Liverpool Central School District
Earth Science @ The Annex
Fall & Spring Cruise Aboard The William Scandling
The William Scandling is a 65 foot, steel hulled research vessel owned and operated by Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva. The College’s Geosciences Department has invited us to bring three teams of students on board to help them collect research data on Seneca Lake during the fall and spring seasons. Although it is the largest and deepest of the finger lakes (over 600 feet deep), much of the biology, geology and chemistry of Seneca Lake remains a mystery. The College will provide an experienced captain and first mate, an on board laboratory and equipment for collecting and testing samples from the lake and its bottom sediments. Students will collect data on water clarity and identify the microscopic planktonic life in the surface water. They will also collect a water sample from over 100 feet down and then test the chemistry of that sample in the on board lab. A crane and hydraulic winch will be used to collect sediment samples from the lake bottom, hundreds of feet below. Students will then examine and describe the mineral and chemical composition of the sediments as well as search for bottom life forms. Finally, we will prepare a data report to Hobart William Smith college which will add to their long term, year round knowledge of the lake. This expedition takes place during the school day and transportation is provided by the school district on a school bus. Permission forms must be completed and returned to Mr. Calderwood prior to the day of the trip.
15 students maximum/No fee for trip/$5.00 for lunch at the college dining hall
Fall Earth Science Field Camp
Camp Talooli is a children’s camp, owned and operated by the Central New York Council of Camp Fire USA, 10 miles North of Liverpool High School. Utilizing the camp’s 170 acres of forest and private lakes, a series of authentic scientific questions will be investigated by the students. Covering a range of topics including:1. Ecology studies2. Dendrochronology research (tree ring data)3. Soil profile and characteristics research4. Surface water chemistry analyses of local lakes and ponds5. Bird survey for Cornell University6. Any other research topic students or teachers dream up!!!Each of the questions will require students to form teams and to utilize concepts and skills that are part of the Regents Earth Science syllabus. Students will select research topics and form teams 2 weeks prior to the field camp weekend. Through library research and team meetings each research team will determine what background understandings, skills and equipment will be needed to plan and carry out experiments and data gathering during the field camp weekend. The students will arrive at camp and receive an orientation on Friday night. With teacher and parent volunteers as supervisors, everyone will sleep in cabins (or the heated dining hall in winter) on Friday and Saturday night. We will have the use of the dining lodge for work/meetings for the entire group. All day Saturday will be used for data gathering and analysis. Teams will then use the school’s laptop computers to create Keynote presentations Saturday evening and present their reports to the entire group and parents on Sunday morning. Finally, students will be required to submit individual written expedition summary reports.
24 students maximum/Cost $35
Expedition Earth Science
Overview
Watching, listening and reading are all good ways to learn but when students leave the classroom and engage in the real problem solving activities of adult professionals the rate of learning increases dramatically. Mr. Calderwood and Mr. Peneston have developed the Expedition Earth Science program to provide all of their students with the opportunity to explore Earth Science processes by conducting the work of scientists at field locations around the State. All students will form teams of 2 to 4 students which will select and then participate in 1 or more of 7 to 10 expeditions offered each year. Each expedition begins at an after school meeting about 2 weeks before the trip where the students receive detailed assignments describing the professional problems that they must solve by collecting scientific data in the field on the day of the expedition. Each group will need to assess what knowledge, skills and equipment they need to acquire before the trip and then to use the library, internet and other resources to prepare for the expedition. They will also receive information about the products (reports, models, etc.) that they are expected to produce and how they will be graded. Finished work, including written reports, will count as 5 to 8 regents lab credits toward qualifying the student to take the final Regents Exam. Expeditions typically consist of 15-32 students, 2 teachers and parent volunteers who spend all day on a Saturday or Sunday traveling to and collecting data at a location or series of locations. Parents are needed to act as drivers and to assist in supporting the student teams.
Supervision
Mr. Calderwood and Mr. Peneston will organize and coordinate the expeditions. Parents are always welcome along to help out with our expeditions.
