In this episode, Flood Proof?, we meet Dr. Kurt Shoemaker, Professor of Geology at Shawnee State University. Dr. Shoemaker has conducted research on volcanic systems in the northwestern United States and has studied the evolution of the Ohio River system during the Ice Age. More recently, his interests have turned toward the role of geologic setting and geologic phenomena in historical events. This episode shares a portion of his current research on the history of flooding and flood defense at Portsmouth, Ohio. As Dr. Shoemaker details the history of flooding and flood control along this portion of the Ohio River, he’ll weigh in on whether Portsmouth is “flood proof.”

Dr. Shoemaker has provided additional resources and classroom activities for those who want to learn more about flooding and flood protection. These include a digital photo archives of the historic 1937 flood at Portsmouth, a documentary highlighting survivors of the flood, and activities and an online resource that allow you to simulate flooding. #drownyourtown

Click here for the additional resources: Ep 4_Flood Proof_connecting classrooms_supplement

A transcript of this episode is available here: Transcript- Episode 4 Flood Proof

In this episode, Student Journalism: Developing Skills for a Lifetime, we meet Dr. Christy Zempter, Assistant Professor of Communication and faculty advisor for Shawnee State University’s student news site The Chronicle, and Hannah Kline, a History major at SSU who is also pursuing a Journalism minor. Hannah is currently enrolled in an Advanced News Writing and Reporting class at SSU, after completing the introductory course in the fall.

Hannah has published about a dozen stories so far on The Chronicle site, but the conversation in this episode focuses primarily on an article she published last fall that focused on student and faculty responses to generative AI platforms like ChatGPT. As part of her reporting process, Hannah developed and distributed a survey to gauge general attitudes and followed up with interviews of both students and faculty members to capture a deeper understanding of their perspectives on the topic.

The research skills that Hannah developed through her work on the article provide just one example of the benefits scholars have attributed to participation in student journalism. Student journalists improve both their oral and written communication skills through interviewing sources and organizing the information they have collected in the reporting process into clear, compelling accounts. They build information literacy and critical-thinking skills through the verification processes associated with responsible journalism. They develop problem-solving strategies and time-management skills as they work toward regular deadlines. They become more engaged with the communities they cover, and studies by the American Press Institute and the Newspaper Association of America have shown that student journalists, on average, have higher GPAs and standardized test scores than their peers.

In a recent Times Higher Ed article, contributor Julie Nightingale explained how journalism helps students build exactly the kinds of skills necessary to navigate the “age of AI.” In 2022, Edutopia writer Andrew Simmons made the case for a mandatory journalism year for high school students, noting the significant impact such an endeavor would have on students’ civic engagement.

Even if your school doesn’t have a student news organization or the means to provide a year’s worth of reporting experience for students, journalism-based exercises and projects can be built into English, social studies, history, even science classes.

Journalism + Design offers a variety of resources for teachers who would like to incorporate journalism into their curricula, including syllabi and detailed explanations of exercises and assignments. For instructors in STEM fields, ScienceNewsLearning offers such lesson plans as “Think Like a Science Journalist.”

You can explore more SSU student journalism on The Chronicle’s website.

A transcript of this episode is available here: Episode 3 Student Journalism Transcript.

In this episode, The First Year of Science with the James Webb Space Telescope, we meet Dr. Tim Hamilton, Professor of Physics and Director of the Clark Planetarium at Shawnee State University. From our campus in Portsmouth, Ohio, Tim works with both the Hubble and the James Webb space telescopes to study what are called “active galaxies”, like quasars. These are galaxies whose central black holes are actively sucking in gas, heating it up, and making it glow so brightly it can outshine the whole rest of the galaxy.

In this episode, Tim explains different types of telescopes and the information astronomers can gain from them. He also takes us on a guided tour through space and time comparing images from both the Hubble and James Webb telescopes and explaining what scientists have learned in this exciting first year.

For a transcript of the episode: Transcript Connecting Classrooms S1 E2 James Webb

You can download the images described in this episode here, and a video of the images with narration can be streamed here.

To complete the extended activity that allows you to work with actual Hubble and James Webb images to create colorized final images, you will need to download the instruction sheet and several images. To complete the activity you will need to use the JS9 web-based software. Dr. Hamilton has created a video tutorial on using the software to help get started.