NOAA Sea to Sky: Education resource database

In this presentation Dr. Pieter Tans discusses what climate scientists do in everyday life.. He focused on the observed enhancements of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere are 100% caused by human society; the impact of GHGs on the Earth's heat balance can be calculated with high confidence, and the GHG enhancements will remain for 1000s of years. Dr. Tans discussed how little is known about how the climate system will respond to a changed heat balance, and that the possibility of catastrophic climate change is real. He addresses how as a society we can decrease emissions rapidly, which would lower the probability of dire future outcomes.

In the Tidal Tales: Monitoring Marine Life lesson, students will learn techniques scientists use to measure species abundance in rocky intertidal and subtidal zones in national marine sanctuaries. They will examine photos taken in the two different habitats and identify species, assess organism abundance and compare the depths (zones) from which the photos were taken. Then they will consider the environmental conditions that influence species occurrence and abundance and why it is important to monitor these sensitive habitats.

The peoples, lands, and resources of indigenous communities in the United States face an array of challenges, many of which are exacerbated by climate change impacts. As one of the most marginalized demographics, the consequences of observed and projected climate change are already having dramatic consequences and eroding Indigenous ways of life that have persisted for thousands of years. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Third National Climate Assessment acknowledge that the greatest opportunities for adapting to, and mitigating for, climate impacts must include indigenous knowledge and perspectives.

Global warming, air pollution, and energy insecurity are three of the most significant problems facing the world today. This presentation discusses the development of technical and economic plans to convert the energy infrastructure of each of the 50 United States and 139 countries of the world to those powered by 100% wind, water, and sunlight (WWS) for all purposes, namely electricity, transportation, industry, and heating/cooling, after energy efficiency measures have been accounted for. Results showing the ability of the grid to remain stable at low cost under 100% WWS conditions are also provided.

97.4% of scientists agree our atmosphere is warming and that humans are the cause of it. The question arises as to the magnitude of the warming and the changes we’ll see as a result. This presentation addresses the predicted and observed impacts of a warming climate to water resources globally, and regionally. In the US we can expect to see a change in precipitation patterns affecting vast majorities of the population. This includes increased storm and rainfall intensity, more extensive and prolonged droughts. With these changes in our future, how will we adapt? In fact, can we change the rate and magnitude of our warming? What can one person do to alter our future?

In the Watersheds to Whales lesson, students will learn about watershed stewardship and make observations about how water and pollution runoff can infiltrate landscapes and flow to the ocean. They create either a clay or paper model of a watershed and observe how water flows through the model. They consider sources of pollution and how that pollution could travel through a watershed and affect national marine sanctuaries or monuments and the organisms that live there.

Mark Twain famously noted that “whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over.” This is particularly true in the semi-arid western United States where the balance between water supply and water demand is nearly equal. Stress on the system is exacerbated by both human demands on the system but also climate variability and change. This talk will describe the water resources environment in the Western United States including the impact of climate change. This talk will also describe my own experience with working with decision makers in the water resources sector to utilize forecasts and science from NOAA to improve their operations.

Twice a year, humpback whales take an amazing 3000-mile journey. This seasonal migration takes them from cold waters where they spend summers feeding to warmer waters in the winter months to breed and raise young calves. How do the whales know where to go and how do they make sure they arrive? In this lesson, students learn how scientists identify and track humpback whales. They explore data and a map about the long migration whales make seasonally. They use this information with readings to explain how whales know where to go on their journeys.

A set of five lesson plans that match up with the Teacher at Sea and Teacher in the Air books. 

• Miss Cook’s Voyage on the Ronald H. Brown: Monitoring Our Ocean and Atmosphere
• Dr. Diane’s Flight with the NOAA Hurricane Hunters: Planning and Preparing for a Natural Disaster & Tracking Hurricanes
• Mrs. Armwood’s Hydrographic Adventure on the NOAA Ship Fairweather: Surveying Our Coastal Waters
• Mr. Tanenbaum Explores Atlantic Fisheries on the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow: Living in Coral

Read the 2009 children's book detailing Teacher at Sea Jacob Tanenbaum's experience with a variety of animal species on the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow. Written by Diane Marie Stanitski and John Adler and illustrated by Bruce David Cowden.