The Watch. News You Can Use From NOAA Planet Stewards - 12 July 2022

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July 12, 2022

News you can use from NOAA Planet Stewards 


"Teachers who love teaching, teach children to love learning."

– Unknown

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Catch Up on Your Summer Reading with NOAA Planet Stewards Selections

The Planet Stewards Book Club is taking the summer off, but we’ll be back to share new ideas and books with you every month starting in the fall. While you’re waiting, have a look at the over 50 fiction, non-fiction, and young adult selections from past book club events on our bookclub archives webpage  – all with discussion questions! Whether you’re looking to catch up on some knowledge, enjoy a quick fun read, or find a book to use with your students, there’s something for everyone. 

books

September 30 - October 2: Preparing for Climate Change Impacts with Stewardship

NOAA 3some

NOAA Planet Stewards, Elkhorn Slough and South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRS) are hosting a simultaneous three-day workshop for educators who work with middle or high school level students.

To register at the physical location you will be attending the workshop and receive more detailed information, visit these links:

Reserve your place today! Spaces are limited!


October 7-9: Climate Justice - Exploring the Science of Climate Change in Your Classroom

Climate Justice workshop

NOAA Planet Stewards and the Detroit Zoological Society are hosting a three-day workshop for educators, Climate Justice: Exploring the Science of Climate Change in Your Classroom. The goals of this workshop are for educators to explore how global climate change is affecting the metro Detroit region, and how they can engage their students in taking action to address this global phenomena. Seats are limited! We strongly urge you to pre-register and reserve your seat at the workshop today!

Pre-register and receive more information.


NOAA Education Needs Your Help!

NOAA Education wants to know about the types of multimedia and distance-learning tools educators want to use with their students and for their own professional development. Help NOAA Education! Take this very short survey (< 3 minutes!) and let NOAA know how it can help you!


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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

 

Explore the Beauty of Marine Sanctuaries Through Forever Stamps

forever stamps

The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the nation’s underwater treasures with the release of the National Marine Sanctuaries stamps. For 50 years, U.S. national marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments have protected areas with special ecological, cultural, and historical significance. The 16 new Forever stamps showcase the abundant wildlife and diverse ecosystems that can be found throughout the National Marine Sanctuary System. Preorders for the Marine Sanctuaries Forever stamps can be made online now at usps.com/stamps


 Mapping Gaps in Our Ocean Knowledge with Seabed 2030

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We know less about the ocean floor than we do about the surface of the moon and Mars. But by the end of the decade we may know the general outline of our undersea contours and crevasses, thanks to an international project called Seabed 2030. The mapping initiative, called Seabed 2030, launched in 2017 to produce the definitive map of the world ocean floor by 2030. In June 2022, NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad signed a memorandum of understanding that formalizes U.S. participation in the project.

noaa webinars
Webinar today

National Marine Sanctuaries: Shivers in the Graveyard of the Atlantic - Sharks!

Tuesday, July 12, 2022 | 1:00 - 2:00 pm ET

Join Dr. Carol Price, Conservation Research Coordinator for the North Carolina Aquariums, as she dives into learning more about sand tiger sharks and how they study these iconic inhabitants that reside off the North Carolina coast. The NC Aquariums’ citizen science research program enlists the help of scuba divers, who photograph sand tiger sharks that they encounter on their adventures and then post their images to the Spot A Shark USA website. NC Aquarium scientists and students use Wildbook® software to map the unique spot patterns visible along the sides of the photographed sharks to identify individual animals. To date, there are over 2,000 individual sharks in its photo library

Register for the webinar.


Sanctuaries webinar

National Marine Sanctuaries: The Trouble with Lionfish

Thursday, July 21, 2022 | 6:00 - 7:00 pm ET

A lot has changed since lionfish were first seen in the Atlantic Ocean nearly 40 years ago. It became an unprecedented, and perhaps unstoppable invasion, but it also rallied people of many stripes to the cause of protecting the places they love from being destroyed. Join Dr. Steve Gittings, Science Coordinator for NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, to find out why the invasion has been so concerning. Lionfish are good to eat and will never be endangered. Register for the webinar.


webinar series

 

NOAA Science Seminar Series

Something for Everyone!

