The Watch. News You Can Use From NOAA Planet Stewards - 8 March 2022

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News you can use from NOAA Planet Stewards 

 

"You never change things by fighting the existing reality.

To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete."

— R. Buckminster Fuller, author, inventor, and architect

Keep Up with NOAA Planet Stewards:

Access our archive collections: past webinars, book club selections, and the newsletter!

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NOAA needs your help! Take the new NOAA Education Multimedia Needs Assessment!

assessment

NOAA Education has created a new needs assessment for educators working with elementary through university-level students. Its goal is to provide NOAA information about the types of STEM multimedia and distance-learning tools educators want to use with their students and for their own professional development.

Help NOAA Education by taking this survey and distributing it to your colleagues and networks in education. Take this very short survey and let NOAA know how it can help you!


Join the Planet Stewards April Book Club!

octopus

Last night NOAA Planet Stewards got together to discuss Girl Warriors: How 25 Young Activists Are Saving the World with Rachel Sarah, the books author. It was a blast!

Didn't get a chance to make it to the meeting? That's OK.

You can join us on Monday, April 11 at 8:00 PM ET when we'll get together to talk about Sy Monntgomery's book:

The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness

We hope you'll join us; You'll be glad you did!

Discussion questions will be posted prior to the meeting on our Website. To join the discussion Dial 866-662-7513 (toll free) then use the pass code 1170791#. Learn more here and see our entire lineup for the rest of the 2021-2022 academic year.


A NOAA PLANET STEWARDS PROJECT INSPIRATION 

Webinar: Innovative Lives: Kavita Shukla

Wednesday, March 9, 2022 | 4:00 - 5:30 pm ET

INNOVATIVE WEBINAR

In 2022, the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center’s Innovative Lives series will focus on the Washington D.C. region as a place of invention. Kavita Shukla is the founder and CEO of The Freshglow Co. and the inventor of FreshPaper, a simple innovation taking on the massive global challenge of food waste. She holds four patents and is the youngest woman to receive the biennial INDEX Design to Improve Life Award–the world’s largest prize for design. Her story of simple beginnings, belief, and empowerment was the subject of a short film by Hollywood director Bryce Dallas Howard. In honor of Women’s History Month, Lemelson Center Associate Director Monica Smith will interview Shukla about her inspirations and innovations. Register here.


PLANET STEWARDS WEBINAR HIGHLIGHT

Climate Change Education: What Works?

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 A systematic literature review identified 49 research papers that reported effective strategies for teaching about climate change. Climate change is challenging because of the controversial and value-laden issues and misperceptions that swirl around it. Community projects and deliberative discussions help students deeply understand the issues and build skills for working toward solutions. This presentation explains the focus on key themes that might help educators emphasize valuable and effective strategies in their climate change programs. Find resources that work here.


Share and Share Alike!

The Watch

If you're looking for educational resources or ideas to plug into your academic planning, check out archived issues of The Watch! Our team has reviewed all content for use by formal and informal educators working to increase their own ocean, climate, and environmental awareness as well as their students and audiences.

If you have an item you'd like to share with our education community, email us at: oceanserviceseducation@noaa.gov. Be sure to include:

  • Event/Item announcement title
  • Date and time if applicable
  • One paragraph description
  • Clear thumbnail image
  • Link for more information
noaa in focus

National Weather Service Spring Seasonal Safety Campaign

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Get ready for spring weather hazards by visiting NOAA's Spring Safety website! Access it here! In addition, please note the Spanish-language safety materials, containing infographics and social media plans.

 


A New Podcast from The Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve: A Living Laboratory

CT Podcast

The Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve is the newest site to join the reserve system. These reserves are protected for long-term research, water quality monitoring, education, and coastal stewardship. In this podcast, two NOAA experts explain why this site was chosen and what this valuable ecosystem can teach us. Listen to the podcast.

noaa webinars
webinar series

 

NOAA Science Seminar Series

Read all about these and other upcoming webinars here!

Something for Everyone!

Wednesday, March 9, 2022 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm ET

“NOAA Science Report Seminar Series: Reducing Societal Impacts from Hazardous Weather and Other Environmental Phenomena” Add to Google Calendar or join the meeting.

