Fuchs Foundation Arctic Expedition 2009 - FFAE2009
No one forgets an inspirational teacher!
Four teachers are going to experience immense challenges in a dangerous and extreme
environment in Arctic. They are challenging themselves to do useful projects which they will convert into exciting lessons for their students, helping them with the National Curriculum.
Four teachers are going to experience immense challenges in a dangerous and extreme
environment in Arctic. They are challenging themselves to do useful projects which they will convert into exciting lessons for their students, helping them with the National Curriculum.
FFAE2009 is going to cross the Greenland Icecap between 66 and 67 deg North, travelling with dog sledges, so that each day they will be able to spend time carrying out their science projects.
The two leaders from Bull Precision Expeditions (BPE) and four teachers will leave the UK in May 2009 being in the field approximately six weeks.
Who are they?
And what are they going to do?
The two leaders from Bull Precision Expeditions (BPE) and four teachers will leave the UK in May 2009 being in the field approximately six weeks.
Who are they?
And what are they going to do?
Danny Golding
Senior Lecturer in PE, adventure recreation and sports psychology at the University of Bedfordshire.
http://polarpsych.blogspot.com .
Psychology on ice - exploring sub zero thinking.
The journey across the Greenland ice cap and the preparation for such a prolonged field trip is a considerable undertaking, which provides opportunities for interesting and exciting science.
Psychology on ice - exploring sub zero thinking.
The journey across the Greenland ice cap and the preparation for such a prolonged field trip is a considerable undertaking, which provides opportunities for interesting and exciting science.
There is a great deal of potential to explore a number of applied psychology areas in the field of sport science and I plan to investigate the following areas:
- performance preparation
- group dynamics
- motivation
- self-talk
A variety of methods will be used to engage in relevant and groundbreaking research. Much of the knowledge from the discipline of sport psychology has yet to be applied to adventurous and extreme environments. As Senior Lecturer in the department of Sport and Physical Education at the University of Bedfordshire, Danny can draw upon a great deal of specialist expertise and will collaborate with a number of eminent academics to support the various projects. The results will be fed back to schools and used for teaching resources for the Fuchs Foundation website as well as leading to published academic papers.
Helena Nunan
Science and Biology teacher at Sir William Borlase School in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. www.extremearctic.com
The Arctic Olympics
What would it be like to compete in one of the harshest environments on earth? This project sees the teachers undertake a number of events that require all the physiological and psychological demands of any elite athlete. The events range from the 10K, digging deep into their aerobic fitness to the ‘snow put’ and ‘ice-jump’ requiring explosive strength and power. The teachers will be put through a series of comprehensive physiological, biomechanical and psychological tests in conjunction with other projects on the expedition. They will also participate in the events before and during the journey across Greenland. The teachers’ performance in the event as well as any physiological adaptations to the extreme conditions found in the Arctic will be recorded. This project has the interest of a number of elite athletes including members of the British Olympic cycling and rowing teams who look forward to tracking the teachers’ success.
Mans best friend?
For thousands of years humans have sought companionship with dogs, but their evolution to the selectively bred domestic dogs that we share our homes with is under continual debate. As the teachers travel across Greenland supported by sledge dogs in much the same way as the great polar explorers of years gone by, they will have the opportunity to observe the pack behaviour of working dogs. The way in which the dogs respond to each other, the matriarch as well as humans will be documented and compared to observations of other working sledge dogs and some domestic dogs. In addition the personality traits and physiological adaptations of the dogs that predispose them to Arctic conditions and make them the animal of choice by so many polar expeditions will be explored.
Science and Biology teacher at Sir William Borlase School in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. www.extremearctic.com
The Arctic Olympics
What would it be like to compete in one of the harshest environments on earth? This project sees the teachers undertake a number of events that require all the physiological and psychological demands of any elite athlete. The events range from the 10K, digging deep into their aerobic fitness to the ‘snow put’ and ‘ice-jump’ requiring explosive strength and power. The teachers will be put through a series of comprehensive physiological, biomechanical and psychological tests in conjunction with other projects on the expedition. They will also participate in the events before and during the journey across Greenland. The teachers’ performance in the event as well as any physiological adaptations to the extreme conditions found in the Arctic will be recorded. This project has the interest of a number of elite athletes including members of the British Olympic cycling and rowing teams who look forward to tracking the teachers’ success.
