being run on inexpensive desktop computers common to most high school and university labs. In addition, the research team will meet with educators in a series of interactive workshops to discuss how the climate model exercise can best be integrated with science curricula. The overall goal is to provide upper level high school students and undergraduate students with an educational tool to investigate Earth's climate system.The 3-dimensional GCMs are one of the primary tools used in climate change research. Most operational GCMs, however, still reside at institutions with large-scale computational resources such as national labs with supercomputers. Thus, few students have exposure to GCMs prior to graduate school. To some extent, the lack of familiarity with the most basic tools and concepts for studying climate breeds a distrust of important scientific findings that employ those methods. The researcher has already made some modifications to adapt the GCM and has worked with educators to determine how best to serve education. The original GCM was developed at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and is a fully operational model to study climates of the past, present, and future. To operate the GCM in a classroom environment, the researcher has developed a user-friendly interface that includes a database that allows the teacher manage the model. In addition, the initial software package permits the teacher to add instructional materials such as text, charts, graphics, and web links to fit specific lesson plans.The proposed research has the potential for a tremendous impact across a wide swath of the general public and the wider education and research communities by providing easy access to user-friendly GCMs to study climate. Climate change is likely to remain a topic of great public concern and scientific scrutiny in the foreseeable future since it impacts everything from the economy to the environment. Potentially, this award would expand the understanding of climate and modeling beyond the realm of a relative small group of specialists. As such, this may encourage others to develop new insights into the working of Earth's climate.