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Educator Conferences

There is a set of Wednesday workshops and a set of Thursday workshops. Each registrant will choose their workshop preferences for each day. We will try our best to accomodate everyone's choices.

Wednesday Workshops

Wkshp_ID	Title	Presenter	Affiliation	Abstract
1	Opportunities for Inquiry using Authentic NASA Earth System Science Data	Susan Moore	NASA Langley Research Center	Opportunities for Inquiry using Authentic NASA Earth System Science Data Abstract: This workshop will feature the MY NASA DATA Project (http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov) which makes authentic NASA Earth System Science data accessible to K-12 classrooms and will highlight selected lesson plans offering initial ideas for climate exploration.
2	Quantifying Climate-Induced Landscape Changes with Landsat	Jeannie Allen and Anita Davis	NASA Goddard Space Flight Center	Teachers will be introduced to a classroom ready activity, Quantifying Changes in the Landscape in which students use satellite images of changes in the land to assess amount of change in a given area. This paper-based activity connects students to local, regional and global scale changes underway as a result of climate shifts.
3	The National Weather Service	Rod Gird and Judy Koepsell	The National Weather Service	This session will focus on who to contact at each local weather service office and highlight a sample of products and services available by the National Weather Service including: Climate 1-pagers, The Storm Spotter and Cooperative Observer Programs, NOAA Weather Radio-All Hazards and the NOAA/NASA Sky Watchers Chart. Teachers will receive a “local” information package to use in their schools.
4	Earth System Science: Resources and Professional Development for Middle and High School Teachers	Theresa Schwerin, John Ensworth, and Catherine Fahey	Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)	Earth system science is the interdisciplinary study of Earth’s atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere, cryosphere, and hydrosphere as an interconnected system. Learn about data and inquiry-based activities for teaching middle school Earth system science and climate change. You will leave with resources ready to implement in your classrooms and learn about upcoming opportunities for professional development that range from 1-hour Webinars to in-depth college courses.
5	Igniting Students’ Interests in Environmental Science Careers	Dr. Tam O’Shaughnessy Julie Miller	Sally Ride Science	This session explores the wide range of science careers available, with a special focus on environmental science careers. It also explores the many paths to becoming a scientist, and the vibrant women and men in science today. Teachers learn how students’ interests can come alive through hands-on activities as well as personal explorations.
6	What's A Tree Got to Do With It? Forests and Climate Change 101	Dr. Allen Solomon	U.S. Forest Service	This session reviews the fundamental reasons scientists conclude that human activities are affecting climate variability. We will examine how forest ecosystems are affected by climate change and how forests can be managed to reduce the impacts of changing climate. Teachers will be provided with resources to help them teach their students about the important role of trees and forests in addressing climate change.
7	The NSTA Learning Center: e-Professional Development Resources and Opportunities for You and Your Classroom	Al Byers and Greg Sherman	National Science Teachers Association	NSTA’s national e-portal for professional development will show teachers how to gain access to over 2,600 electronic resources and tools to assist you in indentifying, planning, and accomplishing your specific science-related professional development goals. Also, learn how to use the electronic PD planning and portfolio tool to generate a record of conference participation in exchange for a certificate from conference sponsors. NSTA will also highlight free co-developed interactive climate resources made in partnership with NOAA.
8	The JASON Project: Education through Exploration	John Gersuk, Laura Lott, and Eleanor Smalley	National Geographic Society – The JASON Foundation	A nonprofit subsidiary of National Geographic Society, The JASON Project, connects students with “great explorers and great events” through core science curriculum units developed with NASA, NOAA and National Geographic. This presentation provides an overview of JASON and its curriculum, which is available in print and free online.
9	How Do We Create a Climate Literate Society?	Frank Niepold	NOAA Climate Change Program Office	Through a partnership between NOAA and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Project 2061 we have collaborated to define climate literacy and develop weather and climate benchmarks for science literacy. http://www.climate.noaa.gov/education/
10	Gray Wave of the Great Transformation: A Satellite View of Urbanization, Climate Change, and Food Security	Dr. Mark Imhoff	NASA Goddard Space Flight Center	Land cover change driven by human activity is profoundly affecting Earth's natural systems with impacts ranging from a loss of biological diversity to changes in regional and global climate. Urbanization or the 'gray wave' of land transformation is being recognized as an important process in global climate change. A suite of Earth observing satellites is making it possible to study the interactions between ubanization, biological processes, and weather and climate.
11	Exploring the State of the Earth's Climate: Accessing Climate Data and Analyses at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center	Jay Lawrimore	NOAA's National Climatic Data Center	Instrumental observations collected from the late 19th century to the present, and proxy sources covering the centuries before instrumental records, are essential for understanding the changing nature of the Earth’s climate. NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) specializes in converting observations into accessible and reliable information to enhance the understanding of the Earth’s climate.

