Advanced atmosphere workshop for certified GLOBE teachers

The GLOBE program is a world-wide hands-on inquiry-based education and science program where students and teachers take scientifically valid measurements in the fields of atmosphere, hydrology, soils, and land cover/phenology. Introductory workshops are held by certified trainers which train teachers in the GLOBE science measurement protocols and education activities. Most introductory workshops include only the primary Atmosphere protocols, such as min/max temperature, clouds, and precipitation. Because of insufficient training time, other interesting Atmosphere protocols are missed. In July 2005, certified GLOBE teachers in West Virginia were invited to attend an Advanced Atmosphere Magnet Training Workshop where participants reviewed the principal Atmosphere protocols, while learning about important protocols in atmospheric pressure, surface ozone, and relative humidity.

The workshop consisted of 3 8-hour sessions, where extensive time was devoted to modeling inquiry for the teachers. A cloud bingo game was developed to bolster the teacher's confidence in classifying and identifying clouds. Following a brief discussion on the importance and relevance of atmospheric pressure, an inquiry project was facilitated that led to the understanding of the temporal changes of pressure, temperature, and rainfall along a cold front. After examining the progression of a cold front across the central U.S., the teachers were divided into teams and given several days worth of data from different stations. They were then asked to identify the location of their station and make a prediction of changes in these variables over the next 24-36 hours.

Two other optional protocols, relative humidity and surface ozone, were also examined. Following an introduction to the Relative Humidity protocol, the teachers practiced using a sling psychrometer and constructed their own dewpoint hygrometer. The teachers then turned to the GLOBE website where they created diurnal graphs in an effort to determine the diurnal variability of relative humidity. For training on the Surface Ozone protocol, Irene Ladd, CO-Principle Investigator, was invited to train the teachers on the uses and importance of Ozone data. After an overview of the Zikua reader and construction of a wind measurement device, Ms. Ladd demonstrated the interconnected characteristics of measurements of surface ozone with other atmospheric variables.

On the final afternoon of the session, the teachers brainstormed on a project to be performed during the school year with their students. This project will relate the teacher's ozone measurements to weather information collected according to the other GLOBE protocols. In addition, the teachers will compare their ozone data to the other groups to determine any effects based on elevation, location to population centers, industries, or highways. The results of these inquiry projects will then be disseminated to newly certified GLOBE teachers at their follow-up session in the October, 2005. Through these presentations, it is hoped that the newly certified teachers will be then challenged to return for further training in future Advanced GLOBE Workshops.