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BIMS Bites Kids: Corals-The most interesting animal you thought was a rock

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BIMS Bites Kids: Corals-The most interesting animal you thought was a rock

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BIMS Bites Kids: Corals-The most interesting animal you thought was a rock

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Black In Marine Science: Historic Black Marine Scientists

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Black In Marine Science: Historic Black Marine Scientists

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NOAA identifies probable location of iconic Civil War-era steamer 

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NOAA identifies probable location of iconic Civil War-era steamer 

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Contact:
Vernon Smith, 240-638-6447
NOAA announced today it has determined the probable location of the remains of the Civil War-era sidewheel steamer Planter, which gained national fame in 1862 when a group of enslaved African Americans commandeered the Confederate Navy transport ship in a daring escape to freedom.

The announcement was made in Charleston, S.C., where NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries released a report on its search for the Planter and plans for an interpretative sign and future exhibit dedicated to the Planter's legacy. The effort to find the Planter supports NOAA's >Voyage to Discovery initiative, which seeks to highlight African-American maritime history through education, archaeology, science and underwater exploration.

Under the leadership of Robert Smalls, the ship's steersman, crew members navigated the steamer out of Charleston Harbor on May 12, 1862, and delivered the vessel to the United States Navy. The New York Herald called the escape "one of the most daring and heroic adventures since the war was commenced."

The notoriety generated by the escape and capture of the Planter led to Smalls eventually becoming the first African-American master in the U.S. Navy and a member of Congress representing South Carolina - the state where he was born a slave. NOAA's report helps fill gaps in the largely untold story of Robert Smalls and the Planter, which wrecked on a beach in March 1876 while trying to tow a grounded schooner.

In an attempt to answer lingering questions about the Planter's fate, NOAA researchers reviewed historical documents and analyzed oceanographic and meteorological conditions that may have existed at the time of the Planter's loss. The likely site where the vessel came to rest, off Cape Romain between Charleston and Georgetown, S.C., was confirmed with magnetometer and hydro-probing surveys that detected the presence of large concentrations of iron consistent with the remains of a sunken ship. The vessel's remains are buried under 10-15 feet of sand and water in an environmentally sensitive area in Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.

"Our interest in finding the Planter is about more than just unlocking the past and secrets of the deep," said Daniel J. Basta, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries director. "This expedition is an opportunity to highlight African-American contributions to the country's maritime heritage and inspire young people to consider careers in marine science to help expand the boundaries of ocean exploration."

Following Smalls' commandeering of the Planter on May 12, 1862, the ship continued to be used by the U.S. Navy as a dispatch and supply vessel with Smalls as pilot. However, by September of that year, the Navy transferred the craft to the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps, where it supported Army operations around Charleston, Port Royal and Beaufort.

News accounts suggest that after the war, Smalls and the Planter were well known among local African Americans. As the Planter's captain, he transported many freed slaves to newly created farmsteads and communities at Hilton Head and Port Royal. With Smalls at the helm, the Planter was reported as the ship that carried black dignitaries and passengers to the ceremony of the symbolic raising of the Fort Sumter flag which had been lowered after the fort's capture by the Confederates.

On March 25, 1876, while trying to tow a grounded schooner, Planter sprang a plank in the bow and began to take on water in the hold. The captain elected to beach the steamer and repair the plank, hoping to get off the beach with the next high tide. However, stormy seas battered the Planter as the tide rose and the ship was too badly damaged and had to be abandoned. Upon hearing of its loss, Robert Smalls was reported to have said that he felt as if he had lost a member of his family. A copy of the report are available for download.

NOAA's mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Facebook, Twitter and our other social media channels.

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NOAA identifies probable location of iconic Civil War-era steamer

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Contact: Vernon Smith, 240-638-6447NOAA announced today it has determined the probable location of the remains of the Civil War-era sidewheel steamer Planter, which gained national fame in 1862 when a group of enslaved African Americans commandeered the Confederate Navy transport ship in a daring escape to freedom.

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(available in English, Spanish, and French) for Adult Learners

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We create content to educate the general public about sharks, skates and rays, the threats they face and conservation efforts to protect them. Courses include video lessons, activities, quizzes and action items. Our K-12 program will give students a chance to learn about shark biology and conservation while engaging with women of color working in the field of shark science.

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national oceanic and atmospheric administration

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The biggest fish in the ocean is the Rhincodon typus or whale shark.

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12 Shark Facts That May Surprise You (Fisheries)

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12 Shark Facts That May Surprise You (Fisheries)

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Sharks use their gills to filter oxygen from the water. They are a special type of fish known as "elasmobranchs", which translates into fish made of cartilaginous tissues- the clear gristly stuff that your ears and nose tip are made of. This category also includes rays, sawfish, and skates. Their cartilaginous skeletons are much lighter than true bone and their large livers are full of low-density oils, both helping them to be buoyant.

Even though sharks don't have bones, they still can fossilize. As most sharks age, they deposit calcium salts in their skeletal cartilage to strengthen it. The dried jaws of a shark appear and feel heavy and solid; much like bone. These same minerals allow most shark skeletal systems to fossilize quite nicely. The teeth have enamel so they show up in the fossil record too.

Most sharks can see well in dark lighted areas, have fantastic night vision, and can see colors. The back of sharks' eyeballs have a reflective layer of tissue called a tapetum. This helps sharks see extremely well with little light.

Sharks have small black spots near the nose, eyes, and mouth. These spots are the ampullae of Lorenzini - special electroreceptor organs that allow the shark to sense electromagnetic fields and temperature shifts in the ocean.

4. Shark skin feels similar to sandpaper.

Shark skin feels exactly like sandpaper because it is made up of tiny teeth-like structures called placoid scales, also known as dermal denticles. These scales point towards the tail and help reduce friction from surrounding water when the shark swims.

When you flip a shark upside down they go into a trance-like state called tonic immobility. This is the reason why you often see sawfish flipped over when our scientists are working on them in the water.

Based on fossil scales found in Australia and the United States, scientists hypothesize sharks first appeared in the ocean around 455 million years ago.

Vertebrae contain concentric pairs of opaque and translucent bands. Band pairs are counted like rings on a tree and then scientists assign an age to the shark based on the count. Thus, if the vertebrae has 10 band pairs, it is assumed to be 10 years old. Recent studies, however, have shown that this assumption is not always correct. Researchers must therefore study each species and size class to determine how often the band pairs are deposited because the deposition rate may change over time. Determining the actual rate that the bands are deposited is called "validation".

The blue shark displays a brilliant blue color on the upper portion of its body and is normally snowy white beneath. The mako and porbeagle sharks also exhibit a blue coloration, but it is not nearly as brilliant as that of a blue shark. In life, most sharks are brown, olive, or grayish.

