Lab Description:
The three day program for the teachers in the WWNFF who choose to conduct their research projects in the fluid mechanics laboratory in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering will be:

Day 1:

• A brief introduction to some fluid mechanics concepts.
• Reading: Halliday and Resnik, "Fundamentals of Physics", chapter on fluid flow.
• An overview of the Princeton University undergraduate fluid mechanics laboratory after which teachers will operate a range of facilities including a smoke tunnel and a wind tunnel with a drag balance to test various models. 
• Discussions of results and observation will follow.

• Construction and testing of a soap film water tunnel and a vortex ring generator. For references for the soap film tunnel see: www.gharib.caltech.edu

Laboratory classes in fluid Mechanics

Bicycle drag: 

A simple series of experiments will be preformed to quantify the aerodynamic effect of altering the shape of the frontal area of a bicycle. The experiments will be designed by the participants after discussion with the mentors. Bicycles, radar guns, stop watches and helmets will be provided. 

For reading material see attached introduction “Aerodynamics of Bicycles” which can be found at:
www.princeton.edu/~asmits/Bicycle_web/bicycle_aero.html 

Participants are encouraged to follow the links in this web page. For more general reading
http://www.princeton.edu/~maelabs/bike/cover_2.htm

The bicycle experiments will then be augmented by experiments in the water tunnel and smoke visualization tunnel in the fluids laboratory. These experiments should clarify issues arising from the bicycle experiments and provide a physical model for the mechanism of drag and introduce the concept of boundary layers.

Aerodynamic Lift: 

A number of simple illustrations of where “lift” occurs and discussion will follow on explanation of lift in terms of pressure and fluid velocity. Although lift in the public forum is often explained in fairly simple terms, it is hoped that discussion will lead to an explanation of how lift is generated over bodies such as delta wings and tennis balls. 

Laboratory experiments will involve flow visualization past various shapes, measurement of the pressure distribution around a wing and the illustration of the formation of the formation of a starting vortex. 

Reading material attached “Physics of Baseball”- Physics Today, May 1995, and “Forces in flight” which can be found in expanded form at:
http://wings.ucdavis.edu/Book/Flight/instructor/forces-01.html

Combustion/Emissions:

Soot formation experiments will be conducted in the combustion laboratory along with a tour of the laboratory and a demonstration of the Princeton University glass engine. 
See http://www.princeton.edu/~boguslaw/engines.html

Vortex dynamics: 

Examples of where vortices exist in nature, from the obvious such as smoke rings and tornadoes, to the less obvious “why do power lines whistle in high winds” will be discussed. Discussion will be punctuated with experiments ranging from burning of incense, production of vortex rings using a drum filled with smoke and the construction of a soap film water channel to highlight the formation of a Von Karman vortex street.

See attached materials “Making giant flowing soap films” http://www.pitt.edu/~maarten/work/soapflow/howto/howto.html 

For general reading as to the state of current fluid dynamics research see attached “tackling turbulence with supercomputers”- http://www.sciam.com/0197issue/0197moin.html

Readings and References:
"C4 Photosynthesis, atmospheric CO2, and climate" by James R. Ehleringer. In: Oecologia (1997)
112: 285-299

"C4 Photosynthesis: An unlikely Process Full of Suprises" by Marshall D. Hatch. In: Plant Cell Physiology (1992) 
33(4): 333-342

"Roles of C4 Photosynthetic plants during global atmosphere CO2 changes." In: Regulation of Atmospheric CO2 and O2 by Photosynthetic carbon metabolism.  Edited by Tolbert, N.E. and J. Preiss. Oxford University Press.

Lab Description:
The lab will focus on the interactive effects of increasing temperature and CO2 concentrations on the growth and photosynthesis of important crop plants with different carbon assimilation pathways (C3 and C4). Two representative plant crops with a C3 and C4 pathways will be grown at two different temperatures and under current and enhanced concentrations of CO2. We will follow the changes in growth, photosynthesis, photorespiration, and morphology of the two species as well as changes in the atmospheric concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the closed experimental system. The results will be analyzed within the context of crop production and adaptations under scenarios of global warming and the increase in carbon dioxide and other green house gases. 