 

Wednesday, July 13, 2022 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm ET

“Mapping Marine Debris with Un-crewed Aircraft Systems (UAS),
Polarimetric Imaging, and Machine Learning”

Add to Google Calendar or register for the meeting.

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Thursday, July 14, 2022 | 11:00 pm - 12:00 pm ET

“Listen In: Acoustic Monitoring of Estuarine Communities Facing Ecosystem Change”

Add to Google Calendar or register for the meeting.

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Thursday, July 14, 2022 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm ET

“Analyzing Conservation and Resources Enforcement disposition data from convicted cases”

Add to Google Calendar or join the meeting

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Tuesday, July 19, 2022 | 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm ET

“What's Happening with NOAA Citizen Science?
An Analysis of Our Project Portfolio by a VSFS Intern”

Add to Google Calendar or register for the meeting.

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Wednesday, July 20, 2022 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm ET

“Global marine biodiversity monitoring through partnership and innovation”

Add to Google Calendar or register for the meeting.

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Wednesday, July 20, 2022 | 3:00 pm - 4 pm ET

“Eurasian Snow Cover Variability Links with Stratosphere-Troposphere Coupling
and its impacts on Alaskan Weather”

Add to Google Calendar or register for the meeting.

Educator opportunities
ggrowth

WEBINAR

How Are We, and How Should We Be, Adapting to Climate Change?

July 18, 2022 | 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM EDT

The Hauser Policy Impact Fund is pleased to announce the third webinar in the spring 2022 series on the role of the social and behavioral sciences in understanding and addressing climate change. This third webinar, focused on climate adaptation and resilience, will consider some of the previous work BECS has engaged in concerning natural and human systems, including the Global Change Research Needs and Opportunities report. Panelists will explore the importance of adaptation and consider questions such as, how should the United States be thinking about and planning for adaptation? What actions are decision makers currently taking to adapt, and what further actions are needed to respond effectively to climate change impacts? Panelists include:

  •  Kathy Jacobs, University of Arizona
  •  Lisa Dilling, University of Colorado Boulder
  •  Michael Vandenbergh, Vanderbilt University Law School
  • Daniel Kammen, University of California, Berkeley
  • Adelle Thomas, Climate Analytics

REGISTER


Summer Institute for Climate Change Education

Dates: July 18-22, 2022; Online!

Who: Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy, NOAA’s Climate Office, CLEAN, and educators across the nation!

Scholarships and Graduate Credits Available

Climate Generation

CLEAN is leading a cohort of educators to the Summer Institute for Climate Change Education, hosted by Climate Generation in partnership with NOAA Climate Office.  This three-day experience is full of powerful and engaging keynote speakers, meaningful discussion about climate change, and collaborative conversations between a national network of climate change education leaders. Leave feeling reinvigorated for the new school year and prepared to educate your students to be global citizens.


Global Teaching Dialogue

When: July 19–20, 2022

GTE

The U.S. Department of State invites K–12 teachers and global education leaders to this free virtual event. Alumni of the State Department’s Teacher Exchange Programs and other global education leaders will conduct workshops on incorporating global perspectives into lesson plans and on adapting educational strategies and useful pedagogical practices from other countries across the K–12 curriculum. Fulbright Teachers will lead sessions focused on global issues such as climate change, human rights, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Attendees will also hear from State Department officials about opportunities for students and educators of diverse backgrounds to participate in exchanges abroad, and have the opportunity to connect with educators worldwide.


Earth Science Data Use and Understanding in Grades 7 to 14: ESIP Teacher Summer Workshop

When: In Person workshop: July 19 - 22, 22 I 8:00 am - 5:00 pm ET

Where: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Online workshop: July 20 and 21, 2022 | 1:30 - 5:00 pm ET (both days)

ESIP

The Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) Education Committee will hold an in-person workshop with local educators, combined with an online workshop via Zoom. ESIP members will share a resource and lead teachers through an activity using Earth science data. Tools and resources include the NOAA Climate Explorer, UNAVCO Velocity Viewer, NOAA CIMSS satellite data activities, NASA SEDAC Hazards Mapper and HazPop App, En-ROADS Climate Decision Model, and the Concord Consortium Flood Risk and Impact module. Participants will also be directed to the Out 2 Lunch archive of Earth science webinar demos of data tools and resources.