Whale sharks are the biggest fish in the ocean. They can grow to 12.2 meters and weigh as much as 40 tons by some estimates! Basking sharks are the world's second largest fish, growing as long as 32 feet and weighing more than five tons.

A shark's spiracle is located just behind the eyes which supplies oxygen directly to the shark's eyes and brain. Bottom dwelling sharks, like angel sharks and nurse sharks, use this extra respiratory organ to breathe while at rest on the seafloor. It is also used for respiration when the shark's mouth is used for eating.

Mako sharks have very pointed teeth, while white sharks have triangular, serrated teeth. Each leave a unique, tell-tale mark on their prey. A sandbar shark will have around 35,000 teeth over the course of its lifetime!

Sharks exhibit a great diversity in their reproductive modes. There are oviparous (egg-laying) species and viviparous (live-bearing) species. Oviparous species lay eggs that develop and hatch outside the mother's body with no parental care after the eggs are laid.

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1. Sharks do not have bones. Sharks use their gills to filter oxygen from the water. They are a special type of fish known as "elasmobranchs", which translates into fish made of cartilaginous tissues-the clear gristly stuff that your ears and nose tip are made of. This category also includes rays, sawfish, and skates.

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Transcript

Are you afraid of sharks? Half of Americans are afraid of sharks! Half of Americans are terrified of sharks! Even though, compared to shark encounters... in the United States you're 3 times more likely to be struck by lightning, 39 times more likely to be injured or crushed by a vending machine, 250 times more likely to be involved in a fireworks accident. By contrast, sharks cause 5 fatalities per year on average worldwide. Really? Really!

What's even scarier? An ocean without sharks While many shark species are doing well in U.S. waters... Many shark species in other parts of the world are in decline due to overfishing.

Why should we care? We need sharks! Why? Sharks keep prey populations in check and remove sick and weak animals In turn, sharks help maintain biodiversity, keeping our ocean healthy ... the same ocean that produces the seafood we eat and half the oxygen we breathe.

Here's the good news... Together we can help sharks right now. NOAA is already doing something. Thanks to strict controls on shark fishing and the cooperation of U.S. fishermen... Shark populations in the U.S. are on the rebound. In fact, only one shark species managed by NOAA Fisheries is listed as endangered: the scalloped hammerhead shark.

Globally, "shark finning" receives a lot of attention. It's the practice of removing shark fins for shark fin soup... and dumping the body alive at sea. But shark finning has been banned in the U.S. since 2000. It remains only a small part of the global problem. Overfishing is the larger problem. In many countries, sharks are being fished faster than their populations can recover. But in the U.S., NOAA and fishermen are making a difference. And we are sharing this roadmap to success with the rest of the world.

But there's more to do. How can you help? Choose U.S. produced seafood. You can be confident that it's sustainable. Report shark sightings in the "Ocean Alert" app to help scientists track sharks. Share this video with your friends. Because it's time to cause a sea change

Learn more about sharks and how you can help at oceantoday.noaa.gov/sharks

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Are you afraid of sharks? Half of Americans are afraid of sharks! Half of Americans are terrified of sharks! Even though, compared to shark encounters... in the United States you're 3 times more likely to be struck by lightning, 39 times more likely to be injured or crushed by a vending machine, 250 times more likely to be involved in a fireworks accident.

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Smalltooth Sawfish - Endangered Ocean| Every Full Moon | Ocean Today

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Sawfish are large shark-like rays that are found in tropical and subtropical seas, rivers, and creeks, and can grow to 15 feet.

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Countries around the world have been working together to promote the adoption of shark conservation and management measures. In March of 2013, as a result of tremendous international cooperation, five shark species were listed by CITES-an international organization. This means increased protection for these particular sharks, while still allowing legal and sustainable trade.

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Planet Stewards Book Club Archives and Discussion Questions

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Planet Stewards Book Club Archives and Discussion Questions

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A Tale of 2 Planets

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants

The Archipelago of Hope: Wisdom and Resilience from the Edge of Climate Change

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1. Mike Hoffmann says, "Melting glaciers are bad enough, but the loss of coffee is downright terrifying!" Bringing the abstract to the relevant can be a way to make people care. Which of the food stories resonated for you?

2. The first section of the book deals with the global food supply, how we get food on our tables. We've recently experienced shortages and delays, from Covid-19 affecting workers, to the ship that got stuck in the Panama Canal causing a huge bottleneck. How may climate change impact the movement of foods from land and sea to the menu?

3. For some, reading the "Our Changing Climate" section at the beginning of the book, may be depressing and a roadblock to continue reading. While it may not be new information for some, reading it in a short 11-page synopsis can be grueling. However, this is hugely important information for every part of the rest of the book. Following this, the tone throughout the rest of the book is one of well-researched science and hope. Does the fact that there are no villains in this book make it an easier message to swallow? Or make us all equally culpable?

4. The structure of the book as a menu allowed one to choose different parts of the meal to read at different times. Then, within each section, the same format is used: what it is, who cares, what is changing, and what is being done. Is that structure helpful?

5. Throughout the book are interviews and vignettes with people who contribute to the world's food supply. The authors were careful to include a variety of voices from farmers, to researchers, to business owners, and chefs, nearby and from around the world. How do these stories put a human face on food and climate change?

6. Although the authors are of "a certain age," the illustrator, Lindsay Potoff, is a college student who said that working on this book allowed her to feel that she was taking action against one of the biggest threats her generation faces. How can you help young people you work with feel a sense of agency and hope in the face of so much worry?

7. When we think about climate change, we can try to reverse it, mitigate it, or adapt to it. Let's look at one of the foods and connect the dots like coffee! This is a short list pulled from pages 160-161. Mitigation
- Planting shade trees amongst coffee plants to buffer temperature extremes
- Increase habitat for pest-eating birds
Adaptation - Choosing pest and heat-tolerant varieties
- Relocating to cooler locations
- Switching to a different cropReversal - Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Use bean waste to heat and dry beans
- Energy-efficient coffee mills
- "Greener" stores for coffee shops (Starbucks)

Looking at these ideas of what is being done to save coffee, where do you see opportunities? Emerging technologies? GMOs? Are there actions you - as a consumer, educator, scientist - can take?

How has this book influenced what's on your (literal or metaphorical) plate? What we can do?

Become climate change literate and help others learn

Start talking about climate change

Adopt a more plant-based diet

Reduce food waste

Consider your entire carbon footprint

Appreciate and support the people who supply the menu

Be an activist and help create the change we need now

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national oceanic and atmospheric administration

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Mike Hoffmann says, "Melting glaciers are bad enough, but the loss of coffee is downright terrifying!" Bringing the abstract to the relevant can be a way to make people care. Which of the food stories resonated for you? The first section of the book deals with the global food supply, how we get food on our tables.

