September 24, 2024
Keep Up with NOAA Planet Stewards:
Access our archive collections: past webinars, book club selections, and the newsletter!
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NOAA Planet Stewards congratulates all the educators across the U.S. who worked with their colleagues, schools, organizations, and community partners, to develop and submit creative stewardship project proposals to us for funding.
This year NOAA Planet Stewards selected 17 projects in eleven states and Puerto Rico to fund during the 2024-2025 academic year so that recipients could make a difference and address an environmental issue impacting their community in the areas of Habitat Conservation/Restoration, Marine Debris Removal/Mitigation, Carbon Footprint Reduction, and Carbon Sequestration.
Read about the projects selected for funding, and be inspired to make a difference in your own community.
NOAA Planet Stewards October Book Club
October 15, 2024 I 7:00 p.m. ET
We’re sorry if you missed last week's Book Club meeting. We had a terrific conversation about the film The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. But no worries, we’ve got another great event scheduled for next month!
At our October’s meeting we’ll discuss Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams’ The Book of Hope. All the meeting selections, dates, times, and log in information for all our events are posted on our upcoming Planet Stewards events page. All are Welcome!
Time: 7 PM Eastern Time
Video Conference Log In: meet.google.com/mxo-fkqc-owb
Phone Dial In #: (US) +1 484-641-8305
Pin: 732 637 522#
In this book, Jane Goodall and Doug Abrams explore one of the most sought-after and least understood elements of human nature: hope. In The Book of Hope, Jane focuses on her "Four Reasons for Hope": The Amazing Human Intellect, The Resilience of Nature, The Power of Young People, and The Indomitable Human Spirit.
The Book of Hope touches on vital questions including: How do we stay hopeful when everything seems hopeless? How do we cultivate hope in our children? Filled with engaging dialogue and pictures from Jane's storied career, The Book of Hope is a deeply personal conversation with one of the most beloved figures in today's world.
There is still hope, and this book will help guide us to it.
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Stewardship Inspiration:
Microplastics in the Environment. The Big Impacts of Tiny Pollution
 The Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN), and Moody Gardens worked with students throughout Galveston, Texas to remove, raise awareness of, and mitigate the addition of marine debris to local beaches and coastal waters. 1,531 elementary through university level students, along with educators, family members, and volunteers, spent more that 5500 hours learning all about marine debris, engaged in beach cleanups, built mobile and static density separators to remove microplastics, and engaged in campaigns to reduce single use plastics within their schools and community. Together they removed over 850 pounds of trash, 11,300 cigarette butts, and 2635 nurdles (pieces of microplastic).
Watch this short microplastics video from TIRN to learn more about microplastics, see how their density separators work, and get inspired to make a difference in your community to remove and reduce plastics that may become marine debris.
Do you have an item you'd like to share
in future issues of The Watch?
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New Resource: All About Coastal Pollution
 In the Coastal Pollution Tutorial you can explore three major types of coastal pollution: oil spills, marine debris, and harmful algal blooms. These pages present the sources, impacts, and solutions that environmental scientists, responders, and others are using to address each type of pollution.
Developed by NOAA Ocean Service Education and Office of Response and Restoration, the tutorial is intended for middle through high school-aged students, and everyone concerned with our oceans and waterways.
Postcard from the Field: One HAIL of a camera!
 Read all about hail from NOAA's National Severe Storm Laboratory's (NSSL)
October 2, 2024 I 6 p.m. ET
Great Hammerhead Shark Recreational Fishery Interactions and Migratory Patterns in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
October 4, 2024 I 12-1 p.m. ET
NEDTalk - Planetary Climates: Exploring climate in other planets and our Earth
My NASA Data Webinar Series
Audience: STEM educators of grades 3-12
Next Webinar Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2024 | 7 p.m. ET
Contact: barbie.buckner@nasa.gov
Join My NASA Data for a series of professional development webinars spotlighting tools and resources to enhance Earth science learning. Dive into the features and educational materials available through the My NASA Data website and learn how to seamlessly integrate them into your classroom.
