10:45 AM - 12:15 PM
[O02-P02] The miracle Planet Earth: Introduction of Earth and Planetary Science to support female high school students in STEM career paths by JpGU
★Invited Papers
Keywords:School experiment, planet, coral reef, rock, river
The Diversity Promotion Committee of the Japan Geoscience Union (JpGU) has been actively participating in the "Summer school for girls in junior and senior high schools (the Natsugaku)" since 2013, which is organized by the NPO "STEM Career Path Project for Girls" in every August. We participated in the 2022 event under the title: "Science to investigate the birth, history, present and future of the miracle Planet Earth”. One of the main programs of the summer school is the "Experiments and Hands-on Practice", which uses a half day of the three-day event. Experiments and hands-on practise by JpGU have been designed across various themes in earth and planetary science, with using suitable materials for both on-site and remote experiments and practise. Female junior high and high school students who are interested in earth and planetary science are encouragingly motivated and enthusiastic; We have received positive feedbacks and various questions not only on their interests in the knowledge of earth and planetary science but also career paths and life as a scientist, and potential universities where earth and planetary science can be studied. As one of the responses to the feedbacks and questions, the committee has developed since 2022 the information platform for listing universities where earth and planetary sciences can be studied. The list is being consistently updated and available at the Website of the committee: https://sites.google.com/jpgu.org/jpgudiv/?pli=1. The followings are the topics for the recent experiments and hands-on practice by JpGU since 2019.
1. Planetary exploration
The students learned about some details of planetary exploration by spacecraft, and also had an opportunity to use topography data acquired by orbiting satellites of the Moon and Mars. Hands-on practice was provided as measuring the dimensions of large canyons and volcanoes using a personal computer, which might make them realizing the difference in scale between the landforms of the Moon and Mars and that of the Earth.
2. Coral reef ecology
Unconsolidated sediments deposited in the lagoon were observed. Students used magnifiers attached on their own smart phone cameras for detailed visual examination of micro-fossils composing the lagoonal sediments. They have learnt the coral reef is produced by the Earth system cycle among the atmosphere, ocean, and biota.
3. Rock and sediment analysis
This experiment demonstrated how rocks and sediments could be analysed using an X-ray CT system that is well known as a diagnostic device in hospitals. The students learned the characteristics of X-rays and its use in science as well as in daily life and experienced observation of the internal structure of rocks and sediments by using a personal computer with X-ray CT data of rocks and sediments.
4. Fluvial processes and landforms
The experimental river model that uses flowing water and moveable media to simulate sediment was brought to the venue of the summer school for demonstrating how riverbeds and riverbanks were eroded and how sediments were deposited. The students might have found how changes in river flow and the amount of sediment transported alter the processes (i.e. intensity) of erosion and sedimentation, and realised how fluvial landforms, such as alluvial fans, are developed through these processes.
1. Planetary exploration
The students learned about some details of planetary exploration by spacecraft, and also had an opportunity to use topography data acquired by orbiting satellites of the Moon and Mars. Hands-on practice was provided as measuring the dimensions of large canyons and volcanoes using a personal computer, which might make them realizing the difference in scale between the landforms of the Moon and Mars and that of the Earth.
2. Coral reef ecology
Unconsolidated sediments deposited in the lagoon were observed. Students used magnifiers attached on their own smart phone cameras for detailed visual examination of micro-fossils composing the lagoonal sediments. They have learnt the coral reef is produced by the Earth system cycle among the atmosphere, ocean, and biota.
3. Rock and sediment analysis
This experiment demonstrated how rocks and sediments could be analysed using an X-ray CT system that is well known as a diagnostic device in hospitals. The students learned the characteristics of X-rays and its use in science as well as in daily life and experienced observation of the internal structure of rocks and sediments by using a personal computer with X-ray CT data of rocks and sediments.
4. Fluvial processes and landforms
The experimental river model that uses flowing water and moveable media to simulate sediment was brought to the venue of the summer school for demonstrating how riverbeds and riverbanks were eroded and how sediments were deposited. The students might have found how changes in river flow and the amount of sediment transported alter the processes (i.e. intensity) of erosion and sedimentation, and realised how fluvial landforms, such as alluvial fans, are developed through these processes.