*ISSN 1045-4772

The Earth Scie

Volume XXXV • ISSUE 2 • Spring 2019 $10.00*

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

From the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

From the Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Guest Editor’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

25 Years Ago in TES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

It’s Elementary: 

The NOAA Planet Stewards Book Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Today’s Technology: Become a Citizen Scientist and 

join NOAA’s Research on Earth’s Geomagnetic Field 

using the CrowdMag app . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

NOAA’s Ocean Guardian School Program: 

Protecting Our Ocean One School at a Time . . . . . . . . . 10

Student Leadership and Climate Literacy . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Photovoice for Children’s Climate Change 

Engagement: Using Digital Photography to 

Bridge Knowledge and Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Recycling at School: An Action Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Marine Debris Tools for Educators: 

Making the Connection Between Us and Debris . . . . . . 30

Ecosystem Pen Pals: Connecting Indigenous Fishing 

Communities through National Marine Sanctuaries . . . . 34

Ocean/Climate Literacy, and Action at Hale Kula 

and Beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

The Northeast Michigan Great Lakes 

Stewardship Initiative (NEMIGLSI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Your Students Can Contribute to Our Understanding 

of the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Advertising in TES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

NESTA Membership Dues Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Manuscript Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Tijuana River National Estuarine Reserve. 

Photo Credit: NOAA, Department of Commerce

This special themed issue is sponsored by the NOAA Planet Stewards Education Project
Page 2 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

From the Presid

As seasons change, so do our methods of teaching. Sometimes we share the latest and 

greatest resource with our colleagues, while other times we are reminded of the excellent resources we have used in the past. I have a special education Environmental systems 

teacher on my team who has been asking me for advice on various resources to support not 

only the content but the varying abilities in her classroom. As a special education science 

teacher plus general education teacher myself who has taught most sciences from 6th 

through 12th grade and community college, as well, I have quite an array from which to 

select. I found myself referring her to the great rock cycle and carbon cycle games from my 

past middle school experiences vetted from PolarTrec and UCAR , along with the engaging 

and interactive EarthLabs series from TERC (serc.carleton.edu/eslabs/index.html) that I 

once piloted in my classes. 

There are many credible, aligned resources available to us as Earth science educators, in 

addition to the wide array of professional development opportunities that bring us in 

contact with our colleagues and foster that sharing and collaborative resource network. 

Among these opportunities are workshops at conferences such as the Geological Society 

of America (GSA), the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), and the American 

Geophysical Union (AGU) Annual Meetings. NESTA provides K-12 teachers an opportunity to learn from both a scientist and fellow educator through multiple offerings at 

the Geophysical Information for Teachers (GIFT) workshop held at AGU each year. This 

collaboration with AGU gives teachers valuable hands-on experience in addition to robust 

content knowledge with no costs other than travel expenses to participate. In addition to 

GIFT, NESTA works with the National Association for Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) to 

produce the Earth Educators’ Rendezvous each summer. This three, four, or five-day experience provides a more intimate setting to collaborate and learn with Earth science educators 

and is another opportunity to share that highly effective lab investigation or field technique with others. Learn more about the Rendezvous in Nashville, Tennessee this summer 

(https://serc.carleton.edu/earth_rendezvous/2019/index.html).

Whether in another state or your own backyard, I encourage you to be open to new ideas 

and methods for teaching the concepts we teach year after year. Be the teacher with the open 

door to new instructional colleagues and keep the collaboration fresh as we strive to provide 

the next generation of geoscientists with a rich and relevant Earth science experience.

Cheers,

Belinda Jacobs

NESTA President 2018-2020

NESTA Contacts

EXECUTIVE BOARD

President

Belinda Jacobs

bjrockgirl11@gmail.com

President-Elect

Dr. Rick Jones

rmjones7@hawaii.edu

Past-President

Cheryl Manning

clbmanning@mac.com

Secretary

Dr. Missy Holzer

mholzer@monmouth.com

Treasurer

Howard Dimmick

dimmick@esteacher.org

Board of Directors 

Representatives

Tom Ervin

tombervin@gmail.com

Parker Pennington, IV

p.o.pennington@gmail.com

Executive Director and 

Association Contact

Dr. Carla McAuliffe

Carla_McAuliffe@terc.edu

NESTA Webmaster

Julia Genyuk

jgenyuk@windows2universe.org

NESTA’S MISSION

To facilitate and advance 

excellence in Earth and Space 

Science education

NESTA Address:

PO Box 271654

Fort Collins, CO 80527

Visit the NESTA website at 

http://www.nestanet.org
Page 3

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

NESTA Contacts

REGIONAL DIRECTORS

Region I - ME, MA, NH, RI, VT

Susan Meabh Kelly

susan.meabh.kelly@ttu.edu

Region II - NY

Andrew Boyd

mr.boydearthscience@gmail.com

Region III - DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA, 

DC, WV

Billy Goodman

bgoodman1@gmail.com

Region IV - AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, 

MS, NC, PR, SC, TN

Chris Campbell

ctc@latech.edu

Region V - IN, KY, MI, OH

Jay Sinclair

sinclair.jay@sbcglobal.net

Region VI - IL, IA, MN, MO, NE, 

ND, SD, WI, KS

Dana Smith

dana.smith@isd507.k12.mn.us

Region VII - AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, 

NM, OK, TX, UT

Earla Durfee

earladurf@gmail.com

Region VIII - AK, CA, HI, WA, OR

John-Henry Cottrell

jcottrell@murrieta.k12.ca.us

DIRECTORS AT LARGE

Elaine Bohls-Graham

LanieB123@gmail.com

Dr. Doug Lombardi

lombardi.doug@gmail.com

Pradip Misra

pradicm@yahoo.com

Parker Pennington, IV

p.o.pennington@gmail.com

APPOINTED DIRECTORS

Ardis Herrold – amacio@comcast.

net

Joe Monaco – monacoj@aol.com

David Thesenga – dthesenga@

gmail.com

Deborah Ezell – deborah.ezell@

spartanburg2.k12.sc.us

Tina Harte – tina.r.harte@nasa.gov

Tom Ervin – tombervin@gmail.com

From the Executive Dir

We are very excited for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) National 

Ocean Service (NOS) to sponsor this issue of The Earth Scientist!

NOAA provides many education programs, products, and professional development opportunities 

for K-12 educators. The NOAA Planet Stewards 

Education Project (oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/planet-stewards/welcome.html) offers 

webinars, a book club, and a variety of face-to-face 

workshops. NOAA’s Data in the Classroom project 

(dataintheclassroom.noaa.gov/) provides five freelyavailable modules in which students use real-time 

ocean data to explore pressing environmental issues 

and develop problem-solving skills used by scientists. Oysters in the Chesapeake Bay (oceanservice.

noaa.gov/education/oysters-in-the-chesapeake-bay/

welcome.html) is a free K-12 curriculum aligned 

with the three dimensions of the Next Generation 

Science Standards. It contains six elementary 

lessons, two middle school modules, and four high 

school modules in a coordinated learning sequence 

at each level. Ocean Today (oceantoday.noaa.gov/) 

is another free resource containing over 300 videos 

in six categories 1) Fix the Ocean, 2) Marine Life, 

3) Exploration, 4) Research, 5) Go Fish, and 6) Danger Zone. These videos are displayed at various 

kiosks in aquariums, museums, and learning centers. All the videos, complete with transcripts, are 

available on the website and can easily be downloaded and shown to the students you teach. Overall, 

NOAA’s National Ocean Service (oceanservice.noaa.gov/) provides a wide variety of information, 

resources, and data that you also might find useful for your teaching. In particular, check out the 

education resources oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/ and multimedia resources oceanservice.noaa.

gov/multimedia/ from NOAA NOS.

If you are planning to attend the National Science Teachers Association National Conference on 

Science Education this spring in St. Louis, then be sure to come by the Annex room of the America’s 

Center Convention Complex on Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13 where NESTA has a number 

of co-sponsored sessions with NOAA and other partners. 

The AGU-NESTA featured speaker is Dr. Theresa Damiani from NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey. 

Dr. Damiani’s talk, Finding Our Way: The Science Behind Today’s GPS Revolution, explores the 

science of GPS and mapping, how it allows us to quickly and easily find our way through the world, 

and the sometimes, unexpected ways in which it is revolutionizing our society. The talk is from 2:00 

– 3:00 PM on Friday, April 12 at the Ferrara Theatre, America’s Center Convention Complex.

Last, we hope to see you Saturday evening from 6:30 – 8:00 PM at our Friends of Earth Science 

Reception in the Cystal Ballroom of the Marriot St. Louis Grand where we will recognize many 

stellar Earth science educators!

Dr. Carla McAuliffe

Executive Director, NESTA

This issue features articles covering a wide 

range of topics including watersheds, recycling, marine debris, and citizen science 

among others. Some of the authors of

articles in this issue are former NOAA Climate 

Stewards. In late 2017 the NOAA Climate

Stewards Education Project changed its 

title to the NOAA Planet Stewards Education 

Project. This change reflects an expansion of

the program’s scope allowing it to better serve 

educators looking to engage their students in 

science and stewardship relating to the broad 

range of NOAA’s mission programs concerned 

with understanding and protecting our environment. NOAA Planet Stewards continues

its programmatic emphasis on climate as a 

primary driver of environmental impacts to 

human communities and natural ecosystems
Page 4 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

NESTA 

Coordinators

Conference Logistics 

Coordinator

Howard Dimmick

dimmick@esteacher.org

Merchandise Coordinator

Howard Dimmick

dimmick@esteacher.org

Procedures Manual 

Coordinator

Parker Pennington IV

p.o.pennington@gmail.com

Rock Raffle Coordinators

Parker Pennington IV

p.o.pennington@gmail.com

Share-a-thon Coordinator

Dr. Carla McAuliffe

Carla_McAuliffe@terc.edu

Volunteer Coordinator

Joe Monaco

MonacoJ@aol.com

Webpage Coordinator

Jack Hentz

hentz@aaps.k12.mi.us

E-News Editor

Tina Harte

tina.r.harte@nasa.gov

Guest Editor’s 

For what or for whom do you care for? Your children, a pet, a favorite plant? No matter who 

you are and where you live, you care for someone or something – probably many someones and 

somethings. The Merriam-Webster dictionary says, “The careful and responsible management 

of something entrusted to one’s care,” is stewardship. The articles in this edition of The Earth 

Scientist focus on efforts made by Kindergarten through twelfth-grade students to learn about 

and care for the Earth and its ocean by monitoring and analyzing changes, changing behaviors, and sharing their knowledge to increase science understanding both inside and outside 

of school. Participation in stewardship activities helps students gain a deeper appreciate for 

science, and increase their interest, confidence, and performance in school science. 

Part of the mission of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is “to 

conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources,” and this is partly accomplished through stewardship. By monitoring and collecting essential data about the earth, 

providing scientific knowledge and education resources, and making connections, NOAA helps 

educators and their students become active stewards of their local environment. Much of this 

is done through hands-on activities and place- based science education in cooperation with 

NOAA programs such as NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the NOAA Marine 

Debris Program, and the NOAA Planet Stewards Education Project.

In this special issue of The Earth Scientist, you will read about how schools are taking up the 

call to be “Ocean Guardians” to help their students explore their natural surroundings and 

form a personal connection with the ocean or their local watersheds. Individual teachers are 

using hands-on activities with their students to develop a lifelong stewardship ethic. Through 

the design and implementation of recycling programs, raising and releasing sea urchins, 

and reducing energy consumption and trash production, students are transforming science 

knowledge into action. Indigenous students along the Pacific Rim are strengthening their 

understanding of global marine issues through sharing information with “pen pals” about their 

local environment and cultural communities. After school, science, stewardship actions, and 

digital cameras are merged to help mitigate climate change. In addition, there are high-quality 

resources in this issue for teaching about marine debris and incorporating citizen science into 

the classroom.

NOAA is proud to work with these educators and students who are using science and action to 

care for the ocean, the atmosphere, and their fellow citizens. We hope their work inspires you to 

undertake stewardship activities with your audiences. To learn more about NOAA’s education 

programs, products, and professional development opportunities, visit (noaa.gov/education). 

Guest Writers of this Editor’s Message

Molly Harrison & Bruce Moravchik

Coordinators, NOAA Planet Stewards Education Project

oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/planet-stewards/welcome.html
Page 5

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

The Earth Scientist

PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE

Dr. Carla McAuliffe

Howard Dimmick

Tom Ervin

Billy Goodman

Dr. Doug Lombardi

Mona Cloys

Bev Berekian

Tina Harte, E-News Editor

CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS

Kottie Christie-Blick, Nicole Harris, 

Richard M. Jones, Jessica Lura, Karen 

Matsumoto, John McLaughlin, Seaberry 

Nachbar, Brandon Schroeder, Peg 

Steffen, Krista Stegemann, June Teisan, 

Carlie D. Trott, Sarah Waters 

The Earth Scientist is the journal of 

the National Earth Science Teachers 

Association (NESTA). It is published 

quarterly (January, March, June, 

September) and distributed to NESTA 

members. 

To become a member of NESTA visit 

nestanet.org.

To get more information about NESTA 

or advertising in our publications, 

contact, Carla_McAuliffe@terc.edu.

©2019 by the National Earth Science 

Teachers Association. All rights thereunder 

reserved; anything appearing in The Earth 

Scientist may not be reprinted either wholly 

or in part without written permission.

DISCLAIMER

The information contained herein is provided as a service to our members with 

the understanding that National Earth 

Science Teachers Association (NESTA) 

makes no warranties, either expressed or 

implied, concerning the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or suitability of the 

information. Nor does NESTA warrant 

that the use of this information is free 

of any claims of copyright infringement. 

In addition, the views expressed in The 

Earth Scientist are those of the authors and 

advertisers and may not reflect NESTA 

policy.

DESIGN/LAYOUT

Patty Schuster, Page Designs

25 Years Ago in TES

A little over twenty-five years ago, in 1993, 

TES was in its tenth 

year of publication. 

The focus of this issue 

was “The Ocean”, and 

fittingly, the cover 

of the issue featured 

a photo of a surfer 

enjoying a ride on the 

Pacific waves along 

Oceanside Beach in 

California. This issue led 

off with an in depth article detailing the latest information about the 

Mid Oceanic Ridge. The next article dealt with Marine Chemistry, calling the 

oceans a “complex chemical soup”. This was followed by an article dealing 

with El Nino. Finally, there was an article detailing the educational programs 

available at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. 

By Tom Ervin

oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/planet-stewards/
Page 6 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

The NOAA Planet 

Stewards Book Club

Discussing Please Don’t Paint 

Our Planet Pink

Peg Steffen, NGSS Curriculum Writer for the Illinois 

Mathematics and Science Academy

Are you part of a book club? Usually defined as periodic meetings to discuss books that are read ahead 

of time, book clubs are a way to meet new people and share insights about important literature. Book 

clubs, even virtual ones, are also an important professional development tool for educators. NOAA Planet 

Stewards sponsors virtual book discussions each year, raising awareness of books useful for classroom use or 

for educators’ better science understanding. 

The book club recently discussed “Please Don’t Paint Our Planet Pink” written by Gregg Kleiner and illustrated by Laurel Thompson. It is appropriate for elementary through adult ages and discusses the problem 

of carbon dioxide in global warming. 

Gregg was part of the book club that night and he 

explained, “As a father of two children, I often lie 

awake nights tossing and twisting with worry about 

the climate crisis and how it will impact the lives 

of my children, their children, and children all over 

the world. I knew a major problem with inspiring 

action to slow climate change is that we can’t really 

see what’s causing it. We can’t touch or smell or taste 

CO2 or other greenhouse gasses, either. But what if 

we COULD see carbon dioxide? Puffing from smoke 

stacks and tail pipes and the rear of cows? What 

if CO2 were, say, pink? And the world was getting 

pinker? What if every kid came home from school 

with a deep understanding of climate change and 

took action? My hope is that my book will help in 

some small way. Years from now, when my kids ask 

me, “What were you doing, Dad, back when you all 

knew climate change was coming on fast?,” I can tell 

them I was writing through my own fears, in hopes the power of a simple story might inspire a few kids – 

and their adults, and their teachers – to start seeing the invisible, imagining the impossible. I can tell them 

I was writing for our kids, and the kids of future generations. I can tell them I was writing to help school 

teachers help the kids in their classrooms tap their amazing imaginations, and then take action. My fight 

against climate change continues, but these days, at night I sleep a little better now.” Find out more about 

the book at cloudburstcreative.com/pink.

Figure 1. Please Don’t Paint Our Planet Pink is a book about 

climate change that imagines it is possible to actually see 

CO2 in the atmosphere

It’s

Elementary!
Page 7

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Some of the questions that were used to guide the book club discussion are below:

1.  Wilbur is a 10-year-old boy and is a typical upper elementary school student. What audiences do you thi

would be engaged with this story and be able to understand the science behind it?

2. Many students have a hard time understanding that gases are present all around them in the atmosphere. Th

goggles with no lenses are an interesting way for Wilbur to “see” carbon dioxide. How might this strategy be

used for other purposes?

3. On page 18, the author talks about activities that students love (like campfires) but that contribute small

amounts of carbon dioxide. In the grand scheme of things, some of these might not be big contributors in the

United States. However, the use of fossil fuels and vegetation for cooking and heating is used in other countries

because of the lack of other types of energy. About three billion people cook their food over open fires or inside

structures in which the smoke can easily escape. This results in a good deal of black carbon pollution both

indoors and outdoors. How can we help students understand that living conditions (and energy sources and

use) are vastly different in other countries? 

4. The author provides an explanation of how trees “suck” carbon dioxide out of the air and put it into wood and

leaves. Photosynthesis is a tough concept. Does this analogy help you? Would it help your student

5. The carbon cycle is an unspoken concept of the book. What activities have you tried in class or other learnin

situations that help to explain the cyclic nature of carbon? 

6. The book offers several things that we can do to reduce the amount of “pink” in the atmosphere. It migh

be helpful to start with the knowledge of our ecological footprint. EPA calculator at www3.epa.gov/carbonfootprint-calculator/. For students, try one of these: web.stanford.edu/group/inquiry2insight/cgi-bin/i2se

i2s.php?page=calculate. How do you think you stack up in terms of energy use? Are you planning ways t

reduce your carbon footprint?