This month, take “A Deep Dive Into Data Visualization” and discover the recently updated Earth System Data Explorer, a powerful tool for visualizing and analyzing NASA’s extensive Earth science data.
Register for this webinar and explore future webinar topics.
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Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) wants teachers to submit their favorite self-made cross-curricular lesson plans that creatively blend STEM components with other subjects to enrich student learning. Teachers of any grade level or subject are invited to submit a lesson plan that includes cross-curricular activities. Three teachers who submit lesson plans will each be selected to receive Prusa MK3 3D Printers with filament for their classroom to help students engage with the latest technology. Two runners-up will each receive Prusa Mini 3D Printers with filament.
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2024 Chesapeake Oyster Science Symposium
Thursday, October 3, 2024 | 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. ET
The event will be an exploration of emerging science, cutting-edge innovation, and collaboration in the fields of oyster restoration, aquaculture, and research.
The Symposium will be broadcast live over Zoom. Chesapeake Oyster Science Symposium Registration is free for all virtual attendees.
Participants will hear from oyster experts, academic faculty, and industry practitioners across multiple panel discussions with presentations and Q&A around each topic. The Symposium will also host a round of “lightning talks” by young scientists and early career professionals
While the Symposium will focus on emerging science and innovative approaches to advance the oyster population of Chesapeake Bay, we welcome attendees from all locations (e.g., the East, Gulf, and West Coasts, and international audiences).
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Virtual and In-person STEM Engagement Sessions: NQuest
Registration Deadline: October 11, 2024
NQuest (NASA Quest) offers no-cost STEM engagements to Title I middle schools. Through hands-on workshops, immersive planetarium shows, and interactive exhibits, NQuest sparks a lifelong interest in STEM for middle school students.
NQuest is available in-person at the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, California, as well as virtually nationwide. N-Quest Registration is available now.
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Exploring the Deep Ocean with NOAA: Educator Workshops
Bring the excitement of deep-sea exploration LIVE to your classroom, science center, museum, aquarium, or community event. Live ship-to-shore interactions can be scheduled until December 11, 2024. Live ship-to-shore interactions with E/V Nautilus allow students to engage in a unique two-way, live dialogue with the educators, scientists, and engineers of the Corps of Exploration. Live interactions are available free to classroom and community events audiences. All live interactions are pre-scheduled to match your teaching schedule.
Join the NEEF National Public Lands Day BioBlitz on iNaturalist
 The BioBlitz will take place from September 14 - October 12.
Calling all nature enthusiasts and learners of all ages! Help NEEF celebrate National Public Lands Day (NPLD), America's largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands, by observing and identifying species using iNaturalist. Share what you see, help track the species you protect and the invasive plants you remove, and join the collective impact! Educators, this is a great opportunity to invite youth to participate while enjoying the outdoors and learning about local biodiversity.
App Development Challenge
Registration Deadline: Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Audience: Middle and high school students and educators
NASA’s App Development Challenge (ADC) introduces middle and high school student teams to topics, techniques, and technologies critical to the success of the agency’s Artemis program. In this year’s coding challenge, student teams will develop an app visualizing the Artemis II mission and displaying essential information for communication and navigation. During the challenge, teams will participate in live virtual connections with NASA subject matter experts to learn more about coding, app development, space communications, and navigation.
Visit the ADC website for more information and register for the App Development Challenge.
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Ask An Explorer: A Webinar for Students
October 2, 2024 | 5-6 p.m. ET
Audience: Grades 4-8
 During the event, students will hear from experts at NOAA Ocean Exploration, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Ocean Exploration Trust as they share their stories about the greatest challenges they have faced while exploring the ocean and the technologies or strategies they are using to overcome them. Students have the opportunity to “ask an explorer” their own questions when they register or live during the event. The webinar will finish with additional resources for students to learn more and an opportunity for students to share their innovative solutions and receive feedback from scientists and engineers.
