Presented by Dr. Andrew Christ, Gund Postdoctoral Fellow and Lecturer, Department of Geology & Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont; and Cindy McGlynn, National Trainer, JASON Learning
Hosted by Haley Nelson, JASON Learning Live Events Host
Co-hosted by edWeb.net and JASON Learning
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Antarctica was the last continent to be “discovered” by humans. Yet, the state of the Antarctic ice sheets exerts strong controls on global climate and sea level. During this edWebinar, Dr. Christ gives an overview of the history of Antarctic science, explain the fundamental concepts of the Antarctic ice sheets, and describe his research to understand past climate change as a guide for the future. He has embarked on and led several expeditions in remote field camps in the Transantarctic Mountains, living in a small tent for months at a time to collect field data. He has seen the consequences of rapid, anthropogenic climate change in Antarctica. The goal of the course is to give a primer on why Antarctic geoscience is critical to understanding the present and future consequences of climate change. Dr. Christ has taught at nearly every level from being the “Resident Scientist” at a middle school, a field-based science camp for high schoolers, mentoring undergraduates on independent research, and currently teaches at the University of Vermont. He is dedicated to presenting complex information with clarity for any audience.
This recorded edWebinar will be of interest to K-12 school teachers and school leaders. Teachers may view with their class, but only educators may log in.
About the Presenters
Drew Christ is a glacial geomorphologist who studies the history of earth’s ice sheets that expand and contract in step with global climate. He has embarked to Antarctica several times to conduct field-based geologic mapping and sample collection. In the lab, Drew uses cosmogenic nuclides, isotopes that accumulate in rocks during surface exposure, to understand changes in glacial landscapes. He relies on field data collection and laboratory analyses to reconstruct the past behavior and change of ice sheets in Antarctica as well as Greenland. Drew Christ received his Ph.D. in Earth sciences from Boston University in 2019 and is presently a Gund postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Geology at the University of Vermont. In addition to research, Drew teaches introductory geology courses for undergraduates.
Cindy McGlynn has been teaching since 1987 and has been training for JASON since 1998. Recently retired from being a full-time classroom educator, inquiry fieldwork dominated her high school science classes at Goshen High School in NY, both in the local environment and abroad with students. Some of her amazing field study programs have taken Cindy and her students to places like the rainforest in Peru and Panama, Iceland and Yellowstone, and Alaska and Hawaii to study earth’s geothermal systems. She started using JASON with her students in 1997 as a Teacher Argonaut on an expedition with Bob Ballard to Yellowstone National Park and has collaborated with JASON Learning to develop science lessons. Cindy trains teachers in Peru, Panama, and throughout the United States, and continues to lead field programs in New York for BOCES. In addition to being a National Board-Certified Teacher, she received the Outstanding Earth Science Teacher Award and the New York State Outdoor Educator Award during her teaching career.
About the Host
Haley Chamberlain Nelson is a science host on television and online. Her most recent credits include Smithsonian Channel’s hit series Bug Bites, 4 years hosting JASON Live Events, and 6 Seasons of Science Channel’s What On Earth? Haley has been a writer, producer, and host with Untamed Science for over 10 years, making science content viewed by over half the classrooms in the US and over 100,000 views per month online. Nelson co-wrote the award-winning documentary Decoding the Driftless, currently gaining acclaim on the festival circuit with last month’s “Best Picture” and “Best Cinematography” in the Los Angeles International Film Festival. Having grown up wishing to be an Argonaut herself, it is an honor to continue hosting with JASON Learning.
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JASON is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 by Dr. Robert D. Ballard. JASON provides curriculum and learning experiences in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for K-12 students, and high-quality professional development for teachers. JASON has been used successfully in a wide variety of formal and informal education environments.