7. What are some ways we can get students to think “pink”?

The NOAA Planet Stewards book club has 

an extensive list that focuses on diverse 

topics: decreasing the impacts of marine 

debris, climate change, conserving and 

restoring natural resources, and understanding and responding to severe weather 

events. Usually scheduled on the last 

Monday of a given month, meetings begin 

at 8:00 pm Eastern Time. You can find a list 

of books that have been discussed along 

with the guiding questions at oceanservice.

noaa.gov/education/planet-stewards/bookclub.html. Consider using these books in 

your classroom or for your own science 

content update. Sign up to our email 

list and receive invitations to future events 

and book club discussions. 

About The Author

Peg Steffen is an NGSS Curriculum Writer for the Illinois 

Mathematics and Science Academy. For more than a decade,

she was the education coordinator for the Communications 

and Education Division of NOAA’s National Ocean Service 

where she led a development team that provided web-based 

products, professional learning, and educational games in 

ocean, coastal and climate science. Her 26 years of classroom

teaching included biology, physics, and astronomy/geology at 

the high school and university levels. She received a National

Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certificate for 

Adolescent and Young Adult Science and many teaching 

awards in her 40 years of work to bring science education to 

teachers in the United States, Mexico, Europe and Asia

Peg can be reached at peg.steffen@gmail.c
Page 8 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Become a Citizen Scientist and join NOAA’s 

Research on Earth’s Geomagnetic Field using 

the CrowdMag app

The geomagnetism group of NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) conducts original research on the magnetic field of Earth. Their primary goal is to create and 

update models of the geomagnetic field to keep pace with Earth’s constantly changing magnetic field. The 

magnetic models are integrated into millions of smartphones, car and aircraft navigation systems and GPS 

so that users know which way is north. 

Earth’s magnetic field (geomagnetic field) provides us an all-weather referencing system. Earth acts like a 

great spherical magnet and its magnetic field resembles, in general, the field generated by a dipole magnet 

(i.e., a straight magnet with a north and south pole) located at the center of Earth. The geomagnetic field 

has been observed and used for navigation since ancient times. Today, magnetic navigation is implemented 

on most planes, ships and even on your smartphone for safe and reliable navigation.

As the geomagnetic field changes with time and space, it is important to monitor its changes. Scientists 

use observatories, satellites and ship/airborne surveys to keep track of the change. Due to gaps in coverage 

– both in time and space – scientists are always looking for alternative ways to obtain geomagnetic data. 

What is CrowdMag app?

CrowdMag is a smartphone app that enables phones all around the world to send magnetometer data to 

the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). For a given phone, the app sends the time of 

the measurement, its location, location accuracy, magnetic data from the phone’s magnetic sensor, and the 

phone’s model because there are different sensors inside different models. When NCEI receives the data, it 

checks the quality of the magnetic data and then makes the data available to the public as aggregate maps 

and charts. CrowdMag app can potentially improve magnetic field models and magnetic navigation by 

filling data gaps with existing technologies that capitalize on citizen science. By downloading CrowdMag 

app, you and your students can contribute to this important citizen science effort.

Download the CrowdMag smartphone app today and turn your phone into a magnetic sensor! 

ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/crowdmag.shtml#apps

TODAY’S TECHNOLOGY
Page 9

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

CrowdMag
Page 10 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries works to bring the ocean and these special 

ocean parks called national marine sanctuaries to youth around the country. One way 

they do this is through the Ocean Guardian School program, which encourages students 

to explore their natural surroundings to form a personal connection to the ocean or 

watersheds where they live. Ocean Guardian Schools work within their communities to 

protect and conserve local watersheds, the ocean, and special ocean areas like national 

marine sanctuaries. Through evaluation the program has shown students 1) become active 

stewards of their environment by directly reducing threats to the natural resources, and 

2) students are more inclined to talk to others about the environment.

Introduction

Does your school have what it takes to help protect the ocean for the future? You can work locally 

within your school and community to promote the protection of the ocean globally by becoming 

an Ocean Guardian School. All K-12 schools around the country are invited to apply. Schools 

in particular counties in California, Oregon, Washington, Maryland, Florida, Texas and North 

Carolina are eligible to receive Ocean Guardian grants to help support their stewardship project. 

More information about the program can be found at this website: sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/

ocean_guardian/.

An Ocean Guardian School makes a commitment to the protection and conservation of its local 

watersheds, the world’s ocean, and special ocean areas, like national marine sanctuaries. The school 

makes this commitment by proposing and then implementing a school- or community-based 

conservation project.

An Ocean Guardian School:

n	 provides project(s) for students related to the conservation of local watersheds, the world’s 

ocean, and/or special ocean areas, like national marine sanctuaries.

n	 provides opportunities for students, teachers, parents and friends to participate in a range of 

environmental and sustainable activities.

NOAA’s Ocean Guardian 

School Program: 

Protecting Our Ocean 

One School at a Time

Seaberry Nachbar, Ocean Guardian School Program 

Director, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Page 11

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

n	 provides learning programs and opportunities that reflect environmentally sustainable 

practices that enable all students to be environmentally active and committed “Ocean 

Guardians.”

n	 provides ways for classrooms to promote best environmental practices within local communities, while at the same time projecting a positive image of the school itself.

Program Development and Implementation

The Ocean Guardian School program was designed to further the educational and resource protection goals of national marine sanctuaries by supporting hands-on ocean stewardship projects in 

K-12 public, private, and charter schools. The Ocean Guardian School program 

works with schools and school communities to raise awareness of the land-ocean 

connection as well as the environmental issues affecting the health of the ocean’s 

watershed. The program strives to inspire changes in environmental stewardship behavior by encouraging projects that take active steps in creating solutions 

to environmental issues while at the same time becoming an integral part of the 

school culture (Figure 1). 

The first step in becoming an Ocean Guardian School is to develop a plan of action 

that outlines your school or community-based project. Currently only certain 

regions of the country are eligible to receive funding through the Ocean Guardian 

School program, but applications will be accepted from any school across the 

country if the school is applying without requesting funds. Ocean Guardian School 

grant applications for 2018-2019 are no longer being accepted. The new application form for 2019-

2020 will be available on the website by April 1, 2019. The application and requirements can be 

found at this website: sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/ocean_guardian/application.html 

Schools must designate one of five ocean and climate literacy “project pathways” that connect to 

their Ocean Guardian School project: 

1. Restoration – watershed/wetland restoration, fish habitat creation, shoreline/bank 

stabilization; 

2. Rethink/Refuse/Reduce/Reuse/Recycle/Rot – school-wide recycling/composting 

programs, redesign and implementation of school-based water system, school-wide 

green purchasing program, zero waste lunch program; 

3. Marine Debris – reducing single-use plastics in school, promoting reusable bags in local 

community/stores; 

4. Schoolyard Habitats/Gardens – creating or improving school gardens/schoolyard habitats with an emphasis on the native plants, low water use, rain catchment systems, 

etc. while clearly connecting these activities to the health and preservation of the local 

watershed and/or ocean; 

5. Energy and Ocean Health – school energy audits/carbon footprint calculations resulting 

in energy saving plans (i.e., “power down” campaign, bike to school days, light bulb/

computer energy saving plans, etc.), clean energy alternatives such as wind/solar project, 

water saving projects, tree planting projects.

Program requirements help to guide schools during their project year as they work to encourage 

students to understand the connection between their stewardship actions and the health of the 

ocean. Program requirements include school and community outreach activities, collection of 

measurable project data as well as student presentations at the start and end of the year. A summary 

Figure 1. Students engaged in 

ocean conservation at an Ocean 

Guardian School
Page 12 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

of the program requirements can be found 

at the following website: nmssanctuaries.

blob.core.windows.net/sanctuaries-prod/

media/docs/2019-2020-ogs-programguidelines.pdf

During the project year, students collect 

specific, measurable data that will help 

quantify the environmental impacts that 

result from their watershed/ocean stewardship projects (see Evaluation section 

below). These activities and the results 

are then communicated to others in the 

community through various outreach 

activities. 

At the end of the project year, schools are 

evaluated through a formal evaluation 

rubric and a comprehensive final report 

survey used to determine the final Ocean 

Guardian School recognition. Upon Ocean Guardian School recognition, a school receives an 

Ocean Guardian School banner. A different banner is awarded for each year of recognition (Figure 

2). Well-documented environmental and behavioral change has been seen from Ocean Guardian 

Schools. This can be attributed to the rigorous evaluation process consisting of measurable data 

and the program requirements. The structure of this program sets it apart from other similar 

school grant programs creating a level of accountability among the participating schools resulting 

in real environmental and behavior change. 

In addition to the Ocean Guardian School public website with various dedicated program resources 

(sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/ocean_guardian/resources.html), participating schools have access 

to a special private resources webpage with a library of activities, lesson plans, curricula, and videos.

In addition, the program has produced five videos for the Ocean Guardian School program. A 

2-minute promotional video was also created and posted on the Ocean Guardian School webpage 

and the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries You Tube channel, youtube.com/watch?v=MxmTNH

PdCG0&feature=youtu.be. Most recently, a 12-minute video was produced for participating schools 

to use at the onset of their project year to introduce some basic concepts to their school communities including information about the National Marine Sanctuary System, ocean and climate literacy, 

and the land-ocean connection (i.e., watersheds): youtu.be/hByglw4Grkc.

Evaluation

The Ocean Guardian School program sets itself apart from other stewardship programs due to the 

extensive and systematic evaluation that takes place at the program level and with each of the individual 

school projects. Over the course of the program’s life, a number of assessments have been conducted to 

collect both outcomes and outputs. In addition, we continue to collect success stories and highlights from each of the schools that provide qualitative information about the program success. 

Starting in 2010, the Ocean Guardian School program has required that each school collect 

measurable data during the project pertaining to the stewardship activities they are conducting 

(Table 1). Over 50,000 students have participated in the program. Students at the schools have had 

major impacts. 497, 788 single use water bottles are no longer being used, having been replaced 

Figure 2(a-d). Ocean Guardian school banners, years 1-4.
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© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

by reusable bottles at water filtration 

stations. Students have removed 145, 

548.04 kilograms of trash/debris. Over 

52,000 liters of water have been reclaimed 

from water catchment systems. This data 

then shows the large impacts that “guard” 

our ocean, protect our resources, and 

change student behaviors. 

Although the results of the program can 

be measured using a variety of data, its 

accomplishments are often most reflected 

by the successes of its participants. A 

school’s ability to go above and beyond 

their initial project plans is a direct result 

of the consistent communication and 

personal outreach with these participants. 

Some highlights of these successes include 

qualitative results.

In the spring of 2016, Dr. Danielle 

Schwarzmann, an economist on staff 

at NOAA’s Office of National Marine 

Sanctuaries, conducted a formal study of 

the economic benefits of this program. 

During the study, roughly 50% of Ocean 

Guardian Schools participated in a survey 

to estimate both the monetary and nonmonetary benefits of the program to 

children. Ocean Guardian School teachers 

contacted parents of Ocean Guardian 

School students, asking them to complete 

a survey about their perceptions and values towards their child’s participation in the program. All 

surveyed schools were in California. 

Nearly 90 percent of parents support their child’s participation in the program. Nearly 80 percent of 

parents support outdoor education and 85.3 percent support environmental education. Roughly 80 

percent of parents thought the Ocean Guardian School program positively influenced their child’s 

perceptions of watersheds, ocean ecosystems, and our natural world. In addition, about two-thirds 

of parents thought their own perception of watersheds, ocean ecosystems, and our natural world 

was positively influenced through their child’s participation in the program. 

Nearly 10 percent reported they would like to see the program “available to more students, schools, 

and teachers” with several noting that federal funding is important because it provides opportunities for low-income families to participate. 

One parent said of Ocean Guardian Schools (OGS), “They knew nothing about it [the OGS] until it 

happened. It was refreshing that something happened without having to push for it. (We have a relatively poor 

school district and have to constantly battle the finances).”

Although many parents reported both themselves and their children were already recycling, minimizing water use, and single-use plastics, there were slight improvements to these behaviors. 

Table 1: Ocean Guardian School Measurable Data 2010-2018

Number of recycle bins installed 954

Number of compost bins installed 473

Kilograms of compost made from school food/garden waste 857.7

Kilograms of recycled e-waste 2,322.8

Kilograms of reused oyster and clam shells 2,721.5

Kilograms of trash/debris removed from campus and/or from out in the community 145,548.0

Number of reusable bags (grocery bags, snack bags, etc.) distributed 10,61

Number of reusable bottles distributed 17,679

Number of single use plastic bottles NOT used due to use of reusable bottles 

at filtration station 497,788

Number of rain barrels installed 81

Liters of water reclaimed from use of water catchment system 52,078.1

Number of native trees planted 4061

Number of native perennials/grasses/annuals planted 34,696

Square meters of native plants planted 47,945.8

Square meters of non-native invasive plants removed 33,948.2

Square meters of turf removed 3,517.4

Linear meters of bank stabilization 1,178.9

Number of wildlife habitat structures installed 173

Number of LED or energy saving bulbs installed 44

Number of bike-to-school days 145

Number of stenciled storm drains 63
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The greatest change to behavior 

reported was that students are 

now talking to others (family and 

friends) about the actions others 

can take to improve the environment. Two-thirds of the children 

are having conversations with 

others and 22 percent of students 

are encouraging others to make 

more eco-friendly decisions. 

Figure 3 shows the benefits that 

parents reported their child 

received because of participating 

in the Ocean Guardian School 

program. The top two benefits parents reported were: 1) an increased responsibility 

towards the environment and 2) the increased understanding of how people interact 

with the environment. Forty percent of parents reported their child received five or 

more benefits.

Parents were asked to indicate how much they were willing to pay per student 

annually to participate in each of the different Ocean Guardian School pathways. 

The highest valued pathway is schoolyard habitat and gardens (Figure 4). Parents 

are willing to pay nearly $60 through increased school costs and/or field trip costs 

for their child to receive this education. Watershed restoration has a value of roughly 

$45 per year annually to parents. 

When considering the grant amount awarded to the school and the number of 

students participating, on average $14 -$53 of a school’s grant is spent per student. 

This means that if a student participates in a habitat project, the benefit to that 

student ($59) exceeds the maximum amount spent on the student ($53). Another 

example of where benefits exceed costs is if a student learns about both marine debris 

and fossil fuel energies or learns about both recycling and fossil fuel energies.

Conclusion

As the Ocean Guardian School’s tagline reveals, the small investment of “protecting 

the ocean one school at a time” brings about large impacts that help to guard our 

watersheds and one ocean while empowering students to be effective agents of 

change. We invite you and your students to join us as an Ocean Guardian School by 

visiting (sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/ocean_guardian/).

Figure 3. Percentage of parents reporting their child received a given benefit from the program

Figure 4. What parents think Ocean Guardian 

Pathways are worth spending on per student 

annually

About the Author

Seaberry Nachbar is an Education Coordinator with the NOAA Office of National Marine 

Sanctuaries. She has worked for NOAA for the last eighteen years, developing education

programs and implementing them across the country. Currently, she is the Program

Director for the NOAA Ocean Guardian School Program. Seaberry can be reached at

Seaberry.nachbar@noaa.g
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© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

In order to be an active citizen of today’s world, children and adults need to be climateliterate. This article describes a NOAA Climate Stewards year-long project that provided 

opportunities for student leadership, student choice, and learning how to be a climateliterate person. The schoolwide stewardship program in California involved students at 

all grade levels. Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders established overall goals for students to 

reduce energy usage and waste consumption. Fourth and fifth grade students created an 

Eco Super Hero program for grades K-5 and a Turtle Camp specifically for kindergarten and 

1st grade students. Grade 4 through grade 8 students in the program were able to explain 

climate science, understood its connections to human activity, and felt like they had the 

tools to continue to make a difference in mitigating future impact.

Introduction

Research shows a significant increase in the concentration of heat-trapping gases (so-called greenhouse gases), especially carbon dioxide (CO2), in the Earth’s atmosphere. In addition, a rise in 

global temperatures relates to the rise in carbon dioxide. A large percentage of the rise in carbon 

dioxide can be traced to human activity including the use of electricity. 

For this reason, in order to be an active citizen of today’s world, children and adults need to be 

climate-literate. According to Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Science, a climateliterate person “is able to make informed and responsible decisions with regards to actions that 

may affect climate” (USGCRP, 2009). Climate change has been identified by many scientists to be 

one of the ‘grand challenges’ facing society with implications for many facets of life. Therefore, it is 

imperative that citizens gain an understanding of the climate system and the impacts that changes 

to the system will have in their daily lives.

As an educator, I have the responsibility to teach students to be climate literate and to provide 

opportunities for stewardship. Luckily, an understanding of the interconnectedness of communities and their environments and the responsibility to be agents of change is part of the mission 

statement of Bullis Charter School, the K-8 school I work at. In addition, I was fortunate to have 

been accepted into the NOAA Climate Steward Education Project —a program that focuses on 

Student Leadership and 

Climate Literacy

In late 2017 the NOAA 

Climate Stewards 

Education Project changed 

its title to the NOAA Planet 

Stewards Education 

Project

Jessica Lura

Bullis Charter School, California
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© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

supporting formal and informal educators in teaching about climate science as well as assisting in 

developing and implementing stewardship projects.

After 16 years in the classroom, it was going to be my first year as a teacher on special assignment, 

and so I decided that for my stewardship project I wanted to focus on providing meaningful opportunities for students—opportunities that allowed for student leadership, choice, and learning. I 

decided to test the hypothesis: If students analyze energy consumption at school and devise and implement a 

plan to reduce it, then energy consumption will decrease, and student habits and understanding will change.

Eco-Workshop for Middle School Students

I kicked the project off with an optional two-day Eco-Workshop for middle school students (sixth, 

seventh, and eighth graders) where the students were tasked with analyzing the school and its 

impact on the greater environment and then using that information to create a yearlong action plan 

to implement solutions to the issues identified. 

Twenty-seven students answered the call and gave up two days of their summer vacation to attend 

the workshop. To get baseline data of how our school is functioning, the students completed 

the National Wildlife Federation’s Environmental Audit (nwf.org/~/media/PDFs/Eco-schools/

Eco-SchoolsUSA%20EnviroReview12-7-15EditsUPDATED.pdf). The Environmental Review 

Checklist asks students to collect data on energy usage, water usage, climate change, global dimensions, transportation, school grounds, consumption and waste, healthy living, sustainable food, 

biodiversity, and healthy school. Students worked in small groups to survey classrooms, observing 

energy use and using tools such as Kill O Watt Monitors to collect data on energy consumption. 