Mans best friend?
For thousands of years humans have sought companionship with dogs, but their evolution to the selectively bred domestic dogs that we share our homes with is under continual debate. As the teachers travel across Greenland supported by sledge dogs in much the same way as the great polar explorers of years gone by, they will have the opportunity to observe the pack behaviour of working dogs. The way in which the dogs respond to each other, the matriarch as well as humans will be documented and compared to observations of other working sledge dogs and some domestic dogs. In addition the personality traits and physiological adaptations of the dogs that predispose them to Arctic conditions and make them the animal of choice by so many polar expeditions will be explored.
Nicola Rowland
Geography teacher at John of Gaunt School, Trowbridge, Wiltshire.
http://www.mickus.co.uk/arcticteacher/
How many trees does it take to build an igloo?
The igloo is the ultimate zero carbon housing. It therefore needs no trees to counterbalance its carbon footprint. Nicola intends to examine the thermal properties of an igloo and calculate its effectiveness and efficiency. She will compare this directly to the tents used on the expedition and other structures back in the UK. Her studies will include measuring direct heat loss from the shelter, the calories required to build it and the effect it has on our bodies when surviving in it. Can we justify the carbon footprint of a shelter when we examine its effectiveness and efficiency? Can we counterbalance the impacts of using it?
Keeping the ice warm with a black carbon blanket!
On a hot sunny day black surfaces absorb more of the suns radiation than white. It is therefore sensible to ensure that black surfaces are limited on the ice caps as it might increase melting. Nicola is going to examine whether we are increasing black surfaces on the Greenland ice cap by measuring whether there has been any atmospheric fallout of black carbon produced by human activity. If there is evidence of black carbon she will measure its reflectivity to calculate one of the impacts that humans are having on the global ice caps.
Andy Stevenson
www.arctic-teacher.com
Sports science lecturer in exercise physiology, bio mechanics and research methods, Newcastle College, Tyne and Wear.
Put the science on ice- moving out of our comfort zone!
We are all comfortable in our own environment, but what happens to our bodies when faced with extreme cold conditions and 24 hours of daylight for 5 weeks whilst covering 350miles?
Project 1: Poles Apart
Do we really need it to get dark to tell us to sleep or will we be so exhausted that we can’t help ourselves. Our team of teachers will have their bodies, or rather saliva, as well as the bonds between them measured, to see the effects that the environment has on us. What happens to performance under these conditions? Will we, the group, argue or bond together? Are we more likely to catch cold as a result of the cold? We will work in association with Professor Mike Tipton of the Sports and Exercise Science at Portsmouth University.
Project 2: Nature versus technology
In addition to measuring our teachers we will also study some members of the native Inuit population to see if living in the Arctic improves your body’s ability to tolerate the cold. Based on this we will look at the contribution that technological advancements in clothing have made to improve our ability to function in these environments.
FFAE2007 is seeking support from several bodies and is excited at the prospect of entering into partnerships with national organisations.
Both The Association for Science Education and the Geographical Association collaborate with the Foundation and both organisations are to continue to help with the dissemination of results of the individual projects and the resulting teaching materials.
The Foundation has a five year partnership with the Scott Polar Research Institute of Cambridge University to create web based education materials for secondary schools.
The Foundation has a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Portsmouth, Human & Allied Physiology Laboratories, to advance the knowledge of human endurance in the Polar regions.
The Trustees of the Foundation find these partnerships immensely encouraging, and hope that they will encourage sponsors to be generous not just towards FFAE2009, but to the succeeding expeditions of teachers which will be sent by the Foundation to both the Antarctic and Arctic.
Page last modified: 13th May 2009 - 15:22:52