Parent Authorization Forms
Every student must have a completed Parent Authorization Form and Medical Release form (when necessary) signed by their parents.CostsMost of the expeditions will not cost the student anything except for lunch. However, students are encouraged to share the gas expenses of the parent drivers. If a student chooses one of the 3 weekend field camps, students will pay $35 each to the operators of the camp to cover food, lodging and equipment rental. Students who chose the whitewater rafting trip will also have to pay the rafting company a fee.TransportationThe Expedition Earth Science program can not happen without the support and participation of parents. Each student must arrange their own transportation. They have a list of other students and phone numbers to help in arranging car pools. All drivers must be at least 21 years old and every parent must indicate on the Parent Authorization Form how the student is traveling.Extra CreditOn each expedition, student teams will complete tasks that will lead them to produce products such as computer generated slide shows, documentary videos and posters. A brief written summary will also be required from each team member. These written documents will be added to the student’s lab folder. These reports will used to grant the student 5 lab credits (8 credits for the camping trips) and students will receive up to 5 bonus points added to their quarterly average. The amount of bonus credit will depend on the quality of the work and the participation level of each student.
Winter Earth Science Field Camp
The winter field camp weekend will follow the same general format as the fall camp except that winter will offer different research possibilities. Areas of research may include:1. Study of snow and ice cores2. Continued research for Cornell's bird survey3. Wildlife surveys using tracking and other animal signs4. Mapping of frozen bodies of water to determine bottom topography (bathymetry)With the lakes safely frozen and the land covered in 2 feet of snow some groups will be assigned to cut holes in the ice and use probes and core samplers to map the depth contours and sample the 11,000 year old sediments from the bottom of the 2 glacial lakes. Other groups will use cross-country skis or snowshoes to survey the activity of winter animals through track mapping the 170 forested acres of the camp. The lodge is heated and the meals are warm but sturdy winter clothing is a requirement of this expedition.
24 students max/Cost $35
Spring Earth Science Field Camp
Spotted salamanders are up to 8 inches long with beautiful yellow spots on their gloss black bodies, yet few people have ever seen them. They spend about 360 days a year living solitary lives underground. When rainy spring nights first rise above freezing, they emerge and head to shallow breeding pools in the forest. Camp Talooli has a population of these amphibians and we hope that the timing of our spring field camp will give us a chance to study them and the vernal pool they breed in. Hundreds of Spotted salamanders have been seen in a single pool at Talooli. We will also search the camp for additional vernal pools and measure the physical and chemical characteristics that make the pools attractive breeding spots for the salamanders. We will also be able to search for other vernal pool creatures such as wood frogs. The students will arrive at camp and receive an orientation on Friday night. With teacher and parent volunteers as supervisors, everyone will sleep in cabins at the camp Friday and Saturday night. We will have the use of the dining lodge for work/meetings of the entire group. All day Saturday will be used for data gathering and analysis. Teams will then use the school’s laptop computers to create Keynote summary presentations Saturday evening and present their reports to the entire group on Sunday morning. Finally, students will be required to submit individual written reports and give a brief presentation to their classmates following the field camp weekend.
24 students max/Cost $35
Paleontology Expedition (fossils)
Spotted salamanders are up to 8 inches long with beautiful yellow spots on their gloss black bodies, yet few people have ever seen them. They spend about 360 days a year living solitary lives underground. When rainy spring nights first rise above freezing, they emerge and head to shallow breeding pools in the forest. Camp Talooli has a population of these amphibians and we hope that the timing of our spring field camp will give us a chance to study them and the vernal pool they breed in. Hundreds of Spotted salamanders have been seen in a single pool at Talooli. We will also search the camp for additional vernal pools and measure the physical and chemical characteristics that make the pools attractive breeding spots for the salamanders. We will also be able to search for other vernal pool creatures such as wood frogs. The students will arrive at camp and receive an orientation on Friday night. With teacher and parent volunteers as supervisors, everyone will sleep in cabins at the camp Friday and Saturday night. We will have the use of the dining lodge for work/meetings of the entire group. All day Saturday will be used for data gathering and analysis. Teams will then use the school’s laptop computers to create Keynote summary presentations Saturday evening and present their reports to the entire group on Sunday morning. Finally, students will be required to submit individual written reports and give a brief presentation to their classmates following the field camp weekend.
24 students max/Cost $35
White Water Expedition (Black River)
We will hire a professional river guide and use whitewater rafts to explore the gorges and rapids of the Black River in Watertown, NY. The 8 mile rafting trip will allow student teams to collect data and photos of rock, fossils and geologic formations that are over 400 million years old. We will also study the ecology, chemistry and erosional processes at work in the river. Everyone will be issued life jackets, helmets and wet suits to protect them from the 45 degree water and class IV rapids. The rafting company will provide all of our safety equipment and will cook us a feast at the end of the day. This expedition will take place in May depending on weather and water conditions. Students will create written summaries and present Keynote slide shows in class following the trip.Special note: Last year over 40 parents came on this rafting trip with us!!
All students are welcome/Cost $69
