Learning from the distance: Young UK- Arctic explorer answered questions from German 8th- grade students

These eco- systems are the most sensitive when you search for the first hints of climate change. Scientists from many countries are working in the Arctic and Antarctic reagion to explore animals and their behaviour. In the Arctic they are additionally interested in peoples' lifes and their cultural traditions.  

What is the main difference between the Arctic and Antarctic region? What do scientists do to explore the Arctic region? What material do you carry to the Arctic to do your explorations? Do animals and people live there?

These are only a few questions my 8^th graders could ask 19 years old Oliver Milroy from the Plymstock School in Devon who is working at the education department of the ETE. The “Education through Expeditions” (ETE) project belongs to the University of Plymouth.  During the Skype meeting straight after the session with Mrs Pennycook they got a view into the exploring work of this UK scientist team. He is the youngest member of the UK Arctic exploration team.

Thanks to Oli Milroy doing a wonderful job this morning.

Finally the students learned a lot about the Arctic and Antarctic area, differences and similarities, how the climate change impacts these sensitive eco- systems. Next to this they now know what it means to be a natural scientist and how their work looks like.

Learning from the distance: American scientist Jean Pennycook was teaching German students from the other side of the world

Do you think penguins might encourage students, who live more than 15000 km far from them, to think about the animal life and their relation to the impact of global warming? I didn’t. But since these morning hours I am convinced that it is possible.

Students of grade 8 were sitting in my classroom and had a Skype meeting with Jean Pennycook, penguin explorer and researcher of its population and animal behavior. She is living with her fellow scientist, Mr David Ainley, in the Antarctic at Cape Royd in the Ross Sea region for several months each year during the Antarctic spring. They live in a tent far from civilization but next to the Adelie penguins. And they are living next to their notebook which offers the “door” to the world next to a satellite mobile phone. 

The students grade 8 were knocking at this door this morning and got a fantastic view into a researcher’s life in that icy natural environment and how penguins live over there. 13 hours of time difference had been bridged to make this meeting possible. At 10 am German time the European students got a 45 minutes’ view into the Antarctic night where it is not dark at the moment. Jean showed them the exploring tent with all the material they need for their work. She went outside this tent with the camera and presented the sleeping tents, the toilet which looked so completely different to ours at home and the rough and raw environment. The kids got a lot of impressions about how a scientist works and lives in the nature.

 How many species of penguins live in the Antarctic region? How many species live on earth in general? Why do they have pink legs? What do they eat? A lot of questions and answers, information about this cute animal which lives there free from any environmental influence.

Concerning to their chemistry lessons’ topic “climate change” they got information about the impact of global warming to these birds and the area in general.

video: students' meeting with Jean Pennycook, part 1

Video: students' meeting with Jean Pennycook, part 2

Finally they asked about the situation of “Balou”, the young Adelie chick in nest #6. The students had had the possibility to name a chick of an Adelie penguin family some weeks ago. (http://www.penguinscience.com/education/royds_nestcheck.php).  Since that time they were constantly interested in the situation of Balou and its parents in the colony. “Everything is well with him”, Jean answered.

Thank you very much, Jean Pennycook, for this wonderful meeting and all the support.

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