Talking science in the North

Dalhousie University News just released a story about CANDAC's recent outreach project in Igloolik, Nunavut. Jon has been one busy graduate student!

Photo credit: Jon Franklin.

Talking science in the North: Teaching schoolchildren about weather and climate
By: Jane Affleck

http://www.dal.ca/news/2013/06/28/bringing-sciencetothenorth.html?utm_source=dalnewsWeekly&utm_medium=email&utm_content=239&utm_campaign=dalnews

More on Igloolik from Jon Franklin

Jonathan Franklin's story about visiting Ataguttaaluk School in Igloolik in early June can be found on the CREATE Arctic Science blog here: http://createarcticscience.wordpress.com/. Thanks for sharing your experience Jon!

Photo credit: Unknown... 

A student at Ataguttaaluk School must have snapped this photo at some point. :)

It's a wrap at Pickering College!

Today Felicia Kolonjari and I returned to Pickering College to wrap-up the Student-Researchers Atmospheric Collaboration for another year. It was a busy day at Pickering College because the senior kindergarten students had their graduation in the afternoon, and the grade 1 students had their enormous homemade community on display in the old gym.

It was great to see all of the thorough and consistent data collected over the past eight weeks. The kindergartens plotted their temperature data and made a temperature pictograph, while the grade 2s and grade 3s plotted both temperature and wind speed measurements. It was evident that all students really enjoyed the project and look forward to making similar measurements in the future.

Grade 2s and 3s share their guesses of what they think the Nunavut postcard is showing. It is actually a person building an Igloo but is a bit tricky to recognize because the photo was taken from the inside looking out!

Photo credit: Alex Au Yong.

Grade 3 students reveal their temperature and wind speed pictographs they created together using their collected data. 

Photo credit: Alex Au Yong.

Celebrate Good Times at Ataguttaaluk School - Come On!

Ataguttaaluk students have been working hard and creatively over the past week and we are thrilled to see all of their unique, scientific, artistic pieces of work on display today! The celebration took place in the school's gym, where student work covered all three enormous walls. Students got to hear a bit more about CANDAC and watched a video made by the ACE Validation Campaign Team while in Eureka in March. A photo slideshow of the project played while students meandered around the gym to view their peers' work. It was lovely to see some parents join the celebration and ask their children questions about their research.

Photo credit: Jon Franklin. 

Wonderful Wednesday!

Today was another wonderful day in Igloolik with Ataguttaaluk students! We had our final work period with Leah's grade 5s and Meeka's grade 4 students this morning, and continued working with Jeens's grade 2s, Darlene's grade 3s, Tami's grade 6s, Caleb's grade 7s, Pat's grade 1s and Vera's grade 6s.

Leah's students were working hard to finish up their group projects in time. One group was drawing different clouds they had observed during the project; another group created a detailed instruction guide for using the pyranometer; another group plotted the class' data by making a line graph; and one student wrote a unique story about a dragon and the sun!

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Meeka's grade 4 students worked together to complete two large pictographs (temperature and wind speed). Each student contributed at least 2 days of data to the large pictograph. They also had a bit of fun doing the limbo under the string! 

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Let the Projects begin!

The students from Ataguttaaluk School have jumped into their projects with all the data they've collected from the end of March until now! We got some great graphs, pictures, stories, and much more on the way. They will present all their data in the gym at Ataguttaaluk School Friday afternoon to family, guardians, and friends. Should be an exciting day, can't wait to see all the finished products!

CANDAC is back at Ataguttaaluk School!

Mel, Jon, Anthony and Ashley are back at Ataguttaaluk School this week. We will be working with each class for three or four sessions throughout the week, and then we will have a school-wide celebration on Friday afternoon. We have now visited every class at least once and some twice. It is obvious that students have been diligent about making consistent measurements and we are happy to see them so excited about their research. Below are some photos from each class.

Pat and her grade 1 students on Monday, May 27, 2013.

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Jeena's grade 2 students compared plants and animals from Igloolik and Newmarket on Monday, May 27, 2013.

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Darlene's grade 3 students learned about various ways of displaying data with Jonathan on Tuesday, May 28, 2013.

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Mel asked Meeka's grade 4 students how their project went.
Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Keriann's grade 4 students talked about their data on Monday, May 27, 2013.
Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Leah's grade 5 students showed Jon and Anthony how to use the pyranometer on Tuesday, May 28, 2013.
Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Yvonne's grade 5 students on Monday, May 27, 2013.
Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Vera's grade 6 students on Tuesday, May 18, 2013.
Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Tami's grade 6 students began working on their group projects on Monday, May 27, 2013.
Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Caleb's grade 7 students on Monday, May 27, 2013.
Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Yvonne's grade 7 students worked on their group projects on Tuesday, May 28, 2013.
Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Midnight Sun

Happy to be back in Igloolik when the sun never sleeps

Melanie, Jonathan, Anthony and I are back in Igloolik to spend the week working with student-researchers at Ataguttaaluk Elementary School. It is a beautiful sunny day; perfect for a long walk around the hamlet. Below are some photos from our travels and walk.

