What's Climate Change to You?

University Of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis MN

Investigators

Abstract

Community-driven field research and the creation of community-based observation networks hold significant value and promise in Arctic research, education, and outreach projects. What's Climate Change to You? (WCCY) will provide insight into appropriate and useful methodologies and strives to address - 1) What are the tools of successful online education and online observation networks? and 2) How can such networks benefit Arctic communities, K-12 education and the general public? WCCY will have students collect snow cover measurements and environmental observations in Arctic communities of Russia, Canada and United States. An online forum will be established for collaboration, and mapping of data within the observation network and to disseminate student findings to the public at large http://www.PolarHusky.com. Anchored in a social and natural science curriculum and joined online by more than 3 million K-12 learners, Team GoNorth! sets out on a thousand mile journey traversing the north-eastern corner of Chukotka, Russia. In eight communities along the route, WCCY will host a community program on climate change. The team will work with students and teachers to a) establish sampling protocols and collect snow data b) initiate Community Climate Diaries; c) set up mechanisms for students to continue observations and distribution of data; d) conduct pan-Arctic webcasts with scientists and network schools. Developed at the University of Minnesota, the existing framework of the K-12 adventure learning program GoNorth!, will afford the establishment of a community-based observation network engaging students in pan-Arctic communities, which will continue in further Go North! activities and beyond. To improve AMSR-E satellite algorithms and interpretation of satellite data, snow crystals and snow depth distribution measurements will be collected. Documentation of TEK and environmental observations in online Community Climate Diaries will add to methodologies of engaging Arctic indigenous communities in education and research about their knowledge, perceptions and concerns. Through involvement in sampling, analysis, and interpretation, the study sites are active participants in an international scientific endeavor. Involving 22 communities in Russia, Alaska and Canada, the program will be distributed to 2900+ K-12 classrooms on six continents and 20 million online visitors pre-K through senior citizens. While offering immediate documentation of local observations, human stories of climate change will add context to scientific data and observations in the online forum for a wide audience. Project assessment activities will define characteristics and approaches that lead to successful student-teacher-scientist partnerships, as well as the observation networks online. This includes coupling of observations and the use of geospatial technologies to interpret data within online learning environments. In these ways, the project will add to the educational research base and provide a model that can be applied elsewhere.