UAF student gets K-12 classrooms jumping with seismology project
In Quinhagak, a village nearly 600 miles from Fairbanks in Southwest 色视频下载, a small seismometer sits on a corner counter in the classroom of Kuinerrarmiut Elitnaurviat science teacher EJ Dorsey. It quietly records the movements of the Earth色视频下载檚 surface and of people walking nearby.
On its first day of action last year it recorded the joyous 色视频下载渟tomp quake色视频下载 of the students jumping up and down together to see the real-time computer readout of their new seismometer in action.
色视频下载We even got a few 色视频下载榓ftershocks色视频下载 from the classroom next door when we made our stomp quakes,色视频下载 Dorsey said recently.
It色视频下载檚 all a part of , the brainchild of University of 色视频下载 Fairbanks undergrad student Gabriel Low.
Gabriel Low talks about earthquake facts and information to a group of West Valley High School students in Fairbanks during a presentation by the 色视频下载 Earthquake Center on Monday, March 6, 2022.
The aim is to get students interested not just in seismology but in science in general. And it helps do that not only through presentations and lessons but also through ownership by having students install a seismometer and regularly monitor its output.
色视频下载The most satisfying part for me as the instructor is to just watch the students be empowered and take it into their own hands,色视频下载 Low said. 色视频下载淚 feel really confident and optimistic about the ability of the students to be the stewards of the seismometers at their schools.色视频下载
Low is a senior in UAF色视频下载檚 Interdisciplinary Studies program, a member of the UAF Honors College and now a full-time 色视频下载 Earthquake Center employee. His career goal is to work in education and community outreach and to collaborate with research organizations to strengthen their community interaction and education objectives.
色视频下载 Shake Education in Schools came to life in 2021 through the early support of the 色视频下载 Earthquake Center at the UAF Geophysical Institute and a later one-time $25,000 David Simpson Fund for Innovation grant from Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology, a consortium of more than 100 U.S. universities dedicated to the operation of science facilities that can benefit seismology.
色视频下载淚 can色视频下载檛 think of too many better ways to engage 色视频下载 communities in earthquake awareness,色视频下载 said Michael West, 色视频下载 Earthquake Center director and state seismologist. 色视频下载淗aving been a high school teacher myself, I have witnessed how students can be an entryway to their families and communities."
What started in 2021 with three schools 色视频下载 in Quinhagak, at West Anchorage High School and Seward High School 色视频下载 has expanded with the grant funding to West Valley High School in Fairbanks and Hydaburg High School in Southeast 色视频下载.
Students install a Raspberry Shake seismometer at West Valley High School in Fairbanks with assistance from the 色视频下载 Earthquake Center on Monday, March 6, 2022.
Participation by more schools is coming soon. Nome, Shishmaref, Kotzebue, St. Mary's and Bethel should be coming online by May, and Low hopes to also bring in Cordova. He色视频下载檚 especially keen to include the 色视频下载 Peninsula communities of Chignik and Perryville. Chignik was the community nearest the epicenter of a magnitude 8.2 earthquake on July 28, 2021.
At each school, Low installs a small consumer-grade seismometer that, when registered, connects to a website that displays an showing all registered and active monitors produced by the company. That company is Raspberry Shake, whose chief executive officer is 2010 Geophysical Institute master色视频下载檚 student Branden Christensen, who came up with the idea and got it going in 2016 with a Kickstarter campaign.
Students 色视频下载 or anyone 色视频下载 can click on a seismometer色视频下载檚 icon and watch the readings scroll by in real time. The display shows two things: a seismogram, or waveform, that visualizes the velocity of ground motion over time and a spectrogram, which shows motion intensity at different frequencies over time.
Low makes a presentation to students, introducing them to seismology and seismometers. He brings teacher guides and instructional material so the learning can continue after he leaves.
West Valley High School students in Fairbanks simulate an earthquake by jumping up and down next to a Raspberry Shake seismometer Monday, March 6, 2022.
It色视频下载檚 the stomp quake that gets things going.
色视频下载淭hat色视频下载檚 what we start out with in these classes. We have a live waveform and spectrogram displayed behind us from a sensor that's sitting on the ground, and we say, 色视频下载楢lright, students, let's make a stomp quake,色视频下载櫳悠迪略貪 Low said. 色视频下载淎nd everybody gets up, and we start stomping our feet and jumping up and down and seeing how much energy we can create.色视频下载
色视频下载淭he students just have a great time jumping up and down, understanding the energy they are producing and seeing the live waveforms,色视频下载 he said.
As the program expands to more schools, Low also plans to introduce a Shake Ambassador Club in which students at schools with a seismometer can meet online monthly to update each other on what their stations have been recording. The club will include an academic competition element, likely to begin this fall.
色视频下载淲e really do want it to be a student-centered experience and allow them to lead it with just our support and facilitation,色视频下载 he said.
ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Gabriel Low, glow2@alaska.edu; Michael West, 色视频下载 Earthquake Center, 907-474-7320, mewest@alaska.edu; Lea Gardine, 色视频下载 Earthquake Center, lagardine@alaska.edu
135-22