Daily Schedule:
Day 1 (Friday 7/7):
09:00-12:30: Introductory exploration of the subject
12:30-13:30: Lunch
13:00-17:00: Set up exeriments and initial analyses - method review

Day 2 (Monday 10/7):
09:00-10:30: Presentations - background knowledge of C4 photosynthesis
10:45-12:30: Analyses
12:30-13:30: Lunch
13:30-17:00: Analyses

Day 3 (Thursday 13/7):
09:00-12:00: Analyses
12:30-13:30: Lunch
13:30-17:00: Calculations-summary of experiments and presentation of results

Project:  Watershed Management and Restoration Master Plan for Pond Run and Robert L. Martin Lake, Hamilton Township, Mercer County, NJ

The primary goal for the project is to improve water quality of the Assunpink Creek.  This goal can be achieved by accomplishing the following objectives:

•       Implementing an historical land use study for the upper portion of the Pond Run watershed to characterize potential non-point source and point source loads into receiving water bodies,
  

•       Designing and implementing a water quality monitoring program that characterizes the condition of Pond Run and Robert L. Martin Lake,
  

•       Conducting a physical assessment of Pond Run and Robert L. Martin Lake using the USDA’s Visual Stream Assessment Protocol,
  

•       Developing a watershed management and restoration plan for Pond Run and Martin Lake that includes evaluation of various BMP’s such as biofilter wetlands for stormwater treatment, restoration of riparian buffer areas, stream habitat improvements and construction of a treatment wetland at the lake outlet, and
  

•       Implementing the management and restoration plan.

Prior to the implementation of any watershed restoration project, it is imperative to quantify the land use and potential non-point source and point source loads that are released into receiving waters.  Thus, participants will conduct a land use analysis of the upper portion of the Pond Run watershed.  This task will allow for the proper identification of sampling sites and collection of appropriate surface water quality data.

This project is the first step to restoring the water quality and wildlife habitat of Assunpink Creek and Pond Run.  Participation by teachers from across the country would focus on the first 2 objectives and will provide a basis for technology transfer concerning watershed protection to various areas.  Similar watershed conditions and detention basins exist in many locations.  This project can help disseminate information on how to mitigate these deteriorated conditions.  After all stages of the project are completed, the resulting management and restoration plan will provide the Township of Hamilton a blueprint of a greener future for the Township.

Project Partners:  Mercer County Soil Conservation District, Omni Environmental Corporation, Delaware River Keeper Network, US Fish and Wildlife Services, Rider University, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, Hamilton Township Schools

Relevant web sites:

For similar Projects:

http://enigma.rider.edu/~wwwgeo/watershed.html

http://www.gen.umn.edu/faculty_staff/hoisve/1112/Loring%20Pond/loring.html

For info on the Assunpink Watershed (part of the Middle Delaware-Musconetcong)

http://www.epa.gov/iwi/303d/02040105_303d.html

Assisted Richard Wetherald

http://www.met-office.gov.uk/sec2/sec2cyclone/tcim.html#index

http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~dvandom/Edu/coriolis.html

http://www.sciam.com/askexpert/physics/physics20.html

http://www.algorithm.com/vinny/coriolis.html

Chris Davis has taught physics at Franklin High School in Somerset, NJ for 18 years. Out of curiosity and necessity, he learned to use computers. He enjoys the challenge of creating new laboratory experiments that require his students to utilize computers. Recently, Chris and a colleague started an outdoor leadership program for students at his school in which participants are taught leadership skills in an outdoor setting.

Chris has put his computer knowledge to good use. He has held summer positions at the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, Princeton University Electrical Engineering Department Photonics Lab and at Union Carbide. He is also his school district’s webmaster and has given many workshops in internet browsing, email usage and web page development.