They interviewed students and teachers about different habits with questions such as, “At what 

temperature do you keep your thermostat?” and “Do you use a reusable water bottle?” In addition, 

students learned about energy and saving energy from the National Energy Education Development 

Project (NEED) resources (need.org/content.asp?contentid=197). I used pre and post surveys to 

determine growth in climate literacy, student agency, and collaboration and communication skills.

Based on issues identified through their research, students created problem statements, brainstormed solutions, quickly prototyped solutions, and received feedback on the solutions from their 

peers. Examples of solutions included paper towel dispenser reminder stickers and videos to remind 

students to not waste paper towels. Reminders (such as door magnets to draw attention to turning 

lights off when leaving the room and closing the door when the heat or AC was on) were popular 

solutions. Check out the Eco Workshop slide deck (bit.ly/eco_slide) for the process used.

Students Identified the Challenges

After discussing the problem statements and solutions, students at the Eco Workshop picked three 

main areas the school should focus on for the school year—energy, waste reduction, and ocean 

literacy—creating two design challenges: 1) How might we reduce energy consumption at BCS so that BCS 

lessens its carbon footprint? and 2) How might we reduce waste production so that BCS lessens its impact on 

the local natural environment and the ocean (and its animals)? They created an action plan that included 

educating other students about the importance of energy reduction and its tie to climate change. 

Since Bullis is a K-8 school, students focused on activities that would be appropriate for all ages, 

adhering to the idea of “no gloom and doom before 4th grade.” With this in mind, they decided 

that the school should create an Eco Super Hero program celebrating energy and waste reduction 

habits and a Turtle Camp to teach K-1 students about recycling, waste, and the ocean.

Student-created action plan in hand, I offered an elective class for 4th and 5th graders focused on 

creating solutions to the two questions from the Eco Workshop. To measure the effectiveness of 
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© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

my stewardship project, students in the elective class, called Blue Crew, participated in pre and post 

surveys about their knowledge of climate change and marine debris and changes in behavior. 

Because of the interconnectedness of the environment, many of the topics tackled by students in 

this class included activities that were also part of other grant initiatives such as National Marine 

Sanctuaries Ocean Guardians program and a Monterey Bay Aquarium Ocean Plastic Pollution 

Action Plan Proposal (marine debris and single-use plastic reduction) and Green Up Our Schools 

(recycling efforts). 

Table 1. Performance Expectations addressed by the Stewardship Project

Connections to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013):

Grade K-2: K-ESS3-3 Earth and Human Activity

Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or 

other living things in the local environment.

Grade 4: 4-ESS3-1 Earth and Human Activity

Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural 

resources and their uses affect the environment.

Grade 5: 5-ESS3-1 Earth and Human Activity

Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to 

protect the Earth’s resources and environment. 

Before designing and implementing ideas from the Eco summit, Blue Crew students learned about 

energy, marine debris, and human impact through activities from 

Talking Trash and Taking Action (Ocean Conservancy & NOAA Marine 

Debris) and NEED’s (National Energy Education Development Project) 

All about Trash, Using and Saving Energy, and Primary Energy Info Book

(resources shared as part of the NOAA Climate Steward Education 

Project). Once students had a basic understanding of climate science 

and ocean literacy, they selected topics to work on including recycling, 

reduction of energy use, no waste lunches, elimination of single-use 

plastic (especially single-use water bottles), reduction of marine debris, 

and creating Eco Super Hero cards. Each group created an action plan to 

implement their topic, taking notes on shared Google docs. Check out 

the Eco Super Hero doc for an example of the student action plans and 

directions.

The Eco Super Hero group created three K-2 super heroes and three 

super heroes for students in grades 3-5. Each super hero had specific 

“green” traits (such as focusing on recycling) and students who could 

verbally identify behaviors they shared were given the trading card of 

that super hero. See Figure 1 for a poster with all the Eco Super Heroes. 

To encourage students to exhibit these behaviors, the group created 

competitions between the classes to see which class received the most 

trading cards (and thus had the most eco-friendly students). I was lucky 

enough to receive funds for the trading cards and prizes the NOAA 

Climate Stewards Education Project. Figure 1. Poster showing the six Eco Super Heros that students 

created to encourage the reduction of waste, the reduction of energy 

usage, and saving of water
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© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

To check out some of the items created 

by the Eco Super Hero group, click on 

the following: Eco Super Hero Kinder 

Presentation (intended to be shown by a 

kindergarten teacher who would record the 

number of students who raised their hands), 

Eco Super Hero iBook link, and Eco Super 

Hero Ads. 

In addition, the Blue Crew students 

designed a turtle camp for all kindergarten 

and 1st grade students focusing on teaching 

the younger students about marine debris, 

reducing plastic usage, and leatherback sea 

turtles through a Turtle Camp Coloring 

Book (A Turtle Story) and Turtle Camp 

Rotations.

Evaluation

All of the activities implemented showed 

positive impact on student behavior and 

choice. For example, the usage of single-use 

water bottles declined in all grade levels 

between September, when the pre-project 

data was collected, and April, after the 

project was completed (Figure 3). 

The biggest impact of implementation 

was on students saving water (Figure 4). 

The next greatest impact was on reducing 

waste and the least impact was on reducing 

energy use.

Figure 4. Percentage of students by grade level who indicated they reduced waste, reduced energy 

usage, and saved water

Figure 2a/b. The first two pages of “A Leatherback Turtle Story” written by first graders

Figure 3. The number of students using water bottles in September compared to April across grades 

kindergarten through five
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© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Conclusion

My goal of creating a stewardship project that provided opportunities for student leadership, 

student choice, and learning how to be a climate literate person was realized during this NOAA 

Climate Stewards year-long project. Students who attended the Eco Workshop or who part of the 

Blue Crew class were able to articulate what climate science was as well as the connections between 

human activity and the climate and felt like they had the tools to continue to make a difference in 

mitigating future impact.

References

NGSS Lead States. (2013). Next Generation Science Standards: For states, by states. Washington, DC: The National 

Academies Press.

(2009). Climate literacy: the essential principles of climate sciences: a guide for individuals and communities. Washington, 

DC: U.S. Global Change Research Program/Climate Change Science Program.

About the Author

Jessica Lura works at Bullis Charter School, a K-8 public charter school in California. A National Board

Teacher and Google Certified Innovator, she has taught both elementary and middle school including first, 

second, third, and eighth grade. She can be reached at msjlura@gmail.c
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Abstract 

A priority for climate change educators is to present evidence-based information while 

promoting students’ positive engagement. A crucial avenue towards achieving these goals 

is to combine classroom activities with opportunities for students’ active engagement with 

sustainable solutions through individual and collaborative action projects. The present 

article describes Science, Camera, Action! (SCA), a fifteen-week after-school program carried 

out with fourth- to seventh-graders. SCA’s Science component used interactive activities 

to demonstrate the interrelationships between Earth’s changing climate, ecosystems, and 

sustainable actions within communities. Photovoice, SCA’s Camera component, involved 

the use of digital photography to explore youths’ climate change perspectives and to identify opportunities for their active engagement. Finally, SCA’s Action component aimed to 

cultivate youth potential as agents of change in their families and communities through 

the development and implementation of youth-led action projects. Action projects 

included local policy advocacy, a tree-planting campaign, a photo gallery opening, development of a website, and the establishment of a Boys and Girls Club community garden. 

Following the program, participants demonstrated increased climate change knowledge, 

improved pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors, and an enhanced sense of agency to 

positively impact the environment. They also gained a deeper appreciation for science (e.g., 

in school, careers, and society) and reported increased interest, confidence, and performance in school science.

Introduction 

In the U.S., there is widespread public support for educating young people about climate change. A 

recent nationally representative study found that a large majority (78%) of U.S. adults believe that 

the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to global warming should be taught to children 

in schools (Leiserowitz, Maibach, Roser-Renouf, Rosenthal, & Cutler, 2017). So far, eighteen states—

representing more than 35% of U.S. students—require climate change to be taught in the classroom 

through adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards for K-12 STEM (science, technology, 

engineering, and mathematics) education (National Science Teachers Association, 2017). Moreover, 

nearly 75% of public school science teachers report devoting classroom time to climate change, 

Photovoice for Children’s 

Climate Change Engagement: 

Using Digital Photography to 

Bridge Knowledge and Action 

Carlie D. Trott, Assistant Professor, 

Social and Community Psychology, 

University of Cincinnati
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© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

indicating that most students are likely to encounter climate change at some point in their education (Plutzer et al., 2016).

A concern among teachers is the “doom and gloom” nature of the problem, and the need for activities that inspire and empower students (Plutzer et al., 2016). An important avenue for cultivating 

students’ sense of agency is to offer opportunities for their active engagement. Social science 

research has consistently found that knowledge alone does not motivate action (Chawla, 2009), but 

that action is indeed a powerful antidote to negative emotions (Spence & Pidgeon, 2009). In the 

context of climate change, strengthening students’ action competence involves presenting sustainable solutions at both personal and societal levels (Jensen & Schnack, 2006), and ideally, offering 

opportunities for individual and collaborative action. This article describes a novel after-school 

program, conducted as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) 

Climate Stewards Education Project, that used digital photography to bridge children’s climate 

change knowledge with youth-led action projects for environmental sustainability.

Science, Camera, Action!: Program Components and 

Implementation 

Science, Camera, Action! (SCA) was a fifteen-week after-school program that combined interactive climate change education with digital photography to empower youth to act as agents of 

sustainable change within their families and communities. SCA was carried out with 55 fourth- to 

seventh-graders across three Boys and Girls Clubs in Northern Colorado. Program content was 

framed by the ‘Head, Hands, and Heart’ model for sustainability education (Sipos, Battisti, & 

Grimm, 2008), and its process was guided by photovoice methodology for purposes of science 

learning, placed-based inquiry and connection, and youth-led participatory action (Cook, 2015). 

Science: Making the Invisible Visible through Hands-on Activities 

SCA’s Science component consisted of six, hour-long, hands-on activities to demonstrate the 

interrelationships between Earth’s changing climate, ecosystems, and sustainable actions within 

communities (see Table 1). Educational program content explored the scientific and social dimensions of climate change under the theme “Making the Invisible Visible,” while providing a platform 

In late 2017 the NOAA 

Climate Stewards Education 

Project changed its title to 

the NOAA Planet Stewards 

Education Project

Table 1. Science, Camera, Action! (SCA) Program Overview

Week Component Topic Activity

1 N/A Introduction Gallery Walk

2 S Ecosystems Weaving the Web 

3 S Climate vs. Weather Climate and Weather with Skittle

4 C Photovoice #1 Photo-printing and Discussion - Topics 1-2

5 S The Greenhouse Effect Greenhouse Gas Tag

6 S Climate Change & Ecosystems Oh Deer! & Glaciers: Then & Now

7 C Photovoice #2 Photo-printing and Discussion - Topics 3-4

8 S Sustainable Solutions #1: Energy & Waste Energy Bingo & Carbon Footprint Contest

9 S Sustainable Solutions #2: Teamwork & Leadership Young Voices for the Planet Videos

10 C Photovoice #3 Photo-printing and Discussion - Topics 5-6

11-15 A Action Projects Various

Note. S = Science: Educational activity; C = Camera: Photovoice process; A = Action: Collaborative action project. Each science activity was paired with a 

photovoice prompt. For example, following “Weaving the Web,” participants were asked to find evidence of ecosystems in their own lives; “This week, we 

thought about how people, plants, and animals depend on one another for survival. In your own life, what examples of this can you find? What does this 

make you think about? How does it make you feel? Take a few photos of these ideas.” Photovoice sessions followed each pair of SCA activities. 
Page 22 The Earth Scientist

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Figure 1. Students’ brainstorm their ideas about climate change using 

the Gallery Walk method

for youth to take informed action on learned concepts (see 

Figure 1). Descriptions of each activity are available online (Trott, 

2017).1 In the framework of ‘Head, Hands, and Heart,’ the science 

component of SCA emphasized critical and systems thinking 

(“Head”) through interactive activities to enhance climate change 

knowledge. SCA’s Science component also introduced participants to various STEM disciplines (e.g., ecology, climatology), with 

particular emphasis on how STEM careers can make a difference in 

people’s lives. 

Camera: Bringing it Down to Earth through 

Photovoice Process 

Following each science activity, participants used digital cameras 

in a process called “photovoice” (Hergenrather, Rhodes, Cowan, 

Bardhoshi, & Pula, 2009). Specifically, participants were asked to 

photograph images conveying their thoughts and feelings about 

program topics (see Figure 2). Subsequently, participants engaged in group 

discussions about the content and meaning of their photographs. During each 

of three photovoice sessions, participants were encouraged to narrate their 

photos and reflect on what they learned, while also making connections between 

their own and others’ photographs and experiences. The final step in photovoice 

involved identifying common themes discussed during photovoice sessions and 

translating themes into action plans (Trott, 2017).

The main goals of photovoice methodology are to enable participants to record 

and reflect community strengths and concerns, to promote critical and reflexive 

group dialogue on important issues using photographs, and to promote social 

change (Wang et al., 2004). Although photovoice has traditionally been used 

as a participatory action research method, it has also been developed as a pedagogical technique, connecting students to science and empowering them to 

make improvements to the environmental conditions of their communities 

(e.g., Schell, Ferguson, Hamoline, Shea, & Thomas-Maclean, 2009). According to 

Cook and Quigley (2013):

Applied as a pedagogical tool in science education, photovoice puts cameras 

into the hands of students in order to document and address scientific issues 

from their position and point-of-view. This technique offers students new 

and reflective ways to perceive their own world and the science around them, 

as well as the potential to generate change in their own community. (p. 340)

In the framework of ‘Head, Hands, and Heart,’ the photovoice method encouraged participants to 

experience connection (“Heart”) to their surroundings through greater awareness of the interconnectedness of the natural world. Moreover, photovoice was intended to facilitate youths’ ability 

to make connections between their own lives and SCA’s science content, simultaneously making 

abstract science concepts more concrete as well as personally relevant. 

1 Additional information about program content is available online at sciencecameraaction.com. For additional materials or questions 

about implementation, please contact the author directly.

Figure 2. Participants’ take photographs to connect 

climate change topics to real-world experiences
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© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Action: Putting Ideas into Motion through Individual and Collaborative 

Action Projects 

In the final phase of SCA, participants contributed to sustainable change in their families and 

communities by: (1) Developing family action plans to promote engagement in small-scale, everyday 

sustainable solutions, and (2) Designing and carrying out a larger collaborative action project

(Trott, 2019). In the latter, youth were supported in realizing their visions for a community-focused 

sustainability initiative. Both action projects were aimed to advance youth potential as agents of 

change. In the framework of ‘Head, Hands, and Heart,’ they each promoted youths’ active 

engagement (“Hands”) with learned concepts through everyday practices and innovative projects. 

Family Action Plans. Halfway through the program, participants estimated their carbon footprints 

by filling out a 20-item survey (Trott, 2017; 2019). Items focused on youths’ environmentallysignificant behaviors and were summed into a total number of pounds of carbon dioxide 

emissions per year associated with their daily routines. Carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) 

“scores” were then handed back, providing participants with individual-level recommendations 

for lowering their carbon footprint. Participants then developed and 

implemented family action plans to reduce their 

environmental impact. In the process, they were 

encouraged to take on a leadership role within 

their families, sharing knowledge and promoting 

sustainable actions in the areas of household 

energy use and waste. 

Collaborative Action Projects. In the final five weeks 

of SCA, participants translated their knowledge 

into collaborative action projects. After reflecting 

on themes derived from all photovoice sessions, 

participants engaged in a brainstorming and 

consensus process to formulate plans that were 

specific to their shared interests and goals (see 

Figure 3). The process of 

deciding on youth-led projects 

was open-ended, but bounded 

in terms of focus (i.e., climate 

change), time (i.e., five weeks), 

and funds (i.e., $500 or less). 

Action projects included 

local policy advocacy (i.e., a 

City Council presentation), 

a tree-planting campaign 

(see Figure 4), a “photovoice” 

gallery opening and program 

website to generate community 

interest and engagement with 

climate change solutions, and a 

community garden to provide 

local food to the Boys and Girls 

Club community (see Figure 5).

Figure 5. After clearing an overgrown lot on the property of their Boys 

and Girls Club, these participants planted more than one hundred fruit 

and vegetable plants and formed a “Garden Club” for summertime 

garden maintenance

Figure 4. Following their speech to City 

Council emphasizing the importance 

of local leadership to address climate 

change, these participants were granted 

permission to plant trees in public parks

Figure 3. Participants’ reflect on digital photography to generate plans for action
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Summary of 

Program Impacts 

The SCA program was evaluated using a mix 

of pre-post survey and post-program focus 

group methods. Selected program impacts 

are presented below. 

Climate Change Knowledge, Attitudes, and 

Behavior. Following the program, participants demonstrated increased knowledge of 

the scientific and social dimensions of the 

causes and consequences of climate change, 

as well as its solutions through human 

action. They also felt more informed on the 

issue, estimating their own knowledge to be 

greater following the program (see Figure 

6). Participants left the program with an 

increased sense of respect for nature, an 

enhanced sense of environmental responsibility, and a greater sense of urgency towards 

the need for climate change action. Finally, 

participants reported increased engagement 

in personal pro-environmental behaviors.

Sense of Agency. As participants reflected 

on the impact of SCA during focus groups, 

it was clear that the program strengthened 

their self-confidence in their abilities. Many 

left the program feeling informed, capable, 

and inspired to continue making a difference for the environment. Participants 

commonly described undergoing a perspective-shift that allowed them to view themselves, and young people in general, as 

competent and effective change agents in their families and communities. 

Science Engagement. Through SCA, participants gained a deeper appreciation for science (e.g., in school, careers, and society) and 

reported increased interest, participation, confidence, and performance in school science. Although most participants were already 

performing well in science class, many reported improved class grades (see Figure 7), Several participants said that learning about 

climate change made science more interesting. As one eleven-year-old described, “I didn’t really like [science] before, and I wasn’t 

interested in it. But now I know that you really need to know about it and you can’t just ignore the changes happening in 

the world.”

Figure 6. Pre-post program differences in self-estimated climate change knowledge

Figure 7. Pre-post program differences in self-reported science grades

Conclusion 

The immensity of the challenges to social systems and lifestyles that climate change presents is palpable in urgent calls for global 

transformation towards sustainability. Climate change educa-tion in both formal and informal contexts is a promising avenue 

for strengthening children’s role as knowledge-bearers and change agents for a sustainable future. Through SCA, youth 

participants role in the sustainable transformation of their families and communities.
Page 25

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

References

Chawla, L. (2009). Growing up green: Becoming an agent of care for the natural world. The Journal of 

Developmental Processes, 4(1), 6-23.