This event is intended for students between 4th and 8th grade, but everyone is welcome. Register for the "Ask An Explorer" webinar
Earth Science Week Contests
Submission Deadline: October 18, 2024
Each year, the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) offers four Earth Science Week (ESW) contests. Visit each contest’s webpage for more information on eligibility and themes:
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NASA Moon to Mars Architecture Art Challenge
Entry Deadline: October 31, 2024
Audience: Artists of all ages worldwide
Contact: sarah.douglas@nasa.gov
NASA is looking for creative, artistic images to represent its Moon to Mars Architecture, the agency's roadmap for crewed exploration of deep space. Submissions are open to creatives of all ages and abilities from around the world. NASA may use submitted artwork to promote its architecture development effort and will give credit to all selected artists. Entries from artists over the age of 18 will be eligible for a portion of a $10,000 prize pool. Full details and submission information for the NASA Moon to Mars Architecture Art Challenge is available for your review.
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Encourage High School Student Researchers to Compete in JSHS
Audience: Grades 9-12
Did your high school students work on STEM research projects over the past year? If so, encourage them to apply to Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS), a free STEM research competition administered by the National Science Teaching Association. Whether your students are research pros or just trying it out, they can get the support they need from JSHS’s virtual mentors.
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The Marine Debris Program is pleased to share a new resource for supporting our participatory science effort, the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP): “Making a Marine Debris ‘MAP’: A Guide to NOAA’s MDMAP for Educators”! The NOAA Marine Debris Program created the MDMAP Guide for Educators as a resource for implementing MDMAP surveys with youth. The Guide provides instructions and tips for participating in MDMAP and planning, conducting, and following up on surveys with student groups.
MDMAP surveys are a great way to get students outside and onto the shoreline! Head to a local shoreline, search for debris in randomized sections, and record data to contribute to a global database. While it is not required as a part of the protocol, you can easily incorporate a full beach cleanup into your day. Check out the MDMAP Guide for Educators to get started!
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Teachers & students, explore NOAA's updated coral bleaching module. New data visualization tools and an updated design make this resource more engaging than ever. With access to a range of historic and current data, you’ll discover what’s happening to coral reefs and how they’re impacted by climate change. Perfect for sparking curiosity and building science skills!
NEEF: Get Dirty! Learning Expedition Toolkit
This guide is designed to assist in planning an instructive and memorable student outing that incorporates best practices for outdoor environmental education. The NEEF Get Dirty! Learning Expedition Toolkit includes a checklist and tips for the phases of coordinating an expedition from planning, conducting field work, and presenting and reporting on the trip.
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Crossword on Endangered Animals
NOAA/NASA GEO Virtual Visits
Virtual Visits are available through May 31, 2025
Want to enhance your Earth and space science lessons with STEM experts? Connect your students with the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES-R Series) weather satellite program during a virtual visit. Participants can interact with experts from NOAA and NASA in 30- to 45-minute-long live programs to learn more about the GOES-R Series, the Western Hemisphere’s most sophisticated weather-observing and environmental monitoring system, and its benefits to daily life. U.S.-based schools, museums, science centers, and other educational organizations may apply for virtual visits.
For more information and to apply for a GEO Virtual Visit, go to the GOES-R Education Resources page and scroll to the bottom of the page to the GEO Virtual Visits box.
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Based on a report developed by an international panel of experts convened by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, this biodiversity lesson plan encourages students to explore biodiversity, including what it is, how human activities are putting it at risk, and what we can do to protect it. Students discover the wide array of organisms that populate our planet, research one of the almost one million species currently at risk, explore the diversity of life in their own backyard, and learn what they can do to lessen human impact on biodiversity. The lesson integrates STEM, English Language Arts, and Social and Emotional Learning.
