International OER Exchange Pilot Phase II: The Pollen Project
From OER Commons Wiki
Image: POLLINATOR IN ACTION: A marmelade fly (Episyrphus balteatus) pollinating a Grey-haired Rockrose (Cistus incanus).
Project Goals
The goals of the International OER Exchange Pilot project are to:
- facilitate the development and use of Open Educational Resources (OER) by teachers and students globally,
- track the development and use of the science learning materials and data collection, especially around climate change study, created in the project through OER Commons, and
- highlight the process and results through workshops and conference presentations.
The broader purpose of the project is to support the international exchange of information and understanding through freely available resources among teachers and students, especially in the area of environmental science and climate change investigation.
Learn more about the International OER Project here
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Image: POLLIN MAGNIFIED x500: Pollen from a variety of common plants: sunflower (Helianthus annuus), morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea), hollyhock (Sildalcea malviflora), lily (Lilium auratum), primrose (Oenothera fruticosa) and castor bean (Ricinus communis).
The Pollen Project
How can students get their hands on real pollen data to study global climate change? In the next phase of the International OER Exchange Project teachers will be introduced to various open education resources (OER) to collect, analyze and interpret pollen data with their students. Teachers are also instructed how to use, modify and review the OER.
Pollen FAQs
- What is pollen?
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder consisting of microgametophytes (pollen grains), which produce the male gametes (sperm cells) of seed plants. A hard coat covering the pollen grain protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement between the stamens of the flower to the pistil of the next flower. Pollen moves from one flower to another via the wind or a pollinator, like an insect or a bird.
- What can pollen data tell us about climate change?
Pollen samples are being taken continuously around the world. This includes both fresh pollen as well as fossil pollen, the best preserved plant remains in sediments and sedimentary rocks. Because pollen counts are available with weather information we can investigate how pollen counts change over time.
Getting Started
The Pollen Project OER are availble on the OER Commons website. You will first need to register for an OER Commons account here. Once registered will receive a confirmation email. Click on the link in the confirmation email to log in. Once you log in you are ready to begin Teacher Activity 1: Pollen Monitoring.
To schedule an introductory OER training, contact Megan Simmons, Education Program Manager
Introductory trainings last around thirty minutes and are offered over the phone, via skype or in person if you are located in the San Francisco Bay Area.
You can access an online OER Tutorial Course here.
Activity Deadlines & Important Dates
Introductory OER Training: schedule by October 30
Teacher Activity 1: complete by November 6
Teacher Activity 2: complete by November 13
Teacher Activity 3: complete by November 20
Teacher Activity 4: complete by December 4
Teacher Activity 5: tbd by teachers Spring 2010
Meet the Pollen Scientist Webinar with Robert Loeb, PhD. December 11
Associate Professor of Biology and Forestry, Penn State DuBois and Kenan Fellow National Tropical Botanical Gardens
Teacher Activity 1: Pollen Monitoring
- Pollen Bots Activity
This activity visits the Japanese Weather Site that uses pollen monitoring robots as part of a remote sensing system in Japan. The robots collect current pollen counts in Japan.
Step 1: View the Pollen Bots Activity here
- Click on the title to view the Pollen Bots Activity
- Explore and experiment with the Japanese Weather Site
Step 2: Rate the Pollen Bots Activity here
- Click on the link “Rate This Item.”
- A drop down menu appears.
- Rate the activity by choosing a number from 1 to 5. 5 is best.
- Click "Save"
Step 3: Review the Pollen Bots Activity here and comment on how you might use and/or modify it for your classroom.
- Click on the link “Review This Item” at the bottom right corner
- The page “Add Review” appears.
- Review the item by completing the form as appropriate. Use the "Factors to consider when reviewing materials" below the box as a guide.
- Click the “Submit” button.
Your ratings and reviews are attached to the item as well as being placed in “My OER Portfolio.” Learn more about “My OER Portfolio.”
Learn more about How to tag, rate and review OER
Step 3: Compare the Japanese pollen monitoring with pollen monitoring done locally.