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Wednesday, March 9, 2022 | 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm ET

“Fisheries, Protected Species, and Ecosystem Science in a New Era of Offshore Wind Energy Development in the US” Add to Google Calendar or join the meeting.

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Thursday, March 10,  2022 | 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm ET

“Geodetic Astronomy at NGS: Past and Present” Add to Google Calendar or register here.

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Tuesday, March 15,  2022 | 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET

“Effects of Marine Debris on Ocean Surface Ecosystems” Add to Google Calendar or register here.

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Wednesday, March 16,  2022 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm ET

“Invasive Species Management in the Gulf of Mexico” Add to Google Calendar or join the meeting.


Webinar: Sea Level Rise – What it is, Why it's Such a Problem, and What we Can do About it

Thursday, April 7, 2022 | 7:00 - 8:00 pm ET

In this NSTA Science Update webinar, you’ll learn why sea level rise is occurring, how NOAA and partner agencies are collecting the most up to date data to understand how sea level rise impacts us all now and into the future, and more on products and services being developed to help communities plan and prepare for the next season, next year, and for decades to come. Register here.

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Educator opportunities
CLEAN

Do you use CLEAN resources in your classroom? Are you interested in attending and presenting at local science conferences?

Become a CLEAN (Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network) teacher ambassador and receive free conference registration, professional development, and a small stipend to present about how you use CLEAN resources in your classroom!  Join a community of educators who are passionate about the climate by signing up today. For more information, please visit the CLEAN Ambassador Program Page.


Webinar: Integrating Social Justice Into Your Practice as a Science Educator   

Wednesday, March 9, 2022 | 6:30 pm ET    

justice

Join Learning for Justice—a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center—and cohosts from the Smithsonian Science Education Center for a webinar that will introduce connections between social justice and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education with a focus on our environment. You’ll learn how to use a transdisciplinary lens to approach complex problems with respect for student and community knowledge. And you’ll gain tools for supporting students and spurring them to turn their learning into sustainable action. Register here.


OpenSciEd has a New Curriculum Unit on Earth's Resources & Human Impact! Watch the Webinar about the Unit!

impact

A new Middle School level unit on Earth's Resources & Human Impact is available for download today! This resource from OpenSciEd begins with students observing news stories and headlines of drought and flood events across the United States. Students figure out that these drought and flood events are related to rising temperatures. Find out more and explore the unit today.

 

Check out the following Webinar highlighting the Unit:

Wednesday, March 9, 2022 | 4:30 pm ET

In a free webinar, unit authors Audrey Mohan and Whitney Smith from Biological Sciences Curriculum Study Science Learning will share the unit storyline and features. During this webinar, participants will experience the anchoring phenomenon routine and get tips for how to set up the unit investigations. Register here.


Webinar: Teaching Climate Consequences with CLEAN; Motivate and Inspire, Don't Despair

Monday, March 14, 2022 | 6:30 pm ET

CLEAN Picturre

The consequences of climate change are all around us, unfortunately. How can we teach these topics without overwhelming our students or causing anxiety? In this webinar, climate communicator Karin Kirk will share strategies for building connections between cause and effect, showcasing solutions, and using local approaches to make science relevant and inspiring. All the teaching tools highlighted in this webinar are appropriate for online teaching. Register here.


Project Learning Tree’s Outdoor Classroom Kit Giveaway for Educators 

Deadline: Monday, March 14, 2022

outdoorEd

Project Learning Tree (PLT) wants to help outstanding educators in the United States and Canada green their communities. They’re giving away an Outdoor Classroom Kit valued at more than $1,000. Nominate an educator or yourself to be entered into the drawing to win the PLT Outdoor Classroom Kit. PLT will highlight many of the nominees on its website, on social media, and in its e-newsletter, The Branch.


Cornell Lab of Ornithology Professional Development Webinars

  • Inspiring Curiosity with Wildlife Cams, March 15, 2022 | 6:00 pm ET
  • Not Another Bar Chart! Teaching Graph Choice, March 22, 2022 | 6:00 pm ET
  • Webinar: Exploring Equity: A Conversation about DEIJ in K-12 Classrooms, April 19, 2022 | 6:00 pm E
cornell

Cornell Lab of Ornithology's K–12 Education offers free webinars each month for all educators that provide background content, highlight new and relevant educational resources, and allow discussion for successful implementation. Each webinar is roughly 60 minutes with questions. Access all archived webinars through K–12 Education Cornell Lab's YouTube channel. You can also receive letters of completion or Continuing Education Units. Register for the webinars here.