Chris received his BA in physics from Kalamazoo College.

Readings and References:
Author: Andrew P. Dobson
Title: Conservation and Biodiversity 
ISBN: 0-7167-5057-0 (hard cover); 0-7167-6032-0 (paperback) @1996, 1998 by Scientific American Library
Distributed by: - W. H. Freeman and Company, 41 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010 -Houdsmills, Basingstoke, rg21 6XS, England

Dobson, A.P.; Rodriguez, J.P.; Roberts, W.M.; Wilcove, D.S.; Geographic Distribution of Endangered Species in the United States. Science, 24 January 1997, Vol. 275, pp 550-553. 

Dobson, A.P. Why We Need the Fig Wasp. Time, November 1997, pp 56-57.

Dobson, A.P. ‘Hot Spots’ and Endangered Species: New Directions for Public Policy. Chronicle of Higher Education, October 31, 1997, p B6-B7.

http://www.worldwatch.org "1999 State of The World"

Ms. Ellis received her BS with a major in biology and minors in chemistry and general science from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia; Master of Science with a major in biology ( emphasis in plant taxonomy ) from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia; and Administrators Certification from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona.

She has taught science for 26 years focusing on biology and environmental sciences. She also worked for the Department of Agriculture in Pennsylvania as a seed analyst and assistant botanist. Served as science department chair at two schools in two different states. Has received numerous awards including the YMCA Service to Youth Award from Virginia, the Teacher of the Year award from the Soil and Water conservation District on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, Honorable Mention Teacher of the Year for the State of Arizona from the National Biology Teachers Association, the Teacher Recognition Award from the Salt River Project for the development and instruction of a curriculum dealing with water and energy resources, and the Fulbright Memorial Fellowship Award to study schools in Japan. She is the senior author of "Influence of Metolachlor on Sweet Corn (Zea mays saccharata) Growth and Nutrient Accumulation": Weed Science 1983 vol. 31:342-347

Ms. Ellis wrote the environmental science curriculum and its' standardized criteria reference test for her present district. She also helped write the award winning, hands-on, interdisciplinary program "Project Aquatic". She is a facilitator for "Project Aquatic", "Project Wild", and "Project Learning Tree".

Lab Topic: Will UV radiation affect the growth of phytoplankton? 

Summary/Background info. about the topic:

Phytoplankton are microscopic plants that grow in the upper regions of the ocean where sunlight is plentiful. These small plants are the bottom of the food chain for the aquatic ecosystem, therefore, an important member of our planet.  Human activity has a profound effect on global environment which in turn affects the growth/productivity of phytoplankton.  The objective of this lab is to look at the impact of increased ultraviolet radiation in the environment as a result of ozone depletion in the atmosphere, on the productivity of phytoplankton in aquatic environment.

Participants will learn hands-on experience in setting up experiments and simple techniques used for monitoring phytoplankton growth.  These experiences and techniques, with a little modification, may be taken home to participants’ own classrooms.  More advanced instrumentation and concepts used for modern day science discovery and field monitory will also be introduced.  Detailed information regarding the experiments will be handed out at the beginning of the laboratory.

Useful websites related to the topic: 

All about UV: http://titan.srrb.noaa.gov/UV

Background: 
I am currently a postdoc research associate at Rutgers University.  My research focuses on using an approach that integrates molecular biology, biochemistry and physiology to address environmental issues and oceanographic questions. 

Lab Description:
Planning Sustainable Communities: Using Geographic Information Systems for Siting Environmentally Responsible Development.

In recent decades surburban development has led to vast landscape changes in many areas.  This change has incurred a great cost to the environment through loss of wetlands, habitat destruction, loss of prime farmlands and forest fragmentation.  At the same time once vibrant cities are in a state of abandonment and decay while sprawl presses further into the countryside.  Protection of the remaining open spaces is an important challenge as we move into the 21st century.

Still people need a place to live and work and the forces of development will likely continue to change the landscape for the forseeable future.  The challenge is to find environmentally responsible avenues for channeling future urban growth.