For example, Italian Resource http://www.ilpolline.it/archives/category/calendari-pollinici, click on calendario pollinico at the bottom left
North American Resource http://www.pollen.com/pollen_history_main.asp and http://www.pollenlibrary.com/index.php, enter your zip code
Teacher Activity 2: Pollen Viewer
- The Pollen Viewer OER Activity
Using Pollen Viewer, an interactive animation tool that shows pollen counts over the past 21,000 years in North America, this activity investigates how grass pollen counts have changed over time.
Step 1: View the Pollen Viewer Activity here
- Click on the title to view the Pollen Viewer Activity
- Explore and experiment with Pollen Viewer
Step 2: Rate the Pollen Bots Activity here
- Click on the link “Rate This Item.”
- A drop down menu appears.
- Rate the activity by choosing a number from 1 to 5. 5 is best.
- Click "Save"
Step 3: Review the Pollen Viewer Activity here and comment on how you might use and/or modify it for your classroom.
- Click on the link “Review This Item” at the bottom right corner
- The page “Add Review” appears.
- Review the item by completing the form as appropriate. Use the "Factors to consider when reviewing materials" below the box as a guide.
- Click the “Submit” button.
Your ratings and reviews are attached to the item as well as being placed in “My OER Portfolio.” Learn more about “My OER Portfolio.”
Learn more about How to tag, rate and review OER
Teacher Activity 3: Pollen Puzzle
- Pollen Puzzle Activities
These activities allow students to use online tools to investigate characteristics of pollen such as its relationship to temperature, how it travels, and its effect on humans.
Step 1: View the Pollen Puzzle Activity Sheets here
- Click on the title to view the three Pollen Puzzle Activity sheets
- Scroll half way down the page and click on Paul's Puzzle, Data and Pollen Map Activity
Step 2: Rate the Pollen Bots Activity here
- Click on the link “Rate This Item.”
- A drop down menu appears.
- Rate the activity by choosing a number from 1 to 5. 5 is best.
- Click "Save"
Step 3: Review the Pollen Viewer Activity here and comment on how you might use and/or modify it for your classroom.
- Click on the link “Review This Item” at the bottom right corner
- The page “Add Review” appears.
- Review the item by completing the form as appropriate. Use the "Factors to consider when reviewing materials" below the box as a guide.
- Click the “Submit” button.
Your ratings and reviews are attached to the item as well as being placed in “My OER Portfolio.” Learn more about “My OER Portfolio.”
Learn more about How to tag, rate and review OER
Teacher Activity 4: Submitting and Tagging OER Materials
The past three activities have looked at pollen's relationship to climate change and how it impacts humans. In this activity you will have an opportunity to create and/or find three OER that have to do with climate change and plant science to add appropriate tags.
Teacher Activity 5: Field Study Investigation
Carry out your own field study investigation with your classes under the guidance of the ISKME and BioQUEST Teams. Classes can use any of the tools from the previous activities to aid in their investigations. The students will share the results of their investigations and comment on other classes investigations.
Introduction:
The article Phenology: The Effects of Climate Change on Ecosystem Health gives a good introduction to how scientists are using plant data to study the effects of climate change.
- Click on the title to view the article
- Rate and Review the article
Investigation:
Research how plants in your area can be used to indicate climate change. Project BudBurst is a U.S. field study campaign that engages citizen scientists in making careful observations of the phenological events such as first leafing, first flower, and first fruit ripening of a diversity of trees, shrubs, flowers and grasses in their local area.
The following learning materials can help with your class investigation.
Understanding Science: How science really works
Related Links
Science Daily Article Spring Flowers: Clues To Climate Change May 1, 2008
Consider the following in your investigation:
- What plants are found in your area?
- Select one or more plants to observe over a three to six month period. When are these plants producing pollen, flowers, leaves and fruit? Record your observations and any questions that are raised from what you notice about the plants.
- How does your phenological data compare to historical phenological data? Research past years data for what time of year the plants produce pollen, flowers, leaves and fruit.
- How are the phenological events you observed and researched related to climate?
- Can you come up with any conclusions based on your research?
Presentation and Comment:
Your class can present your findings electronically with photos and/or video using The Pollen Project Ning site. You can also comment to provide feedback and pose questions on other class's investigations.
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