Oceanography in the Middle: Middle school, Middle of the Continent.

My poster will demonstrate students and teachers engaged in learning about various elements of physical oceanography in a classroom lab setting as well as in the field. Many of the lessons have been adapted form American Meteorology Society's Maury Project Modules. Topics include density, surface currents, upwelling and downwelling, El Nino/La Nina events, waves, and tides. The lessons are discussed in the poster. The poster will also include a discussion of teachers engaged in ocean science workshops and events sponsored by NOAA, AMS, the Navy as well as other organizations. The field experience and workshops are designed to enhancement the knowledge and first hand experiences of teachers in the ocean sciences. These experiences enable the teacher to be better prepared to teach and therefore generate a strong interest in the oceans sciences whether their classroom is on a coast or in the middle of our continent.