It was wonderful today to have Mr. Martin, the parents, and all of the students from the Tri Valley School in Healy come and visit today! We all had a great time and we hope you did too.
The students from Tri Valley School had a good time while learning some science.
The kids showed up today with lots of questions and a bunch of energy. After a short introduction at the road we all walked down to Site A where Dr. Natali gave the visitors a tour of the experiments. The kids got to see how the chambers open and close and they got to look in side the brains of the system to see the computer, tubes and switches.
Both the parents and the students visited today.
Elizabeth taught the students about the HOBO weather station and how to collect the data.
We then visited the HOBO station where the weather data is collected. Elizabeth and the students recorded the weather numbers including the temperature, pressure, humidity, and the amount of sunlight coming down. After a few more questions we all moved out to the tundra where the experiment began.
The students learned how the brain controls the experiments from Dr. Natali.
Mr. Martin helped his students to understand the scientific methods being used at Site A.
Dr. Natali showed the students how to use various instruments and then let them record their own data. The kids used temperature probes to measure the ground temperature, they used the tools to measure the thaw depth, and then they took turns at helping with the Static CO2 Flux Chamber to measure the CO2 in the air above our test sites.
The students worked a bit and had some fun.
We recorded the CO2 in a dark chamber and a light chamber. In the dark, with the cover over the top, the students noted that the CO2 levels went up. This was due to the plants low levels of photosynthesis in the dark and the higher levels of decomposition respiration in the ground. When the cover was taken off and the measurements were taken again in the light, the CO2 levels dropped due to the increase in photosynthesis.
Dr. Natali worked with the students and the static chamber.
The students reported out on what they had seen and learned and were very happy to know a little bit more about the science that is going on right in the neighborhoods. We hope in the near future to have the Tri Valley students skype with the Talbert kids and share data and information.
It was a great experience for all of us here. I wish my Talbert kids could have been here to share in the day. Thank you Tri Valley School!