Arctic Plant Phenology - Learning through Engaged Science

该项目将制定并试行一项可扩展的战略，使教育工作者参与极地研究，并使学生能够获得极地研究项目的数据。计划包括让6-12年级的学生和本科科学教育工作者参与格陵兰岛的一个长期的、正在进行的研究项目，该项目研究北极植物的物候变化（例如季节性生命周期事件-在这种情况下，是春季植物生长的开始）以及这与气候的关系。教育工作者和学生将在当地环境中进行类似的观察和实验，并将他们的数据贡献给正在进行的研究工作。参与者将包括大约24名初中、高中和本科教育工作者，他们来自不同地理位置和学区的学校，为代表性不足和服务不足的学生提供服务。PI每年将与教育工作者举行一次研讨会，并将开发可供教育工作者使用的在线资源。教育工作者将在格陵兰Kangerlussuaq附近的一个实地地点从事正在进行的植物物候学研究，他们将学习研究植物物候学的观察和实验方法，这些方法可以在当地环境中与学生一起使用。科罗拉多州刘易斯堡学院的教育工作者，这是一个主要的本科院校；缅因州蓝山联合学校；和阿拉斯加的圣保罗岛将参与这个项目。此外，在线资源的开发将为扩大的教育工作者网络提供获取北极植物物候学长期研究数据、相关课程计划和格陵兰岛研究活动的媒体报道。这些在线资源将在本项目结束后满足教育需求。拟议的活动为学生团体，包括美洲原住民和阿拉斯加阿留申学生，通过实践培训和基于探究的教育经验参与研究提供了绝佳的机会。

The PI will develop and pilot a scalable strategy for involving educators in polar research and making data from a polar research program accessible to students. Plans include engaging grades 6-12 and undergraduate science educators in a long-term, ongoing research project in Greenland that examines changes in the phenology (e.g. seasonal life cycle events - in this case, the onset of springtime plant growth) of arctic plants and how this relates to climate. Educators and students will conduct similar observations and experiments in their local environment and will contribute their data to the ongoing research efforts. Participants will consist of approximately 24 middle school, high school, and undergraduate educators from schools across a range of geographical locations and school districts serving underrepresented and underserved students. The PI will conduct a workshop each year with the educators and will develop online resources that will be available to the educators. Educators will be engaged in an ongoing study of plant phenology at a field site near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, and they will learn observational and experimental methods of studying plant phenology that they can use with their students in their local environment. Educators from Fort Lewis College, Colorado, which is a primarily undergraduate institution; Blue Hill Consolidated School, Maine; and St. Paul Island, Alaska, will participate during this project. Additionally, the development of online resources will provide access to data from long-term research on arctic plant phenology, related lesson plans and media representations of research activities in Greenland to an expanded network of educators. These on-line resources will serve educational needs beyond the duration of this project. The proposed activities present outstanding opportunities for the involvement of student groups, including Native American and Alaskan Aleut students, in research through hands-on training and inquiry-based educational experiences.