Summertime, Vacation or Learning Opportunity

Dr. Dixon Butler, GLOBE Chief Scientist

Students taking GLOBE data during summer vacation

GLOBE observations are valued highly by scientists. Summer often is a time of environmental extremes, and it is impossible to understand the climate of a place without year round observations. This makes your efforts to continue taking data when school is out of session critically important for the science aspect of GLOBE, especially regular measurements of atmosphere, hydrology, and soil moisture conditions.

What about the educational side of GLOBE? With a little careful preparation, taking GLOBE data during summer vacation can provide students with an opportunity to continue their education throughout this break from school. By taking data when school is not in session, students will see environmental conditions which don't usually occur during school. How do these conditions shape the local environment? Does the soil dry down? How long can trees go without rain before their leaves begin to droop? Do dissolved oxygen levels drop in rivers, lakes, and streams? Answering these and other questions of your own devising provide opportunities to learn while keeping mathematics and observational skills sharp. Students can certainly get a strong start on science projects for the next school year. In addition, taking data during vacation teaches life lessons in persistence and being responsible.

The need to make alternative arrangements to enable students to take GLOBE observations during summer vacations provides a chance for community involvement in the program. Parents or other adults can help with logistics and supervision where needed. Other organizations in the community can support the school by helping students to take data and put these data to use in answering summer research questions.

In many communities, students are involved in a variety of organized summer activities. Students can build on their GLOBE experience and expertise as part of these activities. Does a summer school class want to continue the GLOBE measurements for the school? Is a camp interested in teaching more about nature, including GLOBE observations of soil and land cover which can be reported through your school? Can a Scout troop help with GLOBE during a vacation? Even sports fields provide a learning opportunity as their grass grows or dries up in response to temperature, rain, and soil moisture, conditions which can be quantified using GLOBE protocols.

My thanks to all GLOBE students for their efforts to continue GLOBE during school vacations and to their parents, teachers and communities who support them. I hope many of you will find a way to make GLOBE a valuable part of your school vacation. Now is the time for teachers and students to plan for this vacation opportunity. When you return to school for the next term, please send The GLOBE Program stories of how you spent your summer measuring and learning about your environment.