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All six species of turtles in U.S. waters are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Here you can find out more about them and why their numbers have been declining.

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Transcript

NARRATOR: For generations in Southeastern Connecticut, fishing was a way of life for many. But for years, the industry has been shrinking. The fishers who remain are older now, and many think that fewer young people want to depend on a difficult and uncertain way of life.

But these 17- and 18-year-olds are working with fish every day. Not only that, they're learning a business on top of the standard curriculum and making money for their school, and the enthusiasm is through the roof.

Teacher: Did you get him?

Student: Yeah!

[All laughing]

Eric Litvinoff: I never expected kids to be so engaged with aquaculture. Every day I'm surprised about what they want to learn, the questions that they ask, and their real passion and engagement for this industry.

Narrator: These students go to Marine Science Magnet High School, in Groton, Connecticut. Every day students get fired up as they apply science skills to manage an aquaculture operation.

Kwadwo Nsiah: The commitment I have to this school - I travel almost 45 minutes every day.But I also come in on the weekends, and I do work a full-time job in addition to that, but I know that if our director of aquaculture were to call me and say, hey, we have a problem in the lab, he knows that I would drop whatever I'm doing and I would come and help him.

What I'm thinking is we should get some of that corrugated PVC that we have, and we'll just like, tie it all together, and poke holes so we can get adequate flow in the water, what do you guys think about that?

Student: Yeah, sure.

Student: They'll like having a little more room to live in there, too.

Nsiah: One of the things that I love the most about this is that students take ownership in that lab. We're the ones that are maintaining it, we're the one who are spending the late nights here with the teachers, and testing water quality. And it really provides us that stake.

Narrator: Besides ownership of the lab, students also get real world business training - and both the students and the school reap the reward.

Litvinoff: Kids always learn about math and they always learn about reading and writing and they go, "Why do I have to know how to do this?" We learn about tank volumes, and water flow, and flow rate, and size of fish, and those are all geometric problems that we have to learn on the fly, and then they start doing it and they go, "Oh my God, I'm doing math!" Like, "I never really thought that was going to happen."

Many of the fish that we grow in the aquaculture lab are food fish - fish that we eat every day. All of the students learn every aspect of that business. How much do the fish need to grow? How much does the food cost? How long is it going to take? And a lot of those fish will actually be harvested in a few months, sold to a local wholesaler, and then those fish will end up on somebody's dinner plate. All of the money that's made from that, goes right back into the school to buy the next batch of fish, next batch of food, next batch of equipment.

Narrator: There is even a partnership with the Mystic Aquarium to raise profitable aquarium fish.

Dr. Paul Anderson: Marine ornamental fish can be wildly profitable, and much more so than food fish. So there's a real opportunity there, and an expressed desire by the marine aquarium industry to source aquacultured fish, but there's not enough out there yet. So that's what we're working on trying to empower, to provide a sustainable source that takes a little bit of fishing pressure off of wild caught fish.

Narrator: Ever since its founding, Marine Science has ranked in the very top schools in the state. And 99 percent of graduates have gone on to a 2- or 4-year university.

Litvinoff: I see aquaculture expanding greatly in the next 20 or 30 years. Meaning, there's gonna be a ton of jobs available and opportunities available for students and workers of all kinds.

All my students, they may or may not want to go into aquaculture, and that's okay, but every single student that leaves the Marine Science Magnet High School is an ambassador and a steward of the ocean, and they promote that message out to their family, their friends, and everybody they meet.

Nsiah: There are so many things that the ocean gives us, but there's also so many things that we take from the ocean. So we have to come up with something thatwill supplement taking fish out of the ocean for years to come. We've spent four years learning about it. We know the positives; we know the negatives, but we also know the big things that aquaculture can do. So, if aquaculture were to become big, I wouldn't be surprised if that was a Marine Science student leading that charge.

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School of Fish| Every Full Moon | Ocean Today

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NARRATOR: For generations in Southeastern Connecticut, fishing was a way of life for many. But for years, the industry has been shrinking. The fishers who remain are older now, and many think that fewer young people want to depend on a difficult and uncertain way of life.

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Marine aquaculture refers to the breeding, rearing, and harvesting of aquatic plants and animals. With limited fresh water and land resources ocean farmers are taking to the waves. Get started with this Regional Emmy award- winning series.

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In this course, students will get to do fun science experiments and exercises to learn about what makes sharks special!

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In this class students will explore shark anatomy while learning about some common shark species

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Tiger Sharks: Grades 6-8

Students will learn about some of the threats facing sharks and how scientists are working to understand and reverse negative human impacts on shark populations.

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Students will learn about some of the threats facing sharks and how scientists are working to understand and reverse negative human impacts on shark populations.

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Students will learn about some the techniques scientists use to study sharks while getting to practice analyzing some real data.

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Traditional Knowledge and Climate Change: Impacts on Indigenous Peoples

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Traditional Knowledge and Climate Change: Impacts on Indigenous Peoples

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US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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NOAA Planet Stewards Education Project: NOAA’s National Ocean Service

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The NOAA Planet Stewards Education Project (PSEP) provides formal and informal educators working with elementary through university age students with sustained professional development, collaborative tools, and support to build a climate-literate public actively engaged in Planet Stewardship.

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This is the first of three compelling short videos showcasing the dramatic changes in Alaska's marine ecosystems through interviews with scientists and Alaska Natives.  This introduction to the impacts of climate change in Alaska includes interviews with Alaska Natives, commentary by scientists, and footage from Alaska's Arctic. 

This video was produced by the Alaska Sea Grant program, the Alaska Marine Conservation Council, COSEE Alaska, and the Alaska Ocean Observing System

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Black In Marine Science: All About Sea Turtles Crossword Puzzle 

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Black In Marine Science: All About Sea Turtles Crossword Puzzle 

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national oceanic and atmospheric administration

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Corals: NOAA's National Ocean Service Education

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National Ocean Service's Education Online tutorial on Corals?

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Influential Chesapeake African Americans 

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Influential Chesapeake African Americans 

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Even though African Americans have a long and rich history in the evolution of the Chesapeake Bay's seafood industry, most of their stories, hardships, and accomplishments were scarcely recorded by white society. There are also few written African American first-hand accounts as Black communities were historically prevented from literacy.

Most of the accounts that are formally written about Black watermen were recorded by others who researched these experiences. Notably, there are a few accounts by African Americans in the maritime world by authors like Frederick Douglass and Paul Cuffee. These were men who could read and write, and their experiences have informed what we know about their lives and their work.

But many African Americans were restricted from boat ownership or achieving the role of captain because of laws passed in the 1830s and a legacy of systemic racism. It meant that African Americans both enslaved and free were unable-sometimes entirely-from supporting themselves through work on the water. Those that did work in the maritime world were often relegated to piece work, manual labor or lower-wage harvests. Due to these legal and illegal enforcements, there are hundreds, if not more, unnamed African Americans that worked on these waters whose history can never be told. Luckily, as time went on, some of the most influential black skipjack captains and watermen began paving the way for this African American legacy to continue on the Chesapeake Bay.