Cook, K. (2015). Grappling with wicked problems: Exploring photovoice as a decolonizing methodology in 

science education. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 10(3), 581-592. 

Cook, K., & Quigley, C. F. (2013). Connecting to our community: Utilizing photovoice as a pedagogical tool 

to connect college students to science. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 8(2), 

339-357.

Hergenrather, K. C., Rhodes, S. D., Cowan, C. A., Bardhoshi, G., & Pula, S. (2009). Photovoice as communitybased participatory research: A qualitative review. American Journal of Health Behavior, 33(6), 686-698. 

Jensen, B. B., & Schnack, K. (2006). The action competence approach in environmental education: Reprinted 

from Environmental Education Research (1997) 3(2), pp. 163–178. Environmental Education Research, 12(3-4), 

471-486. 

Plutzer, E., Hannah, A. L., Rosenau, J., McCaffrey, M. S., Berbeco, M., & Reid, A. H. (2016). Mixed messages: How 

climate is taught in America’s schools. Oakland, CA: National Center for Science Education. Retrieved from 

ncse.com/files/MixedMessages.pdf

National Science Teachers Association (2017). About the Next Generation Science Standards. Arlington, VA. 

Retrieved from ngss.nsta.org/About.aspx

Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C., Rosenthal, S., & Cutler, M. (2017). Climate change in the 

American mind: May 2017. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Retrieved 

from climatechangecommunication.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Climate-Change-AmericanMind-May-2017.pdf

Schell, K., Ferguson, A., Hamoline, R., Shea, J., & Thomas-Maclean, R. (2009). Photovoice as a teaching 

tool: Learning by doing with visual methods. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher 

Education, 21(3), 340-352.

Sipos, Y., Battisti, B., & Grimm, K. (2008). Achieving transformative sustainability learning: Engaging head, 

hands and heart. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 9(1), 68-86. 

Spence, A., & Pidgeon, N. (2009). Psychology, climate change & sustainable behaviour. Environment: Science and 

Policy for Sustainable Development, 51(6), 8-18. 

Trott, C. D. (2017). Engaging key stakeholders in climate change: A community-based project for youth-led participatory 

climate action (Doctoral dissertation). Available from Colorado State University Libraries. dspace.library.

colostate.edu/handle/10217/181349

Wang, C. C., Morrel-Samuels, S., Hutchison, P. M., Bell, L., & Pestronk, R. M. (2004). Flint photovoice: 

Community building among youths, adults, and policymakers. American Journal of Public Health, 94(6), 

911-913. 

About the Author

Dr. Carlie Trott is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of 

Cincinnati. Her research focuses on university-community partnerships for collaborative research and

action to advance social justice and environmental sustainability. She received her M.S. and Ph.D

Applied Social Psychology from Colorado State University (CSU). Previously, Carlie held a postdoctoral

research fellowship with CSU’s STEM Center. Carlie can be reached at carlie.trott@uc.ed

Trott, C. D. (2019). Reshaping our world: Collaboarting with children for community-based climate change 

action. Action Research 17(1), 42-62. doi:10.1177/1476750319829209
Page 26 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

While many of us assume that recycling is now entrenched in our 21st century culture, 

analyzing recycling bins in public places, such as schools, quickly dispels that notion. This 

article describes an action project completed by 5th grade students in New York State as 

they focused their attention on their school’s recycling bins and worked to increase recycling behavior in their school community. Students first collected photographic evidence 

of the use of recycling bins in classrooms and then used a variety of methods to educate 

fellow students on the importance of recycling. Two months later, they collected additional photographic evidence of bin use, and saw an increase in the number of bins used 

correctly. Students concluded that recycling behavior can be increased through education.

Introduction

To become a NOAA Climate Steward, I was asked to complete an action project that would involve 

my students taking steps towards mitigating climate change. In return, I would receive free professional development in climate science, funding for school projects and conference attendance, and 

support from climate experts at NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association). Little 

did I realize at the time of joining that I would continue on with the NOAA Climate Stewards 

Education Project, becoming a mentor to new members, and a continued presence in this powerful 

network of formal and informal educators who are working to get climate science into the schools, 

and engage children in environmental stewardship. 

For my action project I focused on recycling in my school. There are recycling bins throughout the 

building, but as is often the case, they were often not being used correctly. With that in mind, the 

stage was set for my students to discover the problem, educate themselves about recycling, and take 

action to affect change. As far as my students were concerned, the goal of our project was to see if 

our school community was recycling correctly. Once answered, the goal became to determine if it is 

possible to alter recycling behavior through education. Additionally, my goal was to introduce my 

students to basic scientific data gathering and methodology, and the art of effective dissemination, 

while heightening their own awareness of the importance of recycling. This project involved two 

classes of 5th graders but would have been just as effective in middle school or high school.

Recycling at School: 

An Action Project

Kottie Christie-Blick, 

South Orangetown Central 

School District, New York State

In late 2017 the NOAA 

Climate Stewards 

Education Project changed 

its title to the NOAA Planet 

Stewards Education 

Project
Page 27

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

As part of our Earth Science Unit (NGSS Earth and Human Activity), my students discussed ways in 

which humans impact Earth’s systems (ESS3.C). They brainstormed ways to reduce air pollution to 

mitigate climate change. They researched online (see Resources for a link to a list of child-friendly 

websites). And they visited the local recycling center, learning that it takes less energy to re-make 

an item out of plastic, glass, metal, or paper than it does to manufacture it from scratch. They 

concluded that recycling to help the environment was a no-brainer. That led them to wonder: Is our 

own school community disposing of trash properly, that is, in an environmentally friendly way? Are the school’s 

recycling bins being used correctly so items can be recycled? 

My students set out to find the answer. Once they determined that the bins were often not used 

correctly, they worked to alter the community’s behavior. The aim was to increase the recycling 

behavior of the community. They looked at trash in each type of bin (trash bin or recycling bin) as 

proxy evidence for recycling behavior. They gathered baseline data, worked to educate the school 

community, and then collected additional data to see if the bins were now being used correctly 

more often.

Methods

My students collected baseline data by photographing classroom trash bins and recycling bins in random classrooms around the school. This was done once a week, at the 

end of the school day, for three weeks. I had emailed all the teachers ahead of time, 

letting them know that my students would be photographing bins as part of a class 

project. I asked them not to discuss it with their own students yet. If their students 

asked, they would just tell them it was for a project for one of the other classes. I 

assured teachers that we were not interested in any individual’s results, and that there 

would be no identifying features in the photographs. We were only interested in the 

aggregate results. Students took one photo of each bin in each classroom, pointing 

the camera straight down into the bin (Figure 1). They did not photograph any bins 

that were empty. 

My students analyzed this photographic evidence at the end of three weeks. I 

projected each photograph on the Smartboard. We could distinguish bins by their 

color. All paper recycling bins in our school are blue; all hard, plastic recycling bins 

are green; all trash bins are grey or black. The children tallied all bins that had correct 

items in them: only paper products in the paper bin, only hard, plastic bottles (with 

no water in them) in the plastic bin, only non-recyclables in the trash bin. If there 

was even one incorrect item in the container, the tally mark went into the column 

showing that it was not being used correctly.

We discovered that out of 50 usable photos (some were so blurry that they were unusable), 14 pictures showed the bins had been used correctly (paper in the paper bin, 

empty plastic bottles in the bottle bin, garbage in the trash bin). That meant that only 28% of the 

bins were being used correctly on a typical school day. While analyzing the photos, it became clear 

that even my science students were confused about the correct use of recycling bins. Common 

misconceptions: it’s alright to put partially filled drink containers in the plastic recycling bin if the 

lids are on; tissues and paper towels go in the paper recycling bin; paper plates with food on them 

go in the paper recycling bin. 

Using this as our baseline data, the students brainstormed ways to increase recycling at school. They 

hypothesized that if students were taught how to recycle properly, and understood the importance 

of recycling, they’d dispose of their trash properly (in an environmentally friendly way) at school. 

Figure 1. Student gathers photographic evidence 

to determine if the recycling bin is being used 

correctly
Page 28 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Brainstorming and planning during science 

class, and after school on their own, the 

children came up with a number of ways 

to help educate the student community 

about recycling. They designed posters, 

which they mounted in the school hallways (Figure 2). They wrote “Public Service 

Announcements,” reminding students to 

recycle properly. Individuals read these 

over the intercom to the entire school 

once a week for two months. They talked 

to students around the school about the 

importance of recycling. They created 

amusing, educational skits about recycling properly, which they performed at a 

school-wide assembly. They had a family 

member photograph them at home recycling 

and performing other actions that would 

demonstrate environmental stewardship. Parents emailed the photographs to me, and I uploaded 

them to make Animoto videos, one for each of my two science classes. (See Resources.) The videos 

were also shown at the assembly. Our goal was to educate the student community about recycling, 

while also adding a bit of societal pressure, making concern for the environment seem cool, and 

recycling the right thing to do. Children have the ability to achieve this in a way that is unattainable 

by adult presenters.

Results

Two months later, my students again photographed bins around the school 

for three weeks, accumulating another fifty usable photographs of classroom 

bins. Did their actions make a difference? Did they affect change in the recycling behavior of our school community? Analyzing the photographs, the 

students tallied the number of bins that had been used correctly, and those 

used incorrectly. The criterion was the same: if even one piece of trash in the 

bin was inappropriate for that bin, the children had to consider the bin used 

incorrectly. This time, out of 50 photos, 26 showed the bins had been used 

correctly; 24 incorrectly. That is, 52% of the bins were used correctly, up from 

28% before the students’ recycling campaign (Figure 3).

Discussion

We celebrated that there had been a marked increase in correct recycling at 

school. At the outset of this action project, we had hoped that after educating 

the school community there would be close to 100% of the trash bins and 

recycling bins used correctly. While we were disappointed that the results 

indicated only 52% were being used correctly after our education campaign, 

we concluded that the evidence of change from 28% to 52% of bins used correctly showed that my 

students’ dissemination of information, and their acting as role models of environmental stewardship, had significantly increased the recycling behavior of our school community. 

Anecdotal evidence also showed that my own science classes developed an appreciation for the 

scientific methodology. They were able to explain the need for quantifying information in order to 

Figure 2. Students created posters to hang in the school hallways to encourage recycling

Figure 3: After educating the school community, 52% of the 

trash and recycling bins were used correctly, compared with 

only 28% used correctly before the start of our recycling 

action project
Page 29

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

measure change. They demonstrated an understanding of the importance of recycling. In class, they 

discussed what they saw in bins around the school, expressed their dismay at egregious offenses 

against responsible disposal of waste, and excitedly planned creative ways to educate the community. They also, voluntarily, worked on posters, skits, and an Animoto video outside of class time. 

Additionally, their own heightened awareness of the importance of recycling meant that my own 

classroom recycling bins were now being used properly by students every day.

Class discussion provided insights into probable reasons why there wasn’t higher compliance of 

correct waste disposal. We concluded that habits are difficult to break, especially one that is as automatic as throwing away a piece of trash. However, measuring positive change in behavior during the 

limited time of our action project suggests that additional repeated encounters with the recycling 

message and societal pressure would yield additional increases in recycling behavior. This was a simple 

action project designed for elementary students in the 5th grade. I would welcome information from 

middle school and high school teachers who replicate this project with older students in a larger 

school, and, if possible, over a larger period of time with more recycling education for the students.

Note that we did not count or weigh the recyclables, as has been done in other action projects 

involving students. That data would be irrelevant to this study. We were not looking to generate 

more recyclable trash, nor less garbage. Our goal was to have people categorize their waste correctly, 

no matter how much or how little, so they would become conscientious recyclers at school. People 

don’t like to think of themselves as being hypocritical, so there’s reason to think that if they understand the importance of recycling to the degree that they actually recycle correctly at school, they 

will also recycle at home.

Conclusion

I once attended a presentation by Alan Alda, early in life a famous actor (think M.A.S.H.), and now, 

later in life, a famous communicator of science to the general public. In his talk, “Getting Beyond a 

Blind Date with Science,” (Columbia University, May 6, 2015), he explained that getting the public to 

appreciate science is like dating. There are three stages: attraction, infatuation, and then commitment. 

To get children to appreciate the importance of environmental science and the need for stewardship, 

first we need to attract them to the topic, next help them become infatuated with the concept of 

helping the planet, and then, with continued exposure, will come personal responsibility. 

Acknowledgements

I’m grateful to NOAA’s Climate Stewards program for the professional development they offer, 

as well as for the opportunities they afford teachers as we work together to get climate science 

into schools.

Resources

NASA Climate Kids: climatekids.nasa.gov/

NOAA Planet Stewards Education Project: oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/planet-stewards/

National Geographic: natgeokids.com/uk/discover/geography/general-geography/what-is-climate-change/

The Climate Reality Project: climaterealityproject.org/blog/

just-kids-what-climate-change-and-what-can-i-do

Kids Against Climate Change: kidsagainstclimatechange.com/

Animoto video: animoto.com/play/jr1fazm1aPgrObEFuMXL1Q

Reference

NGSS Lead States. (2013). Next Generation Science Standards: For states, by states. Washington, DC: The 

National Academies Press.

About the Author

Kottie Christie-Blick is 

a teacher in the South 

Orangetown Central School 

District in New York State

She is also an educational 

consultant who specializes 

in teaching educators how 

to teach about climate 

change. She is the creator

of the children’s blog 

kidsagainstclimatechange

com. She is a NOAA Climate

Stewards Educator and a 

Distinguished Fulbright Teacher

Kottie can be reached at 

kchristieblick@socsd.or
Page 30 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

There are many resources available to educators to assist in discussing marine debris 

with their classes and encouraging students to realize the connection they have with this 

massive pollution problem. The Washed Ashore Integrated Arts Marine Debris Curriculum does 

this through educating and communicating about marine debris through the arts. The 

Marine Debris Monitoring Toolkit for Educators helps students learn about this topic through 

marine debris surveys, data collection, analysis, and outreach. Both resources present the 

marine debris issue to students in a relatable way and assist teachers with tackling this 

subject in their classrooms.

Introduction

Marine debris is one of the most widespread pollution problems facing our ocean and waterways 

today (Figure 1). This issue of solid, man-made materials in the ocean or Great Lakes is a global 

one that leaves no part of the world untouched by debris and its impacts. Any man-made item can 

become marine debris, from small microplastics all the 

way to large abandoned and derelict vessels. The negative effects of debris can range from damage to habitats 

and ingestion by or entanglement of marine animals, to 

economic losses, threats to navigation safety, and impacts 

to human health. 

Marine debris originates from a variety of sources, both 

from land and sea, but is a completely human-caused 

problem. Preventing items from becoming debris in the 

first place is the ultimate solution to this widespread issue 

and is achieved through marine debris education and 

outreach. Involving youth in marine debris solutions and 

encouraging students to form connections to their natural 

world is an important first step toward addressing the 

problem and moving toward a debris-free future. Enabling 

Marine Debris Tools 

for Educators: 

Making the Connection 

Between Us and Debris

Krista Stegemann, New York Sea Grant, Ocean & Marine 

Outreach Coordinator for New York Ocean Action Plan

Figure 1. Marine debris is one of the most widespread pollution problems facing our 

ocean. Photo Credit: NOA
Page 31

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

children to make the connection between their lives and habits and 

marine debris can help make this issue more relatable and emphasize 

the importance of every person’s efforts.

There are several resources available to educators to achieve this goal 

of connecting students with environmental issues like marine debris. 

The Washed Ashore Integrated Arts Marine Debris Curriculum and the Marine 

Debris Monitoring Toolkit for Educators are just two examples. These two 

resources work to foster students’ realization of their connection to the 

marine debris problem through lessons, activities, art, and marine debris 

surveying.

Washed Ashore Integrated Arts Marine Debris Curriculum

The Integrated Arts Marine Debris Curriculum, developed by the Washed Ashore Project and funded by the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, is composed 

of lessons and activities to educate students about marine debris and encourage behavior change 

as part of the solution. Building off the Washed Ashore Project, which raises awareness about marine 

debris through the creation of large and captivating marine debris sculptures, this curriculum takes 

the next step to target behavior change in students. 

Released in 2017, this curriculum is composed of twelve lessons, each about 45-minutes long, as 

well as three additional extension lessons. Each lesson focuses on a different topic area related to 

marine debris, including color and emotion, plastic, how long substances can last in the environment, where trash goes, the connection between people and debris, single-use plastics, packaging, 

and the use of the arts to communicate about marine debris. Throughout the course of the curriculum, students work to create their own marine debris artwork and participate in activities to help 

them visualize the connection between themselves, the waste they produce, and marine debris. 

As students create their own marine debris art, they are working to demonstrate our throw-away 

culture and the alternatives to such behavior. By the end of the final lesson, students have created a 

large plastic mask art piece, representing our throw-away lifestyles and how they have contributed 

to the marine debris problem we face today, as well as an “eco mask” to represent the alternatives to 

these habits which can help to prevent debris at its source (Figure 2). To complete the curriculum 

and the creation of these masks, several supplies are needed, including many plastic single-use items 

and packaging, other pieces of common household 

trash, wire, paper clips, glue, caulk, scissors, pliers, 

and wire cutters. A full supply list can be found 

along with the curriculum at http://washedashore.

org/iamdc

In addition to the creation of art pieces to communicate the marine debris issue, students also 

partake in several activities specifically designed to 

foster the realization of our connection to marine 

debris. One such activity, found within Lesson 7 

of the curriculum, focuses on teambuilding and 

reinforcing the concepts that we are all connected 

and that there is no “away” when we throw our 

trash “away.” Using a partition between two 

teams, each with a pile of trash in front of them, 

Marine debris is legally defined as “any persistent solid 

material that is manufactured or processed and directly or 

indirectly, intentionally, or unintentionally, disposed of or 

abandoned into the marine environment of the Great Lakes.”

— Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act 

(33 U.S.C. 1951-1958 (200

Figure 2. Masks created by a class in Bandon, Oregon, during a pilot of the Integrated Arts 

Marine Debris Curriculum. Photo Credit: Washed Ashor
Page 32 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

students are instructed that the team with the cleanest side will win the game. No other instruction 

is given. Since this is a teambuilding exercise that is designed for students to come to conclusions 

on their own, very little instruction is given throughout the course of the activity. Students spend 

the next few minutes cleaning their side of the partition by tossing trash to the other side. When 

their time is up, they realize that their area is still just as dirty as it was, since as they were tossing 

their trash, items were coming at them from the opposite side as well. After a few rounds with time 

for strategizing in between, students realize that the only way to keep their side clean is by taking 

responsibility for their trash, picking it up, and holding it in their arms, effectively cleaning the 

floor on their side of the partition. This leads to a discussion about how we are all connected by the 

ocean, and how we have to be responsible for our trash, which never goes “away”—realizations that 

the students have arrived at themselves.

Although this curriculum is designed to be presented in its entirety and is aligned with national 

standards focused on fourth through sixth grade students, the lessons and activities, such as the 

example given above, are still able to stand alone and can be modified for any grade level. The curriculum is unique in focusing on communicating about marine debris through the language of the 

arts and incorporates the subjects of art, science, language arts, and social studies. 

Connections to the Next Generation 

Science Standards

The Integrated Arts Marine Debris Curriculum is 

informed by the most accurate NOAA science and 

utilizes the Next Generation Science Standards 

augmented by the Essential Principles of Ocean 

Literacy Campaign, Principle 6: The Ocean and 

Humans are Inextricably Interconnected (Table 1). 

Marine Debris Monitoring Toolkit 

for Educators

Similarly, the Marine Debris Monitoring Toolkit 

for Educators is designed to enable students to 

see the connection between themselves and 

marine debris (Figure 3). Created through the 

collaborative efforts of the NOAA Office of 

National Sanctuaries and the NOAA Marine 

Debris Program, this toolkit works to adapt the 

pre-existing Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) for use by teachers and 

students. The MDMAP is a robust citizen science initiative that engages volunteers around the 

country in surveying for marine debris and recording what they find. Each volunteer selects a local 

shoreline monitoring site that they return to monthly for this purpose, submitting their results to 

a national database. Using this Toolkit, educators can involve their class in this data collection. This 

includes submitting their data into the same national database, where they can also have access to 

others’ datasets, including those collected by other classes.

Only recently released for use, the Toolkit targets middle to high school students and simplifies 

the rigorous MDMAP citizen science initiative, including references to all the resources needed 

to make marine debris monitoring work for a class. It is comprised of four sections—teacher 

resources, guidelines for data collection, guidelines for data analysis, and community engagement 

and outreach. These are designed to lead a class through the process of learning about the subject, 

Table 1. Grade 5 to 8 Next Generation Science Standards addressed in 

the Integrated Arts Marine Debris Curriculum

Performance Expectations

5-PS1-1. Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen

5-LS2-1. Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, 

decomposers, and the environment

5-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science 

ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment

MS-PS1-3. Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come 

from natural resources and impact society

MS-LS2-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource 

availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem

MS-ESS2-6. Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the 

Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates

MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a 

human impact on the environment

MS-ESS3-4. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human 

population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems
Page 33

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

collecting marine debris data and analyzing it, and reaching out to the local 

community to help prevent debris. The Toolkit includes a PowerPoint presentation to introduce classes to the subject of marine debris, the necessary 

datasheets, and a supply list, which lists items such as survey flags, measuring 

tape, gloves, bags, and other items needed for completing marine debris 

surveys. 

Students are able to connect to the marine debris issue by seeing first-hand 

the kind of debris that is in their local area. By considering where this debris 

might come from and analyzing their data, they can strategize about their 

outreach and messaging approach to target debris most effectively. This 

not only helps to make the connection between people and debris, but to 

encourage a sense of empowerment and responsibility within students. 

For instance, students from the Goleta Family School in Santa Barbara, 

California, observed plastic wrappers from toothpicks and mints at their local 

beach over multiple months. After evaluating where this debris was coming 

from, they were able to approach a local beachfront restaurant owner to ask 

for individually-wrapped toothpicks and mints to stop being served. With 

a monitoring program such as that outlined within the Toolkit, students are 

then able to observe any changes to debris as a result of their efforts. 

Tools in Use

The Washed Ashore Integrated Arts Marine Debris Curriculum and the Marine 

Debris Monitoring Toolkit for Educators have proven to be useful resources 

for connecting students to the marine debris issue. Responses from 

students and teachers have been positive to both resources. 

The Washed Ashore Integrated Arts Marine Debris Curriculum, launched 

in early 2017, was first piloted in schools in Bandon, Oregon, home 

to the Washed Ashore Program. Following the successful pilot and 

launch of the curriculum, NOAA has used portions of the curriculum as stand-alone resources, particularly the tossing trash activity 

previously described. This activity was used with middle school 

students on several occasions, with students performing exactly as 

prescribed and arriving at the intended conclusions. The Marine 

Debris Monitoring Toolkit for Educators, has been reviewed, piloted, 

revised, and is now in use by many educators.

Both the Washed Ashore Integrated Arts Marine Debris Curriculum and 

the Marine Debris Monitoring Toolkit for Educators can be accessed and 

downloaded free of charge. These resources can be used as a complete 

program as they were intended or can be broken into smaller segments. 

The Washed Ashore Curriculum is designed for middle school students, 

although the lessons and activities have been found useful for all ages 

and can be easily adapted if needed. The Monitoring Toolkit is targeted 

toward middle and high school students but may be adapted and the 

resources used for younger students as well. 

These and other marine debris educational materials can be found at 

the NOAA Marine Debris Program website: marinedebris.noaa.gov/

Figure 3. The Monitoring Toolkit for Educators simplifies 

the robust Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment 

Project citizen science initiative and is available free of 

charge. Photo Credit: NOA

If you still feel that the Marine 

Debris Monitoring Toolkit for 

Educators is too much for 

your class, you can still get 

involved with monitoring debris 

and recording your data. Use

the Marine Debris Tracker app 

(marinedebris.engr.uga.edu/) 

record what you find and add data 

to a national database

Figure 4. Marine 

Debris Tracker App

Photo Credit: NOAA

About the Author

Krista Stegemann is the Ocean & Marine Outreach 

Coordinator with New York Sea Grant in Stony Brook, NY

She previously worked as the Education & Communication 

Specialist with the NOAA Marine Debris Program. Krista

has a background in both marine biology and education, 

with B.S. and M.S. degrees in marine biology from 

University of New Hampshire and James Cook University, 

respectively, as well as previous experience as the founding 

fifth-grade science teacher at an inner-city charter 

school in Little Rock, Arkansas. She can be reached at

krista.e.stegemann@noaa.
Page 34 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

The marine environment holds important knowledge through lessons in science, 

literature, and social studies providing opportunities for place-based observations and 

investigations exploring natural and cultural connections. Ecosystem Pen Pals is a cultural 

and natural history exchange program that brings together students from different 

regions in the Pacific Rim – the Hawaiian Islands, American Samoa, and the western coast 

of Washington State. Through sharing of common ideas among indigenous communities across the Pacific, this project connects students who study and research in parallel 

about their local natural environment and cultural community. Through this connection across geographic boundaries, students from different cultures can strengthen their 

understanding of global marine issues, particularly around shared concerns about climate 

change and ocean acidification, and their impacts on fisheries, economy, and culture.

Introduction

National marine sanctuaries are a network of underwater parks 

encompassing more than 600,000 square miles of marine and Great 

Lakes environments. This network, managed under NOAA’s Office 

of National Marine Sanctuaries and made up of 13 national marine 

sanctuaries and Papah ̄anaumoku ̄akea and Rose Atoll marine national 

monuments, works to protect America’s most iconic natural and 

cultural marine resources. Within these waters, whales breed and bear 

young, corals flourish, and shipwrecks tell stories of our marine history. 

Sanctuary habitats include beautiful coral reefs, lush kelp forests, 

intertidal zones teeming with life, spectacular deep-sea canyons, and 

underwater archaeological sites (Figure 1). Sanctuaries across the nation 

offer natural outdoor classrooms where students can engage in placebased inquiry driven investigations enhancing their understanding of 

our changing ocean environment and the potential impacts on local and 

global marine resources. 

Ecosystem Pen Pals: 

Connecting Indigenous Fishing Communities 

through National Marine Sanctuaries

Nicole Harris, NOAA Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, and 

Karen Matsumoto, Climate Change and Environmental Science Educator, 

Suquamish Tribe

Figure 1. A sea star on the shore of the Channel Islands National 

Marine Sanctuary. Credit: Ellie Burck, Ocean for Life, NOA
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© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Indigenous communities around the Pacific Rim have depended on the marine environment for 

millennia, utilizing the ocean for food, transportation, and economy. Unfortunately, our changing 

ocean and climate, disproportionately influences indigenous communities. Their culture and 

economies are some of the most vulnerable to climate related catastrophes (Grossman and Parker, 

2012). Research shows that providing culturally relevant education creates opportunities for indigenous students to use traditional knowledge in combination with Western science to broaden the 

knowledge base for thinking and acting critically in the world, and in understanding particular 

environmental problems (Chinn, 2011). Combining indigenous learning systems and Western 

science give students insights into regional ecology, which supports the link between conservation 

of biodiversity and conservation of cultural diversity. 

Ecosystem Pen Pals is a cultural and natural history exchange 

program, using pen pal exchange as a learning tool to bring 

together students from different regions in the Pacific Rim 

– the Hawaiian Islands, American Samoa, and the western 

coast of Washington State. Sharing common ideas, values, 

and traditional ways of knowing, students investigate 

community and marine health through culturally significant 

resources and habitats, fostering support for marine conservation while facilitating cultural themed written exchanges 

between students. The school-year long program encourages 

cross-cultural understanding and promotes personal relationships between indigenous students facing similar issues 

in regard to fisheries, food sovereignty, and environmental 

change due to global climate change and ocean acidification 

(Figure 2). 

The Lessons

Students are paired up and begin a pen pal correspondence 

with students at a partner school. Students are required to write a minimum of three letters to 

their pen pal. As part of the program students study and document their own natural ecosystem, 

producing a field guide or poster that they share with their pen pal, partner school across the 

Pacific. Students and their families also put together an “ecosystem suitcase” that they fill with 

natural and cultural artifacts to gift to their partner school. The program culminates with a teleconferenced and in-person symposium for sharing of challenges and solutions to our changing 

environment and the effect on indigenous ecosystems, culture, economy, and traditional ways of life 

life (See Table 1 for a suggested timeline for activities). Project components include:

1. Letter Writing Exchanges 

In conjunction with each of the three projects listed below, students write to an assigned pen 

pal throughout the school year. Each student is given an ecosystem pen pal from the selected 

sister school to write four letters or postcards while each project component is completed. Letter 

templates are encouraged for elementary students. 

n	 Letter writing #1 – Students introduce themselves, tell their pen pal about who they are, 

where they come from, what activities they like, their favorite thing to do outside, and 

a bit about their cultural background. Because the majority of students will come from 

indigenous communities, students can share some stories or information about their Tribe 

or community.

Figure 2.  Suquamish students engage in service project at the 400-yearold traditional Waikalua Fish Pond to remove invasive algae and learn about 

traditional Hawaiian fisheries management
Page 36 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

n	 Letter writing #2 – Students write about their local ecosystem and the nearby national marine 

sanctuary. They also include information about the natural and cultural aspects that make 

their communities unique. Sanctuary education and outreach staff can provide information 

about their local sanctuary through internet or local presentations.

n	 Letter writing # 3 – Students write about concerns they have regarding the ocean, how they 

feel about climate change and ocean acidification, how ocean changes may affect their 

ecosystem, and what steps they are taking to protect the ocean. Students can also focus on 

the impacts that climate change and ocean acidification may specifically have on their local 

community. (Example: How ocean acidification may affect shellfish or fin fish harvest in 

their community.)

n	 Letter writing # 4 or video conference sharing – Students share what they learn about their 

friends’ ecosystem and how it is similar/ different to their own. Students are encouraged 

to thank their buddy for sharing their knowledge and provide contact information if they 

would like to continue to stay in touch. This can be shared through the video conference or 

poster at the culminating symposium as opposed to a fourth letter. 

2. Field Guide

Students research, design, and create field guides 

of their local environment and communities with 

a focus on understanding natural and cultural 

systems (Figure 3). Each class conducts research 

on their local marine environment, with emphasis 

on their designated national marine sanctuary. 

Each student selects a species from their local 

marine environment/nearby national marine 

sanctuary and completes the field guide template. 

Students research their selected species and 

provide a drawing or picture, description of behaviors, adaptations, and threats. A variety of species 

are selected to represent the ecosystem. As a class, 

items are assembled to develop a field guide for 

their national marine sanctuary ecosystem and 

shared with the sister school classroom. 

3. Ecosystem Suitcase 

Students create an ‘ecosystem suitcase’ with objects from the natural environment, as well as 

cultural pieces selected by the students. Upon completion of the field guide, each class develops an 

ecosystem suitcase by compiling a box of artifacts that represent their natural marine ecosystem 

and local culture. Teachers facilitate a discussion with the class about the items to include. Items 

should represent both natural and cultural aspects of the marine area. Artifact selection needs to 

consider the potential hazards when transporting, therefore, no live specimens, seeds, or plants 

can be included; this also provides an excellent opportunity to discuss invasive species. Once a list 

of items is selected, students break into groups and are tasked with collecting one of the items for 

the suitcase. Each group writes a paragraph about the object included. Artifacts are gifted to the 

sister school along with a written packet explaining each item. Some examples of objects that can be 

included are:

l	 Animal “replica-skulls” of animals found in their ecosystem

Field Guide to

Plants & Animals

of dxwsəq̓wəb

Port Madison Indian 

Reservation, WA

Suquamish Tribe

By Chief Kitsap Academy Students, 2015-16

Harbor seal

ʔasxw

Scientific name: Phoca vitulina

Description: Harbor seals are gray, tan, brown with spotted patterns, with 

undersides often lighter color. They have distinctive “v-shaped” nostrils and short 

flippers. They do not have external ears. Their short, flattened tail is behind its 

hind flippers.

Habitat and Geographic range: They are found in coastal waters in the northern 

Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. They rest on rocky areas and beaches.

Feeding strategy: Harbor seals are opportunistic foragers, feeding in coastal 

shallow waters on locally and seasonally abundant prey, mostly fish, but also 

shrimps and small molluscs. They usually prefer small fish which can be swallowed 

whole.

Ecology: Suitable characteristics for a hauling-out site seem to include adequate 

protection from land predators, direct access to deep water, proximity to food 

resources, and protection from strong wind and waves. The highest numbers of 

seals are usually hauled out during the breeding season and when they moult

(shed their hair), although numbers may remain high year-round in areas with 

suitable foraging grounds.

Drawing by Manuel Alegria-Sigo

Figure 3. Field Guide cover and sample page created by Suquamish students
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© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

l	 Fish prints of local native fish (made by students)

l	 Feathers of common birds, but unique to their ecosystem

l	 Shells of commonly harvested marine food species

l	 Local stories or music

l	 Photographs or drawings of local plants and animals

l	 Food items, such as smoked salmon or coconut

l	 Pressed plants

l	 Cedar woven baskets or carved paddles (Washington 

Tribes)

l	 Kukui nut bracelets or woven palm bookmarks (Pacific 

Islands communities)

4. Video Conference and Ecosystem Poster

Students communicate through social networking such 

as Google Hangout for group presentations and Skype or 

FaceTime (or similar program) for individual correspondence. 

The entire class can participate during a social media culminating exchange activity at the end of 

the program.

This last large-scale project involves the design of a classroom poster that represents what the 

students learned throughout the year. Each student submits a photograph or drawing that represents his or her local culture, natural environment, or sanctuary ecosystem. Pictures are then 

assembled and printed as one large poster collage for the sister school; each student can also receive 

a smaller copy of the poster to take home. Video conferencing with the sister school will be held 

so that the students can explain their posters. Sharing of culturally relevant food at the end of the 

program is also suggested (Figure 5).

Results 

Similarities in culture and indigenous learning systems from diverse regions in the Pacific can 

connect students despite great distances. By exploring natural and cultural environments and using 

the marine environment as a context for sharing, students can develop a bioregional understanding, 

Figure 4. Student drawing and research of a local animal, the gray whale. Figure 5. Suquamish students at the Ecosystem Pen Pal cultural exchange at

Luluku Organic Farm, Oahu learning how to process taro and make poi

Table 1. Ecosystem Pen Pals suggested timeline 

for school activities 

SUGGESTED TIMELINE FOR SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

Month Scheduled activity

June-September Selection of schools and locations for exchange

September Introduction to program, teacher commitment and 

planning meeting

October Introduction letter writing # 1

November Field guide assignment

December Letter writing # 2, development of ecosystem suitcase

January Ecosystem suitcase completion

February Letter writing # 3

March Development of class ecosystem poster

April Letter writing # 4, ecosystem poster completion 

May Video web conference
Page 38 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

helping to shape their identities, connect with their surroundings, and foster cultural responsibility 

and local knowledge. By harnessing the connection to place (Semken, et. al., 2017) that is engrained 

in indigenous culture, Ecosystem Pen Pals encourages understanding the importance of the environment in our daily lives.

The project began in summer of 2015, with teacher recruitment in Hawaii, American Samoa, and 

Western Washington. The 2015 year focused on middle and high school students, anticipating 

more in-depth conversations and investigations on ocean health in relation to fisheries, food sovereignty, and environmental change. See Table 2 for outcomes outlined for the 2015/16 Ecosystem Pen 

Pals program.

Table 2. Projected outcome for students, teachers, and the Ecosystem Pen Pals program

Short term outcomes Medium term outcomes Long term outcomes

Student 

outcomes 

Students and local 

communities learn about ocean 

acidification. Students gain

bioregional understanding of 

marine ecosystems. Students

from indigenous communities 

connect across Pacific Rim

Students gain experience 

in expository writing and 

communication skills

Students demonstrate 

increased involvement in 

traditional practices. Students

demonstrate interest and 

involvement in marine 

activities. Students develop

long-term relationships 

with other students across 

Pacific Rim

Students appreciate and 

participate in lifelong 

indigenous culture and 

traditions. Students adopt a

lifelong commitment to marine 

conservation. Students pursue

marine career paths in NOAA 

mission-critical disciplines

Teacher and 

program 

outcomes 

Teachers teach traditional 

learning systems with Western 

science

Teachers demonstrate support 

for teaching traditional learning 

systems

Program provides a lasting 

model for cultural and 

ecosystem exchange in 

indigenous communities

Evaluation of the program consisted of a post-program survey of students, a brief interview with 

participating teachers and selected students, and observation of a culminating celebration event. 

