NOAA/National Geographic Teaching Seminar

Classroom Exploration of the Oceans 2006
A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Exploration Program and National Geographic Oceans for Life
Virtual Teacher Workshop Series
October 9 – 20 and November 6 – 17, 2006
Register for Free at: College of Exploration - Virtual Teacher Workshop - Oceans - 2006

Few of us realize it, but by one definition of what constitutes the United States, more of our Nation is under water than on land! Some 4.4 million square miles of ocean floor lies within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) over which we claim jurisdiction and resources. That’s compared to 3.6 million square miles of land. Our list of America’s extraordinary places would likely include the Great Smokey Mountains, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone’s geysers, the ancient forest of the Pacific Northwest, and Hawaii’s volcanoes. Yet equally magnificent places exist beneath the waves: seamounts, canyons, white towering hydrothermal vents, submarine volcanoes, and hydrocarbon seep areas with the strange life forms they support.


Join us as we explore these special places of America’s little-known ocean realm during the upcoming Classroom Exploration of the Ocean Virtual Teacher Workshop Series. This professional development program is offered free to anyone who has access to the
World-wide Web. Leading and emerging scientists will present their research, explorations and discoveries in these unique ocean areas to you online through engaging keynotes which will be followed by opportunities for you to ask the scientists questions online about their work. The workshop also provides links to educational resources that can extend this exciting research into your classroom and all registered participants will receive a free copy of the newest National Geographic map, From Sea to Shining Sea, Exploring America’s Ocean Realms. Lastly, the workshop acts as an ‘educator network’ in which you can discuss how you might use this information and materials in your classroom and how to promote ocean literacy everywhere. Graduate credit is also available.

The Classroom Exploration of the Oceans Virtual Teacher Workshop series will consist of the following:

Week 1: October 9 – 13: From Sea to Shining Sea: Exploring America’s Ocean Realm. Drs. Elliott Norse, Lance Morgan and Jennifer Palmer from the Marine Conservation Biology Institute will discuss compelling ecological stories and conservation updates on little-known places in America’s seascape, including the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, the Beaufort Sea, the Gulf of Alaska seamounts, Monterey Canyon, George’s Bank and the Gulf of Mexico.

Week 2: October 16 – 20: Exploring the Lost City Hydrothermal Field: A New Submarine Ecosystem. Dr. Kristin Ludwig, Emerging Scientist and Ph.D. Student, University of Washington School of Oceanography will focus on The Lost City Hydrothermal Vent Field discovered in December, 2000, near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Spectacular 18-story tall limestone towers are the hallmark of the field, where the geology, chemistry, and biology are unlike any other known hydrothermal vent system known on Earth.

Week 3: November 6 – 10: Exploring Submarine Volcanoes: Taking the Pulse of the Earth. Dr. Robert W. Embley, Senior Research Scientist, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, NOAA, will present his research on hydrothermal vent systems associated with submarine volcanoes, hosts of some of Earth's most extreme ecosystems.

Week 4: November 13 – 17: Life at the Edge, Real Animals in Extreme Environments. Dr. Charles Fisher, Professor of Biology at Pennsylvania State University, will bring to life his research on very long-lived tube worms that thrive at hydrocarbon seeps in deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

In addition to this program, Dr. Michael Libbee, professor at Central Michigan University, will join us starting November 6th, as a special guest to host an online tutorial on use of maps in the class room.

This project is funded by a grant from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation to the National Geographic Society. This project also benefits from support and partnership between NOAA's Ocean Exploration Program, the National Geographic Education Foundation, The College of Exploration, the University of Southern California Sea Grant and California State University at Fullerton.

 

wow, how cool! i'd be into week 1 at least.