1. State of BNZ LTER Education and Outreach Elena Bautista Sparrow School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences, International Arctic Research Center and The Center for Global Change, University of Alaska Fairbanks February 16, 2008

2. PostsecondaryEducation K-12Education Cross-siteActivities EducationOutreach Outreach to Agencies Outreach to the Public Ties to other Longterm Research Programs

3. Highlights Involvement of Alaska Native high school students in LTER research Curriculum Development based on LTER research Collaboration/Integration of LTER Science with Arts and the Humanities

4. 2007 High School Summer Research Interns

5. Invasive Plants of Alaska K-6 Curriculum Development Project: Integrating Global Change Research and K-6 Science Standards Katie L. Villano University of Alaska Fairbanks Department of Biology and Wildlife & Christine P. Villano Denali Elementary School, Fairbanks North Star Borough School District

6. Assessing wildfire burn susceptibility to invasive plant colonization in black spruce forests of interior Alaska – Villano, Mulder, Hollingsworth White sweetclover in Alaska: can this invasive affect the floodplain vegetative community? – Spellman & Wurtz Role of climate in invasive plant range expansion in Arctic Alaska – Villano & Spellman

7. Curriculum Development Project Objectives 1. Adapt and apply current Alaskan invasive plant research to elementary-level classroom lessons, activities, and inquiries. 2. Publish and distribute Invasive Plants of Alaska comprehensive K-6 curriculum guide addressing Alaska Science Performance Standards, Grade Level Expectations and Core Concepts. 3. Create and distribute teaching materials kits for easy classroom implementation of Invasive Plants of Alaska lessons, activities and inquiries. A living time line of boreal forest post-fire succession in the schoolyard. Top to bottom: Forest after a recentfire, shrub phase, mature spruce forest.

8. Objective 1: Adapting and applying current invasive plant research First Grade Inquiry Katie’s Thesis Research

9. Grade LevelCurriculum Core Concepts AddressedAlaska Science Standards Addressed K *Plants have a life cycle.S.A. 9, 11, 12, 14a, 15, B, C, D *Different types of plants have similarities and differences. 1 *Seeds change as they germinate.S.A. 8c, 9, 14a, c, 15, B, C, D *Seeds are transported by air, water and animals. *Plants are a component of a food web. *Plants have different parts. 2 *Different plants have adaptations that enable them to thrive in a particular habitat.S.A. 11-15, B, C, D *Some plants can become threatened and endangered. 3 *Plant parts have different functions.S.A. 7, 8, 11, 14a, c, 15, B, C, D *Structures in plants allow them to grow, survive, and reproduce. *Plants have a reproductive process. *Different types of soil influences what plants can grow. 4 *Plants in Alaska are adapted to their ecological niche.S.A. 4, 12-15, B, C, D *Different plant communities occur in different Alaskan biomes. 5 * Terrestrial systems are constantly undergoing change.S.A. 5-7, B, C, D, CS.E.2 6 * All organisms are scientifically classified by their structure.S.A. 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, B, C, D, CS.E.2 * Ecosystems are networks of relationships between organisms and their environment. Objective 2: Curriculum guide incorporating AK science standards

10. Objective 3: Build Teaching Materials Kits Kits will be available at: Denali Elementary School Salcha-Delta Soil & Water Conservation District Noxious Weed and Conservation Ed. Programs Center for Global Change and Arctic Systems Research Creamer's Field Wildlife Refuge "Living Laboratory" kit collection Fairbanks North Star Borough School District Library Media Services Kit materials will include: Portable grow lights Plant presses Invasive and native plant seeds Greenhouse pots Greenhouse trays Temperature sensor Hand lenses Kids books on invasive plants, general plants, AK plants, and natural disturbances Curriculum Guide

11. Dr. T shows exclosures Making a hypothesisCounting Seedlings Permafrost probing!Hiking up the CPCRW roadVegetation transects

12. Making observations of plant growth in burned and unburned soil cores Entering data on the computer!Bird Vetch Research Will vetch grow better in burned or unburned soil? Measuring invasive plants growing in burned soil 1 st graders can be LTER scientists too! They showed their school what they learned at CPCRW.

13. Cross-site collaboration with HJ Andrews Forest LTER Collaboration of artists, writers and scientists Photo by Marjorie Hall

14. LTER Humanities Public Outreach Event - Public presentation at the Pioneer Park Theater on March 21, 2008

15. Saving Our Spruce by JD Slack Ice Messengers by Diane Randolph Northern Temperate Lakes LTER Moose Running by Joyce Koskenmaki

16. It’s Just Math by Bonnie Peterson

17. Needs for science involvement BNZ LTER is hosting two workshops for minority undergraduate students May 19-30, 2008 - ESA’s SEEDS program - Historically Black College

18. 2007 High School Summer Research Interns We need mentors for 2008 high school research interns

19. Some Suggestions for Involvement Plan and work on activities Face to face interactions between ecologists and diverse students Opportunity for hands-on field research Panel for professionals to share their career pathways and advice with the students