Arctic Climate Modeling Program (ACMP)

Posted February 17th, 2009 by kbertram
In indigenous communities in the northeastern peninsula of Alaska, 375 teachers and 5,100 students blend Native traditional knowledge with modern science to prepare for careers that can be conducted from rural areas.
Project Information
Cohort: 
3 (2005-2008)
Category: 
Comprehensive
Principal Investigator: 
Kathy Berry Bertram
Sponsor: 
University of Alaska - Fairbanks
Primary Focus: 
Environmental Science
climate modeling
Organization Location City: 
Fairbanks
Organization Location Region/State: 
Pacific
Alaska (AK)
Where project work happens: 
Pacific
Alaska (AK)
Other Area(s) of Focus: 
Computer Science - Programming and Other
general skills and mathematics
Environmental Science
ecological research and analysis
GIS/GPS
Participant type: 
American Indian or Alaskan Native
High School Students
High School Teachers
Middle School Students
Middle School Teachers
Parents
Target Area: 
Rural
Award Number: 
0525277
Overview Section

The Arctic Climate Model Program (ACMP) is designed to improve student performance in the Bering Strait School District (BSSD); a school district that serves isolated indigenous communities in the northeastern peninsula of Alaska. The plan of action for this program is, by necessity, adapted to the lifestyle of the community at large. As the population primarily survives by subsistence living, the families must hunt and fish during the summer months so as to acquire sufficient commodities for the winter. Therefore, teachers and students will be active participants in the ACMP during the academic year. Using multiple technologies, including GIS and STELLA numerical modeling software, AMCP will infuse mathematical and physical science phenomenal themes, focusing on climatic impacts to the communities' daily lives. Each teacher will receive a minimum of 156 contact hours of instruction per year. Overall, this program will directly include 375 teachers and 5,100 students during its three years of operation.

Activities Section

The Global Climate Multimedia DVD was completed and distributed with program supplies to all BSSD schools. The DVD was also distributed to teachers participating in the Alaska Statewide Teacher Mentor Program.

Approximately thirty new Classroom Lessons were developed and distributed to participating BSSD schools. Twelve of these lessons include a cultural component, and six include native language terms. In addition to the Classroom Lessons, a series of modeling activities and IT lessons were prepared for student and teacher use.

Critical thinking activities were incorporated into ACMP Classroom Lessons for all levels of instruction. These activities enable students to collaborate and communicate new ideas as well as develop critical thinking skills that transcend the boundaries of the science classroom.

ACMP offered a total of 161 hours of professional development. Through this training, participating teachers could obtain up to 3 UAF Professional Development credits annually.

Weather stations were installed on 13 of the 15 schools in the Bering Strait School District. With weather data downloaded every 15 minutes from these stations, the data is valuable to students who use these data in their ACMP classroom activities, to community members in planning their subsistence activities, and to scientists performing climate research and participating in International Polar Year projects.