Superstorm Sandy-Inspired Education: First 'Virtual Teach-In' on Climate Issues a Success

Photo Credit: Basil Henning

For the November Wave of Action, COA compiled educational materials from national and international sources that creatively and clearly present complex climate issues.  Materials were sorted by topic and age with resources available for K-12.  Topics included Climate Change, Global Warming, Sea Level Rise, Your Carbon Footprint, Greenhouse Gases, and the Science Behind Hurricanes and Superstorm Sandy.

Over 87 educators throughout New York and New Jersey, and even Australia, who represented 77 schools, 6 groups, 1 Cub Scout Troop, and 3 homeschoolers, signed up to bring the resources into their classrooms.

“I envision that in the future these 5th graders could find themselves in a meaningful conversation where they can contribute their ideas in their second language to help the environment.  We stressed in class that these issues were not isolated to New Jersey or to the United States, but rather a global issue that demands we work together internationally,” explained Knollwood School Spanish Teacher Basil Henning.

“Thank you for the abundance of educational information that you provided for my students. I was happy to participate and I believe my students gained tremendous insight into the conditions that set these storms into motion and the devastation that they can cause to the communities that they impact,” stated Woodlynne Public School Science Teacher Renae Vannais.

Climate change education is important every day of the year, especially now in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. Many voices around the world are making the connection between the Typhoon and climate change. In fact, the UN Conference on Climate Change is currently meeting in Poland.

Please visit ForTheShore.org to access COA's resources and lesson plans on climate change any day of the year. 

Join us in celebrating the culmination of Waves of Action For The Shore, Clean Ocean Action’s year-long Sandy response program, on Saturday, December 7 from 8:30AM-12:00PM at McLoone’s Pier House in Long Branch, NJ.  Almost 14,000 volunteers (and counting) have helped to improve and protect the marine environment through 281 projects, with more than 100 different organizations, in over 70 towns in New York and New Jersey.  For more information and to reserve your seat at this breakfast event, click here.

Superstorm Sandy Inspired Education: First Virtual 'Teach-In' on Climate Issues November 13-15

Coalition Calling For Teachers to Educate Students on Climate Change, Sea Level Rise, Severe Weather, and Solutions

Clean Ocean Action is inviting teachers, instructors, and educators to participate in a program to bring climate issues into the classroom for three days in November as a part of Waves of Action For The Shore.  The Waves of Action initiative was created after Superstorm Sandy to help coastal communities recover. 

For the November Waves focus, Clean Ocean Action compiled educational materials from national and international sources that creatively and clearly present complex scientific issues.  These resources include videos, activity booklets, and pre-written interactive lesson plans.  Materials are sorted by topic and age groups with resources available for all grades from K-12.  Teachers will also be asked for feedback and input about their experience to help COA gain insights on how to improve climate education initiatives.

“We believe there is something inspiring, cathartic, and exciting about collectively taking part in shared education activities,” said Cindy Zipf, Clean Ocean Action Executive Director. “They bring people together for a common goal; here in the NY/NJ region, education about the impacts from Superstorm Sandy and climate threats are essential to improving our future resiliency and environmental stewardship,” she added.

Registered teachers will be given online resources on the following topics to be presented to their classes any time from Wednesday, November 13^th through Friday, November 15^th:

• Superstorm Sandy: What Do We Know?
• Climate Change/Global Warming
• Sea Level Rise: Cause and Effect
• Climate Change Water Impacts: Droughts, Floods, & Ocean Acidification
• Energy Use, Your Carbon Footprint, & Solutions

“We are asking teachers, scout leaders, school club advisors, and other educators from across New Jersey and New York to take part in the first ‘Virtual Teach-In’ and educate their students during November 13-15,” said Catie Tobin Clean Ocean Action Ocean Advocacy and Education Fellow. “This is a great opportunity for educational leaders in the community to expand understanding of climate issues in an interactive way,” Tobin explained.

To receive information educators are being asked to register on the Waves of Action website, www.ForTheShore.org.  Once registered, they will be sent links to the online educational activities. Teachers will also be asked for feedback and input about the Virtual Teach-In and invited to suggest ideas and activities.