Education and Outreach
| Middle School Project | Randy Smith Middle | Somers High |
Tanana Middle School 8th Grade Students Visit Aurora Pond
Students from Tanana Middle School investigate the snow and ice on Aurora Pond, March 2002.
During spring semester 2002, Ron Reihl’s 8th grade Physical Science students measured snow depth, density and temperature in the Tanana Middle School grounds each week. They used the same equipment that is used to make measurements at frozen ponds as well as CBL (Calculator-Based Laboratory) temperature probes. The school-based program allowed the students to participate in hands-on, minds-on science using different technologies as a prelude to visiting Aurora Pond in Fairbanks to make ice and snow measurements.
The visits to Aurora Pond were made possible by an Incentive Grant to Ron from the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. Five different Physical Science classes, a total of almost 100 students, visited the pond in March 2002. Each class was divided into small groups, which then rotated through four different activities: hot-wire ice thickness gauge; snow sampling, weighing and density calculation; snow depth and temperature; ice coring and drilling. Each activity was supervised by an adult. They included Ron Reihl, Jennifer Reihl, Shannon Graham, Lynette Reep and Martin Jeffries.
Needless to say the boys particularly enjoyed the ice coring and drilling, since they were able to use a generator and electric drill to make holes in the ice. A survey of the students after their visits to Aurora Pond revealed the following:
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Strongly agree (%)
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Agree (%) | Disagree (%) | |
| 1. Measuring snow data with digital thermometers and snow sample tube made science more interesting. | 21 | 62 | 6 |
| 2. Making measurements in snow made science apply to the real world. | 34 | 42 | 13 |
| 3. I would like to do more activities like snow and ice studies. | 20 | 37 | 31 |
| 4. Doing some math with snow measurements helped me understand why I need to know math. | 24 | 46 | 14 |
| 5. Making snow and ice measurements with Dr. Jeffries helped me learn what scientists do. | 31 | 34 | 5 |
6. Describe one thing you really liked about the field trip to Aurora Pond. Student responses included: Used power auger; Missed school; Just fun; Used manual auger; Learned about snow and ice; Met a scientist.
7. Describe something you did not like about going to Aurora Pond. Student responses included: Too cold; Weather; Wind.
Ron subsequently created a PowerPoint presentation and described the experience of taking 8th grade students to Aurora Pond to the teachers taking Martin’s spring semester class on Snow and Ice Research & Curriculum for K-12 Classrooms.