This applied lab explores the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a tool for analyzing environmental resources and siting a new development. Lab participants will use a vast bank of digital environmental data for locating sufficient housing, shopping, and office space to accommodate 1.000 new residences for study area. Participants are expected to familiarize themselves before the lab commences with the basic of environmental planning, wetlands and watershed  protection, farmland preservation and habitat protection. Workshop participants will work together as a team to design a planned community(s) that can accomodate the population growth while minimizing the environmental impact.Teams will be created to develop criteria as they see fit for siting the proposed development on a manner which will have the least impact on the environment.

This lab will provide instructional training in Arcview GIS, environmental planning, spatial data modeling & production of presentation graphics. Final projects will be evaluated for effectiveness of design, GIS problem solving approach, thoroughness of solutions, and overall creativity.

Outline of lab meetings:
Day 1:

• Introduction
• Lab orientation
• Login, user accounts, workspaces
• Training lecture lab#1
• LAB #1- Intro to Arcview
• Navigation basics
• LUNCH
• lecture introducing problems set for final project
• LAB#2- Basics Analysis with GIS
• Querying information
• Group meeting to plan final project

• Overview lecture of lab #3
• LAB#3- Geoprocessing data, buffer & overlay
• Map creation
• Getting the data you need
• LUNCH
• overview of lab #4
• LAB #4- Spatial analysis & suitability modeling
• Group meeting to plan final project.

• Work on project
• Environmental analysis and ecological planning

Steiner, Frederick. 1991.  The living landscape: an ecological approach to landscape planning / Frederick Steiner.  New York: McGraw-Hill.

Design with Nature, 1992, Ian McHarg; J. Wiley, pub.

Links To Online Resources:
American Farmland Trust
http://www.farmland.org

American Planning Association - Growing Smart Initiative
http://www.planning.org/plnginfo/GROWSMAR/gsindex.html

Environmental Protection Agency's Antidotes to Spral
http://www.epa.gov/region5/sprawl

Rocky Mountain Institute (for information about green development and sustainable development)
http://www.rmi.org

Sierra Club Sprawl Index
http://www.sierraclub.org/sprawl

Smart Growth Network
http://www.smartgrowth.org

Sprawl Watch Clearing House
http://www.sprawlwatch.org

Sustainable Communities Network
http://www.sustainable.org

www.beesinc.org

Jean Myers has been a science teacher for eight years, beginning as a Peace Corps Volunteer teacher in Kenya, and teaching today at Middle College High School at LaGuardia Community College, a small alternative school in New York City. She has been involved with reform efforts at her school, developing a more creative, inquiry-based science curriculum and ways for the staff to help each other raise standards of teaching and learning. Jean has recently mentored new teachers. She received two Masters Degrees from Teachers College, in Teaching Secondary Science and Curriculum and Instruction. 

"Alternative Fueled Vehicles: Toward a Ten-Emission Transportation System"

I will discuss prospects for improving efficiency and reducing emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases from vehicles.

I will describe zero emission technologies such as fuel cells, and discuss how our present system might evolve toward one with much reduced pollution.

Web Page: http://www.princeton.edu/~ischaper/PEI.html

Lab Description:
Do Photosynthetic Algae Respond to CO2 Change? Lab #2

• Participants will set up algae cultures (Diatoms) under different environmentally relevant C02 levels. 
• Hands-on experiments will include current laboratory research that could be adapted for a secondary school setting.
• Hands-on experiments will include current laboratory research that could be used in a secondary setting.

http://photoscience.la.asu.edu/photosyn/education/learn.html

http://www.life.uiuc.edu/govindjee/paper/gov.html

http://gened.emc.maricopa.edu/bio/bio181/BIOBK/BioBookPS.html

Lecture Topic: “Public decision making and atmospheric pollution."

