Engaging Underserved High School Students in Science Investigations
using NASA's GLOBE and GLOBE Observer Resources.
Abstract
Engaging high school students in authentic scientific investigations is
essential for increasing scientific literacy. Teachers often resort to
using textbooks and in-class laboratory experiences that emphasize facts
but leave students feeling disengaged. Additional challenges are often
added to trying to teach STEM content effectively to students for whom
English is not their first language. A collaborative partnership between
the author, a former educator who now is an Education and Outreach
Specialist with NASA, and a high school teacher who works with
underserved students for whom English is not their native language, was
formed in order to offer authentic STEM experiences in a public-school
setting. They explored the many resources within The GLOBE Program and
the GLOBE Observer app, and decided to use these to build the structure
around an elective STEM course for 11th grade students. Students learned
how NASA satellite data is being used to better understand Earth’s
systems and to gather data to help us monitor our changing climate. They
used the GLOBE Observer “tools” (Mosquito Habitat Mapper, Trees, Land
Cover) as well as several GLOBE atmosphere protocols (precipitation, air
temperature, relative humidity, soil moisture) to monitor ongoing
environmental conditions. Students formed investigative teams and worked
with NASA scientists and data as they designed and conducted research to
explore the impact of environmental conditions on active mosquito
seasonality and types of mosquitoes, tree growth, and land cover in
their schoolyard. They also communicated regularly with other students
who were collecting similar data in different countries around the world
to compare and contrast the impact of these environmental variables. The
goal is for students to submit their research results to GLOBE’s
“International Virtual Science Symposium” and also share their
projects at their county-level science fair.