Innovative Uses of Vernier Technology

In addition to our large variety of experiments offered in our curriculum, teachers use their creativity to bring excitement to the classroom. Find out how our sensors have made the ordinary into the extraordinary!

Doing something innovative in your classroom? Tell us about it by e-mail at innovativeuses@vernier.com

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Showing 25 results in Environmental, most recent entries shown first.

Title	Excerpt	Products Used
Investigating Ireland's Greatest Scientists with Vernier	As part of the Irish Leaving Certificate Senior Physics syllabus, students from the Christian Brothers Boys' Secondary School, in Dungarvan, Ireland, study the contributions of Ireland's two greatest scientists: Robert Boyle and Ernest T. S. Walton. It just so happens that these two giants in science have a local connection � they were both born in the southeastern coastal county of Waterford, not too far from the school. Principal John Murphy with students Joseph Foley... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental	Vernier GPS Sensor Vernier LabQuest Logger Pro 3 Gas Pressure Sensor Radiation Monitor
Worm Bin Composting	Our newest environmental project at Vernier is composting with a worm bin. Our worm bin is a large, locally made, unfinished cedar chest with about 60 cubic feet of capacity. The bin is located in a shady spot on the side of our building, and contains a colony of red wiggler worms. We collect food scraps and coffee grounds, along with coffee filters, in a compost pail in our kitchen. Volunteers, called the "worm wranglers," empty the pail into the worm bin several times a day. We also add pape... [more] Science Subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Environmental	CO₂ Gas Sensor Stainless Steel Temperature Probe Vernier LabQuest Logger Pro 3
Forestry Survey using a Vernier GPS	In late October 2005, employees from Vernier participated in a tree planting event in conjunction with the organization Friends of Trees. We planted 200 trees in the wetlands area surrounding nearby Beaverton Creek. Below is a table that shows the quantities of each type of tree that was planted, along with some general notes and estimated survival rates. Qty Species Common Name Estimated Survival Rate Notes 40 Alnus rubra Red Alder 50% fast growin... [more] Science Subjects: Biology, Earth Science, Environmental, General Science, Life Science	Vernier GPS Sensor Vernier LabQuest Logger Pro 3
LabQuest in Antarctica	By Robyn Johnson, Vernier Software & Technology By its name alone, LabQuest seems destined for adventure. When I decided to go on a National Geographic Expedition to Antarctica in January, there was no doubt in my mind that I would be taking mine with me. Sailing from Ushuaia, Argentina, we spent almost two days crossing the infamous Drake Passage. For eight days, we sailed around the Antarctic Peninsula, seeing incredible scenery, many seals, whales, and literally hundreds of ... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental	Stainless Steel Temperature Probe UVA Sensor UVB Sensor Vernier GPS Sensor Vernier LabQuest Logger Pro 3
High CO₂ Levels Putting You to Sleep?	Roland Stout, Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, challenged his environmental chemistry class to find an interesting and environmentally significant carbon dioxide source or sink and to verify their findings using a CO2 sensor. Roland asked his students to follow the scientific method and design a sampling protocol appropriate for their measurement. The only help he gave them was to explain how to use the probe, and he helped them to program the L... [more] Science Subjects: Chemistry, Environmental	CO₂ Gas Sensor LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Vernier Used Around the GLOBE	Using the Infrared Thermometer to measure temperature Is the heat given off by 500 people enough to change the temperature inside a large auditorium? How does the temperature and salinity of a tide pool compare to that of the nearby ocean water? These were just two of the questions posed to about 250 students from 52 countries who gathered in Cape Town, South Africa, this summer for the GLOBE Learning Expedition (GLE). And of course, Vernier equipment was used to investigate the answers... [more] Science Subjects: Biology, Earth Science, Environmental, Water Quality	Dissolved Oxygen Sensor pH Sensor Salinity Sensor Stainless Steel Temperature Probe Vernier LabQuest Logger Pro 3
Natural Bridge Caverns	Vernier recently attended the GLOBE annual conference in San Antonio, TX, where we sponsored a field trip to Natural Bridge Caverns, a limestone cave. Sixty teachers made their way through the wet, drippy tour of the caverns and collected relative humidity, temperature, and barometric pressure data along the way. Due to the recent, heavy rains in the region, the water in the cavern rose high enough to measure the pH of the water in the aquifer. Five Vernier sensors meet GLOBE Program sp... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental, Middle School Science	Conductivity Probe Dissolved Oxygen Sensor pH Sensor Relative Humidity Sensor Stainless Steel Temperature Probe LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Students Monitor Classroom Conditions	Two groups of local science students from Westview High School, Beaverton, OR, recently won honors with projects using our sensors to monitor their school environment. Julio Montano, Jose Perez, and Josean Perez used our temperature sensors to monitor classroom temperature and how it affects student attention span. The project won awards at the science fair. One of the science fair judges told the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about it, and the students w... [more] Science Subjects: Environmental, General Science, Physical Science, Technology	CO₂ Gas Sensor Stainless Steel Temperature Probe LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Measuring a Plant's Response to Gravity	Judy Day, with the Science House, a NC State University K-12 science outreach program, has developed an activity investigating a plant's response to gravity. Judy uses a ProScope USB digital microscope to record changes over time in a plant that has been placed on its side. For best results, Judy recommends using an Arabidopsis thaliana (the wild variety) having an inflorescence stem at least 10 cm long. Here is a brief description of Judy's procedure: ... [more] Science Subjects: Biology, Environmental, General Science, Life Science, Middle School Science, Physical Science, Technology	Logger Pro 3 Basic ProScope HR Kit
Investigating Airport Sound Levels	Sound levels of airplanes at take off and landing Anyone who lives along the flight path of a major airport knows that sound pollution is an unpleasant fact of life. Riley Wilson, Tim Horton, and Mario Bautista, 8th grade students at Hughes Middle School in Long Beach, California, know this all too well, often having instruction interrupted as planes fly over their school. Airplane noise in the Long Beach area is a frequent topic ... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Engineering, General Science, Middle School Science, Physics, Technology, Environmental, Life Science	Sound Level Meter LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Determination of Chlorophyll in Olive Oil	Chlorophyll absorbance We bought some fresh spinach to add to our salad for a healthy lunch, and saved a few of the leaves. We then chopped up the spinach leaves and soaked them in ethanol for an hour, to extract chlorophyll. By filtering the liquid and diluting it with distilled water, we had our chlorophyll sample. We ran two tests. The first test was similar to the food dye/mouthwash investigation; we measured adsorbance as a function of wavelength. T... [more] Science Subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental	Logger Pro 3 Vernier Spectrometer
Skiing with LabPro	Jean-Jacques Rochat spent a few days skiing near his chalet in Ovronnaz, Switzerland. Even though he is no longer a science teacher (now a principal), he could not resist collecting data. Here is a photo and a day's data from a temperature probe and a barometer, used to calculate approximate altitude. Note that you can see each run, his (short) waits in lift lines, and his visit to the store. The altitude data nicely matches the labeled altitudes of the tops of the chair lifts. ... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental, Physical Science, Physics	Barometer Stainless Steel Temperature Probe LabPro Interface
Around the World with LabPro	Ute Kaden is the first teacher in Brownsville ISD, Texas, to teach AP Physics. To keep the interest of her students at Hanna High School, she literally spans the globe in search of new and exciting ways to bring real-world data into the classroom. Recently she took her Vernier LabPro and sensors to the North Pole! At a latitude of 89� 58.5' she measured salinity, temperature, barometric pressure, and acceleration due to gravity. Her results? g = 9.801 m/s2 ... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental, General Science	Barometer Salinity Sensor Stainless Steel Temperature Probe LabPro Interface
Heart Rate of a Crayfish	In collaboration with researchers from the University of Kentucky, Heidi Anderson, AP Biology teacher at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, KY, has developed an inquiry-based investigation of heart rate. What makes her approach unique is she studies crayfish. Students connect a Vernier EKG Sensor to leads attached under the dorsal carapace of the crayfish, near the heart. Some sample data and images are shown. Heidi's students develop experiments, using the crayfish, to in... [more] Science Subjects: Biology, Environmental, Life Science, Physiology, Water Quality	EKG Sensor LabPro Interface
Hurricane Rita	While preparing to evacuate the Chinquapin School in Highlands, Texas (just east of Houston), physics teacher Brian Lamore had the presence of mind to recognize a unique data-collection opportunity. Brian set up a LabPro and Barometer in his apartment. He ran a length of rubber tubing from the Barometer through an open window. Even though the power went out sometime during the storm, the LabPro collected data throughout the storm using battery power. Brian made it through the storm safel... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental, General Science, Physics, Technology	Logger Pro 3 LabPro Interface Barometer
GIS Mapping Enhances Salinity Study	Students gathering data on Laguna Madre In March 2005, Olathe North HS (Olathe, KS) students Kevin Skov and Greg May, along with teacher Steve Obenhaus, took a trip to the southern reaches of Texas to explore Laguna Madre's hypersaline characteristics. Laguna Madre, a large body of shallow water separating Padre Island from the South Texas mainland, is one of only a few hypersaline lagoons in the world. Using a Vernier Salinity Sensor, LabPro, and a laptop PC running L... [more] Science Subjects: Water Quality, Environmental, Life Science, Technology	LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3 Salinity Sensor