Michael Rodgers is an atmospheric chemist and director of the Air Quality Laboratory at Georgia Institute of Technology. He holds research and academic appointments in the Schools of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and Public Policy. Dr. Rodgers has directed numerous field and modeling studies related to the chemistry of both the natural and anthropogenically impacted environment. He has served as chief scientist for the Chemical and Meteorological Measurements program of the Southern Oxidants Study for U.S. EPA, chief mission scientist for the Pacific Exploratory Mission- Tropics (PEM) for NASA, chief scientist for the Southeastern Regional Oxidant Network, and Principal Investigator of the development of the Mobile Emissions Assessment System for Urban and Regional Evaluations (MEASURE) model for U.S. EPA and the Federal Highway Administration. Dr. Rodgers's research has lead to numerous awards including the Monie A. Ferst Award for the Society of the Sigma Xi, the NASA group achievement award for PEM, and "Professional of the Year" by the American Lung Association. In 1994, Dr. Rodgers was named an Institute Fellow at Georgia Tech.

Lecture Topic: “Fluid Flow and the World Around Us."

George Stickel, participated in the Woodrow Wilson Environmental Science Institute at Rutgers, Summer 1998. Active in environmental education, writing and field testing curriculum through a technology project called Education for a Sustainable Future, under the auspices of the Concord Consortium ( www.concord.org ) and National Science Foundation. Co-authored and field tested the GLOBE GPS Investigation protocols and learning activities for the Summer 1996 edition of The GLOBE Program Teacher's Guide. Trained GLOBE (see www.globe.gov ) teachers and students on protocols, established a GLOBE site, and field tested GLOBE atmospheric haze protocols for student data collection. Received numerous grants for infusing technology into the classroom, studying marine chemistry, spectroscopy, biomechanics, and other topics. Technical writer for Georgia Institute of Technology's Air Quality Labs, and worked with teachers through Georgia Tech's Center for Integrating Science, Math, and Computers (CEISMC). Author of numerous publications in learning theory and philosophy, plus other fields. Elected Teacher of the Year for Harrison High School for 2000-2001 academic year. Baccalaureate degree in chemistry from Sterling College, Sterling KS; master's in higher education administration, and Ph.D. in philosophy of education, both from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

Lab Description:  Climate Change and the Accuracy of Climate Data

Detecting and predicting climate change involves running numerical models that take account of human activities.  The results are then compared with past climate data.  What makes this task so difficult (and fascinating) is that unlike most other fields of science, climate data are not direct observations but are also the product of related numerical models.  Before we can study climate change, we must check how well the climate "data" matches the actual atmosphere.

Our NASA research over the past decade has tried to help with this check by capturing wind and temperature measurements from flight data recorders that are not available in real time, comparing them with model results, and trying to determine if the climate data are actually valid.  The heart of our results is that in certain key ways, they're not.   

Our study during this institute will let the participants pursue this question using actual aircraft observations and current climate models.  Because both sources are located on private but accessible portions of the World Wide Web, these experiments can be done by the teachers both during the institute and with their students during the school year.

 Along the way, we will examine several key ideas which are useful in teaching environmental sciences, geography, and history classes.

1.  The analogy between summer sea breezes at the beach and the fundamental global Hadley circulation (warm air rises at the equator and descends at 30EN and 30ES).

2.  The relation between jet streams and a figure skater pulling in her arms and the role of jet streams in climate.

3.  The nature of the global water cycle and how it is depicted in models.  This area is of special interest to students because of its relation to geography and settlement patterns (why are the world's major deserts at 30EN and 30ES?).

These questions bring us back to one of the themes of the institute: climate and environmental change.  Unless we can have confidence in our knowledge of the Hadley circulation, moisture cycles, and the associated jet streams, it will be difficult to say anything about how humans may be modifying them.

Finally, this field is characterized by very large data sets: multiple Gigabytes per day.  During the institute we will master the computer techniques that allow us to make numerical comparisons without trying to transfer that much data across the Internet: quantitative interpolation from graphical output.  Multiple copies of the software needed (Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop; any spreadsheet) should be within the budgets of individual school systems.

