National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- Free Book on Teacher at Sea Program: NOAA’s Teacher at Sea program
gives K–12 teachers opportunities to conduct oceanic and atmospheric
research with scientists aboard the agency’s 18 ships (see http://www.tas.noaa.gov
for details). The program has published its first children’s book, Teacher
at Sea, which covers the research teachers conducted in 2004 aboard one of
the agency’s ships, the Ronald H. Brown. Written by eighth-grade Earth
science teacher and NSTA member Mary Cook and Shippensburg University Associate
Professor of Geography/Earth Science Diane Stanitski, the hardcover book for
middle school students contains full-color illustrations by Bruce Cowden,
chief boatswain and dive master of the Brown. Teacher at Sea was reviewed
and edited by middle school science teachers and scientists and includes science
and math activities and a glossary of terms. Free single copies of the book
will be available at the NOAA booth at the NSTA National Conference on Science
Education in Anaheim April 6–9; teachers not attending the conference
should send e-mail to noaa-outreach@noaa.gov.
NOAA plans to produce a second children’s book connected with its Teacher
in the Air pilot program.
- Marine Life Field Guide: NOAA’s National Ocean Service has launched
Encyclopedia of the Sanctuaries, an online field guide to the diverse marine
life of America’s oceans and Great Lakes. Available at http://marinelife.noaa.gov,
the guide provides photos, streaming video, and biological information for
more than 100 marine species from each of the national marine sanctuaries.
The guide can be used by formal and informal educators, students of all ages,
zoos and aquariums, science and technology centers, and natural history museums.
- Jet Stream: This website is arranged by weather subject, beginning with
global and large scale weather patterns followed by lessons on air masses,
wind patterns, cloud formations, thunderstorms, lightning, hail, damaging
winds, tornados, tropical storms, cyclones, and flooding. Interspersed in
JetStream are "Learning Lessons" that can be used to enhance the
educational experience. Visit http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream
for more information.
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Free for All from U.S. Government