Outreach and Education of Arctic K-12 Students Using the Winter Snow Cover

调查人员将于2010年3月乘坐雪地摩托从费尔班克斯到阿拉斯加普拉德霍湾，沿途访问10所乡村学校，收集雪样和其他数据。主要重点是访问阿拉斯加州的费尔班克、奈纳纳、曼利、塔纳纳、阿拉卡基特、阿纳克图武克、阿特卡苏克、巴罗努伊克苏特和怀斯曼的学校，在那里，由四名研究人员组成的团队将花1-2天的时间与教师和学生一起进行关于雪化学和物理的室内和室外活动。首席研究员出版了两本书，以促进冰雪教育。Apun：北极的雪？（马修·斯特姆，阿拉斯加大学出版社，2009）是一本适合年轻学生的书。Apun：教师指南？（马修·斯特姆，阿拉斯加大学出版社，2009）是一本为高年级学生或教育工作者提供的关于雪的指南。这些材料采用系统科学的方法来研究环境中的雪，并包括多元文化的视角，其中包括书中描述的因纽皮克现象的词汇。重点是在穿越期间访问的学生和老师，通过了解北极普遍存在的特征雪来分享知识和对科学的热情，并利用雪教授物理和化学的基本概念。此外，调查人员将把室内和室外活动编制成教室的工作手册。一个网站将在整个穿越过程中更新，并将包括相关的教育材料，供穿越者未访问的学校使用，并作为穿越后的资源。研究人员还将重新访问1924年美国地质调查局（U.S. Geological survey）调查过的地点，以及研究小组在过去10年里研究过的地点，以重建旧照片，收集样本并进行观察。合作研究人员将对雪样本进行烟尘和汞的分析。一名国家公园管理局的生物学家将加入这个穿越的团队，进一步开发一项利用雪地上的动物足迹来估计动物数量的活动。Yupik和Athabaskan语言将在将来的？Apun吗?以及活动手册，将在穿越后出版。该项目在学年期间吸引阿拉斯加偏远地区的学生和教师，并支持与阿拉斯加农村和其他积雪覆盖地区的教学相关的教学资源的生产。在该奖项的支持下，教师指导和项目产品的传播将通过学校访问和会议继续进行。对参与该项目的教师的调查将被用来为活动手册的开发提供信息。

The investigators will take a snowmobile traverse in March 2010 from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska visiting 10 village schools along the way and collecting snow samples and other data. The primary emphasis is on visits to schools in Fairbank, Nenana, Manley, Tanana, Allakaket, Anaktuvuk, Atqasuk, Barrow Nuiqsut and Wiseman, Alaska, where the team of four researchers will spend 1-2 days working with teachers and students on indoor and outdoor activities about snow chemistry and physics. The lead investigator has published two books to facilitate snow education ?Apun: The Arctic Snow? (Matthew Sturm, University of Alaska Press, 2009) is a book for young students and ?Apun: Teachers Guide? (Matthew Sturm, University of Alaska Press, 2009) is a guide to snow for older students or educators. The materials take a system science approach to snow in the environment and include a multicultural perspective that includes Inupiaq vocabulary for the phenomenon described in the books. The focus is on the students and teachers that will be visited during the traverse, to share knowledge and passion for science through understanding snow, a prevalent feature in the Arctic, and to teach essential concepts of physics and chemistry using snow. In addition the investigators will develop the indoor and outdoor activities into a workbook for classrooms. A website will be updated throughout the traverse and will include educational materials relevant for use by schools not visited by the traverse and as a resource following the traverse. The researchers will also revisit sites from a 1924 survey by the U.S. Geological Survey and sites studied over the previous 10 years by the research team to reconstruct old photographs, collect samples and make observations. Snow samples will be analyzed for soot and mercury by collaborating researchers. A National Park Service biologist will join the team on the traverse to further develop an activity using animal tracks in the snow as a way of estimating animal populations. Yupik and Athabaskan languages will be incorporated in future iterations of ?Apun? and the activity book that will be published following the traverse. This project engages students and teachers in remote parts of Alaska during the school year and supports the production of teaching resources that are relevant to teaching in rural Alaska and other snow-covered locations. Teacher mentoring and dissemination of products from the project will continue through school visits and at conferences with support from this award. A survey of teachers involved in the project will be used to inform the development of the activity book.