Climate Detectives Projects 2018-2019

Project topic: Climate change

Project title: Climate Detectives from Cantacuzini

Team: Angela Rotaru

2018-2019   Școala Gimnazială ”Iordache Cantacuzino” Pașcani, Iași   Pașcani   Romania   29 Student’s age: 8-9, 10-11


Summary of the project

Drought is a climatic phenomenon induced by a lack of moisture generated by the decrease in the amount of precipitation. This project is taking place in the context of the drought observed in Europe in recent years. The main object of this project is to link abiotic factors and agricultural crops. The European Environment Agency (EEA) has produced a new report demonstrating that extreme weather has caused damage in the last three decades in Europe. Also, weather conditions worsen from year to year due to global warming. The document draws attention to the impact of global warming on Europe. Pascani is located in temperate continental climate with mild winters and warm summers. With climate warming, the number of extreme weather events such as heavy rains and storms in June 2018, hot heat and drought were not rain event in July to November 2018. The flooding affected pastures and wheat in the area. We collected data on wheat agricultural crops from the Pascani area from an agricultural farm in the area (the father of a class child is an agronomist engineer and provided us with these data): 2014-2015, agricultural year with excessive rainfall production: 5500 kg wheat per hectare; 2015-2016, agricultural year with excessive rainfall : production: 5100 kg wheat per hectare; 2016-2017, agricultural year with excessive rainfall: production: 5080 kg of wheat per hectare; 2016-2017, poor agricultural year in terms of precipitation: production: 4700kg wheat per hectare; These lands affected by summer floods are now affected by drought. Autumn wheat crops were sown, but they only rose at a rate of 40 percent. We planned to analyze how this autumn drought affects the agricultural crops in the area.

Main results

Class IV pupils performed air temperature measurements between january 2019 and april 2019 with outdoor thermometers and compared the results with satellites published on meteoblue. I received the precipitations in the 3 months from a weather station which is placed in the courtyard of a student’s grandmother in the Boșteni- Paşcani area. We’ve also built new rain gauges with which we measured the amounts of rainfall and compared them to those we received. Together with the students, we have made a class of nature in the classroom where we recorded this data. Students planted three pots of autumn wheat: – the first was watered as soon as it was sown; – the second was not watered at all; – the third was put in a very warm place without being watered; There were registered the number of plants that rose on a square with the 10cm side of each pot: and observations were made on the growth of plants in normal humidity conditions as well as on those growing under drought conditions. We also discussed the problem with the agronomist engineer in the area

Actions to help lessen the problem

Data collected by students from the observations they made in the school, corroborated with weather data and satellite broadcasts available on the web portal https://www.meteoblue.com/en/vreme/prognoza/spt% C4% 83m% C3% A2na / pa% C5% 9Fcani_rom% C3% A2nia_6945426 helps students develop the ability to draw conclusions from datasets and develop hypotheses to explain the phenomena they notice. The weather, rainfall and wind monitoring system developed by students over a longer period of time not only helps students develop the skills they need to advance in their career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics but also increases awareness and interest of young people in the environment and contribute to the global understanding of global environmental problems, climate change and their effects on agricultural crops. I have participated with the students at the Recycling Patrol because we believe we can reduce the pollution in the area for a clean environment, because pollution is one of the main factors contributing to climate change. I made a march of the homeland to sensitize citizens to climate change. We have enrolled at the Voluntariada Sea for a plantation in the Shrub Park (ibiscus) and we will work with the Pascani Local Council to participate in the afforestation activities

Project link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xOfOQXRayk

Project video


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