Teaching about Ocean Climate Change

1. Teaching about Ocean Climate Change Marilyn Sigman COSEE-Alaska Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence School of Fisheries and Ocean Science University of Alaska Fairbanks

2. The Learning Cycle Model “The five E’s” Engagement Gear-up Evaluation Exploration Elaboration Explanation

3. Community Learning Cycle Story-telling about Environmental Change Share Explain Elaborate Brainstorm ideas and questions Discover what students know Interview local people Analyze Data Review information from multiple sources (local experts, existing research, etc.) Lake Ice Green-up Engage Explore Generalize Experiment Decide what will be observed or measured and how it will be recorded Date the Salmon Return

5. THEME: People, climate, and oceans Weave – link scientists, educators, and coastal communities in Alaska And nationwide with emphasis on ocean climate change. Bridge western science and traditional knowledge about ocean climate Change to Alaska and the nation.

6. COSEE-Alaska Partners • UAF/Alaska Sea Grant • UAF/School of Fisheries & Ocean Sciences • UAF/Center for Cross-cultural Education; Alaska Native Knowledge Network • Alaska Ocean Observing System • Alaska SeaLife Center • Anchorage School District

7. K-8 Curriculum Revision of Alaska SeaWeek 1980’s Technology Pre-No Child Left Behind Technology of 2007: Web-based Standards-based Inquiry-based

8. 3-2-1 Alaska’s Ocean & Climate Change

9. Alaska’s Ocean (and Rivers) • 44,500 linear miles of coastline • 2/3 of the nation’s coastline • 50% of the nation’s offshore waters • 40% of the nation’s surface waters • > 50% of the wetlands • > 50% of the total fish harvest • Yukon-Kuskokwim River Delta is the size of Oregon

10. Three Words: Ice Melting Fast

11. Three More Words: Altered Circulation Patterns Surface Current Systems

13. Two Words: Ground Zero (for Climate Change) Warming Temperature Trend since 1960’s O Ann. Mean Temperature 1900 - 2008 1950 - 2000 • Warmest year on record in 2007 • + 5 degs. above average in fall, 2007 • The Arctic is warming at twice the • rate of the average global temperature Source: NOAA’s 2008 Arctic Report Card

15. A warmer ocean More frequent, more intense storms

16. Sea Water Temperature and the Extent of Ice Melt are Interrelated The Albedo Effect

17. One Word • Agggggggghhhhh! • Panic • Understand First response to climate change: Observe and understand the changes in the ecosystem.

18. Predicted Effects of Climate Change on Oceans: Sea level rise Freshening in areas that were more saline (salty) Changes in current patterns Changes in distribution of organisms adapted to marine or brackish conditions

19. http: seagrant.uaf.edu/marine-ed/curriculum/

20. Gear-up/engage for each unit: an Alaskan science story Grade 7 Where did the Rubber Bath Toys Go? Grade 8 Our Changing World

22. Alignment with ocean literacy principles and Alaska Grade Level Expectations

23. Science Notebooks, Science Literacy

24. Created by teachers

25. Field trips at every grade level On-site professional development, including local field trip sites

26. Continuing the celebration!

27. Experiment #1 • We added ice to water – did the level of the water change when the ice melted?

28. Experiment #2 We placed ice on the top of a clay “mountain” surrounded by water in a tray. Did the level of the water in the tray change when the ice melted?

29. Extensions to Expt. 2 • If the runoff from the ice on top of the “mountain” reaches salt water, will it make the water less salty? • Will the fresh water float on top of or sink below the salt water?

30. Experiment #3 • Completely fill a flask with cold water and stopper it with a cork. • Slide a thermometer and a glass tube through holes in the cork. • Heat up the flask over a lamp. • As the temperature rises, will the level of the water in the glass tube change?

31. Experiment #4 • Use straws to blow across the surface of water in a tub. • Add ping pong balls to the water and then blow. • Have several students blow in the same direction. • Try this with a half-full water bottle or full can of soda. What do you observe about the movement of the water and the objects?

32. Does the water move in response to wind ? • Do the riffles/waves move across the water in a uniform direction or are they multidirectional as when a rock is thrown into water? • Do the objects move in response to blowing on the surface? • Does the object move through the water at the same speed of the wind? • What might this say about winds causing ocean currents? Help students define ocean currents as moving rivers of water in the oceans

33. 1. Map Currents with Things that Float • Rubber Ducky Dataset Drifter Buoy dataset: • Alaska Seas and Rivers Quinhak • Grade 7 Unit Prince William Sound Experiment 2. Measure wind patterns and predict current patterns Dataset of wind direction and speed for Gulf of Alaska NOAA buoy datasets – record wind direction and speed Information in Alaska Seas and Rivers Grade 7 unit 3. Ask people who depend on knowing the currents; use local and traditional knowledge

35. Demonstration #1The Coriolis Effect

36. Demonstration #2Effects of Density and Salinity on Ocean Circulation Patterns

38. Predicted Effects of Climate Change on Oceans: Sea level rise Freshening in areas that were more saline (salty) Changes in current patterns Changes in distribution of organisms adapted to marine or brackish conditions

39. Predicted Effects of Climate Change on Oceans: Sea level rise Freshening in areas that were more saline (salty), thus: Changes in current patterns Changes in distribution of organisms adapted to marine or brackish conditions

40. More Resources for Teaching about Alaska Ocean Climate Change! • Curriculum Resources • National Literacy Principles • Scientist Education & Outreach • Integration of Western Science and Indigenous Knowledge

41. In addition to ocean literacy - a national “topic” focus on climate change literacy Climate is regulated by complex interactions among components of the Earth system (Sun, ocean, atmosphere, clouds, ice, land, and life). Human activities are impacting the climate system. Climate change will have consequences for the Earth System and human lives. Developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and multiple science agencies, non-governmental organizations, and numerous individuals.

42. THEME: People, climate, and oceans Weave – link scientists, educators, and coastal communities in Alaska And nationwide with emphasis on ocean climate change. Bridge western science and traditional knowledge about ocean climate Change to Alaska and the nation.

43. Strand 1: The Scientists • More climate science • Integrated ecosystem and biome research; • working internationally • More science outreach and education – • “telling their story”

44. The Arctic Ocean The Bering Sea The Gulf of Alaska

45. March, 2007 – March, 2008 ( 2 full cycles) • 200 projects • Thousands of scientists • More than 60 nations • Biological, physical, and social research

47. BSIERP!! The Bering Sea Integrated Ecosystem Research Program . ONE BIG QUESTION: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE ICE MELTS?

48. Scientist Outreach and Education To Strand 2: Educators • Required by grantors • Training opportunities, especially for young scientists • Science stories • Instruction at teacher workshops • Science-teacher-student Partnerships • Curriculum resources and media • Websites • Data sets • Real-time data • Visualizations • Real-time expedition outreach • Scientist blogs • Google Earth and Google Ocean Lisa Munger, Scripps Inst. Tania Spurkland, Univ. of Alaska

49. International Polar Year Now on BSEIRP Icebreaker Healy Cruise logs now on Google Earth

50. Strand 3: Alaska Native Knowledge • Alaska Native culture and ways of knowing is • increasingly being integrated into K-12 education • to provide culturally-relevant education in Alaska. • At the same time, Alaska science is becoming more • inclusive of local and traditional • ecological knowledge (LTEK)