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MINORITIES ON THE CHESAPEAKE - Minorities In Aquaculture

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Even though African Americans have a long and rich history in the evolution of the Chesapeake Bay's seafood industry, most of their stories, hardships, and accomplishments were scarcely recorded by white society. There are also few written African American first-hand accounts as Black communities were historically prevented from literacy.

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Historic Black Marine Scientists Word Scramble

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Historic Black Marine Scientists Word Scramble

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By Elizabeth Moore

February 2017

In 1838, at about 20 years of age and with two escape attempts already behind him, Frederick Douglass was working as a caulker in the Baltimore shipyards, pounding hemp into the seams of wooden ships and pouring hot pitch to make them waterproof. It was tedious and difficult work, but would help him in two ways: first, handing over his wages to his owner would drive him to try for a last, successful escape to freedom, and second, his intimate knowledge of ships and sailing would help him in that escape. In September of that year, he boarded a train carrying borrowed papers from a free African-American sailor and dressed in mariners' clothing. "My knowledge of ships and sailor's talk came much to my assistance, for I knew a ship from stem to stern, and from keelson to cross-trees, and could talk sailor like an old salt," he wrote in his memoirs in 1882. Some strategy, luck, and "kind feelings...towards those who go down to the sea in ships" helped him reach New York, and freedom, a day later. He would spend the rest of his long life-agitator, author, diplomat, orator-fighting on behalf of freedom and equality for African-Americans.

The sailor's papers borrowed and carried by Frederick Douglas on his successful escape were intended to protect freeborn or freed African-American mariners at their various ports of call. This certificate was issued to sailor William Steward in New York in 1820. Image courtesy of the New York Public Library

Douglass's experience was not entirely out of the ordinary. Maritime industries were rife with the same injustices and brutalities faced by African-Americans in every aspect of American society, but they still provided better work opportunities than terrestrial occupations, and sometimes even a chance for freedom. Slaves and freeborn African-Americans built and sailed ships, harvested fish and shellfish from the Atlantic as Chesapeake watermen and fishers, and risked dangerous seas in search of whales. Our nation's maritime history - and the history of many of our national marine sanctuaries - is intertwined with the stories of many peoples, including those of forcibly-transported and enslaved African-Americans.

African-Americans were members of merchant and naval crews dating back to before the Revolutionary War, including as sought-after pilots with a respected knowledge of the inland waters and outer coastal waters of the Atlantic seaboard. Moses Grandy, a slave born in 1786, used the money he earned as master of canal boats navigating the Great Dismal Swamp Canal in Virginia and North Carolina to buy his freedom, and earnings from later sea voyages to buy that of his wife; twice before, his owners had taken his earnings to buy his freedom yet still kept him enslaved. In his memoir he wrote about his feelings on obtaining freedom, "I felt to myself so light, that I almost thought I could fly, and in my sleep I was always dreaming of flying over woods and rivers." Born in 1745, Olaudah Equiano was another slave who purchased his freedom with earnings from maritime trade. Despite the memory of the horrors of the slave ship that transported him from his native land, he spent his later free years still sailing; "I was perfectly happy; for the ship, master, and voyage, were entirely to my mind," he wrote on embarking on another sea venture.

Sometimes the employment of African-Americans in maritime trade helped build entire communities. One example is Newport News, Virginia, the gateway community to and headquarters of Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. After the Civil War, Newport News had a predominantly African-American population. With the founding of the Newport News shipyards, many African-Americans went to work building ships, a tradition that continues today in the city's modern shipbuilding companies. The community thrived, building churches, libraries, and schools, and producing lawyers, doctors, and noted entertainer Ella Fitzgerald.

Caption: Hampton University, a private, historically black university in Hampton, Virginia, began life as a single class of African-Americans held under an oak tree in 1861. Its late 19th and early 20th century incarnation, Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute provided vocational classes for young African-American men and women, including in shipbuilding at the Newport News Shipping Co. Photo: B.F. Johnston, c. 1900, courtesy of the Library of Congress

The hiring of so many African-Americans into shipbuilding in Newport News led the trend for other shipyards in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For example, African-Americans during World War I made up about 20 percent of the workforce at the Hog Island, Pennsylvania shipyard, at the time the largest in the world. Many of the vessels constructed at Hog Island, the famed Ghost Fleet, now rest in the waters of Mallow's Bay, a site currently undergoing the sanctuary designation process.

African-American history is also intertwined with that of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Today, the sanctuary protects humpback whale feeding grounds, and whales are protected throughout all federal waters. But Massachusetts was once the world's whaling epicenter. Even more than other maritime trades, because of its hazardous nature and ever present demand for workers, whaling provided more opportunities and better-paying employment for African-Americans. They served on crews, captained ships, and contributed to technological advances; blacksmith Lewis Temple invented a toggle-headed harpoon that was better than its predecessors which tended to slip free of whale blubber.

Leading up to the Civil War, about 3,000 African-Americans were employed on whaling ships in various roles. One of them, John Thompson, born into slavery in 1812 in Maryland, escaped and made his way north but feared recapture, writing, "I finally concluded best for me to go to sea." He spent several years on the whaler Milford, writing on the taking of whales and the exotic lands they visited. He ends his memoirs likening his strong Christian faith to a voyage on perilous seas.

Like shipbuilding, sailing, and whaling, taking oysters and crabs from the Bay-the mainstay of Chesapeake watermen-offered a relatively good living for African-Americans, albeit it one fraught with prejudice and legal barriers. Early 19th century laws designed to limit the ability of free African-Americans to participate and succeed in many maritime trades (such as not being able to serve as captain on a boat of any significant size) gave way to equally repellent Jim Crow laws in the mid-20th century. Despite such impediments, African-Americans continued to practice their traditional craft with an abiding love into the modern age. In a 1998 interview with Maryland Sea Grant, one veteran waterman said, "Nothing like working on the water for me. You can get up in the morning and see the sun when it's coming up."

