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Authentic Partnerships Between Students & Scientists
Every day across the planet, students measure environmental parameters and submit their findings to databases on the Web. Scientists then access the data to support their investigations. This initiative is the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) program and it is the realization of what was once a pipe dream for educators - scalable but authentic partnerships between students and scientists. Such opportunities allow students to understand science through hands-on experiences, learning that science is a rigorous but rewarding process for acquiring knowledge.
Since 1995, GLOBE has engaged a million K-12 students in over 10,000 schools worldwide in data collection and observations. They work in teams, coordinate activities and peer review their work. When sufficiently skilled to collect science-grade data, they submit their findings to GLOBE databases, where the data are available online to students, scientists and the public.
Students use the data in Earth science classes to study the environment locally, globally and over time. GLOBE provides students with tools to gather, graph, analyze and submit data, prompting math teachers to join the program. Students acquire the rigors and ethics of science, like standardization, peer review, collaboration and sharing. GLOBE is sponsored by the NSF, NASA, NOAA and the EPA along with over 140 colleges and universities, state and local school systems, and non-government organizations.
www.globe.gov
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