Schedule:

Day 1:

• discussion of climate "data," jet streams, moisture cycle

•  introduction to climate data and aircraft data on the Web

•  use of standard graphics and spreadsheet software to compare

• climate and aircraft data

• hands-on lab: individual cases

Day 2:

• role of Terra and Aqua satellite

• discussion of day 1 case results

• hands-on lab: ensembles

• plans for individual and group projects

Day 3:

• discussion of the Christmas 1999 storms

• PROJECT

Readings:

• discussions of Hadley circulation in McGraw-Hill and Britannica encyclopedias-further readings will be supplied matched to the background of the participants

Web References:

Global Aircraft Data Experiment (GADS):

http://jet.purchase.edu/cmm

Sensitivity of Pollutant Back Trajectories:

Trajectories: http://telsci.arc.nasa.gov/~sonex/model_gifs/BT971015.gif

Terra: http://terra.nasa.gov

Aqua: http://eos-pm.gsfc.nasa.gov

Lecture Topic: Introduction to Tree Biodiversity and the Species-Area Curve

Photosynthetic organisms play a fundamental role in global ecology and biogeochemistry.  As the ultimate source of organic carbon in the biosphere, these 'primary producers' provide the energy which sustains all life as we know it.  The uptake of CO2 and production of O2 by photosynthetic organisms significantly affects the cycling of these important atmospheric gases.  As a result, plants have exerted a profound influence on the earth’s geochemistry and climate over geological time scales.  In the present day, marine and terrestrial primary producers continue to affect global CO2 budgets and the magnitude of climate change.  Recent studies have shown, for example, that a significant fraction (~25-30%) of anthropogenic CO2 emissions may be absorbed by photosynthetic organisms in the terrestrial biosphere. 

Despite their global importance, terrestrial plant communities have come under increasing human pressure as demands for food and other plant-derived substances rise, and populations encroach into wilderness areas.  A direct consequence of these human disturbances is the degradation of ecosystem integrity resulting from the loss of biodiversity.  In their natural state, land plant communities encompass a dazzling array of species, from tiny mosses to towering redwoods.  Each species (or group of similar species) plays a critical and unique role in community structure and ecological function.  As species extinction rates grow ever more rapid, urgent conservation decisions must be made to protect natural lands and sustain healthy ecosystems.  Not surprisingly, the maintenance of plant biodiversity is essential to the success of any conservation strategy.

This exercise is designed to introduce participants to the basic principles of plant sampling, identification, and biodiversity assessments.  Working in the laboratory and in the field, we shall examine some of the basic physiological and morphological differences among tree species (using very simple methods and equipment) and gain an appreciation for how these differences affect their ecological niches (i.e. specializations).  Participants will learn to use a variety of characteristics to identify tree species and conduct biodiversity surveys along the Delaware and Raritan Canal park.  This information will be used to construct species area curves which provide information on the spatial distribution of biodiversity.  We will combine our survey data with information from other sources to conduct basic computer analyses of local and regional biodiversity patterns.  This exercise requires no sophisticated equipment (other than the human mind) and can be easily adapted for use by wide range of students (grade school to graduate school).  Participants should be prepared to spend a good deal of time outdoors under a variety of weather conditions.   

Richard T. Wetherald was first employed at the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Baltimore, MD designing numerical weather prediction algorithms to be applied to a parallel processing computer prototype. From 1964 to the present, he has been a Research Meteorologist at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory/NOAA, Princeton, N.J. His chief area of expertise is greenhouse warming of climate, and he has written or co-authored many scientific papers on this subject. He is also active in various educational outreach programs in the local area involving both elementary and middle schools with regard to both weather and astronomy.

Lecture Descriptions:

The sequence of events on July 5th. 

Either after or half way through the above lecture (item 5), Steve Carson will present some demos/hands-on experiments to illustrate principles of cloud formation and the effects of rotation (Coriolis Force)