Melinda Huff
Physical Science
Northeastern Oklahoma A&M college
200 I St. NE
Miami, OK 74354
918.540.6256
918.540.6270(fax)
mailto:mhuff@neo.edu
Background
My background is very diverse, but includes geology, biology, and environmental science. I have a huge interest in paleoclimate (particularly information from lake sediments) and climate change. I am currenlty teaching freshman and sophmore, primarily non-science majors, at a small 2 year college in the middle of no where (NE OK). This is my third year as a full-time faculty.
I was interested in taking this class because I have a climate change componenet to all 3 of my classes (physical geology, environmental science, and general physical science). I have take several of NAGT's online worshops and love them. My environmental science course is new this semester, and my new geology text for this year has a chapter on climate change (I haven't inserted it in that class in the past).
Activity
My activity is in the form of a homework assignment. Students will be asked a few reveiw questions. Then students are asked to navigate the NOAA NCH website for specific statistical information. The last two questions require students to critically think about the information they have been reviewing. This is a simple exercise, but the students I get have no idea how to look up information and synthesize it.
I have been teaching my environmenetal science course to do this throughout the semester (and they protest every step of the way). We will be discussing climate change and air pollution at the very end of the semester. Part of their final exam grade will be the completion of a report/portfolio type project analyzing a topic that we have not discussed in class. I think I might have them do the hurricane/climate change link for that report. I am particularly intruigued by the el nino/la nino influence on hurricanes that was brought up during this workshop.