Columbus, Ohio …This year and next, middle school teachers have a unique opportunity to engage their students in one of the most massive scientific programs ever undertaken--the International Polar Year. Scientists from 60 countries are studying changes in the polar regions while many other groups are involved in educating the public via content-rich web sites, real-time broadcasts, and exhibits. How to make this complex undertaking accessible to students is the subject of Science and the Polar Regions, an online publication from the Middle School Portal of the National Science Digital Library. Mary LeFever, author of the publication, has identified more than three-dozen web-based resources for use in the middle school classroom. Among them are activities t...

FSU IPY Cruise: Return & St. Paddy’s Day Greeting A Celebration We’ve finished the outbound leg of our cruise; we’ve turned around and we’ll be doing additional sampling, especially in areas that piqued our curiosity on the leg out. We have some real-world experience under our belts, now. The first leg of our cruise was a gas; it’s taught us we can do, and have now already done, things we didn’t dream we could do. Challenges Some of us have had to cope with and adapt to seasickness. We’ve gotten used to a 12-hour shift, called a “watch.” We’ve had to deal with a pitching deck, at times encrusted with ice. We’ve had to sample when our hands had gone numb with cold. ...

FSU IPY Cruise: Meet FSU graduate student JiYoung Paeng Hello, my name is Jiyoung Paeng, a graduate student in Chemical Oceanography at FSU. I’m from South Korea, and this is my second year at FSU and in the U.S. JiYoung Paeng at work in her shipboard lab space. My work aboard this cruise I focus on identifying the source and fate of dissolved organic matter (DOM) to study the global carbon cycle in the oceanic and terrestrial setting. In the I6S cruise, under the guidance of Dr. Thorsten Dittmar, who is my advisor, I am trying to measure black carbon (lik...

FSU IPY Cruise: Meet graduate student Jun Dong My name is Jun Dong. I am a Ph.D. candidate in physical oceanography at Florida State University, working under Professor Kevin Speer on Polar Front dynamics in the Southern Ocean. I am very glad that I can join this CLIVARI6S cruise. I work on a team with Prof. Speer and Katy Hill, who is a physical oceanography Ph.D. student from Australia. Our shift is from noon to midnight. Photo caption: Jun is learning a variety of sampling procedures on this cruise. With Professor Bill Landing looking on, Jun draws a water sample for trac...

Chief Scientist Kevin Speer, geared up for brisk weather on an upper deck of the R/V Roger Revelle, watches whales near the ship on the CLIVARIS6 cruise in the Southern ocean. (Photo Credit: Brett Longworth, a participant from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) Greetings. I’m Kevin Speer, Chief Scientist on the current CLIVAR cruise, Professor of Oceanography at the Florida State University. I’m a physical oceanographer and earned my Ph.D. at MIT and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution - Joint Program, 1988. I joined the FSU Department of Oceanography faculty in 1999 as an associate professor and am ...

On March 12th and 13th, four events are being organised where students can interact with scientists. More information on all events is here. The following announcement describes one of these events, that will have a live connection to both the Antarctic and the Arctic: ____ Celebrate the International Polar Year (IPY) and virtually join researchers on IPY Science Day, 12 March 2008! Interact with researcher conducting research in the Arctic and Antarctic. These are real-time, interactive events where you can ask questions and view photos! Anyone can register for these events and participation ...

My name is Austin Todd, and I am a first-year M.S. student in physical oceanography at FSU. This is actually my fifth year at FSU, where I completed a B.S. in meteorology and mathematics, and I am currently working under Dr. Eric Chassignet in ocean modeling in the Gulf of Mexico. On this I6S cruise, I am part of the CTD (conductivity, temperature, and depth) operations group. We basically run most of the operations of the CTD, including preparation, deployment, monitoring, and recovery of the CTD sampling apparatus. Our group is responsible for obtaining water samples from all depths of the ocean selected for sampling...

In collaboration with this year's Celebrate the North theme of Ice Alaska 2008, the University of Alaska International Polar Year office has scheduled several activities at the ice park to provide visitors with a chance to learn about polar research. The activities will begin with an IPY celebration ceremony at 2 p.m. on March 8, at the IPY ice stage at the ice park. The event will feature a presentation of flags from all of the circumpolar nations followed by the Borealis Brass premier of Polar Synthesis, a full-length composition by UAF Associate Professor James Bicigo, based on the Polar Fanfare Bicigo composed last March in recognition of IPY. The local Pavva dance group will perform in celebration of Alaska's unique cultures and Nanook the bear wi...