Since 1992, the Oklahoma Climatological Survey (OCS) staff have taught Oklahoma and Kansas teachers how to access and apply data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program, and the National Weather Service in their classrooms (McPherson and Crawford, 1996; Melvin and McPherson, 1998). Each of these networks collect different types of data that help to give a better picture of how the atmosphere is changing. Using these data as an impetus to learning, OCS has developed a new web site for K-12 teachers and students.
The new OCS Outreach Web Site provides real-time weather data and other educational materials for teachers. OCS scientists create reference materials, classroom lessons, unique graphical software, documentation and case studies of weather events as resources for educators. Earth and physical sciences are emphasized in particular, yet many of the activities will incorporate physical geography and mathematics. For example, activities include reading legends and maps; examining topography and bodies of water; learning counties, states and countries; computing averages, maxima and minima; working with fractions, percentages, ratios and decimals; and solving simple algebraic and trigonometric equations. The reference materials are designed to provide teachers with the understanding of the scientific principals behind each of the lessons. The case studies demonstrate and explain the more complicated or unusual weather events.
In addition, OCS meteorologists and 50 other scientists in the Oklahoma Weather Center community offer their expertise to teachers and their students by acting as online mentors, science fair judges and classroom speakers. Having scientific mentors available improves the scientific knowledge and self-confidence of both teachers and students. Mentors supply ideas for projects and suggestions for how to improve the content of projects. They are invaluable in helping students determine where and why their logic is wrong or has gone astray. Many students become turned on to science because one adult took the time to point them in the right direction, give constructive criticism, or praise them when they finally grasp a hard concept.
Teachers are not the only ones who benefit from this site. Students can find a pen pal, ask a mentor questions, modify their science fair project for inclusion on the site, enter contests, and read our comic strip and fun weather facts. The site is intended not only to provide scientific content but to be a fun place that students and teachers will want to return to again and again. The OCS Outreach Web Site goes online on August 1, 1998 at http://outreach.ocs.ou.edu.
References
McPherson, R. and Crawford, K., 1996: The EARTHSTORM Project: How K-12 Teachers Can Incorporate the Latest Technology into the Classroom: Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 77(4), 749-761.
Melvin, A.D. and R. A. McPherson, 1998: Southern Great Plains Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Educational Outreach Program. Preprints, Seventh Symp. on Education, Phoenix, AZ, Amer. Meteor. Soc., 23-26