African-American men and women fished the Potomac River, Chesapeake Bay and other inland waters in the mid-Atlantic region. Here, netted shad are being beached for collection. Photo: Bain News Service, 1915, courtesy of the Library of Congress

Captain Michael A. Healy (1839-1904), a major figure in the history of the U.S. Revenue Marine and master of the steam cutter Bear, is now acknowledged as the first African-American to command a U.S. government ship. During his lifetime, Captain Healy, the son of an enslaved woman and an Irish immigrant Georgia planter, never acknowledged his parentage. He and his siblings were sent north for their education and a better future by their parents to avoid being enslaved as the laws of the times meant that the children of enslaved women were born as slaves. For African-Americans in the mid-19th century, there were few paths to freedom, one of them the risk of "passing." Photo courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard

In 1942, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt wrote, "Questions of race, creed, and color have no place in determining who are to man our ships." Though many, deep into America's past and into our modern times, have not been so enlightened, there is no doubt that the long and honorable African-American maritime tradition is an important part of our nation's history. This month, we remember and honor Frederick Douglass, Moses Grandy, Olaudah Equiano, Lewis Temple, John Thompson, and the thousands of African-American men and women whose stories we will never know, who faced enslavement, brutality, harassment, and prejudice to help build our coastal communities and our maritime nation.

In 1942, with the launching of the Liberty Ship SS Booker T. Washington, the first so named after an African-American, its commander, Captain Hugh Mulzac (1886-1971), also became the first African-American to captain a vessel in the U.S. Merchant Marine. Mulzac went from cook to captain virtually overnight as, despite having held a master's license for over twenty years, Booker T. Washington represented his first opportunity to serve as captain. Photo A.T. Palmer, 1942, U.S. Office of War Information, courtesy of the Library of Congress

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national oceanic and atmospheric administration

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By Elizabeth Moore February 2017 In 1838, at about 20 years of age and with two escape attempts already behind him, Frederick Douglass was working as a caulker in the Baltimore shipyards, pounding hemp into the seams of wooden ships and pouring hot pitch to make them waterproof.

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national oceanic and atmospheric administration

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Maritime heritage preserves and protects valuable historical, cultural, and archaeological resources within our coastal, marine, and Great Lakes environments.

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How do coral reefs protect lives and property?

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How do coral reefs protect lives and property?

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Corals form barriers to protect the shoreline from waves and storms.

The coral reef structure buffers shorelines against waves, storms, and floods, helping to prevent loss of life, property damage, and erosion. When reefs are damaged or destroyed, the absence of this natural barrier can increase the damage to coastal communities from normal wave action and violent storms.

Several million people live in U.S. coastal areas adjacent to or near coral reefs. Some coastal development is required to provide necessary infrastructure for coastal residents and the growing coastal tourism industry.

However, the impacts of coastal development (e.g., marina, dock, and bridge construction, dredging to replenish beaches) and polluted runoff from coastal areas can damage coral reefs over the long term. Therefore, the health of coral reefs depends on sustainable coastal development practices that protect sensitive coral ecosystems and the creatures that reside there.

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national oceanic and atmospheric administration

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How do coral reefs protect lives and property?

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The coral reef structure buffers shorelines against waves, storms, and floods, helping to prevent loss of life, property damage, and erosion. When reefs are damaged or destroyed, the absence of this natural barrier can increase the damage to coastal communities from normal wave action and violent storms. Several million people live in U.S.

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Healthy coral reefs support commercial and subsistence fisheries as well as jobs and businesses through tourism and recreation. Approximately half of all federally managed fisheries depend on coral reefs and related habitats for a portion of their life cycles. The National Marine Fisheries Service estimates the commercial value of U.S. fisheries from coral reefs is over $100 million.

Local economies also receive billions of dollars from visitors to reefs through diving tours, recreational fishing trips, hotels, restaurants, and other businesses based near reef ecosystems.

Despite their great economic and recreational value, coral reefs are severely threatened by pollution, disease, and habitat destruction. Once coral reefs are damaged, they are less able to support the many creatures that inhabit them. When a coral reef supports fewer fish, plants, and animals, it also loses value as a tourist destination.

Video Transcript

Healthy Corals are the foundation of our ocean's food chain, from tiny plankton to the largest animals in the sea. And coral reefs are important to our economy, too. Healthy coral reefs contribute to fishing and tourism, providing millions of jobs and contributing to economies all over the world. Scientists develop important drugs from coral reef organisms as treatments for cancer, arthritis, and viruses. But corals are threatened by pollution and climate change. So we must protect our coral reefs. Because coral reefs are an important part of earth's fragile ecosystem. We all benefit from a healthy planet and healthy coral reefs!

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national oceanic and atmospheric administration

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Healthy coral reefs support commercial and subsistence fisheries as well as jobs and businesses through tourism and recreation. Approximately half of all federally managed fisheries depend on coral reefs and related habitats for a portion of their life cycles. The National Marine Fisheries Service estimates the commercial value of U.S.

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"I caught the spirit of the Chesapeake." -Vincent Leggett

Click Here for More information
on Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation.

This Project has been financed in part by the Maryland Center for History and Culture's Thomas V. "Mike" Miller History Fund. However, Project contents or opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Maryland Center for History and Culture.

What is Blacks of the Chesapeake?

African-Americans who have worked and continue to work in the maritime and seafood processing industries in the Chesapeake Bay region are an integral part of this area's rich culture and heritage. In 1994, the Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation began to document this aspect of Americana. The foundation serves the community with a broad range of historical, cultural and educational activities.

Documentation includes the book, The Chesapeake Bay Through Ebony Eyes, which provides a history of African-American contributions in the Chesapeake's maritime industries, and includes a collection of seafood recipes, poetry, photographs and sketches; and the book, Blacks of the Chesapeake, An Integral Part of Maritime History, which provides a pictorial history of African-Americans at work as ship captains, sail makers, watermen, and seafood processing plant employees.

A Vanishing Legacy: Black Captains of the Chesapeake Bay

printed in WUSA9.com, November 18, 2021
written by Adam Longo and Kaitlyn McGrath

Boat captains up and down the mid-Atlantic shorelines are preparing to hibernate for the cold, bleak and unproductive winter months. It's a welcomed respite following a grueling summer of twice-a-day fishing tours, reduced numbers due to COVID-19 and less profit compared to bountiful seasons in the past.

It's an unforgiving job. Only the relentless, experienced and most passionate captains will survive, let alone thrive. This year saw even fewer Black captains among their ranks than in the past.

African-American watermen have seen their numbers in a precipitous decline with few remedies available to turn back a changing tide; one once rich with black culture.

The first African-Americans saw the idyllic waters of the Chesapeake Bay in the 1600's. The history of this bountiful bay is stocked with enormous contributions from its Black inhabitants. They have been watermen, boat builders, cooks and oyster harvesters.

Read More

July 7, 2022 Golf Outing

Join us at the Preserve at Eisenshower Golf Course
1576 Generals Hwy. | Crownsville, MD 21032 Thursday July 7, 2022

Format: Four-Person Scramble
7:00 am Registration | 8:00 am Shotgun Start
$520.00 for Foursomes | $140.00 single golfers
Includes Golf, Beverage Cart & Lunch
Prizes, Closest to the Pin, Long Drive and more.

