Initial Publication Date: January 7, 2021

Mini short course: Teaching about Our Changing Climate: Data Behind Melting Ice and Changing Sea Level

Thursday January 28, 2021

12-2 pm PT | 1-3 pm MT | 2-4 pm CT | 3-5 pm ET | 8-10 pm UTC

Capacity reached. Registration closed.

Please consider watching the webinar Engaging Undergraduates with the Data Behind Melting Ice and Changing Sea Levels as an alternative way to learn about the module.

This course is part of the GETSI Virtual Mini Short Course Series.

Instructors

Susan Kaspari (Central Washington University)
Beth Pratt-Sitaula (UNAVCO)

Mini-course Description

This mini-course gives instructors a chance to learn about the Understanding Our Changing Climate: Data Behind Melting Ice and Changing Sea Level majors-level GETSI module and ideas for teaching virtually and in-person. It will include interactive opportunities for instructors to actually work through parts of student exercises, discuss ideas with peers, and work on implementation planning. A great opportunity to learn about cutting edge methods for monitoring climate, such as sea-level altimetry, gravity, InSAR, and GPS. $50 stipend* for completion of the course and short implementation plan. All module units are online-ready or online-adaptable.

Climate change is a defining challenge of the current age, and sea-level rise is one of the greatest effects. This module helps students to learn about primary stakeholders in sea-level change and explore a wide variety of climate-related data. The module opens with a stakeholder analysis for residents of a small island nation (Maldives), a coastal developing nation (Bangladesh), and a major coastal urban area (southern California). Students then gain considerable spreadsheet analysis skills through analyzing sea surface temperature, sea-level altimetry, GRACE, InSAR, and GPS data to better understand the factors influencing sea level, including thermal expansion, ice mass loss, and changes in land water storage. Students also consider how much more sea levels will rise this century. The final project is a report to a relevant stakeholder group that synthesizes the current knowledge.

Mini-course elements

  • Watch ~7 minute video (MP4 Video 10.4MB Oct20 20) prior to the first mini-course you attend.
  • Participate in the full 2-hour session.
    (If you are unable to attend the mini-course at its scheduled time, we recommend watching the webinar related to teaching the same module: Engaging Undergraduates with the Data Behind Melting Ice and Changing Sea Levels.)
  • Complete an Implementation Planning Form by the end of Sunday following the mini-course (expected time ~20-30 minutes; you will have some time near the end of the 2-hour session but may need to take a bit of additional time to complete your plan and feedback)
  • $50 stipend* for participants who complete the Implementation Planning Form by the deadline (Sunday January 31) . Must be US citizen or permanent resident to receive a stipend; however, others are welcome to participate without compensation.

Audience

The mini-courses are intended for undergraduate instructors: college and university faculty (including adjunct), post-docs expecting to teach soon, and graduate students with teaching or TAing responsibilities. You may attend multiple mini-courses and receive the $50 stipend for each. Maximum of 50 registrants per mini-course so please only sign up if you intend to attend.

If you attended the short course @AGU 2019: Using Geophysics Data to Teach About Flooding, Landslides, and Climate Change in Undergraduate Majors Coursesyou have already learned the material included in this mini-course.

Goals

Participants will:

  • Learn about geodetic methods related to measuring ice mass and sea level
  • Access online teaching resources presented in the short course
  • Practice using teaching resources
  • Start implementation plan for use of teaching resources

Files for the course

All needed files are available in the Understanding Our Changing Climate: Data Behind Melting Ice and Changing Sea Level module. However, we have bundled the specific files that we are using during the course here for simplicity.

Questions

Beth Pratt-Sitaula - prattsitaula AT unavco.org

*Must be US citizen or permanent resident to receive a stipend; however others are welcome to participate without compensation.
You may attend multiple mini-courses. Stipends will be compiled and sent out after the end of the term during which the mini-course was held.


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