In-person attendees will receive $200 to defray fuel and hotel costs; some meals will be provided. They’ll also be eligible to apply and compete for a FUNding Friday project of up to $3,000. Both in-person and online participants may apply for implementation grants the following school year. Register for free.


From the National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine: A Climate Conversations Webinar: Urban Transportation

July 21 | 3:00PM - 4:00PM EDT

bikeriders

Join a discussion on how cities can navigate today’s challenges and opportunities around reducing emissions and improving residents’ mobility.  As U.S. cities work to reduce emissions and support the mobility of all their residents, they are also navigating new transportation patterns and an influx of federal infrastructure funding. Join us for a conversation about how planners and policymakers can support a transition to more equitable, lower-emissions urban transportation systems amidst this dynamic context. Speakers will be announced soon.

Learn more on the event webpage and visit the Climate Conversations: Pathways to Action page.


rainbow

Webinar: Pride in the Outdoors

Wednesday, July 22, 2022 | 2:00 pm ET

Celebrate Pride with Rethink Outside™ as they honor and spotlight organizations working to remove barriers to outdoor access for those in LGBTQIA2S+ communities. Although LGBTQIA2S+ people have always been in the outdoors, they have historically been made to feel unsafe, marginalized, and oppressed in these spaces. These organizations - The Venture Out Project, Mariposas Rebeldes, Ten Oaks Project, Queer Out Here - straddle the focus areas of ecology, outdoor recreation and adventure, food autonomy, place-based skills, and educational opportunities that empower communities to reconnect with the natural world. Featured Speakers include:

  • SJ Lupert, The Venture Out Project
  • Israel Tordoya Henckell, Mariposas Rebeldes
  • Lux, Ten Oaks Project
  • Ailish Breen, Queer Out Here

This is an open webinar - all are welcome and registration is required. The webinar will be recorded.


Changing Arctic Ecosystem Workshop

When: July 27 and 28, 2022 | 11:00 am - 3:00 pm ET (both days)

bear

This free interactive online workshop allows teachers to engage with the MOSAiC Expedition–inspired A Changing Arctic Ecosystem storyline curriculum connected to NGSS life science standards. Participants will hear from MOSAiC scientists and the curriculum developers about the unit, in which students trace the flow of carbon through the Arctic food web to predict how declining sea ice might impact Arctic organisms. Teachers will engage with ArcGIS Storymaps, hands-on investigations, authentic Arctic datasets, and more. 

Participants are expected to complete about 2 hours of asynchronous work. Teachers will receive a certificate for 10 professional development hours and the option to purchase 1 credit ($80) from the University of Colorado Boulder.


Smithsonian K-12 STEM Education Action Planning Institute

July 25-27, 2022, Free Online

Smithsonian workshop

The Smithsonian Science Education Center will convene educators, subject matter experts, school administrators, and education organizations to explore actionable approaches, backed by research and best practices in science, engineering, and education. Through this institute, participants will engage with the Smith-sonian’s action planning process, and build out an action plan to take action in their own school or community on one or more of these topics: innovation, inclusion, and sustainability.

Reserve your spot now! Register free at: https://ssec.si.edu/2022_API


STEM Around the World; A Lesson Plan Competition

Application Deadline: Sunday, July 31, 2022

competition

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) wants to see how you incorporate different cultures from around the world into your lesson plans. Teachers of any grade level or subject can submit an original STEM lesson plan that includes diverse cultures. Three teachers who submit lesson plans will be selected to receive mini-grants of up to $1,500 to help buy equipment for their classroom. Check out the details here!


Climate Initiative Retreat

Located on The Ecology School’s sustainable River Bend Farm campus on the Saco River in Saco, Maine, the National Climate Educators Retreat is a professional development opportunity. It is designed to support high school classroom teachers in incorporating climate education in their curriculum.

The second annual retreat will take place August 2-5, 2022. There is a $75 fee. Register now to secure your spot!

Student opportunities
youth challenge

Youth Innovation Challenge 2022

Applications Due: September 1, 2022

Please share the Youth Innovation Challenge (YIC) for people aged 15–30, from anywhere in the world, who have fresh ideas for tackling the issue of marine debris. The Global Environmental Education Partnership (GEEP) and Taiwan Ocean Conservation Administration are seeking innovative, feasible solutions that are informed by research and are awarding prizes of $1,000 USD to three winners. Learn more. Contact GEEP@naaee.org with any questions.


