ABCs of Communication Award

Encouraging Effective Science Communication

  • Award: One $100 shopping spree for research supplies/educational materials
  • Abstract must be no longer than 250 words
  • Judging will be completed by a committee of formal and nonformal educators
  • Abstract will be judged primarily on
  1. Does the abstract “hook” the reader? Is it relatable or relevant to 5th grade academic content? Can the reader relate to the content in their non-academic life?
  2. Is the abstract readable for an elementary aged student with a clear and understandable introduction, question/hypothesis and method?
  • DUE DATE: email completed abstracts to Hannah Giddens by October 9 at 5pm at HGiddens@patriotspoint.org
  • Winner will be announced on October 15th during the Marine Research Colloquium awards ceremony
  • Winner's abstract will appear as part of Patriots Point's Ecosystems Science Kit, available for free upon request to SC 5th graders

Tips for how to write your abstract can be found in this Link of a Zoom recording by Hannah Giddens.
RESOURCES can be found here:


Below is 2023's winning abstract from Jess Kusher:

Can we tell if Charleston’s water is sick from outer space?

Do you like to go to the beach? What about eating seafood? We all enjoy the water in Charleston, but did you know it can get sick just like people? You learned in class about how energy from the sun helps plants grow, well, in the ocean there are super small plants called phytoplankton and they grow in the sunlight too. Normally these microscopic plants grow and are eaten by the fish we like to eat, but sometimes these tiny plants grow out of control! After floods, rainstorms, or hurricanes, pollution from our backyards can flow into the water and cause big blooms of phytoplankton! These blooms can make our water sick because as the microscopic plants grow and grow, so do the bacteria and germs that feed on them! Lots of those bacteria can make both the water sick, and the people who swim and fish in the water. My research is special because I am using pictures from satellites in space to look at the color of our water here in Charleston. Every five days I can use a very sensitive camera to capture the color of the water in our harbor. Can you imagine how far the satellite can see to observe the color of our water from outer space? Based on how green the water is, I can tell if the water is safe to swim or fish! My research can help everybody enjoy the water here in Charleston and know when the water is sick.

 

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