More About This Resource...

• This letter is part of a series written by a glacial geologist working in Antarctica. In her "letters home," Stephanie Shipp shares her work and discoveries. This letter includes:

  • an overview of the type of research Shipp concentrates on,
  • notes about how she divides her "in the field" and "in the lab" work during a typical year,
  • an explanation of why she keeps a journal,
  • a sample journal entry, and
  • a journal glossary, which defines the abbreviations she uses.

• Completion Time

  Less than 1 period

• Teacher Tip

  Supplement a study of Antarctica with an activity drawn from this essay about the importance of a scientist's field journal.

  1. Send students to this online article, or print copies of the essay for them to read.
  2. Working as a class, create a list of the types of information that Shipp and other researchers record in field journals.

• Topic

  Earth Science

• Subtopic

  Tools and Methods