Title: Development and Evaluation of High School Science-Camp Using EdGCM

Abstract:

We have planned and executed three-day science camps during the 2009, 2010 and
2011 summer vacations of senior high-school students and collaborated with the
center for climate systems research, the research consortium of NASA/GISS and
Columbia University.  Our science camp is part of our climate-change
education.  The purpose of the science-camp project is to enhance high-school
students' interest in science and technology.  Our science camps are executed
under the Science-Partnership Project (SPP) of the Japan Science and
Technology Agency (JST).

We had more than twenty applicants each year from many parts of Japan.  We
accepted ten for 2009 and twelve for 2010 and 2011, respectively; based on
essays written in their application forms that demonstrated their motivation
and intelligence.  Our science camp consists of observation, experiments,
simulation and presentation. 

Participants are lectured about global climate-models such as EdGCM and then
instructed how to use them.  They also practice how to visualize
computer-simulation results.  Then, they are divided into three groups.  Each
group sets up a specific simulation scenario and run it during the night after
discussing the factors and awareness of global warming, and determining a
final theme for the simulation.  Each group is expected to present their
results at the discussion session in the afternoon of the final day.  They
shall exchange their ideas with other participants and instructors in the
discussion session. 

The effects of our science camp are assessed via pre- and post- questionnaires
that are used by the United Kingdom's Risky Business climate-change project.
We focus our attention to the change of a participant's conviction versus any
particular question and answer.  For example, the number of those that chose
"Strongly agree" rose from 14 to 22.  Decisive answers are becoming more
common; such as "Definitely against" rose from 9 to 11 and "Definitely for"
rose from 18 to 26.  They tend to express their idea strongly after
participating in our science camp.

For the EdGCM simulation, 80% of participants answered "very interesting" and
20% answered "interesting".  For experiments and observations, 70% of the
participants answered "very interesting" and 30% answered, "interesting".  For
the answer to the "Most favorite activity in the science camp", 50% of
participant's selected EdGCM simulation, 30% selected experiments and
observations, 20% selected communication with researchers.