Skype Interview with NOAA Climate Scientist

Expanding students’ perspectives of the world around them through exposure to thought-provoking topics and thinking critically about them, learning from authentic sources, and interviewing professionals experienced in their field is the norm at Long-View.  

Last week, Navy and Auburn Bands tapped into National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Scientist Andrew Kren’s expertise in the area of remote sensing data as it relates to weather research. Dr. Kren’s work focuses on translating unmanned aircraft observations into weather forecast models to improve hurricane forecasts. He has a background in meteorology and atmospheric science, as well as an interest from childhood in extreme weather events.

Recently, both bands have been exploring weather patterns, researching what drives weather, and the ways scientists collect and analyze data. The Skype interview with Dr. Kren provoked much thought and lead to subsequent questions from the students. The NOAA climate scientist also whet the learners’ appetites by giving them a little background information about hurricanes and how scientists use their data to accurately predict when they may impact many regions that are prone to hurricane occurrences.

Mrs. Swanson, science teacher for Auburn and Navy Bands, is priming the learners for an engineering project that will require students to design and build a structure that can withstand a hurricane. They will undoubtedly incorporate what they learned from Skyping with this scientist into their design thinking and constructions of their hurricane-safe structures.