CLEAN Webinar: Climate Solutions Workshop Using the En-ROADS Decision Support Model

Monday, March 22, 2022 | 5:00 pm ET

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Are you interested in exploring what strategies can help the world address climate change? Come to this 1.5-hour workshop, where Dr. Tamara Shapiro Ledley will help participants explore the impact of various strategies using the En-ROADS decision support model. She will also explore the co-benefits and equity considerations of the various strategies. This will be an interactive workshop where attendees will test what the impact would be if the entire world adopted the same scenarios. What suite of worldwide actions would help limit the increase of temperature to no more than 2 degrees C by 2100? Register here to find out!


Webinar: New Approaches to Representing Women in Science, A dialogue between Historians of Science 

Tuesday, March 22, 2022 | 5:00 pm ET

women in science

This conversation will examine recent approaches to representing women in the history of science through portraiture and biography. It will explore challenges in upending established historical narratives and defining women’s participation in the history of science, the role of collaboration in producing and consuming these histories, the use of new technologies and media platforms, and efforts to identify and engage specific audiences. Register here.


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Earth to Sky Academy

When: October 17-21, 2022

Where: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Applications Due: March 31, 2022

The Earth to Sky Academy is intended for teams of experienced informal educators and climate communication leaders who have a strong commitment to furthering climate literacy within their respective regions. Applications are now open for the tuition-free course for interpreters, informal educators, and science communicators interested in creating and nurturing regional communities of practice focused on improving climate science communication. Apply here.


Training Opportunity: Climate Impacts & Adaptation

Course Dates: April 4 - 29, 2022

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In Spring 2022, the South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center at the University of Oklahoma is offering a short, free, online course that will dive into the impacts of climate change and adaptation strategies. Registration is open from March 1st through April 4th. Register here.

Student opportunities
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Marine Explorer's Virtual Spring Camp

Dates: March 28 - 31, 2022

Ahoy! NOAA's Greater Farallones & Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary is offering a 2-hour per day spring break camp for 9-13 year olds that are curious about the ocean. The virtual camp engages kids in marine science by diving into ocean-themed games, art, and experiments. They'll view live animals, watch an interactive dissection of a salmon and meet orcas from around the world. A packet with educational materials will be mailed to families ahead of each camp. Campers will need a computer or tablet, a table top surface to work on and a little space to move around. Visit Marine Explorer's Virtual Spring Camp for more information and to register.


3rd Annual Recycle Regatta

Submission Deadline: Thursday, March 31, 2022 at 11:59 pm ET

regatta

The 3rd Annual Recycle Regatta is now on! Students in grades K-12 are invited to compete in this free virtual regatta. First, build a model sailboat out of recycled and repurposed materials. Then, race your boat to victory while learning all about engineering, mathematics, sailing, buoyancy, and stewardship. Classrooms, boating centers, families, and all community organizations are encouraged to take on the challenge.


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North American Marine Environment Protection Association Annual Art Contest

Submission Deadline: Thursday, March 31, 2022

Can you think of ways to depict innovative, new technologies for greener shipping in the maritime industry? Students are asked to submit an original poster depicting such creative ideas. Twelve entries (six from grades K–5 and six from grades 6–12) will be selected as finalists by May 13. The winning artwork will be featured on the North American Marine Environment Protection Association,  the United States Coast Guard (USCG)  and elsewhere. Finalists will receive a certificate and a calendar with the artwork from all 12 winners. Two grand-prize winning artists, chosen from the finalists in each of the grade brackets, will receive a $100 cash prize and a USCG prize package, in addition to the certificate and calendar. Learn more about the contest here.


2022 Ocean Awareness Contest

Deadline: June 13th, 2022

art contest

The 2022 Ocean Awareness Contest is a platform for young people to learn about environmental issues through art-making and creative communication, and become advocates for positive change. Its theme, THE FUNNY THING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, challenges students to learn about climate change and its impact on the ocean, and to explore new ways, like humor, satire, or kitsch, to communicate the urgency of the climate crisis. 

Visit the website for full details, and be sure to check out Bow Seat’s Resource Studio on methods that break the mold on your typical doom and gloom messaging.

