AMS DataStreme programs in the Empire and Garden States

New York State and New Jersey schools provide K – 12 Earth Science courses to hundreds of thousands of students each year, and AMS Peer Trainers continue to provide professional development opportunities to classroom teachers in these states through DataStreme courses, workshops at science education conferences, and a wide variety of other programs. New York and New Jersey teachers serve in a variety of environment—urban suburban, and rural—but all their students are affected daily by weather and live within a couple of hours drive to the oceans or Great Lakes. Our poster describes strategies employed to reach as many classroom educators in these states as possible, so that they will help create a generation more “weatherwise” than otherwise.

In both states, Earth Science topics form significant portions of the mandatory state testing at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. New York State teachers and students account for more than 20% of all middle and high school enrollment in Earth Science classes, largely due to the extensive “Regents” courses that enable students to earn one credit towards high school graduation. Effective teacher-training strategies include: active AMS DataStreme Local Implementation Teams that have now reached hundreds of teachers; workshops at state and local meetings that incorporate web-delivered and printed materials from the AMS DataStreme courses, as well as Project Atmosphere, the Maury Project, and other AMS educational outreach efforts.

The New Jersey and New York AERAs (AMS Education Resource Agents) have developed a wide variety approaches to help teachers from diverse knowledge backgrounds and teaching envronments to enhance their understanding of atmospheric, oceanic, and hydrologic topics. The poster will share some of their strategies and successes.