HEADS-UP ON NEW PROTOCOLS AND ACTIVITIES
We are working on many new activities and some new protocols which should
make existing material more appropriate to young students and help to
integrate the units together. Here is a tentative outline of what we hope
to bring you over the coming months:
Protocols
- Beginning: Surface gravimetric soil moisture
- Intermediate: Depth profile gravimetric soil moisture
(for each of the above, there will be options for doing point or
transect measurements)
- Advanced: Soil Moisture profile - Insitu gypsum blocks (existing)
- Optional: Soil Temperature profile - Insitu thermisters
Activities
- How to keep a laboratory notebook
- Surface gravimetric measures - weighing
- Profile gravimetric issues - soils and infiltration
- Soil moisture meter - indirect measurement and calibration
- Soil moisture transects
- Many math and statistical concepts
Help us pilot new material!
If any teacher would like to help us evaluate some or all of these
protocols and activities before Jan. 10, please drop me a line
(jwash@hwr.arizona.edu). This
is a very demanding deadline but we would benefit greatly from your
practical experience. Thanks.
Questions about soil temperature
Next year, all of you will have the option to measure soil temperature. Here
are some questions you can discuss and investigate before then:
- Why is soil temperature important?
(Consider water movement, plant growth, decomposition, heat transfer to/from the air, etc)
- What direction does heat flow through the soil for each season?
- What factors affect how much heat a soil layer can hold or transmit?
- How deep does the ground freeze in your area?
(Hint: find out how deep water pipes should be buried)
- Under what conditions does ground fog occur and how frequently?
- Why does it make sense to use the Earth as a heat sink/source?
(Ask your local indoor temperature control (heater/cooler) dealer about
the seasonal operating characteristics and efficiencies of heat pumps)
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Last updated: 11/29/95
Comments? globe@hwr.arizona.edu