P1.4
Oceanography in the Middle
Craig L. Croone, AMS/Maury Project, Northfield, MN
The poster I intend to present will deal with teaching oceanography to middle school students in Minnesota. Most of the Earth is covered with ocean, yet most of the focus is on the land itself. The ocean realms can be separated into two parts, the biological and the physical. These realms are certainly intertwined in that the physical perimeters set up the biology of the ecosystems. When teachers mention the ocean, the vast majority focus on the life forms dwelling within it. Little is actually said about the water itself. This may be attributed to the fact that teachers have a hard time coming up with stimulating and interesting activities for their students that demonstrate the various physical properties of the oceans. Even though Minnesota is in the middle of the continent I have realized particular success in teaching physical oceanography to middle school students thus the title “Oceanography in the Middle”. Physical oceanography does not have to be boring. In my classroom we work with a series of activities that are fun and exciting as well as very informative. We explore such physical topics as ocean density, temperature and salinity, wave models, wind driven ocean circulation, tidal forces, and El Nino’ . My intended poster will portrait some of the activities my students engage in while studying physical oceanography.
Poster Session 1, University Outreach Activities and K-12 Educational Initatives
Sunday, 13 January 2002, 4:00 PM-4:00 PM
Previous paper Next paper