Vernier at Antarctica	Vernier sensors have been used for exciting data-collection activities in some interesting locations over the years. We can now count Antarctica among these. From January 5 to February 7, 2001, chemistry teacher Kevin LaVigne from Hanover HS, NH, participated in a program called �Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic.� Kevin joined a research team under the direction of Drs. Ross Virginia (Dartmouth College) and Diana Wall (Colorado State University) that is studying life i... [more] Science Subjects: Chemistry, Earth Science, Environmental	pH Sensor LabPro Interface
Two-Liter Creek	John Fischer, Ashwaubenon HS, Green Bay, WI, has created an artificial �Two Liter Creek� in his classroom for water quality studies in the middle of a Wisconsin winter. It is simply a 50-gallon aquarium with a pump that lifts water into an array of 15 two-liter bottles that have been mounted on a pegboard. This closed-loop creek has gravel in the bottles and in the aquarium. Over time, the artificial creek forms an ecosystem, as does a real creek. John�s students become experts at us... [more] Science Subjects: Biology, Environmental, Life Science, Water Quality	Dissolved Oxygen Sensor Conductivity Probe Calcium Ion-Selective Electrode Chloride Ion-Selective Electrode Ammonium Ion-Selective Electrode Nitrate Ion-Selective Electrode pH Sensor Stainless Steel Temperature Probe
TOTO II	Jake Niemand, a high school student from Montevideo, MN, has used LabPro and some of our sensors for some remarkable data collection. He constructed TOTO (TOtable Tornado Observatory) II. TOTO II is loaded into a pick-up truck and driven to a location where severe weather is approaching. It can be left at the location to record data and then picked up after the storm. Jake hopes the data collected will help engineers and architects design houses with a "tornado-proof" room for safety... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental, Physics	LabPro Interface
Sound Level Meter Experiments	Our Sound Level Meter (SLM-BTA, $209) offers lots of possibilities for the kind of investigations that students really get into. Here are some ideas: Some hair dryers are really noisy, and the noise source is right next to your ear. This inspired us to do a little checking. We tested five hair dryers, recording the sound level with the dryer about 2 cm from our Sound Level Meter (about the closest distance the hair dryer gets to your ear). The noisiest hair dryer read around 101 de... [more] Science Subjects: Environmental, Physics, Physiology	Sound Level Meter LabPro Interface
Vernier LabPro Goes to Denali	Pete Monte of Forest Grove, Oregon, recently climbed the highest peak in North America, Denali (also known as Mt. McKinley). Pete carried a Vernier LabPro, temperature probe, and a Gas Pressure Sensor all the way to the (20,320 ft, 6,194 m). He recorded temperatures well below freezing (in June), and pressure down to 54 kPa - approximately half of standard atmospheric pressure. ... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental, Life Science	Gas Pressure Sensor Surface Temperature Sensor LabPro Interface
Temperature at Death Valley	Steve Abitz and John Sebranek (Southwest HS, Green Bay, WI) took our LabPro, a calculator, and a temperature probe to Death Valley, CA in July. The average temperature in the air was 118�F (47.8�C). The average temperature on the ground was 125�F (51.7�C). ... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental, Life Science, Middle School Science, Biology	Surface Temperature Sensor LabPro Interface
Mouse Support System	Gus Frederick with the Oregon Public Education Network has come up with a fascinating idea that ties into the Millennium Mars Project, a project supported by NASA and the U.S. Department of Education. The goal of this project is to design a viable Martian colony. Participants are further required to produce a visual representation of their design. Gus took this idea a step further and built a small-scale working model of such a colony using mice rather than people. His "Controlled Ec... [more] Science Subjects: Engineering, Environmental, General Science, Integrated, Life Science, Middle School Science, Physiology, Biology	CO₂ Gas Sensor O₂ Gas Sensor pH Sensor Relative Humidity Sensor Stainless Steel Temperature Probe LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
LabPro's Antarctic Adventure	Heike Robinson, physics teacher, and sea kayaker, measures the temperature of Antarctic waters with a LabPro, Palm, and Stainless Steel Temperature Probe. Four years ago, Heike Robinson started sea kayaking. The more she learned about paddling, the more she discovered about the physics behind it. She started using examples from boating to help her students visualize many concepts, such as force, resistance, heat-flow rate (hypothermia), vector addition, and moment of inertia. In... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental, General Science, Integrated, Life Science, Water Quality	Conductivity Probe Light Sensor Stainless Steel Temperature Probe UVA Sensor UVB Sensor LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3
Hurricane Charley	Curt Witthoff, Secondary Math/Science Specialist for Collier County Public Schools in Naples, FL, recorded this data as Hurricane Charley pounded the coastline near his house. He used Vernier sensors with a LabPro and TI graphing calculator. The equipment was placed in a box with the sensors exposed, and left on his patio. The times on the x-axis correspond to the 24-hour clock on August 13, 2004. The pressure data tells us that the eye of the hurricane passed clo... [more] Science Subjects: Earth Science, Environmental, General Science, Physics, Technology	Barometer Light Sensor Relative Humidity Sensor Stainless Steel Temperature Probe LabPro Interface Logger Pro 3