Seasonal Weather Investigations: Kenai Peninsula, Alaska and Bordeaux, France

1. Seasonal Weather Investigations: Kenai Peninsula, Alaska and Bordeaux, France How does the weather change throughout the year? Leah Eskelin, Kenai, Alaska Virginie Godechoul, France Mehdi Rajade, France

2. Abstract • Students in second grade in Kenai, Alaska and ninth grade in Bordeaux, France will make weather observations based on Globe protocols of clouds, precipitation, relative humidity, temperature, and phenology. • Students will compare data from Alaska and France over monthly emails and seasonal videoconferences to see if there are any obvious signs of climate change based on their observations both in Alaska and France.

3. Introduction • Climate Change can be difficult to show without regular data records. Annual changes can be more dramatic in extreme environments like Alaska, while longer studies may be needed in temperate climates. • The partnership between Challenger Learning Center of Alaska and Andre Lahaye middle school will allow students to compare two very different climates throughout the year. • Comparison between our findings and A-train satellite data will be used to explain the importance of the students’ work • Our students will make observations in their local school environment to answer the question: How does the weather change throughout the year?

4. Hypothesis • Seasonal change will be extreme in Alaska and more subtle in France. • The temperature and phenology data will show the most clear evidence of climate change at both sites.

5. Materials and Methods • Students will follow Globe Cloud, Temperature, Humidity, Precipitation, Budburst and Green-up/Green-down Protocols at least daily over a two week period every season. • Cloud observations will be documented with a digital camera and large convex mirror, as time allows.

6. Data Summary • Data will be collected in spreadsheet form and sent each month to both schools. • Each season, data will be analyzed by the local students to compare expected and actual results. • Differences in results will be discussed via videoconference with the students at both sites, including suspected evidence of climate change (early budburst or unseasonably high temperatures, for example)

7. Discussion • We anticipate challenges in scheduling our seasonal videoconferences based on the 10 hour time difference. • Student observations in Alaska will be performed by many different schools, so data quality will be the responsibility of the Challenger Center educators.

8. Partners • Challenger Learning Center of Alaska, Kenai, Alaska • Ninth grade students in Andre Lahaye middle school, Andernos-Les-Bains, France • Second grade students at local elementary in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District • Summer camp participants from state of Alaska ages 10-15

9. References/Bibliography • Globe Protocols • Clouds http://www.globe.gov/tctg/clouds.pdf?sectionId=8&rg=n&lang=en • Temperature http://www.globe.gov/tctg/maxmin.pdf?sectionId=13&rg=n&lang=en • Precipitation http://www.globe.gov/tctg/precip.pdf?sectionId=12&rg=n&lang=en • Humidity http://www.globe.gov/tctg/relhum.pdf?sectionId=11&rg=n&lang=en • Phenology http://www.globe.gov/tctg/earth_prot_intro.pdf?sectionId=246&rg=n&lang=en • Challenger Learning Center of Alaska • Website: www.akchallenger.org • French teachers : • Virginie Godechoul: http://perso.orange.fr/sciphy • Mehdi Rajade: http://perso.orange.fr/mrajade