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Teacher applications for Palmer LTER project due Dec. 23


December 8, 2016

Deadline, Dec. 23: Teacher applications to participate in video teleconferences with Palmer Long Term Ecological Research project scientists in Antarctica.

Teachers are encouraged to apply for the opportunity for their students to take part in one of a series of video teleconferences (VTC) scheduled between Jan. 24 and March 1, 2017 by the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) project.

Prospective participants should complete the online application form on the Rutgers University Website here: http://tinyurl.com/zm33m3x by Dec. 23, 2016.

As part of the application process, applicants will be asked to rank their preference for which VTC they prefer to take part in. See the list of descriptions at bottom.

During the VTCs, students will learn about Antarctic food-web ecology and how scientists are conducting long-term monitoring to understand changes in the local climate and the consequences of change to the Antarctic ecosystem.

Students will engage in a 30-minute virtual scientific briefing and discussion with an LTER project scientist. More information about the Palmer LTER--one of two NSF funded Antarctic LTERs and one of a global network of LTERs--is available here: http://pal.lternet.edu.


Prior to the VTC, participating teachers will be asked to:

  • Prepare the students to be able to understand the research by implementing a relevant lesson plan.
  • Test video-conferencing software with the LTER education team
  • Submit as many as to 10 student questions for the VTC no less than 48 hours before the event.

The scheduled VTC dates, times and subject matter are :

January 24 / 10:00am EST
Phytoplankton and zooplankton: Learn how about the plant and animal plankton that fuel the Antarctic food web.

Jan. 25 / 10:30am EST
Sea Birds: Learn about penguins around Palmer Station and how population sizes are changing because of climate change.

Feb. 6 / 12:30pm EST
Marine Mammals: Learn how scientists are using tracking and tagging technology to understand Antarctic whale populations.

Feb. 15, 2016 / 11:00am EST
Marine Mammals: Learn how scientists are using tracking and tagging technology to understand Antarctic whale populations.

Feb. 21 / 12:00pm EST
Microbe Ecology: Learn how microorganisms at the base of the food web help catalyze transformations in Antarctica’s carbon cycle.

Feb. 28, 2016 / 1:00pm EST
Sea Birds: Learn about penguins around Palmer Station and how the population sizes are changing because of climate change.

March 1, 2016 / 12:00pm EST
Microbe Ecology: Learn how microorganisms at the base of the food web help catalyze transformations in the
carbon cycle of Antarctica.

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

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