 CSOMIO curriculum cover. |
Farewell 2020 – Education Spotlight
– JULY 15, 2020
(From Farewell 2020 Newsletter)
The Consortium for Simulation of Oil-Microbial Interactions in the Ocean (CSOMIO) created a middle school science curriculum called “Modeling the Gulf” to help students make connections between the theoretical nature of science and real-world applications. The curriculum includes five lessons plans related to ocean modeling, including the fields of biogeochemistry, fluid dynamics, and microbiology.
“As someone with experience in both K-12 and informal education, I understand the desire for teachers to have innovative, real-world curricula and materials. By creating them with [Next Generation Science Standards] in mind, my goal was to make it easy to incorporate into a practicing educator’s classroom. ‘Modeling the Gulf’ takes a relevant phenomenon and uses it as a launch point to familiarize students with both physical science concepts and the basics of mathematical/computer modeling,” described Karolyn Burns, a science educator who developed the curriculum on behalf of CSOMIO.
 Zack (left) and Molly (right) in “The Adventures of Zack and Molly.” Credit: Jim Toomey; provided by ECOGIG. |
The Ecosystem Impacts of Fluid and Gas Inputs from the Geosphere (ECOGIG) consortium released the fourth episode of The Adventures of Zack and Molly, an award-winning animated series created in partnership with Jim Toomey to introduce children to the deep ocean. The latest episode describes mysterious hydrothermal vents and the superhero Beggiatoa, bacteria that live and thrive in the extreme and toxic conditions surrounding the vents. You can find the entire film series, along with learning guides connected to the Next Generation Science Standards, here!
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