Presentation to HKES Sea Urchins Project teachers by Dr. Rick Jones of University of Hawaii, West Oahu on July 23, 2012

1. NOAA Climate Stewards in Hawaii:
A Case Study in Teaching Climate Science

2. Many teachers have trouble
talking about climate change in
their classrooms
Discussions of climate change have become politicized
Some teachers are not sure of the science themselves
Like any “hot button” issue, the loudest voice may not be
supported by the data.
58% of US Citizens accepted climate
change as real last year (Pew Research Center poll, 2011)
More than 25% of teachers reported
having arguments over this issue
(NESTA Survey of Earth Science Teachers, 2011)

3. Down from 77% in 2006
from: Inman, M. (2012)
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4. A need for teaching climate
change in the classrooms
Yale survey finds that even those teens who accept
that humanity is heating up the planet are often
confused about the reasons (Inman, 2012)

5. NOAA Climate Stewards Purpose
Build Climate Literacy so educators can:
• understand the concepts of climate
•assess the scientifically credibility of
information
•make informed and responsible
decisions, and initiate actions in the
community

6. NOAA Climate Stewards Program
Is all about providing science
Offers mini grants (Hale Kula received $500.00)
Offers travel support for Climate Stewards to attend
professional development opportunities
Established six regional groups with a goal of
fostering regular communication and collaboration
among educators within those regions
Focus projects in your communities
Focus projects in citizen science
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7. projects in your communities
Reusable Bags School/Community Garden
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8. projects in citizen science
Sea Urchin Science Sea Urchin Science
in the classroom on the reef
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9. Sea Urchin’s for Coral Recovery:
Hale Kula’s Climate Stewards Program
 Based on an earlier research project conducted on a
Kaneohe Bay patch reef that had been cleared of
invasive seaweed using the “Super Sucker” and then had
native collector urchins placed and monitored to see how
well they were able to control the invasive algae.
 This project originates from the $500.00 Climate Stewards
mini grant that focuses on continued improvement of the
health of Oahu’s coral reefs. Image source: ryanphotographic.com
 This year, Hale Kula teachers agree to participate by housing salt water
aquariums in five classrooms.
 Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources agreed to provide small
urchins to the school for students to raise and to actively engage in scientific
research.
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10. The “Super Sucker”
An underwater vacuum that “sucks”
invasive algae right off the reef!
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11. Sea Urchin’s for Coral Recovery:
Hale Kula’s Climate Stewards Program
Is all about providing science:
Prior to this project, teachers from Hale Kula, Wheeler and Solomon
Elementary schools engaged in active professional development
opportunities including monthly workshops focused on climate
change and corals.
 One full day experience at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology on
Coconut Island with Dr. Fenny Cox
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Image source: c.weiner Image source: hmbi.hawaii.edu

12. Sea Urchin’s for Coral Recovery:
Hale Kula’s Climate Stewards Program
Is all about providing science:
On site teacher professional development, focused on
the physical properties of water and what happens to sea
level as ocean water warms.
As the Earth warms, its waters will also expand slightly.
As Earth’s atmospheric temperature rises from global
warming, the oceans will warm and sea levels will rise
from the expansion of the water, as well as from the
addition of water from melted land-based glaciers .
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13. Sea Urchin’s for Coral Recovery:
Hale Kula’s Climate Stewards Program
Is all about providing science:
Professional Development focused on the chemistry
of ocean water and the impact changes in the
chemistry have on marine life.
As CO2 increases in the atmosphere the pH
of the ocean decreases leading to ocean
acidification.
Acidic ocean waters stress and react with the
carbonate skeleton of corals.
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14. Sea Urchin’s for Coral Recovery:
Hale Kula’s Climate Stewards Program
Project Goals:
Through Comprehensive evaluation we will measure:
 whether the program increases environmental and climate
literacy of the teachers and the students
 whether the program increases the number and impact of
climate stewardship activities at the school and in the
community
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Image source: hawaiiarmyweekly.com Image source: ryanphotographic.com

15. Sea Urchin’s for Coral Recovery:
Hale Kula’s Climate Stewards Program
Project Goals Continued:
Increased control of invasive algae on the reefs of
Kaneohe Bay
Continued participation of Hale Kula and addition of
schools in the Scholfield/Wheeler Complex and then to
other schools in Central Oahu and the Leeward Coast
School and community adoption of
project management after year five
to sustain climate stewardship
activities
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Image source: ryanphotographic.com

16. National Climate Stewards Project
• 140 educators in 40 States and DC
• Formal Educators - elementary through
university
• Informal educators - nature centers,
science centers and zoos.
• Climate Stewards Wiki

17. NOAA Climate Stewards Process

18. National Leadership Team

19. Additional Professional Development
Opportunities for other Teachers
Free Online Courses and
Education Conferences, Workshops,
Workshops
and Webinars From the American Meteorological
e.g. Climate Change Here and Now: Impacts
Society (AMS) and funded by NOAA,
on Pacific Islands, Coastlines, and Ocean
NASA, and the Navy - Space is available
NASA’s Aquarius: Ocean concepts in the
for the fall 2012 cohort
classroom Webinar Series

20. Stewardship in Action!

21. National Contacts
 Peg Steffen peg.steffen@noaa.gov
NOAA’s National Ocean Service
Communications & Education Division
 Bruce Moravchik bruce.moravchik@noaa.gov
NOAA’s National Ocean Service
Communications & Education Division
Hawaii Contacts
 Richard Jones rmjones7@hawaii.edu
University of Hawaii – West Oahu
Education Division
 Maggie Prevenas prevenas@hawaiiantel.net
Kalama Intermediate School, Maui
7th Grade Science
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22. NOAA Climate Stewards Impacts
Image source: mprevenas
"It is better to teach people in advance about the
environment, than to reverse the damage they do..."
6th grade student

23. Climate Stewards