This innovative course introduces undergraduate and graduate students in ocean science related majors to inquiry-based instructional strategies for communicating their passion for their subject area. These strategies, combined with college students' content knowledge and enthusiasm for sharing it, equip them to introduce ocean science to K-8 students and teachers in local schools. The site provides ... Full description.

This investigative case is part of the Starting Point module. In this exercise students role play as professional ecologists working for the fish and wildlife service. Students must develop a plan to manage a new wildlife refuge along the Rio Grande River. The fish and wildlife service plans to connect forest islands along the river, which will become not only a new refuge but also a "wildlife corridor." ... Full description.

In this activity, students write an essay on the history of scientific discoveries in the field of dinosaur paleontology. The essays are then evaluated via Calibrated Peer Review. On this Starting Point page, users can access information about the exercise's learning goals, context for use, teaching notes and tips, teaching materials, assessment ideas, references and topics covered. Full description.

This Starting Point webpage is a summary of a role-playing resource called Science in the Courtroom: The Woburn Toxic Trial. In this exercise, hydrology students role-play expert witnesses in a mock trial dealing with contamination of groundwater. Students prepare for the role-play by studying the movement of groundwater and the transport of contaminants through computational and map exercises and ... Full description.

Contour Basics is an exercise designed to introduce students to contour plots. The Contour Activity is a great on-line resource that starts slowly and increases in difficulty. It teaches students basic techniques for generating contours, introduces students to the subtleties of generating contour plots with sparse data, provides many opportunities for students to assess their own progress and understanding ... Full description.

In this exercise from SERC's Starting Point, students measure a topographic and geologic cross-section across a floodplain by simple surveying and auguring techniques. This example demonstrates how basic GIS elements can enhance learning by adding spatial context and introducing mapping techniques. GIS elements encourage students to consider the spatial context of field observations, introduce GPS ... Full description.

This guide introduces educators to the classroom use of oceanographic data from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). MBARI provides near real-time, quality controlled data on surface and subsurface temperature and salinity; CO2 and O2 concentrations; and relative fluorescence, used by scientists to better understand the Monterey Bay ecosystem and draw parallels to the ocean as a whole. ... Full description.

In this intermediate Excel activity, students import US Historical Climate Network mean temperature data into Excel from a station of their choice. They are then guided through the activity on how to use Excel for statistical calculations, graphing, and linear trend estimates. The activity assumes some familiarity with Excel. On this Starting Point page, users can access information about the exercise's ... Full description.