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The “Invasive Shrimp: No Small Matter” lesson introduces students to human impacts on ecosystems by discussing introduced versus invasive species, movement of aquatic species through global shipping channels, and methods scientists use to track species across the globe. Students will work in groups to track the movement of invasive Oriental grass shrimp (Palaemon macrodactylus) over time using the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) database. Students will then use collection data to graph records by year and answer a series of questions. |
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with PBS Kids!
In the United States, Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated each year from September 15 to October 15. Introduce your students to how Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated across the country, the origin of the holiday, and meet a few notable Hispanic American figures using this quick video on Hispanic Heritage Holidays.
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Join Alma and her friends as they use their imaginations to make up a fun game: searching the park for the tiny frogs, or coquís, that Papi used to find in Puerto Rico! Show your early learners that all it takes to dream up their own fun is their minds and a little creativity. Watch the PBS Alma's Way video now!
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Bring the celebration to your classroom with NASA STEM resources. Find Spanish-language lesson plans and activities in the NASA STEM Search and explore the resources and websites below.
Spanish-language NASA Podcast (Universo curioso de la NASA)
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 Ocean Odyssey Grants
Application Deadline: September 30, 2024
The Ocean Odyssey Grants: Ocean Exploration Awards for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Accessibility are investments in projects and partners that are leading efforts to increase inclusion in and/or access to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and workforce development opportunities for diverse youth in middle school, high school, undergraduate, and/or community college to learn about ocean science and/or exploration. You can learn more about the grants on the Ocean Exploration website.
Ocean Odyssey application packages are due by September 30, 2024.
Population Education’s World of 8 Billion Contests
New this year, World of 8 Billion will award teachers with mini-grants of $100–$500 to support educators who need additional resources to teach the contest in their classroom. Applications are due by November 15, 2024.
Population Education’s World of 8 Billion student video contest has opened for the 2024–2025 school year. The contest challenges students to create a short video connecting world population growth to one of three global topics—Child Wellbeing, Rainforest Ecosystems, and Sanitation—and offer a sustainable solution. More than 80 cash prizes of up to $1,200 will be awarded, and participating teachers will receive free curriculum resources matched to the NGSS. The deadline for video submissions is March 5, 2025.
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Job Opening: Education and Outreach Specialist
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This position is located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), Eastern Region with one vacancy in La Plata, Maryland for NOAA's Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary.
This job announcement will close on September 27, 2024.
Posting open to status candidates
Posting open to all U.S. Citizens or Nationals
Salary: $82,764 - $128,956 per year depending on experience level
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Job Opening: Rural Climate Reporter
Position Title: Rural Climate Reporter
Location: Flexible within the listening area of Rocky Mountain Community Radio
Employment Type: Full-Time
Application Deadline: Open until filled; first consideration given to applications received by September 30, 2024
Salary: $60,000
Benefits: Employer provided medical/dental/vision coverage; PTO
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Fellowship Opportunity:
The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) is offering fellowship opportunities for independent research starting after June 1, 2025.
Application deadline: October 15, 2024
Graduate, predoctoral, postdoctoral, and senior fellowships are available in a wide range of topics centered around some of the critical issues challenging our world today, such as habitat alteration, biodiversity loss, and climate change.
Research topics include: biodiversity and conservation, biological invasions, ecosystems ecology, environmental pollution, global change, parasite and disease ecology, watersheds, and land use. Projects that broaden and diversity the research conducted at SERC are encouraged. Applicants are suggested to contact research staff to help identify potential advisors and determine the feasibility of the proposed research.
Learn more about the research conducted at SERC and visit our tips for applying to fellowships resources.
Please visit the Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program page for more details about qualifications, stipends, and application instructions.
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Education/Equity Bytes
Climate
Ocean, Coastal Weather, Sea Ice, Ocean Life, Water
Weather Extremes and Other Science News of Note
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