Professional Development Opportunity for Educators

2016 Summer Professional Development Institutes: North Shore Region
One week institute for Middle and High School Educators
Research and Resiliency: Exploring the Way Local Ecosystems are Responding to Global Change

How do scientists study, protect and improve the health of the coastal habitats along the North Shore? How can an up-close look at a local marine environment help you to bring a perspective on global change to your students? During this institute, work alongside research scientists and land managers engaged in primary research and gain some first-hand experience in the techniques of field data collection and analysis. Investigate the ecology of some North Shore marshes, tidal flats and rocky shores, and look for evidence of the continuous threats to them, including more frequent storm events, water intrusion due to sea level rise, invasive species, nutrient loading, coastal runoff and tidal restrictions.

Collect data in the field and learn how you can share your data with others from similar habitats in other parts of the world. Use your data to determine and evaluate the health of a local or distant ecosystem. Explore engineering solutions that could help to minimize the impact of climate change on local habitats, and investigate how organisms are responding to global change in their efforts to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Gain experiences to help you engage your students in their own authentic scientific field research and introduce them to potential career opportunities. The week will be filled with field trips, inquiry-based, minds-on, hands-on investigations, and discussions aimed to highlight ways research is supporting human efforts to enhance the resiliency of local ecosystems.

Collaborators: Mass Audubon’s Endicott Wildlife Sanctuary, Plum Island Ecosystems LTER, Ipswich River Watershed Association, Ipswich High School, Boston University
Course Dates: July 11-15 (8:30 am – 3:30 pm); Half Day Introductory Session June 18; Half Day Fall Callback November 5

For more information and to register visit the Museum Institute for Teaching Science course website: http://mits.org/2016-north-shore-region/