Using the GLOBE Program to Educate Students on the Interdependence of Our Planet and People

Abstract

We present how we have used GLOBE protocols and programs in a college undergraduate English course for science and non-science majors, Writing in the Sciences, and in a graduate-level field course for in-service teachers. Collecting land cover data and determining biomass in conjunction with a series of writing assignments allowed the English students to connect their work to research done in ecosystems throughout the world, and to specific environmental concerns such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and the impact of controlled burning on ecosystems. Teachers demonstrated increased knowledge of ecology, natural histories of various organisms, and awareness of environmental resources. A study conducted the following summer revealed that teachers valued the course and felt that their experiences helped them be more effective teachers. Six of the eight teachers had conducted field activities with their students, but also reported significant challenges associated with the effort.

Share and Cite:

Herron, S. & Robertson, J. (2013). Using the GLOBE Program to Educate Students on the Interdependence of Our Planet and People. Creative Education, 4, 29-35. doi: 10.4236/ce.2013.44A005.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1] Beck, J. L., Connelly, J. W., & Reese, K. P. (2009). Recovery of greater sage-grouse habitat features in Wyoming big sagebrush following prescribed fire. Restorations Ecology, 1, 393-403. doi:10.1111/j.1526-100X.2008.00380.x
[2] Comer, C. E., Bell, A. L., Oswald, B. P., & Conway, W. C. (2011). Vegetation and avian response to prescribed fire on glade habitats in the Missouri Ozarks. American Midland Naturalist, 165, 91-104. doi:10.1674/0003-0031-165.1.91
[3] Florida Parks Services (2007). Manatee springs state park. http://www.abfla.com/parks/manateeSprings/manateesprings.html
[4] Jenkins, J. C. et al. (2003). National scale biomass estimators for United States tree species. Forest Science, 49, 12-35.
[5] Keith, H., Mackey, B. G., & Lindenmayer, D. B. (2009). Re-evaluation of forest biomass carbon stocks and lessons from the world’s most carbon-dense forests. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 106, 11635-11640.
[6] National Park Services (2007). Everglades National Park. http://www.nps.gov/ever.html
[7] National Research Council (1996). National science education standards. Washington DC: National Academy Press.
[8] National Science Foundation (2007). Revolutionizing science and engineering through cyberinfrastructure: Report of the national science foundation blue ribbon advisory panel on cyberinfrastructure. http://www.nsf.gov/od/oci/reports/toc.jsp
[9] Peters, G., & Sala, A. (2008). Reproductive output of ponderosa pine in response to thinning and prescribed burning in western Montana. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 38, 844-850. doi:10.1139/X07-203
[10] The GLOBE Program (2007). http://www.GLOBE.gov/
[11] Van Dyke, F., Van Kley, S. B., Page, C. B., & Van Beek, J. G. (2004). Restoration efforts for plant and bird communities in tall grass prairies using prescribed burning and mowing. Restoration Ecology, 12, 575-585. doi:10.1111/j.1061-2971.2004.00352.x

Copyright © 2024 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.