On the Trail of the Deep Sea Isopod
The Argonauts began their morning with a couple of rounds of volleyball. Students put up a valiant challenge but succumbed to the teachers by 2 points.
The Argonauts began their morning with a couple of rounds of volleyball. Students put up a valiant challenge but succumbed to the teachers by 2 points.
Today we had another amazing adventure! We did a lot of really cool and unimaginable things throughout the entire day. We started out the morning doing sunrise yoga. At first, I was thinking: “Man, there is no way I can do this! It’s so hard!” but I quickly realized that if I kept saying I couldn’t do it then I was going to miss out on so many things in life. I ended up embracing the experience and really enjoyed the warrior pose! It was beautiful to do yoga while looking over the water during the sunrise. I will never forget that!
Today’s Argonaut Adventure began with an exciting and informative tour of the Cape Eleuthera Facility focusing on Sustainability. Stan, our guide, showed us how the facility uses wind and solar power for energy. Stan demonstrated how the building collects energy from the sun and a wind turbine, and converts it into electricity for the entire area. Stan also explained how residents save energy by turning off lights and fans, and by using electrical devices sparingly throughout the day.
Today was the first day of the week # 2 JASON Argonaut trip 2015, and let me tell you . . . . it was amazing! I could tell that everybody was nervous. I mean, it’s not easy connecting with people you have never even seen before. But like everything life throws at us, we always need to find the best solutions.
As the sun sets on our adventure to Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI) in the Bahamas, the 2015 JASON Argos will convey the core values of sustainability and how to manage our resources effectively through conservation and research to not just our schools and school districts but also instill them in our family and friends. This is not the end but the beginning of a new journey in our lives.
The Humble ISD partnership with JASON Learning and Chevron began with teacher training in the spring of 2013. Classroom implementation of the JASON Project began in the 2013-2014 school year. The initial grant allowed all eight Humble ISD Middle Schools, serving over 8,700 students in grades six, seven, and eight, to fully implement the JASON curriculum. The JASON Learning curriculum was embedded in the Humble ISD science curriculum with the goal of becoming a sustainable curriculum component of STEM instruction in the district.
Like a scene from the movie Jaws, Dylan, Lorraine, and the JASON crew took a swim in the shark infested waters of Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI) in the Bahamian Islands. Alongside these brave souls stood a CEI graduate student, Ian, who is currently conducting research testing the stress levels associated with capture of juvenile lemon sharks. Field work often presents circumstances outside of our control such as weather, tide, and animal behavior. The dedicated researchers of CEI face these obstacles with perseverance.
Volleyball
I woke up in the morning and I could tell it was going to be a beautiful day I took a shower got dressed and wandered outside where our guide Staniel was waiting for us. We got to the volleyball court and had the most intense game. But in the end we lost and went to our dorms with the little honor and dignity we had left and prepared myself for the next activity of the day.
YOGA, YOGA, YOGA - What a way to start our day! This morning, all the argonauts decided to stretch our bodies to prepare our mind for the our scientific explorations ahead. As we looked out into the crystal, clear ocean water, we were reminded just how beautiful nature is. As Regan said, “This feels great to be one with nature. I wish that I could wake up to this everyday.” This was a wonderful BAM (Bahamas Appreciation Moment). We all would have to concur with Regan, as we all felt that the scenery was amazing. At the conclusion of our morning exercise session, we again were shown how beautiful nature is when we had the opportunity to see a juvenile lemon shark swimming around some man-made reefs. Regan called this "spectacular!"
It’s a good sign when you wake up with mixed feelings--a bit tired from the day before, and at the same time, full of new energy to sprint into your JASON gear, head out the door, and straight to the octagon--our meeting place--before 6:15am. Any minute more, and it’s five push-ups per minute--and in a way, besides learning our lesson, our newfound (or for some, human nature) regard for punctuality has a bit more to do with the visions held by the Cape Eleuthera Institute than just the importance of being able to fit all our activities in one day. And that is efficiency.