Topic outline

  • Data Tutorial: Climate

    NOAA data icons

    Environmental data is a powerful educational resource

    Historical and real-time observation data offers exciting teaching and student investigation opportunities. The tutorials, questions, and resources in this course were developed to support educators and students in accessing and incorporating environmental data into education programming. At NOAA we believe that the use of data is important as students pursue authentic research questions, practice scientific ways of thinking, and build their own evidenced-based scientific story. Ultimately, data is a key resource, crucial for supporting informed decision making.

    States and districts across the country are using the National Research Council report, A Framework for K-12 Science Education, to inform the design of standards and curriculum. Analyzing and Interpreting Data is a core Science and Engineering Practice within the framework. The practice progresses from kindergarten to 12th grade with students recording data and making observations to analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating data. 

    This course can support parts of the 5E Model of Science Instruction. Students can use the online data tools to Explore a question and later to Elaborate as they think more about the problem or phenomena. To complete the 5E Model, you will need to fill in the gaps to Explain the phenomena they are exploring.   

    A Focus on Climate Data

    NOAA Climate data graphic - a thermometer on top of the earth

    This data tutorial focuses on climate data that can be incorporated into existing curriculum or units of study to support three dimensional learning and student investigations. There are a variety of publicly available data tools that can help you and your students understand how our climate has and will change and how habitats, plants, animals, and people have and will be impacted by these changes. This course is composed of two types of lessons: data tutorials and answering questions. Each lesson focused on answering a question ends with a real life example of how a community has used similar data to respond to and prepare for our changing climate. You'll then be asked to practice what you just learned and answer the question for your location in addition to brainstorming how the data could be used in your community and with students to inform action.

    These lessons can’t cover every topic you and your students might investigate. Make sure to check out the always increasing collection of online data resources found HERE.

    In this data tutorial participants will:

    • Practice using climate data tools to answer a question
    • Answer locally relevant questions using data tools
    • Identify community or school actions that could be informed by data
    • Develop a lesson plan that incorporates data collection and accessing online data

    Estimated Course Completion: 15 hours

    After completing this course, you will see instructions on how to receive your certificate of completion and credits for Maryland (1 CPD), Delaware, Washington D.C., Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania (6 Act 48). Depending on your state and local guidelines, you may be able to use the certificate of completion (15 clock hours) to apply for credits in other states. It may take up to 2 weeks for your coursework to be reviewed and for you to receive your certificate.

  • Prepare for Instructions!

    Cartoon of a student pushing hard on a door when it says to "pull"

    You are about to dive into some instructions. We are always working on improving these instructions and making them as easy to follow as possible. Yes, there are a couple steps to follow and they are all necessary! 

    All these steps allow us to keep this course self-paced with a rolling enrollment. These instructions are to ensure your progress in this course and your submitted reflections are saved and, we are notified if and when you want your work in this course reviewed to receive a Certificate of Completion.

    To make sure you don't become this student (pictured) - send any questions about taking this course to Bart Merrick at bart.merrick@noaa.gov.

    • Start Here!

      To receive a Certificate of Completion for credits and save your progress and lesson reflections, (1) create an account in Chesapeake Exploration and (2) enroll in this course.

      Learn how by watching the videos. Click the expansion button within each video to watch it in full screen; there is no sound. You can review the video transcripts and slides from the videos at your own pace by clicking into each video's page.

    • Required Pre-Assessment

      Thank you in advance for completing our assessments! This should take you no more than 10 minutes to complete. Results from this pre-assessment and the post-assessment at the end of the course are used to update and improve this course.

      You will need to do the following two things to make the Teaching Climate Change lessons appear below:

      1. Complete the pre-assessment HERE (a new window will open). The assessment is a google form. Make sure you click "Submit" within the google form before exiting the assessment and returning to this course homepage.

      2. Check the small grey box below and to the right to confirm you submitted the pre-assessment within the google form. After "checking" the box, your browser page should refresh (you may have to do this manually) and then the 5 sections of the course will appear below. DO NOT skip step 1! If you apply for a Certificate of Completion but we have not received your pre-assessment, you will be required to complete it before we review your course work.

      • I confirm I have completed and submitted the Pre-Assessment google form. Confirm by "checking" this box → → → → →

        If the box is already "checked" and the course lessons aren't displayed below then you still need to Enroll in this Course. Watch the videos above to learn how.