Thursday Workshops

Wkshp_ID	Title	Presenter	Affiliation	Abstract
1	NASA Earth Observations in the classroom	Holli Riebeek	NASA Goddard Space Flight Center	In this interactive workshop, teachers will learn to use NASA Earth Observations to measure the relationship between two climate variables. By the end of the workshop, teachers will know how to access current and historical satellite data through NEO, probe the images to get measurements, and chart comparisons between two satellite measurements. Teachers will also learn how to make a simple animation to demonstrate change over time.
2	Oceans, Coasts, and Climate	Pat Harcourt	Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve	Oceans are a major factor affecting climate and a powerful influence on the rate and extent of warming in different regions of the planet. This session uses data, demonstrations, and student-friendly activities to sort through fact and fiction about climate, investigate the role of oceans in climate change, and learn about coastal impacts of climate change. Teachers will receive a CD of resources, lesson plans, and data sets.
3	Using Ocean Cores to Explore Earth’s Past Climate	Sharon Katz Cooper	Deep Earth Academy	In this session, participants will learn how core samples are able to shed enormous light on Earth’s past climate and will be able to explore some core samples themselves. All participants will leave with standards-aligned classroom activities, posters and other ready-to-use materials.
4	Learning Your ABCs: Acidification, Bleaching and Corals	Marci Wulff	NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program	Participate in hands-on activities and experiments that help learners understand the structure and biology of a coral polyp and illustrate concepts like coral bleaching and ocean acidification. In this session, teachers will receive engaging materials and activities that use coral reefs to excite students about subjects like climate change, ocean acidification, ocean ecology and biology.
5	Science and Snowflakes: The History of Winter Global Snowflake Network	Dr. Peter Wasilewski and Katherine Bender	NASA Goddard Space Flight Center	This session equips participants to become a part of the Global Snowflake Network (GSN). The objective of the GSN is to create a global ground team of teachers, students, families, and researchers worldwide to identify and record snowflake types during the progress of snowfalls producing a unique and scientifically valid resource useful to meteorology and NASA’s scientific modeling of Earth’s Hydrosphere. Learn essential aspects of snowflake taxonomy, collection protocols, snowflake image capture, online data input, and background content in an interactive, hands-on setting designed to melt away all hesitations about incorporating field research in the classroom.
6	Climate Change Activities for the Classroom	Dr. Karen Flammer and Leesa Hubbard	Sally Ride Science	Teachers will perform two hands-on activities that support students’ understanding of critical topics in climate change. One activity focuses on the global carbon cycle and the second activity on the Earth’s albedo and warming consequences. The science behind each activity will be discussed as well as methods for incorporating the activities into the classroom.
7	Translating Climate Change Science for Education: Natural Inquirer Climate Change Education Collection	Dr. Barbara McDonald	USDA Forest Service	The articles in the Natural Inquirer Climate Change Education Collection will introduce students to scientists and their climate change-related research. Students will learn about the scientific process used by the scientists and will be engaged in hands-on activities on climate change topics such as, carbon cycle, invasive species, vegetation changes, urban and world forests.
8	Ocean Exploration and Climate Change Connections	Fred Gorell	NOAA Ocean Exploration and Research	NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research has funded a number of ocean research missions which have contributed to a better understanding of climate change such as the Arctic Ocean mission in 2005 to build a foundation of data about animals on, in, and under the ice against which to measure change in the fastest-changing ocean area on the planet. With the commissioning of America’s only ship for ocean exploration, Okeanos Explorer, the Office will be obtaining regular characterizations of the water column in unknown areas of our ocean.
9	Coral Reef Watch: Using Satellite Data to Learn About Coral Reefs & Bleaching	Britt Parker and Tyler Christensen	NOAA/NESDIS Coral Reef Watch	This session will cover coral reef ecology and coral bleaching, and how NOAA satellites are used in observing coral reefs. Presenters will lead a hands-on activity in which the teachers investigate the 2005 Caribbean bleaching event using Coral Reef Watch satellite data. These NOAA data products can use coral reefs, a charismatic and beautiful environment, to excite students about concepts like climate change, cutting-edge satellite technology, ocean observing systems, and ocean ecology.
11	Watching Ice Disappear	Dr. Robert Bindschadler	NASA Goddard Space Flight Center	Sea ice is shrinking at an increasing rate that lowers the surface albedo and amplifies environmental warming. Loss of land ice increases sea level. Observations of this accelerating ice loss have surprised the experts and exceeded the predictions of the best models that policy makers might rely on to guide action. The challenge is to predict the path and time scale of continued ice loss. Direct field studies are underway to understand a number of the causes for the recent dramatic changes with the goal of improving predictive skill. What is being studied, why and how will be discussed.
12	Climate Is Changing Our Coral Reefs	Tyler Christensen	NOAA Coral Reef Watch	Coral Reefs are extremely sensitive to changes in their environment, especially the coral bleaching and ocean acidification that are expected with global climate change. Come learn more about climate threats to coral reefs, and how managers are helping their reefs survive future climate change.

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