View of the ice in Foxe Basin from our First Air plane from Iqaluit to Igloolik, Nunavut.

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Landing at the Igloolik Airport. Can you see one of the airport's windsocks?

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Anthony, Jon and Mel relaxing in the sun watching kite boarders sail across the basin. 

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

Kite boarders enjoying the sun and the wind. 

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

View of the Hamlet of Igloolik from the mushroom-shaped Research Centre. 

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour.

An interesting fact: Igloolik is now experiencing 24 hours of daylight because the sun does not set below the horizon! I'll take a photo at midnight and post it tomorrow. 

Anemometer in Action

Here's a short video of our anemometer catching the wind on the roof of the Physics Building at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario.

Final Measurements

Today was the final day of measurements for the Student-Researchers Atmospheric Collaboration. We will be visiting Ataguttaaluk School and Pickering College in the next couple of weeks to help students analyse, compare, and make conclusions about their research. Below are a couple of photos from yesterday's measurements in Toronto. Anthony will be joining our outreach team for our upcoming visit to Igloolik!

Anthony Pugliese uses the pyranometer to measure solar insolation on the roof of the Physics Building at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario. 

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour

One of two anemometers on the roof of the Physics Building.

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour

A small weather station houses two pyranometers, a rain collector, temperature and humidity sensors, and a small solar panel. 

Photo credit: Ashley Kilgour

Kindergartens use SMART Board to record weather!

The children in Kindergarten at Pickering College have been busy using a thermometer to measure temperature each day. We record our findings on our daily SMART Board weather calendar and in our CANDAC observation book. The children have loved this opportunity to measure, document, and discuss the daily temperature and weather. From snow to sun and from wind to rain, it has been quite a Spring of day to day weather changes!

Written by Ms. Alexis Furlan, Kindergarten Teacher at Pickering College in Newmarket, Ontario. 

Photo credit: Alexis Furlan. 

Photo credit: Alexis Furlan. 

Photo credit: Alexis Furlan. 

Final Day of Measurements!

Tomorrow (Friday, May 17) is the final day of measurements! If you have got a camera handy, we would love to see a photo of your class recording your final measurements and observations. Below is a photo of the entire ACE Team in Eureka, Nunavut near the end of the Polar Sunrise Campaign.

Do you know what the red numbers (79ᵒ 59' N) represent?!

Left to right: Dan Weaver, Debora Griffin, Zen Mariani, Joseph Mendonca, Volodya Savastiouk, Xiaoyi Zhao, Emily McCullough, Dr. James Drummond, and Paul Loewen.

Photo credit: Paul Loewen.

About Your Research!

Hi Student-Researchers! We hope that you are enjoying your research project. We would like to hear how things are going, so please tell us:

Why you like making measurements!

Or something interesting that you've noticed!

Or tips for using your instruments!

Grade 5s Measuring Solar Insolation!

Class: Mrs. Maguire Morrow's Grade 5 Class
Location: Ataguttaaluk Elementary School, Igloolik, Nunavut
Time of measurement: 4:45 pm
Weather conditions: Altostratus clouds, broken cloud cover, very hazy, milky sky colour
Temperature: -15ᵒC
Wind speed: 40 km/h
Solar insolation: 296.94 W/m2

Data collected by Mr. Maguire Morrow's grade 3 students on Monday, April 29, 2013. 

Mr. Au Yong's Grade 3s at Ease with the Anemometer

Grade 3 students have enjoyed using the weather reading tools and making measurements. We can now all pronounce "anemometer" with ease! We have experienced extremes in temperature here in Newmarket, Ontario and now look forward to some genuinely warm spring days with many more hours of sunshine.

Written by Alex Au Yong, Grade 3 Teacher at Pickering College in Newmarket, Ontario.

Photo credit: Alex Au Yong.

Photo credit: Alex Au Yong.

Photo credit: Alex Au Yong.

Weather Report from Mr. Au Yong's Grade 3 Students

Class: Mr. Au Yong's Grade 3 Class
Location: Pickering College, Newmarket, Ontario
Time of measurement: 10:30 am
Weather conditions: Cloudy, calm, clear.
Temperature: +9ᵒC
Wind speed: 1 km/h

Data collected by Mr. Au Yong's grade 3 students on Monday, April 29, 2013. 

Monday's weather report from Halifax, Nova Scotia

Monday, 29 April 2013
Dalhousie Atmospheric Observatory
Location: Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Time of measurement:  1200 local (ADT)
Temperature:  +14 C
Wind:  NNE 7 km/h
Sky: Beautifully clear above with some low clouds to the NE.

In the foreground is part of an instrument I use to monitor the composition of the atmosphere above Halifax!

Data collected by Jonathan Franklin on Monday, 29 April 2013

Weather Report from Mrs. Sturrup's Grade 1 Students

Class: Mrs. Sturrup's Grade 1 Class
Location: Pickering College, Newmarket, Ontario
Time of measurement: 12:30 pm
Weather conditions: Breezy, clear, sunny with clouds, and cool.
Temperature: +13ᵒC

Data collected by Mrs. Sturrup's grade 1 students on Monday, April 29, 2013. 

