Geography & German Studies Reach Out To Local Schools

“The Use of Mathematics in Meteorology and Climatology” was the focus a recent one-day workshop by Ken Hinkel, professor of earth sciences in the geography department. The complex subject matter was useful for explaining atmospheric processes and climate data analysis to students of participating high school science and mathematics teachers. Actual instruments were used to demonstrate how standard meteorological date such as air temperature, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and atmospheric pressure are collected and processed.

The teachers were especially fortunate in that they had the opportunity to work with temperature data sets that Hinkel himself had collected from the region around Barrow, Alaska, as well as Cincinnati. Barrow experiences a two-month period of complete darkness in winter and an equivalent period of complete daylight in summer. This is reflected in the large contrast in temperature, precipitation and wind patterns throughout the year. After the workshop, attendees were less critical of the weather presence of a strong urban heat island in the downtown area, where it is often 3-4 degrees F warmer than the suburbs at night! Participants were given the presentation on CDs to use in their own teaching.

Another significant outreach event occurred on April 26 when the German studies department held its annual German Day. “We’re delighted to be hosting German Day once again in the newly remodeled Tangeman,” said Sara Friedrichsmeyer, head of the department.

The event brought almost 400 area high school students and their teachers to campus for a day of competitions ranging from poetry recitations to video productions, free speaking to reading comprehension, and German pastries to postcard creations. The day ended with the traditional Culture Bowl, a variation on “Jeopardy,” in which high school teams competed for an overall prize. Oak Hills High School won the grand prize, while Anderson and Princeton High Schools won the most individual awards. Teachers and students alike were impressed by the space in Tangeman, and many, according to Friedrichsmeyer, voiced their enthusiasm about a return visit to UC.