June 7 is the deadline for registration and all payments (Limited Field)
REGISTER ONLINE HERE!!!Proceeds from the event will benefit the Blacks of the Chesapeake's Educational, Historical, Cultural & Environmental Projects and Programs. Donations are Tax Deductible and are welcomed & appreciated.

Oyster Ninja Podcast-
Vince Leggett

Oyster Ninja Podcast | Listen Notes

Vincent Leggett has been an integral part of salvaging stories, artifacts, and information on African Americans on the Chesapeake Bay for over four decades. Mr. Leggett has a resumé that includes author, historian, lobbyist, educator and so much more that you will find out in this episode of The Oyster Ninja Podcast. He explains his humble beginnings that help mold him and set him apart from other young people, and how and why he founded Blacks of the Chesapeake. This is the first of many conversations and I hope you enjoy.
Click here to listen

Underground Railroad:
The Secret History

Vince Leggett, "Admiral of the Chesapeake"and Founder Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation is featured in a new docu-series narrated by Actor-Director Clark Johnson. "Underground Railroad: The Secret History," a four-part docu-series, premieres Sunday, Jan. 30, at 10 PM ET on the Science Channel and Streaming on discovery+.

Much of the history of enslaved people in the United States has gone undocumented. Now, cutting-edge technology, and the perseverance of archaeologists and historians, are bringing to light the secret pathways, communities, and outposts that provided refuge to Freedom Seekers. Experts are also uncovering crucial details about the people behind those locations, and the individuals who made these life-changing journeys.

Across the series, viewers will hear from the descendants of Freedom Seekers who add insight with their family history, passed down from generation to generation. Audiences also hear from archaeologists including Dr. Justin Dunnavant of UCLA, Dr. Ayana Omilade Flewellen of UC Riverside, Dr. Cheryl LaRoche of the University of Maryland, Dr. Dan Sayers of American University, Jeffrey Shanks of the National Park Service and Dr. Terrance Weik of University of South Carolina, as well as historians and academics including Vince Leggett, Founder, Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation, Anthony Cohen, President of the Menare Foundation, Lisa Fager of the Mt. Zion-FUBS Foundation, Dr. Maria Hammack of University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Cassandra Newby-Alexander of Norfolk State University, Dr. Rolonda Teal of Steven F. Austin State University and Dr. Javier Wallace of Duke University. These experts share their research and discoveries, giving valuable context to these stories and helping to solidify the legacies of those who sought freedom on the Underground Railroad.

Learn more at https://lnkd.in/dvMufjfq.

Our Strategic Partners

Logos of our Educational Strategic Partners

Harriet Tubman and
Frederick Douglass

We love everything Harriet & Frederick who are the bookends for the Blacks of the Chesapeake!!!

Please join us on this historic journey of discovery. In 2022, our work will be featured in three documentary films highlighting Harriet Tubman & Frederick Douglass' connections to the Chesapeake Bay.

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Chesapeake Underground: Charting a Course to Freedom
Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass are Blacks of the Chesapeake
Click here for more information on their documentaries

Their lives were shaped by the bay and its many harbors, rivers, and creeks. Douglass did his work in the light and Tubman labored under a celestial canopy by night. They both were well acquainted with Maryland waterways and used them as a part of their heroic quests for freedom. The remarkable part of their meta narratives is the fact that once they were free, they used their God-given gifts and graces to help others.

Learn more about their lives and others through the Tubman-Douglass Institute for Chesapeake Studies.

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Black History in the Chesapeake Bay - Annapolis, Maryland

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Blacks/African-Americans have worked in the maritime and seafood processing industries in the Chesapeake Bay region in Annapolis, Maryland and are an integral part of the Annapolis and Chesapeake Bays's rich culture and heritage. Blacks of the Chesapeake was founded and is led by Vince Leggett, the Admiral of the Chesapeake.

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African American History Month
National Women's History Month
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month
National Disability Employment Awareness Month
National American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month

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Our American society and identity is inextricably linked with the ocean that has been fundamental to the development of our maritime country. Our society and identity are also the result of a rich amalgamation of cultures, ethnicities, and belief systems brought to our shores for thousands of years through both triumph and tragedy. We are a strong, vibrant nation and a strong, vibrant people because of the spirited mosaic of our communities. On this page, we celebrate the Heritage of the Blue and honor the diverse communities, cultures, and voices of our nation.

June: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month came out of a Presidential Proclamation in 2009, calling upon "the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity." June was chosen in recognition of the Stonewall Riots in June 1969, which marked the beginning of the modern LGBT rights movement in the U.S. We celebrate the month by recognizing the contributions and achievements of our sanctuary communities in helping ensure equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

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Our American society and identity is inextricably linked with the ocean that has been fundamental to the development of our maritime country. Our society and identity are also the result of a rich amalgamation of cultures, ethnicities, and belief systems brought to our shores for thousands of years through both triumph and tragedy.

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Planet Stewards Book Club Archives and Discussion Questions

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Planet Stewards Book Club Archives and Discussion Questions

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Girl Warriors: How 25 Young Activists Are Saving the World by Rachel Sarah

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1. Mike Hoffmann says, "Melting glaciers are bad enough, but the loss of coffee is downright terrifying!" Bringing the abstract to the relevant can be a way to make people care. Which of the food stories resonated for you?

2. The first section of the book deals with the global food supply, how we get food on our tables. We've recently experienced shortages and delays, from Covid-19 affecting workers, to the ship that got stuck in the Panama Canal causing a huge bottleneck. How may climate change impact the movement of foods from land and sea to the menu?

3. For some, reading the "Our Changing Climate" section at the beginning of the book, may be depressing and a roadblock to continue reading. While it may not be new information for some, reading it in a short 11-page synopsis can be grueling. However, this is hugely important information for every part of the rest of the book. Following this, the tone throughout the rest of the book is one of well-researched science and hope. Does the fact that there are no villains in this book make it an easier message to swallow? Or make us all equally culpable?

4. The structure of the book as a menu allowed one to choose different parts of the meal to read at different times. Then, within each section, the same format is used: what it is, who cares, what is changing, and what is being done. Is that structure helpful?

5. Throughout the book are interviews and vignettes with people who contribute to the world's food supply. The authors were careful to include a variety of voices from farmers, to researchers, to business owners, and chefs, nearby and from around the world. How do these stories put a human face on food and climate change?

6. Although the authors are of "a certain age," the illustrator, Lindsay Potoff, is a college student who said that working on this book allowed her to feel that she was taking action against one of the biggest threats her generation faces. How can you help young people you work with feel a sense of agency and hope in the face of so much worry?