Evaluations of 91 participating students showed that the Ecosystem Pen Pals project positively 

changed students’ attitudes about conservation and connecting with long-distance peers, as well as 

more than two-thirds of the participating students surveyed (68 percent) had a greater appreciation 

for indigenous and cultural practices. Two-thirds of respondents (64 percent) agreed they “know 

a lot more about what causes ocean acidification,” and more than two-thirds (69 percent) agreed 

they “know what ocean acidification is doing to the local ecosystem.” Slightly more than half (54 

percent) were in agreement they “know what to do about ocean acidification (Anderson, 2016).” 

Teachers surveyed felt that while there were challenges to the timeliness and flow of the program, 

and the ability to fit the program within a science class framework at the high school level, they 

could easily identify benefits to their students including: 

l	 A better understanding of their ecosystem and the science behind it through research, 

l	 Empowering teens to share knowledge with other teens, 

l	 A global perspective on marine issues, especially ocean acidification and warming sea 

temperatures and the effect on local communities in Washington State and Hawaii, and

l	 Letter writing skills – some students didn’t know their own address or how to address 

an envelope!
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© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

In the 2016/17 school year the Ecosystem Pen Pals program moved to elementary classrooms, based 

on lessons learned from the pilot program conducted in 2012-2013 with fourth and fifth grade 

students between Neah Bay, Washington and Hawaii (Weiner and Matsumoto, 2014). While the 

context of changing ocean conditions in relation to cultural resiliency may seem too complex for 

the elementary grade level, students and teachers have the benefit of conducting investigations or 

writing letters during science and English subject time. Participating elementary students gained a 

better understanding of their ecosystem and the science behind it through research, presentations, 

and hands-on place-based field investigations, and also gained a friend. Pen pal friendships can be 

effective in encouraging cross-curricular learning through peer support. These exchanges help to 

create open relationships where the students feel free to engage with others that they have never 

even met, fostering a broader worldview.

References

Anderson, Andrea. (2016). Pen Pals Report. Soundview Evaluation and Research. Lake Forest Park, WA. 

Chinn, P. W. (2011). Developing a sense of place and an environmental ethic: A transformative role for 

Hawaiian indigenous science in teacher education? In Reyhner, J, Gilbert, W.S, and Lockard, L (Eds). 

Honoring Our Heritage: Culturally Appropriate Approaches to Indigenous Education. Flagstaff, AZ: Northern 

Arizona University: 75-95.

Grossman, Z and Parker, A (EDs) (2012). Asserting Native Resilience: Pacific Rim Indigenous Nations Face the Climate 

Crisis. Corvallis, OR: OSU Press.

Semken, S., Ward, E. M. G., Moosavi, S., & Chinn, P. W. U. (2017). Place-based education in geoscience: Theory, 

research, practice, and assessment. Journal of Geoscience Education, 65(4), 542-562.

Wiener, Carly and Matsumoto, Karen (2014). Ecosystem Pen Pals: Place-Based Marine Science and Culture. 

Journal of Geoscience Education, 62, 41-48

About the Author

Nicole Harris is an Education Specialist with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation in support of 

NOAA’s Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, in Port Angeles WA. She has a background in Early

Childhood Education and a Bachelors from Western Washington University in Environmental Policy, 

Planning and Science.  Before joining the sanctuary team, Nicole worked as a Nearshore Project Biologist

monitoring biological use of nearshore environments and sediment transport.  Nicole’s experience as a

commercial fisherwoman in Alaska in the early 1990’s sealed her devotion to the ocean and has since 

shaped her work and personal interests. Nicole can be reached at Nicole.Harris@noaa.

Karen Matsumoto is an educator and naturalist with over 25 years of experience in environmental 

education. Karen currently works for the Suquamish Tribe in Washington State as a climate change

educator to assist the Tribe in developing a community-driven climate change adaptation plan. Karen

was an environmental studies teacher with the Suquamish Tribal School, focusing much of her 

curriculum on tribal sovereignty and environmental justice issues. Prior to her work with the Tribe, Karen

was Marine Science Education Coordinator for Seattle Aquarium, working on ocean science issues with 

elementary students from coastal Tribal communities on Olympic Peninsula. Karen graduated from the

University of California, Berkeley in Conservation of Natural Resources, and has additional degrees in 

education and instructional design. Her previous work as a National Park Service naturalist in Alaska,

environmental consultant, and classroom teacher has enabled her to experience the joy of sharing nature 

with children. Karen can be reached at kmatsumoto@suquamish.nsn
Page 40 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

This paper describes the NOAA Climate Stewards project selected by one elementary 

school on the island of O‘ahu. The project focused on raising and releasing sea urchins to 

help restore the health of recently remediated reefs adjacent to the Waikı ̄kı ̄ Aquarium. In 

May of 2013, 117 urchins were released giving everyone involved a sense of accomplishment and the knowledge that in their small way they could do something to improve 

overall reef health. Also discussed are the challenges and successes encountered by the 

participating educators’ and students’, the logic for selecting the school to participate in 

this program, and recommendations for similar citizen science stewardship projects. 

Introduction

Science in many elementary classrooms is given minimum time and generally is taught out of a 

textbook (Jones and Swanson, 2009) and according Chamberlain and Crane, (2009) moving beyond 

the textbook can be a valuable tool when introducing new science concepts to students. The Sea 

Urchins for Reefs Future (SURF) Project was designed to engage teachers and students in science 

content and process by linking the content to students’ lives through a Citizen Science research 

experience focused on restoring the health and sustainability of Oahu’s reefs. 

Why the reef’s? In Hawai‘i, scientists from the Hawai‘i Institute 

of Marine Biology, Waikı ̄kı ̄ Aquarium, the Hawai‘i Department 

of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) and Hawai‘I Pacific 

University’s Ocean Institute, have noticed high-diversity coral 

communities around O‘ahu shifting over the past several decades 

to algae dominated reefs with greatly reduced species diversity. 

In most cases these algae are invasive species like Dictyosphaeria 

cavernosa or “bubble algae” (Stimson, Larned, and Conklin, 2001) 

(Figure 1) and Gracilaria salicornia or “gorilla ogo” (Meditz and Jang, 

2010). According to Vitousek, D’Antonio, Loope, Rejmanek, and 

Westbrooks (1997), understanding the impacts of invasive species is 

crucial to preserving marine biodiversity and biocomplexity because 

these invaders, not only consume, outcompete, or hybridize with 

Richard M. Jones, University of 

Hawai’i at West O’ahu

Ocean/Climate Literacy, 

and Action at Hale Kula 

and Beyond

In late 2017 the NOAA 

Climate Stewards 

Education Project changed 

its title to the NOAA Planet 

Stewards Education 

Project

Figure 1. The invasive species Dictyosphaeria cavernosa or “bubble 

algae”. Photo Credit: University of Hawai’I Botany Department
Page 41

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

native species, causing a loss of native biodiversity, they can also alter the ecosystem through uncontrolled growth that potentially smothers corals, altering reefs permanently.

With this research in mind, especially the unchecked growth of algae potentially smothering and 

killing corals, the initial focus of the SURF project at Hale Kula Elementary was designed to make 

teachers and their students aware of the impacts of invasive alga-like bubble algae and gorilla ogo on 

the reefs of O‘ahu. This project, designed by the author, the teachers, and the students focused 

on teacher participation in professional development as well as Citizen Science research projects 

designed and developed to be not only place-based but to provide the teachers with a new set of 

tools and different perspectives on science that in turn helped students connect science content 

more easily to their everyday lives (Vardell, Hadaway, and Young, 2006; Hadaway, Vardell, and 

Young, 2002).

As the project developed and matured, the teacher and student 

teams learned how to reduce the impacts of invasive algae by 

growing and releasing the common collector urchin, Tripneustes 

gratilla, (Figure 2) which have been found through previous 

research studies to be promising as a biocontrol agent (Stimson, 

Larned, and Conklin, 2001; Hunter, 2003; Conklin and Smith, 

2005; Meditz and Jang, 2010), acting as common reef grazers, 

eating alien algae off of reefs where the algae has been mechanically or hand removed previously. Once introduced on these 

“cleaned” areas of the reef, Hale Kula urchin’s are able to control 

the regrowth of the algae which improves reef health and ultimately community sustainability. 

The Project

Why Hale Kula Elementary? The teachers in this school, while 

not unique in their limited understanding of environmental 

education, climate science, and earth system science as a whole, do work with a unique student 

population for O‘ahu. The majority of their students, on average 22 per classroom, have one or 

both parents serving in an active duty capacity in the US Army. Due to the transient nature of 

military family life, these students also have limited experience with the reefs on O‘ahu, threats to 

the reefs, and the importance of protecting these reefs to ensure a sustainable future (ecological 

and economic) for O‘ahu. Another reason for choosing Hale Kula is that the building Principal 

and the teachers in this school had recently engaged with the author and several other education 

faculty from the University of Hawai‘i - West O‘ahu in a Title II STEM Professional Development 

project and they were eager to apply many of the their newly-learned skills into another project, one 

that would engage their students directly in “doing science”, or what the Next Generation Science 

Standards call, “developing an understanding of the enterprise of science as a whole (NGSS Lead 

States, 2013). This initial cohort of six teachers was also selected because they represented grades 

K through 5 at the school and had the potential to initially reach 110 students through their 

participation in the NOAA Climate Stewards Education project and the “Citizen Science” Research

conducted in conjunctions with these students.

One key component of the Citizen Science Research project is that it provided teachers and their 

students field-oriented and place-based experiences and curriculum that not only enhanced their 

understanding of the natural and cultural environment (Cusick, 2012) but also got them actively 

involved in an ecological restoration project that is locally and globally relevant, improving 

the sustainability of the reef ecosystem of O‘ahu. Engaging in Citizen Science with the goal of 

Figure 2. Baby Hawaiian collector sea urchins (Tripneustes gratilla)

Photo Credit: NOAA.
Page 42 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

improving local reefs has been supported during 

and after the initial project by David Cohen at 

the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural 

Resources (DLNR) Fish Hatchery at Sand Island 

who provided both essential instruction and 

focused science content concerning the common 

collector urchin, Tripneustes gratilla as well as larval 

and juvenile animals for the classroom growth 

tanks (Figure 3). 

The project was initially carried out in the fall of 

2012 by students and teachers at the individual 

classroom level, each with a 29-gallon “BioCube” 

saltwater fish tank that housed between 15 and 20 

two- to five-millimeter urchins (Figure 4). The teachers, in partnership with their students, designed 

a variety of experiments to maintain and grow the urchins for release on the reefs either in Ka ̄ne’ohe

Bay or the waters adjacent to the Waikı ̄kı ̄ Aquarium adding to current efforts by the Aquarium and 

the DLNR to mitigate invasive algae (Figure 5). 

The first attempt at raising urchins in the classrooms was mixed, and several tanks had catastrophic 

mortality (100%). Other classrooms were more successful, with mortality ranging from 20% to 75%. 

Much learning came from this initial semester; participants discovered that several classrooms 

would get hot over weekends when fans were off and windows were closed, raising the temperature 

in the tanks to levels fatal to urchins. Other teams realized that they overfed the urchins and the 

pH and water chemistry drifted beyond optimal levels, and one team found that it was better to 

measure and mass the urchins weekly rather than handling them on a daily basis. The classroom 

with the lowest mortality, 16 or 20 survived four months and grew to a size suitable for introduction onto reefs on O‘ahu, used fresh seawater, refreshed weekly, and fed them only fresh limu 

mane`one`o, a Native Rhodophyta (UHM, 2015). 

The project focused on raising and releasing sea urchins to help restore the health of recently 

remediated reefs adjacent to the Waikı ̄kı ̄ Aquarium and acted as the motivator for one teacher and 

her students’ to create a Public Service Announcement, “The Time We Became Citizen Scientists” 

(vimeo.com/65187852) that they entered in the 2013 Olelo Youth XChange.

Figure 3. Collector sea urchins after transport from the Sand Island 

Hatchery and prior to introduction to classroom saltwater tanks

Figure 5. Students mass and measure the sea urchins to reveal growth patterns

Figure 4. Sea urchins in salt water fish tank
Page 43

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

In December the teachers, several parents, and students made the trip 

to the reef adjacent to the Waikı ̄kı ̄ Aquarium, where they released 41 

urchins (Figure 6). During the spring of 2013 the teachers and students 

were ready to “try again” and this time, the experiences they gained 

during the fall paid off with roughly 25% of the initial starting population of 156 urchins suffering mortality. In May of 2013, 117 urchins 

were released giving everyone involved a sense of accomplishment 

and the knowledge that in their small way they could do something to 

improve overall reef health. Over the summer the teachers expressed 

interest in adding tanks in other classrooms at their school and asked to 

include other schools in their area as well. This development is exactly 

what NOAA had in mind when it began the Climate Stewards Education 

Project (United States Global Change Research Program, 2009). 

This project turns out to be scalable and had the ability to move beyond 

the initial 6 classrooms at Hale Kula. The potential for other classrooms 

and even private citizens to become involved with growing sea urchins 

for future release on the reefs of Oahu is exceptional and growth of the 

project beyond the initial cohort will not only provide an opportunity 

for students and other nonprofessional scientists to participate in scientific research, it will provide needed place-based experiences for students 

and the community that will enrich learning and help teachers meet the 

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013) (Table 1).

While Hale Kula was the initial target audience for the NOAA Climate 

Stewards project, and the campus continues to grow urchins, it is hoped 

that further sources of support will allow second and third iterations 

that could eventually be included in all public and private regular and 

special education teachers, island wide.

Going Further

By actively participating in the Hale Kula’s SURF NOAA Climate Stewards 

project, teachers and students have studied, cared for, grown, and eventually released urchins to the 

reefs in the waters adjacent to the Waikı ̄kı ̄ Aquarium. This not only has the potential to improve 

overall reef health, but it has also given the teachers and students an opportunity to provide a 

service to the community that is directly tied to community resilience through improved reef health. 

Improving reef health not only provides a more diverse ecosystem, these healthier reefs have the potential to positively impact the local economy in several ways. As corals regain their role in an ecosystem 

that has been hampered by invasive algae and other stressors, they become a prime destination of 

Hawaii’s tourist industry as well as a renewed source of juvenile fish, growing the availability and diversity of species for both subsistence and sport fishing. Healthy reefs also help buffer O‘ahu’s fragile 

beaches from erosion and inundation during storms and from rising sea levels. 

Finally, participation in SURF’s “Citizen Science” has provided teachers and students with meaningful, first hand experiences engaging in place-based science, thus enabling them to understand 

that they do have the ability to make a difference for the future of O‘ahu Hawai‘i and globally. 

Participation in NOAA’s Climate Stewards project has been a very successful program that shows 

that even a small project, like the project at Hale Kula Elementary has the potential not only to 

change the teachers and the students directly involved, but countless others beyond the walls of 

their classroom.

Figure 6. Hale Kula Elementary teachers release sea urchins into 

the ocean

Table 1. Next Generation Science Standards 

Performance Expectations Addressed by Project

Performance Expectations

K-ESS3-3. Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact 

of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living 

things in the local environment

K-LS1-1. Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and 

animals (including humans) need to survive

3-LS4-4. Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a 

problem caused when the environment changes and the 

types of plants and animals that live there may change

5-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information about ways individual 

communities use science ideas to protect the 

Earth’s resources and environment
Page 44 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Resources

The Time We Became Citizen Scientists: vimeo.com/65187852

How Tiny Sea Urchins Are Saving Ka ̄ne’ohe Bay: fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/

how-tiny-sea-urchins-are-saving-kaneohe-bay

Sea Urchins Help Combat Invasive Algae on Corals: oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/mar17/sea-urchins-hawaii.

html

Sea Urchin Hatchery: dlnr.hawaii.gov/ais/invasivealgae/urchn-hatchery/

References

Chamberlain, K., & Crane, C. (2009). Reading, writing, & inquiry in the science classroom grades 6-12. Thousand 

Oaks, CA: Corwin Press

United States Global Change Research Program (2009). Climate Literacy: The essential principles of climate 

science. Washington, D.C. downloads.globalchange.gov/Literacy/climate_literacy_highres_english.pdf

Conklin, E., and Smith, J. (2005). Abundance and spread of the invasive red algae, Kappaphycus spp., in Kne‘ohe 

Bay, Hawai‘i and an experimental assessment of management options. Biological Invasions (7). 1029-1039.

Cusick, J. (2012). Teaching Ecotourism in the Backyard of Waikk, Hawai‘i. In K. Bartels, & K. Parker (Eds.), 

Teaching Sustainability Teaching Sustainably. pp. 140-148). Sterling, VA: Stylus.

Hadaway, N., Vardell, S, & Young, T. (2002). Linking science and literature for ESL students. Book Links,12 (2), 

31–26.

Hunter, C. (2003). Alien Algae on Hawaii’s Reefs: Distributional changes and ecological responses. 

Project FINAL REPORT FY 2003. Grant # NA160A2412, Waikiki Aquarium, University of Hawaii. 

malamamaunalua.org/wp-content/uploads/Hunter-2003.pdf

Jones, R., & Swanson, E. (2009). “Understanding Elementary Teachers’ Use of Science Teaching Time: Lessons 

from the Big Sky Science Partnership”, Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations. 11. 

Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition, Richmond, VA. 

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Coral Reef Ecosystem. Project Proposal University of Southern California. usc.edu/org/quikscience/

Projects/2010/Kamehameha-OgoProposal.pdf

NGSS Lead States. (2013). Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Washington, DC: The National 

Academies Press. nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards

Stimson, J., Larned, S., and Conklin E. (2001). Effects of herbivory, nutrient levels, and introduced algae on the 

distribution and abundance of the invasive macroalga Dictyosphaeria cavernosa in Kne‘ohe Bay, Hawai‘i. 

Coral Reefs (19) 343-357.

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Department. hawaii.edu/reefalgae/natives/sgfieldguide.htm.

