In the afternoon we practised filming some of our small dramas that we had created last week to be a part of our foyer display. We have one group doing an interview with a number of ‘marine scientists’, which gives information about life on board the boat, and another group doing a diving equipment check and a short informative talk about diving in Antarctica.
Some of us as audience made suggestions to the group about how they could make the information clearer and the people filming also made suggestions, for example how best to stand or sit including not covering faces with paper when reading, and ways to make things clearer such as thanking each person after each interview before moving on to the next person. These suggestions helped polish the performances. Next week we hope to have some finished films of these small dramas to be a part of our final foyer display.
Finally we used drama to reflect on the values and mission statement of our company that we had come up with last week. Going back into role and imagining ourselves as marine scientists working for NZ COSSA, we thought back to a moment that may have led us to working as a marine scientist. We thought about something that could have made us want to work with marine life and investigating marine environments, and in a job that involved practical work on a boat as well as research and lab work. Here are a few of the ‘memories’ that were shared…
I knew I wanted to work in the sea when I caught my first fish, it was a little spotty and I thought it was amazing…I also wanted a job where I could be active and wouldn’t have to just sit at a desk all the time.
Max.
When I first saw a blue whale I decided at that moment that I really really wanted to be a sea scientist…
Zoe.
When I was 8 we went to a place called Green Island and I went snorkelling there and I saw all these corals and turtles and all these animals that I had never seen before and I wanted to protect them…
Mia.
Once my sister dived into the sea and caught a baby shark and I thought ‘I want to work in the sea!’, I wanted to find more sharks!
Lucy.
When I was little me and my parents went diving in the sea except we didn’t have all our equipment we just went beside the beach and saw fish, and I decided I wanted to do proper diving when I grew up…
Robbie.
Once I saw lots of beautiful sea creatures, lots of fish, dolphins, and turtles and I thought I really wanted to work where I could help look after those animals.
Georgia.
When I was little I loved playing games about animals, especially sea animals…
Mia P.
When I was little I loved skipping along the beach, examining the little things on the seaweed that washed up on the shore…
Sally.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Day 6: Mid Morning: Planning A Research Expedition to Antarctica: Maths and Problem Solving.
Next we planned a research expedition to Antarctica. Each group had a different research project that involved using different sampling equipment, the equipment that we had just modelled using clay.
The team was given a range of information including:
• The expedition was to be 3 weeks long
• Distance from Wellington to Antarctica is about 3000km
• The boat travels 20km an hour
• Antarctica is dark all the time in Winter and light all the time in Summer
• In winter there is a lot of ice in the Ross Sea that would make sampling too hard and also make it more dangerous for the boat to travel through.
• Plankton blooms occur in Spring and Autumn
Using this information we had to choose the best time to travel (we decided late Spring: November), work out the travelling time in hours first (150hours each way) and then days (6 ½ each way), and then work out how many days remained for the research work (8 days).
Each group were then given the longitude and latitude co-ordinates of the sampling sites they needed to visit, a map of the Ross Sea area, and information about the amount of time it takes to get samples using the different pieces of equipment.
Using this information the different groups marked their sampling sites on the map and worked out how many hours work they would need to complete their sampling at each site using their equipment, including deploying the equipment and collecting the samples once back on board. Once every team had done this we came back as a group and negotiated when the work would be done in the remaining 8 research days. This was a challenge as we had to make sure everyone was allocated enough time to get all their sampling done!
The sampling sites that had to be visited by the different research groups.
Working as a team to make sure everyone's research was scheduled in!
The team was given a range of information including:
• The expedition was to be 3 weeks long
• Distance from Wellington to Antarctica is about 3000km
• The boat travels 20km an hour
• Antarctica is dark all the time in Winter and light all the time in Summer
• In winter there is a lot of ice in the Ross Sea that would make sampling too hard and also make it more dangerous for the boat to travel through.
• Plankton blooms occur in Spring and Autumn
Using this information we had to choose the best time to travel (we decided late Spring: November), work out the travelling time in hours first (150hours each way) and then days (6 ½ each way), and then work out how many days remained for the research work (8 days).
Each group were then given the longitude and latitude co-ordinates of the sampling sites they needed to visit, a map of the Ross Sea area, and information about the amount of time it takes to get samples using the different pieces of equipment.
Using this information the different groups marked their sampling sites on the map and worked out how many hours work they would need to complete their sampling at each site using their equipment, including deploying the equipment and collecting the samples once back on board. Once every team had done this we came back as a group and negotiated when the work would be done in the remaining 8 research days. This was a challenge as we had to make sure everyone was allocated enough time to get all their sampling done!
The sampling sites that had to be visited by the different research groups.
Working as a team to make sure everyone's research was scheduled in!
Day 6: Morning: Clay Models of Equipment
This morning we studied photos and diagrams of different types of equipment, which are used on board research vessels to collect samples for studying. Each research group studied a piece of equipment that would be used for their particular area of research. We then used clay to make models of the different pieces of equipment. Some of us found the 3D modelling quite a challenge, and there was a lot of working out how best to use the clay to get it to stand on its own!
We then made labels to go with our piece of equipment that described what they were used for and how they were used. Different groups used different computer programmes to make the labels, some used Comic Life and some used Keynote.
Sedimentary Trap: Lowered into the sea for several months at a time to collect phytoplankton and microscopic zooplankton samples.
Model by: Helena and Georgia.
DTIS: An underwater digital camera that takes photos of the sea floor.
Model by Tim.
Side Scan Sonar: Travels alongside the boat and collects information to make a 3D map of the sea floor.
Model by Max and Tom.
MOCNESS: Multiple opening and closing nets that collect samples from the sea at different depths.
Model by Lucy and Zoe.
CTD: This piece of equipment is lowered into the sea to collect water samples to measure the salinity, temperature, and depth of the water.
CPR: A Continuous Plankton Recorder. This instrument is towed behind the boat to collect plankton samples.
Model by Samantha and Rosa.
A Multicorer: Takes shallow cores, about 30cm deep, from the sea floor.
Model by Mia P. and Sally.
Life Jacket, Steel Cap Boots, and Hard Hat: Safety gear to be worn while working with any equipment on deck.
Model by Mia W.
We then made labels to go with our piece of equipment that described what they were used for and how they were used. Different groups used different computer programmes to make the labels, some used Comic Life and some used Keynote.
Sedimentary Trap: Lowered into the sea for several months at a time to collect phytoplankton and microscopic zooplankton samples.
Model by: Helena and Georgia.
DTIS: An underwater digital camera that takes photos of the sea floor.
Model by Tim.
Side Scan Sonar: Travels alongside the boat and collects information to make a 3D map of the sea floor.
Model by Max and Tom.
MOCNESS: Multiple opening and closing nets that collect samples from the sea at different depths.
Model by Lucy and Zoe.
CTD: This piece of equipment is lowered into the sea to collect water samples to measure the salinity, temperature, and depth of the water.
CPR: A Continuous Plankton Recorder. This instrument is towed behind the boat to collect plankton samples.
Model by Samantha and Rosa.
A Multicorer: Takes shallow cores, about 30cm deep, from the sea floor.
Model by Mia P. and Sally.
Life Jacket, Steel Cap Boots, and Hard Hat: Safety gear to be worn while working with any equipment on deck.
Model by Mia W.
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