Generation Carbon

Generation Carbon is a kid-friendly, interactive resource all about climate change for children ages 8-12 (reading level) and 6-12 (comprehension). Written by a team of over 100 volunteers from around the world, this resource helps answer the tough questions kids have about climate change. It also includes activities and calls to action to engage children in learning these concepts.

GenCarbon

Ocean Career Video Series for students  'Sea Your Future'

These five-minute videos highlight Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in career pathways in marine research and ocean conservation. The main goal of the series is to represent marine scientists of color as role models for students to inspire a world of possibilities for their future careers. The videos tell the story of how these individuals got involved in the field, what they do, what barriers they encountered, and what they enjoy most about their work.

marine biologists

American Geosciences Institute's Earth Science Week, October 2022; Contests Listed Below & Opened Now

EarthSciWk

1. "Striving for Sustainability Globally" Video Contest for all ages. 

Learn more about the Striving for Sustainability Globally video contest. The American Geosciences Institute invites individuals and teams to submit a brief, original video exploring the many ways people are using the Earth sciences to make decisions that maintain and strengthen the planet’s ability to support thriving life!

2. "Sustainability in Action" Photography Contest for all ages.

Sustainable practices promote the planet’s capacity to support life throughout the biosphere, which involves interactions with other Earth systems such as the geosphere, the hydrosphere, and the atmosphere. How does geoscience knowledge help support sustainability where you live? With your camera, capture an image of the ways geoscience informs local efforts to build a sustainable world. Learn more about the contest.

3. "Our Sustainable World" Visual Arts Contest for Grades K-5 

A “sustainable” planet is one that supports living things — and that means taking care of all the things that life depends on, including land, water, air, and other living things. What does a sustainable world look like to you? What is necessary to have or change? What is not necessary? What is necessary to change? Use your artistic ability to produce an original work of art that shows how land, water, air, and living things interact in a sustainable world. Learn more about the contest.

4."Geoscience for Sustainable Development Goals" Essay Contest for Grades 6-9. 

We have all been called upon to help meet 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) articulated by nations around the world. Geoscience — which addresses interactions of the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere — can play a critical role. How can the Earth sciences help achieve SDGs in areas such as poverty, nutrition, education, equality, ecosystems, climate change, and/or industrial innovation? Learn more about the contest.

Ed Resources

 

Sea to Sky Database of Educational Resources Now Live!

NOAA Logo 2022

Sea to Sky is now LIVE!  This is a database containing a multitude of educational resources from NOAA and its partners. Use it this summer to find resources and plan STEM activities for your teaching curricula. Search by audience, subject, research type, NGSS teaching standards, and more. This is a GREAT resource that's sure to come in handy in the days and years to come!


Teaching Climate: National Integrated Drought Information System: Data, Maps, and Tools

drought

This is an extensive collection of maps, data, and tools that students can use to research drought and its impacts on agriculture, wildfires, water supply, vegetation, soil moisture, temperature, and precipitation. Find it here.


A New Daily Do From NSTA: Why is the Sea Level Rising?

lighthouse

Check out this new lesson from NSTA focusing on understanding Sea Level Rise through Sensemaking, the process of students actively trying to figure out how the world works or how to design solutions to problems. This lesson is based on information from a new video Our Beautiful Planet: Saving Our Shores, as well as data resources from NOAA, NASA, and USGS.

Explore sea level rise using the tools, visualizations and educational materials on NOAA’s new Sea Level Rise Portal


climate  change

Introduce a study of climate change in middle and high school science classrooms with short online courses from the Center for Behavior and Climate. The courses, which support the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), combine engaging videos on climate science and solutions with interactive online modules and a lesson plan for teachers. The courses explore climate science topics from energy to oceans to the Arctic to food and are designed to be completed in one 35- to 45-minute period.  


carbon

Help high school students understand the relationship between soil and the Earth’s atmosphere with the Soil-Air Connection, a multifaceted lesson plan exploring the role of soil in the carbon cycle. Students investigate the connections among soil, the carbon cycle, and climate change. The lesson plan begins with the presentation of a video, The Soil Story, which discusses how the amount of carbon on our planet does not change, but it can be stored in different locations, including the atmosphere, oceans, biosphere, soil, and fossils. The video presents moving more carbon back into the soil as a possible solution to help solve the problem of climate change. Find the lesson and more here.