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learners. The Reading Teacher, 59 (8), 734-741. dmschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ELLliterature.

pdf

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significant component of human-caused global change. NewZealand Journal of Ecology 21 (1). 1-16. 

newzealandecology.org/system/files/articles/NZJEcol21_1_1.pdf

About the Author

Rick Jones is an Associate Professor of Science Education and Science at University of Hawai’i at West 

O’ahu (UHWO). He holds B.S. degrees in Geology and Secondary Science Education and a MS in Natur

Science from the University of Wyoming and an Ed. D in Curriculum and Instruction – Science Education

from Montana State University. He has over twenty-five years of teaching sciences in public schools in

Wyoming, Hawai’i and Montana. Rick was the 2014 University of Hawaii Regents Teaching Excellent

Awardee and recently completed his seventh year at UHWO, where he teaches Geology, Meteorology, 

Oceanography and Science Methods courses. Rick can be reached at rmjones7@hawaii.e
Page 45

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

Place-based stewardship education (PBSE) is a proven method of bringing students 

closer to their communities and developing knowledgeable and active stewards of 

the environment. Headquartered out of the offices of Thunder Bay National Marine 

Sanctuary in Alpena, Michigan, the Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship 

Initiative (NEMIGLSI) sponsors an award-winning suite of programs that promotes PBSE 

experiences for K-12 students. Alongside Great Lakes scientists and natural resource 

professionals, youth are helping to conserve Lake Huron’s biodiversity, map threatened 

and endangered species habitat, restore native fisheries, monitor vernal pool wetlands, 

preserve our maritime heritage, and tackle the ongoing issue of marine debris. This article 

describes this Michigan Initiative, the benefits to students, teachers, and the community, 

and shares two cases studies of PBSE in action.

Introduction

The Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship 

Initiative (NEMIGLSI) has been growing place-based 

stewardship education (PBSE) in northeast Michigan 

since 2009. More than 19,000 students (around 20 

percent of the student population annually) have 

engaged as Great Lakes stewards and valued community leaders through the network. This initiative has 

supported more than 35 schools and 290 educators from 

eight counties in professional development opportunities and stewardship project support (Figure 1). The 

network has also engaged more than 100 community 

partner organizations, including staff of agencies such 

as NOAA’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary 

(TBNMS) and the Michigan Sea Grant, who are key 

partners in administration and leadership of the network 

as well as community partners working directly with 

students. 

Sarah Waters, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and

Brandon Schroeder, Michigan Sea Grant

The Northeast Michigan 

Great Lakes Stewardship 

Initiative (NEMIGLSI)

Figure 1. Students collect aquatic macroinvertebrates with community partner 

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary to help determine water quality at this 

Thunder Bay River site that drains to Lake Huron

Photo Credit: NOAA, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Page 46 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

The NEMIGLSI is one of nine regional hubs of the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI), a 

statewide effort to develop knowledgeable, active stewards of the Great Lakes. The NEMIGLSI 

network’s proven educational program strategy is framed in national place-based and communitybased literature, research, and best practices (Smith and Sobel 2010, Woodhouse and Knapp 2000, 

Yoder 2012, Demarest 2015, Semken et. al, 2017). Evaluating our efforts locally, we have contributed scholarship toward a growing statewide Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative network, including 

contributions to the scholarly, ‘Place-Based Stewardship Education Guiding Principles’ to support 

educational best practices (GLSI network 2017). 

In the Michigan Sea Grant evaluation report, Place-Based Education: Engagement from the Student 

Perspective (Rote et. al. 2015), we document what students value in PBSE experiences as hands-on 

and engaging, community connected, career oriented, and fun. In the Peabody Journal of Education, 

our network used an evaluative case study to highlight how PBSE strategies can foster environmental stewardship and civic engagement values among youth (Gallay et. al. 2016). The NEMIGLSI 

network was recognized with the 2016 UL Innovative Education Award from the North American 

Association for Environmental Education for excellence in connecting environmental-STEM 

learning experiences in student-led PBSE efforts. The NEMIGLSI network and partnership efforts 

are supported by the Great Lakes Fisheries Trust’s GLSI and also by NOAA BWET funding.

Why Place-Based Stewardship Education (PBSE)? 

As a teaching and learning practice and philosophy that relies on place - including lands and 

waters, people and organizations, history, and culture - benefits can be categorized in various ways. 

One way to look at benefits of PBSE is by thinking of them as 1) individual student and teacher 

benefits, 2) institutional benefits, and 3) area or community benefits. Student benefits may include 

improved academic scores, critical thinking skills, workplace skills (leadership, persistence, etc.), 

and increased engagement in school and motivation for achievement. PBSE has also been shown 

to increase positive youth development, such as a sense of place and community attachment, and 

increased civic-engagement. In PBSE these positive youth development benefits translate as proenvironmental attitudes and action competence on 

environmental issues (Figure 2). Individual benefits for 

teachers may include an opportunity to pursue their 

interests and advance their values, developing skills so 

they teach in ways that invigorate their practice and an 

increase in student interest and enjoyment of learning. 

School and district benefits may include increased levels 

of teacher engagement and satisfaction, and stronger 

connections with community-based partner organizations, as well as parents and other community members. 

Finally, PBSE benefits community partner organizations 

by expanding their capacity to address certain issues and 

opportunities through collaboration that exceeds the 

partner organization’s capacity when it works alone, and 

to raise awareness of the organization’s mission, activities, and employment opportunities (Marckini-Polk et. 

al. 2016).

Students participating in the NEMIGLSI network are valued community and conservation partners. Numerous NEMIGLSI student projects have directly benefited NOAA, Sea Grant, and other 

community partner priorities helping to conserve Lake Huron’s biodiversity, map threatened and 

endangered species habitat, restore native fisheries, monitor water quality and vernal pool wetlands, 

Figure 2. Students watch the morning mist rise off the Thunder Bay River in Alpena, 

Michigan as they prepare to collect water quality data as part of their Thunder Bay 

River Watershed place-based stewardship education project.

Photo Credit: NOAA, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
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© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

manage invasive species, enhance understanding of maritime heritage, investigate marine debris, 

and more. Youth contribute as community development partners today and perhaps even more in 

their future. The following case studies from northeast Michigan offer examples of how place-based 

stewardship education (PSBE) can be incorporated into classrooms at all grade levels and with 

various curricular goals. Additional case study examples can be found at www.nemiglsi.org.

Case study one: The Thunder Bay River Watershed Project.

Fifth grade teacher Bob Thomson started using interactive education more than 10 years ago when 

his students built outdoor shelters based on a popular novel. This led to writing exercises that 

included nonfiction directions on how to build their student shelters. After a few years of similar 

projects, Thomson connected with community members and partners who introduced him to 

robotics. Building and utilizing robots has now become a foundation element of all Thomson’s 

projects and classes. From testing water quality to documenting zebra mussels on shipwrecks, 

Thomson’s elementary students have used their robots to serve the local community. Thomson’s 

curriculum is largely grounded in math and science and English language arts (ELA) connections, but he also infuses hands-on learning in all aspects of his classroom teaching. Although his 

curriculum incorporates the PBSE concepts of fun, hands-on learning, careers, and community, 

community is the principle best exemplified by his fifth-grade class’ PBSE efforts.

Each year Thomson’s students build underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) with support 

from the staff of TBNMS. This involves both in-class builds and on-site workshops at the sanctuary headquarters in Alpena, Michigan. Instead of just building robots for the sake of building 

robots, however, Thomson ensures that his students put them to use. His classes often participate 

in the MATE (Marine Advanced Technology in Education) Great Lakes Regional ROV competition 

alongside fellow community members, ranging from elementary students to community college 

students enrolled in a local marine technology program in Alpena, Michigan. Thompson’s students 

commented that they had never been involved in their community “before this kind of project,” 

and that they wanted to be more involved 

following the experience. These are the 

long-lasting benefits that place-based 

education can have on relations between 

students and their community (Rote et. 

Al. 2015). 

In addition to building underwater 

robots for the annual competition, 

students engage in a variety of watershed science and studies that include 

monitoring water quality over time at 

specific sites along the Thunder Bay 

River, tracking populations of invasive 

species (Figure 3), testing for microplastics in the local watershed (Figure 

4), and raising native lake trout and 

sturgeon in their classroom for release. 

They incorporate the ROVs into these 

projects that benefit their community. 

For example, Thomson’s students raised 

native lake trout in their classroom and 

released the fry with their ROVs as part 

Figure 3. Fifth-grade students collect data on 

invasive rusty crayfish collected in the Thunder 

Bay River as part of their Thunder Bay River 

Watershed place-based stewardship education 

project.

Photo Credit: NOAA, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Figure 4. Teacher, Bob Thomson, and his students 

collect water samples to test for the presence of 

micro-plastics in the Thunder Bay River as part of 

their Thunder Bay River Watershed place-based 

stewardship education project.

Photo Credit: NOAA, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Page 48 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

of a multi-agency project to restore reef habitat in Lake Huron’s Thunder Bay. Over the course of 

the school year, his students repurposed plastic bottles and used a classroom 3-D printer to produce 

a system that attached to their ROV and released the trout to their underwater reef habitat. In 

May, with the help of community partners including agency staff and a local boat tour company, 

students successfully maneuvered their ROV to an artificial reef in Thunder Bay and released all of 

the lake trout fry directly onto the reef. 

Student-driven interest is key to PBSE and Thomson’s students 

initiate each of their PBSE projects, including one that landed 

them in the Thunder Bay River turning over rocks and looking 

for invasive zebra mussels. They counted and measured each 

mussel to identify age and gain an idea of population, distribution, and reproduction. The following year, the students built on 

the previous 5th graders mussel database by venturing from the 

river out into Thunder Bay to study the attachment preference of 

zebra and invasive quagga mussels on various substrates below 

the surface (Figure 5). After studying the geological makeup of 

local shoreline and lake bottom and the presence of hundreds 

of shipwrecks protected by TBNMS, students constructed an 

experiment using various substrates to measure mussel growth at 

a 30-foot depth in Lake Huron’s cold, fresh water environment. 

Near the end of the school year, they took their ROVs equipped 

with video cameras to observe the mussel growth on their experimental structures. Students translated their findings into public 

outreach materials, showing how invasive species are not only bad for native ecosystem health, but 

may impact a community’s cultural resources as well. 

Quality PBSE involves three components: student engagement, school-community partnerships, 

and sustained professional development. Student engagement as demonstrated in the first case 

study example can be accomplished in a number of ways, like getting students outdoors and using 

nature as the classroom; collecting data and contributing to research with citizen science; and 

connecting cross curricular subject matters, like history, math, writing, and science for the complete 

learning experience. Thomson’s 5th grade class PBSE projects also showcase the possibilities for 

school-community partnerships. Our second case study example also highlights both of these PBSE 

components and shows how PBSE can be a driver for focusing on 

the future careers. When students work side by side with community partners, they are exposed to potential career pathways they 

may never have considered.

Case study two: Shipwreck Alley: Shipwrecks, 

Science, and the Marine Sanctuary. 

Alpena Public School teacher John Caplis was inspired to create 

this Earth science elective class after participating in an education working group at TBNMS and also in a hands-on maritime 

heritage experience sailing aboard a Great Lakes tall ship with 

fellow teachers (Figure 6). While designing the course Caplis 

sought content guidance from staff at TBNMS to help launch 

his vision for the elective class where students would go on to 

engage in PBSE efforts related to their coursework. Caplis finds, 

Figure 5. Teacher, Bob Thomson, and his students prepare to launch their 

student-built underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to collect data 

for their Thunder Bay River Watershed place-based stewardship education 

project. Photo Credit: NOAA, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuar

Figure 6. Students learn about the shipwrecks of Thunder Bay National 

Marine Sanctuary while cruising in Lake Huron aboard the Lady Michigan

as part of their place-based stewardship education project

Photo Credit: NOAA, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Page 49

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

“that students are most excited about learning when it is interesting, or it matters to them.” And he 

hopes that, “these projects will inspire [his] students to explore careers in science, or some field they 

haven’t considered before.” 

The first section of the class was offered to students in grades 9 through 12 in 2012, and additional sections have continued to be added by the school administration to meet student demand 

since. The class is a great example of how humans and history can be woven together through 

environmental watershed studies. Caplis teaches the students about geology, meteorology, and environmental issues like invasive species. Because it is an elective class the students also study history, 

economic issues, and maritime archaeology. Caplis notes, “geologic formations like North Point 

reef [in Lake Huron’s Thunder Bay] sink ships, [and] storms like the ‘white hurricane’ of 1913 sink 

ships, and so we study the related Earth science content. We try to look at all aspects of marine sanctuary operations, to give the students a sense of what takes place 

there on a daily basis.” 

Due to scheduling, getting high school students out of their classroom is often challenging, but Caplis’ students have managed to 

get out and map shoreline shipwrecks protected by TBNMS, and 

collect oral histories from commercial fishermen who worked on 

the waters of northern Lake Huron near Alpena (Figure7). The 

students hope to help preserve these stories as they learn more 

about the lives of people who worked on the Great Lakes, and also 

learn about the health and history of the Great Lakes, including 

the fishery of years past. They plan to use the information to 

help create an interpretive public exhibit at a local museum that 

houses a historic commercial fishing vessel. This class reflects a 

great example of PBSE in practice, where students are contributing to their community by enhancing maritime heritage studies 

and environmental stewardship of northeast Michigan through 

their education. The students learn science, history, writing, technology, and more during hands-on, multi-disciplinary, learning experiences. Enthusiastic youth are 

not only learning in school and contributing to their communities, but also exploring firsthand the 

wealth of careers (working directly with professionals that are NEMIGLSI community partners, like 

staff at NOAA’s TBNMS and Sea Grant) connected with Great Lakes Science.

Conclusion

Once teachers like Caplis and Thomson are fully engaged in PBSE through the NEMIGLSI network, 

the collaboration strives to ensure the third component of quality PBSE is achieved, sustained 

professional development, which is the key to sustaining the network over time. Sustained professional development is accomplished in a number of ways. Schools and educators are supported by 

the network through sustained professional development reflecting content such as Great Lakes 

science and Great Lakes Literacy Principles (Fortner and Manzo 2011) training, PBSE best practices 

and instructional process, and relationships through mentoring and networking opportunities. 

The NEMIGLSI network also encourages and supports teachers who are actively engaged in PBSE 

to be mentors to their peers and help take PBSE school-wide with special attention paid to gaining 

administrative support. And it’s working! Since 2009, the network’s participation tracking database 

documents that 199 unique northeast Michigan educators from eight counties have applied PBSE 

in educational practices, fielding stewardship projects with their students (67 percent adoption rate 

among the total 290 educators trained or supported through this initiative).

Figure 7. Student maps historic shipwreck remains in Thunder Bay 

National Marine Sanctuary as part of the high school earth science class: 

Shipwreck Alley. Photo Credit: NOAA, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuar
Page 50 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Resources

The Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative: nemiglsi.org

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary: thunderbay.noaa.gov

Michigan Sea Grant: miseagrant.umich.edu

Additional place-based stewardship education case studies from urban to rural schools: greatlakesstewardship.

org/case-studies/

PBSE and guiding principles document: greatlakesstewardship.org/

guiding-principles-of-place-based-stewardship-education/

References

Demarest, A. (2015). Place-based Curriculum Design: Exceeding Standards through local investigations. New York, NY: 

Routledge.

Fortner, R. W. and L. Manzo. (2011). Great Lakes literacy principles. Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical 

Union, 92(13), 109. doi:10.1029/2011EO130002

Gallay, E., L. Marckini-Polk, B. Schroeder, and C. Flanagan. (2016). Place-based stewardship education: Nurturing 

aspirations to protect the rural commons. 2016. Peabody Journal of Education, special issue on rural schools. 

Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI) network. (2017). Guiding Principles for Exemplary Place-Based 

Stewardship Education. EPA Environmental Education-supported project, Lansing, MI. Retrieved online: 

greatstewards.glstewardship.org/

Rote, Z., B. Schroeder, and T. D’Augustino. (2015). Place-based education: Engagement from the student perspective 

[poster]. Proceedings, 2014 Great Lakes Place-Based Education Conference, Nov 2014, Grand Rapids, MI. 

2015 Michigan Sea Grant Research Report. 

Schroeder, B., T. D’Augustino, S. Waters, and M. Gass. (2016). Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship 

Initiative: Place-Based Education meets Great Lakes Literacy and E-STEM Opportunity [Research Poster]. North 

American Assoc. for Environmental Education Conference, Madison, WI.

Semken, S., Ward, E. M. G., Moosavi, S., & Chinn, P. W. U. (2017). Place-based education in geoscience: Theory, 

research, practice, and assessment. Journal of Geoscience Education, 65(4), 542-562.

Smith, G. A., and D. Sobel. (2010). Place- and community-based education in schools. New York, NY: 

Routledge.

Woodhouse, J. L., and C.E. Knapp. (2000). Place-based curriculum and instruction: Outdoor and 

environmental education approaches. Retrieved from ericdigests.org/2001-3/place.htm

Yoder, J. (2012). Connecting classrooms to the community: A guide for a community-based approach to 

education. Northwest Center for Sustainable Resources, Chemeketa Community College, project 

supported by National Science Foundation [NSF DUE # 0757239] 

About the Authors

Sarah Walters is the current Education and Outreach Coordinator at NOAA’s Thunder Bay National 

Marine Sanctuary in Alpena, Michigan. She contributes to the sanctuary’s mission of protecting the

Great Lakes and their rich maritime history through research, education, and resource protection, 

ensuring future generations can enjoy these underwater resources. She has an MA in Maritime

Archaeology from East Carolina University. Previously, she’s worked as an archaeologist, a museum

curator and educator, and taught aboard a tall ship with a semester at sea program. Sarah can be

reached at sarah.a.walters@noaa.

Brandon Schroeder is a Sea Grant Educator with the Michigan University Alpena County Extension 

Office. He works with coastal communities and businesses in northeast Michigan to apply sciencebased knowledge to address Great Lakes and northern Lake Huron issues. He also focuses on Grea

Lakes education, offering workshops for the public that include citizen science opportunities. He

serves the Cheboygan, Presque Isle, Alpena, Alcona, and Iosco counties. Brandon can be reached at

schroe45@msu.ed
Page 51

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

Students can and do successfully serve as citizen scientists. The National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) offers a wide range of citizen science projects. This 

article provides a rationale for engaging students in citizen science and shares a number of 

existing programs and projects.

Introduction

Don’t you love when students are actively engaged in exploration and inquiry? Isn’t it incredible to 

witness the energy and enthusiasm of learners digging into authentic investigations? Wouldn’t you 

like to find low/no cost projects that will grab student interest and allow them to contribute to critical challenges in our world today? Citizen science offers a powerful means of engaging students of 

all ages in authentic scientific inquiry and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

(NOAA) offers a wide range of citizen science projects.

What is Citizen Science?

The Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Act (congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/3084/

text#toc-idc675e4e0-f615-4d4a-8ad5-b9cc94092dde) (Section 402, Act 15 USC 3724), signed 

into law in January of 2017, defines citizen science as “a form of open collaboration in which 

individuals or organizations participate voluntarily in the scientific process in various ways, 

including: (A) enabling the formulation of research questions; (B) creating and refining project 

design; (C) conducting scientific experiments; (D) collecting and analyzing data; (E) interpreting 

the results of data; (F) developing technologies and applications; (G) making discoveries; and (H) 

solving problems”. The 2018 Report from the National Academies Press, Learning Through Citizen 

Science: Enhancing Opportunities by Design (nap.edu/catalog/25183/learning-through-citizen-scienceenhancing-opportunities-by-design) more broadly described citizen science projects as those that 

“typically involve nonscientists (i.e., people who are not professionally trained in project-relevant 

disciplines) in the processes, methods, and standards of research, with the intended goal of 

advancing scientific knowledge or application.” So, with Citizen Science, volunteers do more than 

John McLaughlin, NOAA Office of Education and 

June Teisan, Former Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator 

Fellow with NOAA’s Office of Education

Your Students Can 

Contribute to Our 

Understanding of the World 
Page 52 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

just collect data. Rather, they engage in all aspects of making unique discoveries, highlighting that 

anyone, anywhere, can participate in meaningful scientific research.

Reasons to Implement Citizen Science

Students can and do successfully serve as citizen scientists. Meaningful hands-on involvement in 

the scientific process provides students with powerful authentic learning opportunities. Students 

may be encouraged by the realization that the work they are doing will result in outputs that are 

valued and used by others, including professional scientists. This can help break down barriers of 

students feeling science is not accessible to them. For example, LiMPETS (Long-term Monitoring 

Program and Experiential Training for Students) (limpets.org/), which involves students in monitoring the coastal ecosystems of California’s national marine 

sanctuaries, found that seven months to a year after their citizen 

science experience the majority of students (53%) felt their participation increased their interest in science. Citizen science ensures 

students are not learning outdated science, but rather that they 

are working on emerging discoveries (Figure 1). A 2014 look at 

the convergence of science with environmental education found 

the integration of citizen science “may make education more 

responsive to current global challenges” (Wals et. al, 2014).

The Framework for K-12 Science Education (nap.edu/

catalog/13165/a-framework-for-k-12-science-educationpractices-crosscutting-concepts) calls for students to engage 

in Scientific and Engineering Practices. Participation in citizen 

science is well tailored to provide this type of engagement. A 2015 

review of documented outcomes of citizen science found there is 

“limited but growing evidence that citizen science projects achieve 

participant gains in knowledge about science knowledge and 

process” (Bonney et. al., 2015). This potential is not limited to just middle and 

secondary student learning either. With proper framing, elementary age student 

can and do successfully undertake citizen science activities. In a report, Taking 

Science to School: Learning and Teaching Science in Grades K-8, the National Research 

Council states: “In contrast to the commonly held and outmoded view that young 

children are concrete and simplistic thinkers, the research evidence now shows 

that their thinking is surprisingly sophisticated. Important building blocks 

for learning science are in place before they enter school” (National Research 

Council, 2007). 

Citizen Science Projects to Explore

There are a diverse and growing set of citizen science projects from NOAA focused 

on Earth Sciences available for use with students (Table 1). A few of these are 

highlighted below:

Measuring Precipitation with the Community Collaborative 

Rain, Hail, and Snow Network

Is it raining today? Snowing? Is there a drought affecting the plants around 

our school? These are questions that grab student interest. The Community 

Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow (CoCoRaHS) Network (cocorahs.org) provides 

Figure 2. Mark Anderson of Univ. of Nebraska, a

CoCoRaHS volunteer, explains how to use a rain gauge

Photo Credit: Henry Reges/CoCoRaHS

Figure 1. LiMPETS students learn the process of science that helps to 

protect our local marine ecosystems

Photo Credit: Daniel Dreifuss/Santa Maria Times
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© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

resources and training to learn about and monitor precipitation. This community-based network 

of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds work together to measure and map rain, hail and snow 

using low-cost measurement tools (Figure 2). The main tool is a plastic rain gauge that costs about 

$35. This network maintains a school network and offers lesson plans and educational materials 

(cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=education). 

Interacting with Weather Logs from Historic Vessels

What was it like to sail through the Arctic a century ago? What weather did these ships experience? 

Would you like to see log books from one of these vessels and help recover valuable data stored in 

it? If so, consider the Old Weather project (oldweather.org). Volunteers in this project explore, mark, 

and transcribe historic ships’ logs from the 19th and early 20th centuries. This allows scientists to 

learn about historic climate and gives participants the chance to see and engage in a fascinating part 

of history. Many of these logs haven’t been examined since they were originally filled in by a mariner 

long ago, so your students might even discover something surprising! This project also provides a 

great opportunity to expose students to cursive writing in a meaningful way.

Table 1. Examples of Citizen Science Projects at NOAA

Community Collaborative Rain, Hai, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) (cocorahs.org) CoCoRaHS is a grassroots

volunteer network of backyard weather observers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map 

precipitation (rain, hail and snow) in their local communities

Old Weather project (oldweather.org) Volunteers explore, mark, and transcribe historic ship’s logs from the 19th

and early 20th centuries. They help collect data about past weather and sea-ice conditions which are vital for climate

scientists

Citizen Science Water Level Application (coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/new-citizen-science-water-level-applicationavailable-nationwide/) A citizen science application to report water levels is available online, anyone can submit a wate

level report from their mobile device. This application collects photographs and associated GPS locations of water level

Marine Debris Monitoring Toolbox (marinedebris.noaa.gov/research/monitoring-toolbox) The Marine Debris Monitorin

and Assessment Project, or MDMAP, is a citizen science initiative that engages NOAA partners and volunteers across the 

nation to survey and record the amount and types of marine debris on shorelines

Elkhorn Slough Research, Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring (elkhornslough.org/research-program/waterqualityweather-monitoring/volunteer-monitoring/) Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, the Elkhorn Slough

Foundation, and the Monterey County Water Resources Agency have supported this volunteer water monitoring program 

since 1988

Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Beach Watch (farallones.noaa.gov/science/beachwatch.html) F

nearly 22 years, Beach Watch volunteers have conducted bi-monthly surveys of 150 miles of the California coast

LiMPETS, The Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students, (http://limpets.org) is an

environmental monitoring and education program involves students, educators, and volunteer groups across California

Marine Debris Tracker (marinedebris.noaa.gov/partnerships/marine-debris-tracker) This mobile application lets peopl

report litter on the water anywhere in the world

Phytoplankton Monitoring Network (coastalscience.noaa.gov/research/stressor-impacts-mitigation/pmn/) This voluntee

network was established to monitor marine phytoplankton and harmful algal blooms

Reef Monitoring in Guam (coralreef.noaa.gov/aboutcrcp/news/featuredstories/feb16/guam.ht

The Guam Community Coral Reef Monitoring Program (GCCRMP), launched in 2012, is highly active in the community and 

continues to grow in its outreach and reef management capabilities every year

Channel Islands Naturalist Corps (channelislands.noaa.gov/involved/apply.ht

The Channel Islands Naturalist Corps, a joint volunteer program between Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and 

Channel Islands National Park, offers a new training class every two years
Page 54 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Conclusion

You can find a searchable catalog these and other citizen science projects supported by NOAA and its fellow Federal government agencies 

at (citizenscience.gov). Also, SciStarter (scistarter.org) is a site that 

offers access to a broader range of projects and includes a project 

finder utility that allows you to search by subject area and appropriateness for student age range. Learn more about Citizen Science at 

NOAA (oceanservice.noaa.gov/citizen-science/). Consider using these 

tools to empower your students to do robust, authentic science. Start 

with a simple activity and watch students soar!

References

Bonney R, Phillips T, Ballard H, and Enck J. (2015). Can citizen science enhance 

public understanding of science? In: Public Understanding of Science (1-15). 

Available at: researchgate.net/publication/282669254_Can_citizen_

science_enhance_public_understanding_of_science

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2018). Learning 

Through Citizen Science: Enhancing Opportunities by Design. Washington, 

D.C.: The National Academies Press. Available at nap.edu/catalog/25183/

learning-through-citizen-science-enhancing-opportunities-by-design

National Research Council. (2007). Taking Science to School. Committee on 

Science Learning, Kindergarten Through Eighth Grade. Washington, DC: 

National Academies Press. Available at: nap.edu/catalog/11625/

taking-science-to-school-learning-and-teaching-science-in-grades

Wals E, et al. (2014). Convergence Between Science and Environmental 

Education, Science, May 2014, Vol. 344, Issue 6184, pp. 583-584. Available 

at: science.sciencemag.org/content/344/6184/583.full

About the Authors

John McLaughlin is an Education Program Manager 

with NOAA’s Office of Education. He works with students,

teachers, and the public, engaging them in meaningful, 

citizen science projects. He can be reached at joh

mclaughlin@noaa.go

June Teisan is a National Board-certified teacher who 

brought science to life for students on Detroit’s northeast 

border for 27 years and now designs and delivers vibrant 

learning experiences for students and fellow teachers across 

the country. Dr. Teisan served as 2008 Michigan Teache

of the Year and was awarded the White House Presidential 

Award for Excellence in Science Teaching in 2005. She

was an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow in 

Washington, D.C. in 2014-2015 in the Office of Educatio

at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. D

Teisan is actively involved in education policy and advocacy 

efforts at the state and national level. She is passionately

committed to widening opportunities for under-represented 

and under-served students in the STEM fields and is 

committed to supporting urban and early-career educators 

with rich, innovative professional development. She can be

reached at jlteisan@gmail.co

IO

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What Other 

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Volume XXXV, Issue 2 Page 55

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Page 18 The Earth Scientist

© 2016 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Friday, April 12

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. AGU-NESTA Sponsored Lecture: Dr. Theresa Damiani

Finding Our Way: The Science Behind Today's GPS Revolution

Saturday, April 13

3:30 – 4:30 p.m. NESTA’s exciting Rock, Mineral, and Fossil Raffle!

Annex, America's Center Convention Complex

Getting from place to place is a daily activity for most people. Now, 

many of us use the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS) through

our smartphone, car, or other navigation device to do that. This talk 

explores the science of GPS and mapping, how it allows us to 

quickly and easily find our way through the world, and the 

sometimes, unexpected ways in which it is revolutionizing our 

society.

6:30 – 8:00 p.m. NESTA Friends of Earth Science Reception 

Crystal Ballroom, Marriott St. Louis Grand

Ferrara Theatre, America's Center Convention Complex

National Earth Science 

Teachers Association Events 

at the 2019 NSTA National 

Conference in St. Louis

NESTA gratefully acknowledges the following organizations and projects as partners:

We have a number of exciting sessions! To find our sessions, enter NESTA as the 

keyword when searching events online at NSTA’s session browser for the conference. On 

Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13, we have a series of sessions all in the Annex of 

the America's Center Convention Complex. Don’t miss out on our Share-a-Thons and the 

events below. www.nestanet.org
Page 56 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.
Volume XXXV, Issue 2 Page 57

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Ocean Acidiication

Water Quality Sea Level

Coral Bleaching

dataintheclassroom.noaa.gov

Data in the Classroom

Students use real-time data to explore today’s most pressing environmental

issues, and develop problem-solving skills employed by scientists.

5 Modules

El Niño
Page 58 The Earth Scientist

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & STEWARDSHIP

oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/planet-stewards/

Open to everyone wanting to

increase their knowledge of

NOAA-related science, education,

and communication resources through

webinars, workshops and discussion groups.

A network of educators using hands-on

projects to conserve, protect, and restore

communities and natural resources from

environmental challenges monitored by NOAA.

Stewardship Community

Education Community

oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/planet-stewards

A good project is:

Examples of Past Projects:

A NOAA Planet Stewards

stewardship Project:

. Conserves, restores, or protects human

communities and/or natural resources from

environmental impacts

. Meets a local need or addresses a local issue

. Is action-based. It involves participants in

hands-on activities that create change

. Involves participants directly with the project

coordinator i.e. educator

. Has outcomes that can be evaluated quantitatively

. Uses NOAA’s science and resources

. Is related to NOAA’s mission

. Making a Living Shoreline

. Restoring a Tall Grass Prairie

. Managing Storm Runoff with Rain Gardens

. Bringing Native Plants Back to Hawaii

. Restoring Native Plants in Hawaii

. Creating Climate and Weather Ready Students

. Engaging Students in Waste Reduction

and Composting

. Taking Action to Achieve Water and Energy Savings

. Building Resilient Communities through

Coastal Dune Restoration & Education

. Manageable:

your project is a reasonable size for you

. Meaningful:

Your project is meaningful to the participants

Success stems from empowerment

. Quantifiable and Motivational:

Your project has a measurable outcome and

encourages full participation

What is a NOAA Planet Stewards

stewardship project?

The Stewardship Community Process

Apply for funding

in Spring 2018.

Start project

in Fall 2019

Refine your

project ideas

and budget

Meet monthly

to discuss &

get feedback

on projects

Get assigned

to a peer

feedback group

Apply to

PSEP with a

project idea

Fall 2018
Volume XXXV, Issue 2 Page 59

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

National

Astronomy

Teaching Summit

July 16-18, 2019 in Baltimore

Loyola University Maryland and the

DoubleTree Inn at the Colonnade

near Johns Hopkins University & Space Telescope Science Institute

http://www.caperteam.com/astro101summit

Upgrade Your Integrated 

Earth System Science Teaching 

Toolkit in Paradise

September 26-29, 

2019

Pacific-basin

STEAM 

Teaching

Conference

www.caperteam.com/pstc

Sheraton Kona

on the Big Island

of Hawai’i

nestanet.org @NESTA_US

National Earth Science Teachers Association
Page 60 The Earth Scientist

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NESTA Membership

includes access to the online version 

of The Earth Scientist (current and 

past), E-News, special e-mailings, 

access to member-only sections of the 

website, and full voting privileges

• One year - $40

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Supporting membership 

$100 - $249/year

Sustaining membership

$250/year and up

Student membership

We are now offering up to two sequential free years of NESTA membership 

for students at the undergraduate 

university level who are studying to 

become teachers or scientists in the 

Earth and space sciences, environmental sciences, or related disciplines

For more details, go to https://www

nestanet.org/cms/user/register

student

Domestic Library Rate

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Scientist only, and does not include 

NESTA membership

• One year - $70

Windows to the Universe 

Educator Membership

provides access to special capabilities 

and services on NESTA’s premier Earth 

and Space Science Education website 

available at http://windows2universe

org, available for only $15/year for 

NESTA members (50% off the nonNESTA rate)

• One year - $15

• Two years - $30

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NESTA Membership Dues Structure

Advertising in the NESTA Quarterly Journal, The Earth Scientist

NESTA will accept advertisements that are relevant to Earth and space science education. A limited number of 

spaces for advertisements are available in each issue.

Artwork

We accept electronic ad files in the following formats: high-res PDF, TIFF or high-res JPEG. Files must have a 

minimum resolution of 300 dpi. Ads can be in color. 

Advertising Rates

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Submission Deadlines for Advertisements

Submission dates, shown in the table to the right, 

are the latest possible dates by which ads can be 

accepted for a given issue. Advertisers are advised 

to submit their ads well in advance of these 

dates, to ensure any problems with the ads can 

be addressed prior to issue preparation. The TES

Editor is responsible for decisions regarding the 

appropriateness of advertisements in TES.

For further information contact 

Dr. Carla McAuliffe, Executive Director – 

Carla_McAuliffe@terc.edu

Issue Submission Deadline Publication Date

Spring January 15 March 1

Summer April 15 June 1

Fall July 15 September 1

Winter October 31 January 1
Volume XXXV, Issue 2 Page 61

© 2019 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

Watch . Explore . Discover

oceantoday.noaa.gov

Browse our library of 265+ videos

Oyster Learning Sequence

A model 3-dimensional learning sequence for K-12

oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/oysters-in-the-chesapeake-bay/

Science and Engineering

Practices

Cross Cutting

Concepts

Disciplinary Core

Ideas
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The Earth Scientist (

MANUSCRIPT GUIDELINES

NESTA encourages articles that provide exemplary state-of-the-art tested classroom activities and background science content 

relevant to K-12 classroom Earth and Space Science teachers.

n Original material only; references must be properly cited according to APA style manual

n Clean and concise writing style, spell checked and grammar checked

n Demonstrates clear classroom relevance

Format Specifications

• Manuscripts should be submitted electronically – Microsoft Word (PC or Mac)

• Length of manuscript should not exceed 2000 words.

• All submissions must include a summary/abstract.

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TIFF or JPEG format. 300 dpi minimum resolution. Color or black and white are both accepted.

– References to photo/chart placement may be made in the body of the article identified with some marker: <Figure 1 

here> or [Figure 1 in this area].

• Website screen shots: If you wish to include “screen shots” within your article, please also supply the direct link to the site, 

so TES can go online and grab the same screen shots at as high a resolution as possible. Note: When used, screen shots will 

produce a poorer image than a digital photograph, thus their inclusion in your article will produce an image that will look 

less crisp and bitmapped.

• Figures should be numbered and include captions (Figure 1. XYZ.).

• Captions, labeled with a clear reference to their respective photo/chart/image, must be submitted in a separate file, or they 

may be placed at the end of the manuscript where they can easily be removed and manipulated by the editor.

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• Each article must include: author(s) names, the school/organizations, mailing address, home and work phone numbers 

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Review

Manuscripts are to be submitted to the Editor, via the email address at the bottom of the page. Manuscripts are reviewed 

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Articles will then be submitted to our Article Reviewers. Manuscripts may be accepted as is, returned for minor or major revisions, or declined, based on the decision of the Editor. The Editor reserves the right to edit the manuscript for typographical 

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A fee of $100 per page is charged to authors who have institutional, industrial, or grant funds available to pay publication 

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The lead author of the article shall submit a signed NESTA Copyright Transfer Waiver. When completed AND signed it 

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waiver has been received. Please help us to expedite the publication of your paper with your immediate compliance. If 

you have any questions, please e-mail the NESTA contact listed below.

Submission Deadlines 

Issue Submission Deadline Publication Date

Spring November 1 March 1

Summer February 1 June 1

Fall May 1 September 1

Winter August 1 January 1

For further information contact 

Dr. Carla McAuliffe, Executive Director – 

Carla_McAuliffe@terc.edu
National Marine Sanctuaries vessel R/V KOHOLA built and customized for large whale response, disentanglement, and 

research. Photo Credit: NOAA/NMFS/Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Blog