Special Awards:

There will also be an Educator Innovation Awards. If an educator brings the Ocean Awareness Contest into your physical or virtual classroom this year, Bow Seat wants to hear from you! Nominate yourself or a colleague for a $750 award. Learn more >

Ed Resources

Ship-to-Shore Interactions

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Live ship to shore interactions are free 20 or 30-minute Q&A connections with professional ocean explorers onboard Ocean Exploration Trust's Exploration Vessel Nautilus that allow students to experience modern expeditions and ask scientists questions in real-time. Interactions are available daily and scheduled to meet your needs, conducted using Google Meet or Zoom,. All you need is a computer with an internet connection, speakers, a projector, and a microphone. The vessel and it's crew are now studying the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and will be in the Hawaiian islands region from March 14 to mid-October 2022.


StoryMap: Students Translate Deep-Ocean Science into Kids’ Books

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Students from the Georgia Institute of Technology created children's books during their deep-ocean exploration class. Check out their creations here.


Subscribe to NASA Express

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Are you looking for the latest NASA resources for educators, students, and families? Keep up with the latest NASA STEM happenings by subscribing to the NASA EXPRESS newsletter.

Each weekly email features opportunities and activities to inspire learning and exploration. Updates on workshops, internships, contests, and student challenges are also included. Subscribe today.


Discover Our Beautiful Planet

Earth

Come on a journey with notable scientists working to solve some of the world’s most pressing climate science issues. National Science Teachers Association, Kikim Media, and The Climate Initiative have released five new short science films and accompanying classroom-ready lesson plans that highlight the science and engineering practices scientists use to explain the phenomenon of climate change. Check out the resources here.


People Powered!

people power

Tribal communities like AlexAnna Salmon’s are critical to the clean energy revolution, building on their deep respect and connection to the environment. Check out the US Department of Energy's new People Powered podcast and listen to AlexAnna’s story.

Conference Reports


National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Annual Meeting in Houston 2022 

March 31 - April 2, 2022 

RavenBaxterNSTA

From engaging presentations  to lively exhibitor workshops and specially-developed Texas sessions, to a vibrant Exhibit Hall featuring the latest science teaching tools, materials, and technologies available, NSTA Houston22 is sure to provide YOU with the very best professional learning experience around! Visit us at the NOAA booth should you attend! Find out more here.


Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability (Working Group 2's Assessment Report 2022) from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

The Working Group II contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assesses the impacts of climate change, looking at ecosystems, biodiversity, and human communities at global and regional levels. It also reviews vulnerabilities and the capacities and limits of the natural world and human societies to adapt to climate change. Find the Report here.

ARR6WW2-2022

Extreme Wildfires Projected to Increase 50% by 2100 

Fire report

According to a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), extreme wildfires are projected to be more frequent and intense, and are expected to increase 50% by the end of the century. Extreme fires are defined as a catastrophic fire occurring roughly once every hundred years. The report also warns of increased risks in the Arctic and other regions previously unaffected by fires. Scientists point out that climate change and land use can drive the fire increase. They urge governments to radically shift their spending from response to prevention of extreme fires. Read more...

Grants


GRANTS

  • The Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation will award up to $1.5 million through a competitive Environmental Education and Stewardship grants program. Eligible organizations include nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations and public and private K-12 schools in communities served by Dominion Energy companies (CT, MD, NC, OH, RI, SC, UT, VA, WV, WY).. Find out more details here.
  • The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) offers a variety of grants and awards to help organizations engage their local community to improve the environment, increase diversity, and expand their work locally.  Last year, NEEF provided nearly $700,000 in grants and awards to educational (both formal and informal) and public land partners across the country. Sign up to receive word about their various grant solicitations here.

JOBS: Click on each job to read more about it!

Job Post Lists

News
coast

Education Bytes

Climate Bytes

Ocean, Coastal Weather, Sea Ice, Ocean Life, Water Bytes

Weather Extremes and/or Other Earth Bytes


Sign up to our email list and receive invitations to future events. 

Have questions, comments, or suggestions? We love to hear from you! You can also share opportunities for your fellow educators, students, educational resources and more! Email us at: oceanserviceseducation@noaa.gov. Be sure to include:

  • Event/announcement title
  • Date and time if applicable
  • One paragraph description
  • Link or email address for more information
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