Blog

For Equity and Justice, Start Where Students Are and Help Them Find Answers

Students from Longsjo Middle School in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, at the EcoTarium

We recently revised our mission and vision statements, and described our efforts to address issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in several of our research projects. We know that this was only a beginning. As we said, “We are still learning how to design science, technology, engineering, and mathematics resources that are more socially […]

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Wildfire Module Now Freely Available

The American West is burning. Wildfires rage, firefighters battle to contain fires, families are forced to evacuate their homes, and smoke chokes neighborhoods hundreds of miles away. Multiple years of drought have desiccated trees, shrubs, and grasses and transformed the western United States into a tinderbox. Air Quality Index and active fires in the western […]

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New Earth Science Website Hub in Collaboration with National Geographic Society

Exploring with Models page on National Geographic

We are delighted to celebrate five years of partnering with the world-renowned National Geographic Society. The National Geographic Society uses the power of science, exploration, education, and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. At the Concord Consortium we envision a world where teaching and learning seamlessly incorporate the best features of […]

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The risk and impact of COVID-19 on students

Julia LaCava

I’ve been thinking a lot about natural hazards while working on the GeoHazard: Modeling Natural Hazards and Assessing Risks project, which is developing curriculum materials for middle and high school students. While helping the team think about how to communicate about the materials being developed, I’ve also been thinking more about the hazards and risks I’m facing through the COVID pandemic and the impact it has already had on my life.

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What is causing all the dangerous wildfires?

A fire line in the Wildfire Explorer model

If you think wildfires are in the news more now than in the past, it’s not your imagination. Rather, the increase in wildfires is a trend that scientists have also noticed. One of the many factors driving this change is due to a rise in global temperatures. Because of climate change, droughts are intensifying and fire seasons are getting longer. Scientists are exploring all the factors that influence wildfire behavior and considering the results of experimental computer models with field data.

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