7. When we think about climate change, we can try to reverse it, mitigate it, or adapt to it. Let's look at one of the foods and connect the dots like coffee! This is a short list pulled from pages 160-161. Mitigation
- Planting shade trees amongst coffee plants to buffer temperature extremes
- Increase habitat for pest-eating birds
Adaptation - Choosing pest and heat-tolerant varieties
- Relocating to cooler locations
- Switching to a different cropReversal - Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Use bean waste to heat and dry beans
- Energy-efficient coffee mills
- "Greener" stores for coffee shops (Starbucks)

Looking at these ideas of what is being done to save coffee, where do you see opportunities? Emerging technologies? GMOs? Are there actions you - as a consumer, educator, scientist - can take?

How has this book influenced what's on your (literal or metaphorical) plate? What we can do?

Become climate change literate and help others learn

Start talking about climate change

Adopt a more plant-based diet

Reduce food waste

Consider your entire carbon footprint

Appreciate and support the people who supply the menu

Be an activist and help create the change we need now

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national oceanic and atmospheric administration

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Mike Hoffmann says, "Melting glaciers are bad enough, but the loss of coffee is downright terrifying!" Bringing the abstract to the relevant can be a way to make people care. Which of the food stories resonated for you? The first section of the book deals with the global food supply, how we get food on our tables.

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national oceanic and atmospheric administration

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This page showcases select careers in NOAA's National Ocean Service. In the U.S., where over half of us live along the coast and more than 78 percent of our overseas trade by volume comes and goes along our marine highways, the health of our coasts is intricately connected to the health of our nation's economy.

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symone.barkley@noaa.gov

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Why it is crucial to make cultural diversity visible in STEM education?

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Why it is crucial to make cultural diversity visible in STEM education?

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Practice Brief 55 -- Topics:Background Equity Implementation Culture
Why it is crucial to make cultural diversity visible in STEM education

Teachers should carefully weave subject matter with activities and images within relevant contexts that validate contributions of individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.

District Staff & PD Providers should model making human diversity visible throughout science instruction and connect teachers with relevant resources and communities.

School Leaders should support science educators in acquiring, adapting, and developing culturally diverse instructional materials and support culturally-based instruction.

What Is The Issue?

To increase student engagement in STEM, we know that students need to see in themselves the potential to pursue STEM interests and careers. One typical approach is to expose students to relevant images of STEM professionals who represent the cultural diversity of our global community throughout instruction. However, to enhance student engagement and make cultural diversity truly visible in STEM, educators must go deeper. For STEM education to support all students in becoming STEM literate, instruction needs to broadly recognize who has done science, for what range of purposes, and how diversity enriches science.

Authors:

BY ALBERTO J. RODRIGUEZ & PHILIP BELL | OCTOBER 2018

Reflection Questions

Whose interests are being served by the images of STEM endeavors found in instruction?

How can instruction be crafted to make it more inclusive to diversities of learners and to help students from the dominant culture understand the historical and contemporary diversity of STEM efforts?

Things to Consider

Scientific ways of knowing have been pervasive across diverse cultures throughout human history. Individuals, teams, and communities from all nations and cultures have contributed to science and to advances in engineering. All cultural communities have-and do-engage in science and technology endeavors that relate to their interests, goals, and values. Instruction should represent this diversity of STEM efforts and purposes.

The WEIRD problem of science education. Science education in the U.S. has often centered on Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) societies -and predominantly on the work of white men recognized as scientists in society. This narrow view of science has made broad claims about science, and it often dominates the pages of leading journals. It incorrectly and adversely narrows the image of who does science, why they do it, and how it is done.

Scientists' backgrounds, values, theoretical commitments, and fields of endeavor influence the nature of their findings. This can be seen as making the scientific enterprise more objective (see strong objectivity). Thus, it is imperative to guide students in recognizing that science is a human enterprise by default-inexorably linked to individuals who have the power to define what counts as science and what knowledge is worth pursuing. This critical understanding of the enterprise of science can help students recognize the importance of being scientifically literate and active citizens.

Attending to Equity

One way that White Supremacy, patriarchy, and late stage capitalism is reinforced in education is by focusing STEM storylines and instructional examples on socially dominant and resource consumption-obsessed efforts.

The narrative of instructional materials must match and augment the images used to make cultural diversity visible in STEM. That is, it is important to move away from superficial representations of diversity to more culturally and socially relevant activities that promote students' engagement, agency, and social responsibility.

Recommended Actions You Can Take

Diverse images of STEM endeavors should be described in historical, contemporary, and future-focused terms. Do not inaccurately portray the diversity of STEM endeavors of cultural communities as strictly historical ones-as this may inadvertently render diverse communities' contributions to STEM as something of the past. Highlight how past and present contributions of peoples from diverse communities influence STEM knowledge production today.

STEM has a broad range of purposes. Highlight a range of purposes for understanding science and engineering, including: community endeavors and justice projects, forms of civic engagement, personal pursuits of learners or families, and 21st century global challenges and decision-making-and not just STEM career possibilities.

ALSO SEE STEM TEACHING TOOLS

STEM Teaching Tools content copyright 2014-22 UW Institute for Science + Math Education. All rights reserved.
This site is primarily funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Award #1920249 (previously through Awards #1238253 and #1854059). Opinions expressed are not those of any funding agency.

Work is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Others may adapt with attribution. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Opinions expressed are not those of any funding agency.

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Why it is crucial to make cultural diversity visible in STEM education : StemTeachingTools (en-US)

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Practice Brief 55 -- Topics:Background Equity Implementation Culture Teachers should carefully weave subject matter with activities and images within relevant contexts that validate contributions of individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. District Staff & PD Providers should model making human diversity visible throughout science instruction and connect teachers with relevant resources and communities.

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Historically Responsive Literacy: A More Complete Education for All Students

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Historically Responsive Literacy: A More Complete Education for All Students

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Sponsored by Pear Deck and ISTE U

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. When you make a purchase through these links, Cult of Pedagogy gets a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.

For years teachers have been looking for ways to improve the academic performance of all students, especially students of color and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. While some of these efforts have been successful, many more have had lackluster results.

In the past, we've explored different approaches teachers can take to do a better job of reaching all students: interviews with Dena Simmons, Zaretta Hammond, Pedro Noguera, and Hedreich Nichols, to name a few. In these conversations, we looked at more effective ways of relating to students, strategies for working toward equity outside the classroom, and instructional methods that are more culturally responsive.

This post continues that work with a fresh response to the question of how to better serve diverse students. It's a framework that deals directly with the curriculum side of things, the standards, the actual content we teach in our classrooms. The framework is called Historically Responsive Literacy, and it was developed by Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, a professor, a former middle school educator, and the author of the book Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy, where she makes the case for this framework.

In short, Muhammad believes we're not reaching many of our students, especially Black students, because our curricula and standards are lacking. The emphasis in our current standards is mainly on skills-skills that can be measured easily on standardized tests-and not a whole lot else. Some teachers go beyond the tested material, pushing students to think critically, exploring social emotional competencies, and designing opportunities for inquiry-based learning; unfortunately, the standards themselves don't require those things.