Subsequent lesson activities include links to the videos, articles, and links to worksheets and organizers. Topics of focus include:

  • analyzing a carbon cycle diagram from the U.S. Department of Energy;
  • examining data on the amount of carbon measured in the atmosphere from NASA’s Global Climate Change website
  • reading articles about land management practices to increase the amount of organic carbon in the soil

Check out the resources here!


National Park Service Wildfire Lessons

fire

Fire ecology provides fascinating examples of how ecosystems can bounce back from disturbances. As the U.S. sees more intense wildfires many are wondering, are these natural? Or are these fires the result of a greater problem? Learn more about wildfire with these lesson plans.


An Informal STEM Outcomes Framework to Drive Creative and Culturally Inclusive Planning, Design, and Evaluation

Circle Graphs

Measuring outcomes and impacts of informal STEM learning activities and environments at the individual, institutional, and community levels has long been a challenge and one always in need of new thinking and innovation. A recent conference informed a new framework that provides potential paths forward, with room for further input and some limitations still to be addressed.


Let's Celebrate Summer!

Summer Fun

PBS LearningMedia has gathered together many fun, curiosity-sparking resources for you to plan a summer filled with exploring the outdoors, storytelling adventures, and so much more.

To get you started, here is the Play-Your-Way Calendar and a Biodiversity Bingo, a scavenger hunt game.


Generate: The Game of Energy Choices

generate

This page contains all of the printable materials for the Generate Game including the game board, game pieces and instruction manual. Generate is an interactive game that allows students to explore energy choices and teaches the considerations and costs in deciding what type of energy generation to build.

 

Grants

 
Youth Learning as Citizen Environmental Scientists Grants 

Deadline: Friday, July 15, 2022

loggo2

2022's Youth Learning As Citizen Environmental Scientists (YLACES) grants work to provide environmental research opportunities for all students. However, barriers such as lack of school resources, unsafe neighborhoods in which to conduct research and physical limitations of students create obstacles to achieving this goal.  Further, the negative environmental consequences of laws, regulations and policies, such as pollution, often disproportionately impact vulnerable populations such as minority, economically disadvantaged and immigrant communities. Therefore, the 2022 YLACES grant guidelines are designed to:

  • Provide equitable access to environmental research opportunities for all and
  • Support citizen science activities that will improve understanding of or help to address the environmental and human health challenges faced by the local community

Grantees must commit to coaching students in doing research projects and sharing their observations and reports. Grants of up to $1,250 are available, although larger grants may be considered following consultation with Dr. Dixon Butler.


2022–2023 Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Short-Term Program

Application Deadline: Monday, July 18, 2022

Fullbright

Through this program, expert K–12 educators from the United States travel to participating countries and territories to carry out short-term assignments abroad. Educators support and work in schools, teacher training colleges, government ministries, or educational non-governmental organizations as identified by U.S. Embassies and Fulbright Commissions. Fields for these assignments include STEM, project-based learning, family and consumer science, assessment, curriculum development, elementary education, education for those with visual impairments, and academic remediation. STEM projects will take place in Peru, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Project dates run from January to August 2023. Learn more and apply.


NOAA Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program

2023 Federal Funding Opportunity is now OPEN; Deadline: Sept. 2o, 2022

BWET

The NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is seeking proposals under the Great Lakes B-WET program. Great Lakes B-WET is a competitive grant program that supports existing, high quality environmental education programs, fosters the growth of new, innovative programs, and encourages capacity building and partnership development for environmental and place-based education programs throughout the entire Great Lakes watershed (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin). Successful projects provide Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for students and related professional development for teachers, while advancing regional Great Lakes watershed education priorities. The Great Lakes B-WET program is funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Applicant resources can be found at: https://www.noaa.gov/office-education/bwet/apply#GL 
Contact the Great Lakes B-WET program coordinator for questions: sarah.a.waters@noaa.gov,    (989) 312-3520.


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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:

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