3-dQP: What’s in your 3-d quadrat?
Introduction - The 3-d Quadrat Program is designed to facilitate an understanding of earth system science. The Earth system is very dynamic and involves multiple variables that are all very dependent on each other. These variables included aspects of all five spheres: the atmosphere, the biosphere, the hydrosphere, the lithosphere, and the cryosphere. Too often students are asked to make observations and collect data from only one sphere and do not gain experience in understanding the entire system. 3-d quadrats create a workable sized space that encourages and allows collecting observations and data from multiple interactive parts of the Earth system. Though 1m3 is the basic unit of size for the 3-d Quadrat Program we encourage the creation of other multiple of this size and 10m3 space may be the perfect size for an entire ecology lab for a class or school.
The observations/data collection in each 3-d quadrat can then be applied to the larger Earth system. This program is not just limited to K-12th grade 
students but is developed to include informal education as well. Through its workshops, seminars, educational materials, and a variety of public-outreach activities, the 3-dQP provides leadership in the training and retraining of all educators to use innovative methods to stimulate young minds about earth system science and human impact on the planet. This program is not limited to earth science students but includes mathematics, literature, art, and social studies.
The 3-d Quadrat Program supports basic and applied research and evaluation that enhances science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning and teaching.
- Synthesis Research and Evaluation Project proposals should identify areas where the knowledge base in either evaluation or research is sufficiently robust to support strong scientific claims, identify areas of importance to education research and practice, and propose rigorous methods for synthesizing findings and drawing conclusions. Proposals for workshops and other meetings are permitted.
Most notably 3-d quadrats can be open or closed systems with dynamic movement through the quadrat boundaries supporting a natural system and allows testing of individual variables.
Mission Statement - The 3-d Quadrat Program (3-dQP) is maintained with funding from the Fondation H. Dudley Wright of Geneva, Switzerland, and the Wright Center for Innovative Science Education at Tufts University. Our emphasis is on innovation and dissemination, as articulated in our mission statement:
The 3-d Quadrat Program is designed to facilitate an understanding of Earth system science through the use of 3-d quadrats. 3-d quadrats serve as laboratory windows to a small spaces as well as windows that look out from small spaces to the larger environment. Observations/data collected with each 3-d quadrat are extrapolated to the larger Earth system. Within each 3-d quadrat space you can measure and observe the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the biosphere, and potentially the lithosphere and cryosphere. This program is for use in K-12th classrooms as well as in informal education programs. Through its workshops, seminars, educational materials, and a variety of public-outreach activities, the 3-dQP provides training and retraining of all educators to use innovative methods to stimulate young minds about Earth system science and the human impact on the planet.
To this end, our goals are fourfold:
- To improve student understanding of the multifaceted and interconnected Earth system.
- To provide direct observations (measurement) of Earth systems.
- To provide a method for the collection and recording of Earth system parameters.
- To develop a sense of understanding and stewardship of human impact on the planet.
Purpose -The 3-d Quadrat Program is designed to enhance student analysis of the ecosystem and provide a more realistic and inclusive design for understanding the complete Earth system. By using 3-d quadrats, students are better able to understand the multifacted interactions of the Earth system. 3-d Quadrats include cross sections of the atmospheric, the ground surface, the subsurface, and chemical, biological, and physical cycling.
Have fun and good luck!