Weather Report from CANDAC Toronto

CANDAC Scientists in Toronto
Location: University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
Time of measurement: 12:00 PM (noon)
Weather conditions: Cloudy, stratus clouds, 90% overcast
Temperature: +11.2ᵒC
Wind speed: 11.2 km/h from the East
Solar insolation value: 276 W/m2 

Data collected by Orfeo Colebatch on Monday, April 29, 2013.

Weather Report from Mrs. Furlan's Kindergarten Students

Class: Mrs. Alexis Furlan's JK/SK Class
Location: Pickering College, Newmarket, Ontario
Time of measurement: 11:30 am
Weather conditions: Breezy, clear and cloudy
Temperature: +13ᵒC

Data collected by Mrs. Furlan's kindergarten students on Monday, April 29, 2013. 

Weather Report Please!

Please post your weather report for Monday, April 29 (tomorrow!) sometime this week. Please include the following or if you've got a camera handy, just take a picture of your observation page and post that instead!

Grades K-2
- teacher's name
- time of measurement
- weather conditions (sunny, sunny with clouds, cloudy, rainy or snowy)
- temperature (ᵒC)

Grades 2-4
- teacher's name
- time of measurement
- weather conditions (sunny, sunny with clouds, cloudy, rainy or snowy)
- temperature (ᵒC)
- wind speed (km/h)

Grades 5-7
- teacher's name
- time of measurement
- pyranometer measurement (mV)
- solar insolation value (W/m2)

Earth Day with Mrs. Demarco's Grade 2 Students and The Lorax!

The Grade 2 students were very excited to participate in Earth day activities. They read the story "The Lorax" and wrote about what they would do to help the Earth if they were the Lorax. The students wrote and shared some very thoughtful and Earth friendly ideas. I think the best part of the day for the students was making their own Lorax moustache and getting to wear it all day. 

Written by Sarah Demarco, Grade 2 Teacher at Pickering College in Newmarket, Ontario.

 Photo credit: Sarah Demarco.

 Photo credit: Sarah Demarco.

Photo credit: Sarah Demarco.

Earth Day is Monday, April 22, 2013

Earth Day has been around for over 40 years! It's aim is to inspire people to learn more about Earth's changing environments and perform acts to service (e.g. planting trees, picking up trash, walking or biking to work, etc.) to Earth. 

Tell us (or show us with a photo) how you will celebrate Earth Day!!  

Hello from Pickering College!

The Primary students at Pickering College in Newmarket, Ontario are thrilled to be part of the CANDAC student researchers outreach programme again this year.  Students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 are taking daily weather, temperature and wind measurements.  We have had such a fluctuation in temperature this April that it makes our recordings both interesting and surprising, with lots to talk about!  These young students are engaged in what they are learning about the weather and enjoy collaborating on the project.

Written by Lisa Sturrup, Grade 1 Teacher at Pickering College in Newmarket, Ontario.

Photo credit: Lisa Sturrup.

Photo credit: Lisa Sturrup.

AES Students Under the Sun!

Over the past 2 weeks it's become a very common sight to observe a pair of students heading out under a clear blue sky to take some weather measurements and note their observations.  Observing the weather is nothing new to Inuit children.  Traditionally, it was the job of the kids to go out in the morning and check the weather.  

Our students are out recording the wind speed/direction, temperature, solar radiation and noting cloud formations on a daily basis.  They are quite excited about the process and many of the older students are out working cooperatively with their peers while some of the younger students are being assisted by their teacher.

Only a few months ago, the sun didn't rise above the horizon and in the not too distant future, it will be up 24 hours a day.  It will be interesting to see how much the radiation of the sun will increase as the sun rises higher into the sky.  We will also likely experience some high winds and storms in the coming month.

Above left are grade 7 students Sakku and Colleen using the Pyranometer to measure the sun's radiation, and the bottom photo is of grade 3 students who are out to measure the wind speed and direction.

We all look forward to the return of our CANDAC leaders Ashley, Niall and Mel near the end of May and are eager to share our findings and learn more about the Atmosphere.

Post a photo this week!

If you have got a camera handy, we would love to see a photo of your class using your instruments to make measurements! Here's one of Xiaoyi Zhao checking the sun tracker (located under the large, clear dome) on the roof of PEARL in Eureka, Nunavut.

Photo credit: Emily McCullough.

University of Toronto observations

We hope that you have enjoyed your first week of data collection! Here are today's weather observations from the University of Toronto's Atmospheric Observatory (TAO). Remember that TAO is located at 174 meters above sea level, so it might be a bit cooler than other places in the city.

Temperature: 3.1ᵒC

Wind speed: 5.9 km/h
Wind direction: NW

Solar insolation: 72.0 W/m2

Thank you Orfeo Colebatch for collecting today's weather observations. 

Photo credit: Dan Weaver.

First day of measurements!!

Just a quick reminder that today is our first official day of measurements!! Grab your instruments and your red CANDAC observation logbook, and get outside to record your measurements and observations! Good luck!

Image credit: www.wordle.net.