WORKSHOPS & SEMINARS
The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary offers a variety of professional development opportunities for teachers. Workshops are sponsored either by the sanctuary or one of our partners and focus on topics related to the sanctuary, such as basic coral ecology or introduction to technology used in sanctuary management. Sanctuary staff and volunteers also frequently exhibit or present educational information at conferences such as the Texas Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching (CAST) or SEASPACE, a recreational dive expo featuring an environmental awareness section.
The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is an approved provider of Texas
State Board of Education Certification credits.
To see what workshops and conference sessions are being offered this year, please check the Calendar of Events. For more information regarding specific
workshops, contact flowergarden@noaa.gov
Workshops
Corals to Classrooms
April 26-27, 2008 - CORALS TO CLASSROOMS
Sponsored by the Texas Marine Education Association (TMEA) as part of their spring meeting/workshop.
Download Registration Materials (76kb pdf)
What are corals? How do they build reefs? Why are the coral reefs of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico so special and unique? What does all this have to do with the National Marine Sanctuary Program?
These are just a few of the questions that will be answered through these interactive, resource rich educator workshops. Educators of all levels will walk away from the workshop experience with the means to actively involve their students in the learning process, expose them to scientific research, and share personal experiences about the challenges of field work.
Workshop participants will receive a handy tote bag full of resources, activities, materials, and ideas for implementation of topics in biology, oceanography, geology, physical science, American government, and environmental science.
Corals to Classrooms generally offers participants from 10-14 hours of SBEC credit, depending on the exact activities included and the final schedule. Registration and information materials are posted to the web site as soon as they are available.
Participants need not work in a formal classroom setting, but must be involved in educating K-12 students or training personnel who educate K-12 students (e.g. aquaria, museums, nature preserves, youth organizations, home school cooperatives, etc.)
ROV-ing the National Marine Sanctuaries
These workshops are offered periodically, pending priorities for the year. Content focuses on design, construction and science applications of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) in national marine sanctuaries. There are two types of workshops offered.
The workshop targeting upper elementary through high school uses Lego® brand products to construct working ROVs and can be used in a standard classroom setting, typically for units of two weeks or longer. A variety of skills can be taught: simple programming, engineering design, field research design, data analysis and critical thinking.
The workshop targeting upper middle school through high school uses PVC pipe and materials obtainable from local hardware stores and junk yards to design and construct a working ROV. This approach is best used as a year-long project for a class or extracurricular organization such as a science club or robotics club. Participants are encouraged to sponsor a team in the annual MATE (Marine Advanced Technology Education) ROV Competition.
