Seasonal Weather Investigations: Kenai Peninsula, Alaska and Bordeaux, France

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Seasonal Weather Investigations Kenai Peninsula,
Alaska and Bordeaux, France

• How does the weather change throughout the year?

Leah Eskelin, Kenai, Alaska Virginie Godechoul,
France Mehdi Rajade, France
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Abstract

• Students in second grade in Kenai, Alaska and
  ninth grade in Bordeaux, France will make weather
  observations based on Globe protocols of clouds,
  precipitation, relative humidity, temperature,
  and phenology.
• Students will compare data from Alaska and France
  over monthly emails and seasonal videoconferences
  to see if there are any obvious signs of climate
  change based on their observations both in Alaska
  and France.

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Introduction

• Climate Change can be difficult to show without
  regular data records. Annual changes can be more
  dramatic in extreme environments like Alaska,
  while longer studies may be needed in temperate
  climates.
• The partnership between Challenger Learning
  Center of Alaska and Andre Lahaye middle school
  will allow students to compare two very different
  climates throughout the year.
• Comparison between our findings and A-train
  satellite data will be used to explain the
  importance of the students work
• Our students will make observations in their
  local school environment to answer the question
  How does the weather change throughout the year?

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Hypothesis

• Seasonal change will be extreme in Alaska and
  more subtle in France.
• The temperature and phenology data will show the
  most clear evidence of climate change at both
  sites.

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Materials and Methods

• Students will follow Globe Cloud, Temperature,
  Humidity, Precipitation, Budburst and
  Green-up/Green-down Protocols at least daily over
  a two week period every season.
• Cloud observations will be documented with a
  digital camera and large convex mirror, as time
  allows.

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Data Summary

• Data will be collected in spreadsheet form and
  sent each month to both schools.
• Each season, data will be analyzed by the local
  students to compare expected and actual results.
  
• Differences in results will be discussed via
  videoconference with the students at both sites,
  including suspected evidence of climate change
  (early budburst or unseasonably high
  temperatures, for example)

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Discussion

• We anticipate challenges in scheduling our
  seasonal videoconferences based on the 10 hour
  time difference.
• Student observations in Alaska will be performed
  by many different schools, so data quality will
  be the responsibility of the Challenger Center
  educators.

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Partners

• Challenger Learning Center of Alaska, Kenai,
  Alaska
• Ninth grade students in Andre Lahaye middle
  school, Andernos-Les-Bains, France
• Second grade students at local elementary in the
  Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
• Summer camp participants from state of Alaska
  ages 10-15

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References/Bibliography

• Globe Protocols
• Clouds http//www.globe.gov/tctg/clouds.pdf?sectio
  nId8rgnlangen
• Temperature http//www.globe.gov/tctg/maxmin.pdf?s
  ectionId13rgnlangen
• Precipitation http//www.globe.gov/tctg/precip.pdf
  ?sectionId12rgnlangen
• Humidity http//www.globe.gov/tctg/relhum.pdf?sect
  ionId11rgnlangen
• Phenology http//www.globe.gov/tctg/earth_prot_int
  ro.pdf?sectionId246rgnlangen
• Challenger Learning Center of Alaska
• Website www.akchallenger.org
• French teachers
• Virginie Godechoul http//perso.orange.fr/sciphy
• Mehdi Rajade http//perso.orange.fr/mrajade