But there was a time in history when a more complete, more human form of "curriculum" did exist, and it energized and inspired its students-all of them Black men and women-to read, write, speak, and publish with the kind of passion and dedication we would want all of our students to have about learning. This curriculum evolved within the Black literary societies of the 19th century. These groups met regularly to read, write about, and discuss a wide range of texts and ideas. Their goals were far loftier than basic skill development or scores on a test, and engagement-to borrow a term we use in modern education-was at an all-time high.

These societies were the inspiration for Muhammad's Historically Responsive Literacy framework, a four-layered pedagogical model that places skills on an equal plane with three other learning pursuits: identity, intellect, and criticality.

The framework was designed with Black students in mind, but it will benefit all students. Muhammad explains it this way: "If we start with Blackness (which we have not traditionally done in schooling) or the group of people who have uniquely survived the harshest oppressions in this country, then we begin to understand ways to get literacy education right for all" (p. 22).

In our interview, she unpacks all four layers of her framework and helps us understand what it looks like to implement them in the classroom. What follows is a summary of our conversation.

First, Two Clarifications

Is Historically Responsive Literacy Just for "Literacy" Teachers?

No. In the book, Muhammad explains that in the past, "literacy was synonymous with education, so although I name 'literacy,' these four pursuits can be used and layered with math, science, ELA, social studies, or physical education/health" (p. 57).

In other words, this is not just a framework for ELA teachers, and in the book, Muhammad explores how to implement HRL in many different subject areas.

Is HRL different from Culturally Responsive Teaching?

Think of HRL as living under the broader umbrella of Culturally Responsive Teaching, which includes relationship-building, instructional strategies, and curriculum. "My work is taking a more historic look back and putting a practical model to the theory," Muhammad says.

The Four Layers of Historically Responsive Literacy

Historically Responsive Literacy is built on four layers, four "learning pursuits" that Muhammad believes should receive equal priority

1. Identity

For students to be fully engaged in school they must first find it relevant, and that starts with identity.

"Identity is who you say you are, who others say you are... (and) who you desire to be," Muhammad says. "I feel like children are trying to make sense of all three areas, and the curriculum and the pedagogy should be an opportunity for students to know themselves."

Muhammad believes this is especially important for children of color because "when we look at representation in children's literature, in society oftentimes, and historically, they are invisible or represented in negative ways. So the classroom needs to be a space for students to affirm and celebrate and validate who they are, so that they know they are enough, so they know they are brilliant and excellent and beautiful. Because society doesn't tell us that all the time."

Along with self-knowledge, the learning pursuit of identity should also include knowledge of others who are different from ourselves. "When students learn about the lives of other people," Muhammad says, "they are less prone to hate, to treat them in harmful or hurtful ways."

What it looks like in the classroom: Start by asking yourself, "How does my teaching and learning help students to learn about themselves and about others?"

From there, plan instruction and write learning goals to satisfy that question. Muhammad gives an example from science. "Some teachers have written it (in language like) Students will understand their environmental identity and their roles and responsibilities regarding the planet. Then in the lesson or unit there are opportunities for students to deeply reflect about how they recycle or (whether) they take care of the earth and the planet and the environment."

Finally, be sure to assess for it. "Kids know that if my teacher values it that she or he or they are going to test it," Muhammad says. "You can assess it in discussion, in a quiz, or a summative kind of test at the end: What are five things you can do to take care of the planet? Or Name five roles that humans play on climate change. So it could be a qualitative or a quantitative assessment, but if you value it enough, you can assess it."

2. Skills

So much of our current curricula and standards already focus on skills, so this part of the framework is nothing new; what's important is to not throw it out when the other three layers are added.

Muhammad explains that this abandonment of skills is a common problem when new approaches to schooling are introduced. "That's a way of thinking that we have to dismantle," she says. "Sometimes we think that when we add identity or when we add voice and freedom of expression, that somehow we don't focus on skills at all. But that's just simply not true. You can have it all. You can have voice and fun and engagement and skills."

What it looks like in the classroom: Teaching skills is more or less what you'd expect typical school content to be, what our current standards are already prescribing. "In math it can be learning equations. In ELA it can be citing textual evidence. In social studies, it can be questioning the source. In physical education it can be learning to play basketball."

So the skills themselves may be taught in whatever way works best for your students. The difference now is that in terms of class time and assessment, their weight will be equal to that of the other three layers.

3. Intellect

Along with identifying the skills students need to acquire, Muhammad urges us to ask What do we want our students to become smarter about?

Because our recent standards have been so skills-driven, knowledge has fallen by the wayside in a lot of schools, and that can strip away the joy that comes from simply learning new things about the world. But the Black Literary Societies of the 19th century valued knowledge as a vital part of a person's development. "So I'm pushing this idea of intellectualism," Muhammad says, "of treating young people as if they are scholars and intellectuals and thinkers."

She sees the loss of intellectualism even in how we prepare and treat teachers. "It's like we're sucking the power out of them by telling them to read a script in a curriculum. We need to go back to teacher as intellectual, teacher as scholar, reserving the field for the brightest among us who are knowledge-seekers."

And Muhammad's definition of intellectualism goes beyond simply gathering facts. "Intellectualism is when you do something with that knowledge, where you apply it somehow, in your discussion, in your activism, in your actions."

What it looks like in the classroom: When developing lessons and units, ask yourself, "How does my teaching and learning help to teach students new knowledge and concepts? New histories, new people, places, and things?"

Muhammad cautions teachers not to confuse skills for knowledge. "You shouldn't say they became smarter about equations or citing textual evidence," she says. "That's not intellect. Those are skills."

4. Criticality

"Criticality is helping students to read, write and think in active ways," Muhammad explains, "as opposed to passive-when you ask a question and there's one correct answer, and you just take it in. We don't want them to be passive consumers of knowledge. We want them to question what they hear on the news."

"We see the word critical and sometimes our minds can go to critical thinking," she continues. "But it's more than just deep and analytical thinking. Criticality is deep and analytical thinking to understand power, equity, anti-racism and other anti-oppressions. This is where we help students to be woke."

This fourth layer is essential "because oppression exists in the world. Period. We want students to leave our schools not contributing to more oppression or wrongdoing and hurt in their relationships and with strangers. We also don't want them to be silent. If they see oppression, we want them to actively respond to it."

What it looks like in the classroom: "With criticality," Muhammad says, "the teacher is asking, How does my teaching and learning help students to understand power, equity, anti-racism and anti-oppression? So (students are) reading, writing, thinking in active ways to understand power, inequality, equity, oppression. They're investigating different standpoints, especially the marginalized point of view, and reading between the lines. In other words, reading for what's not being said and for what's not there.

The brilliance of the framework is revealed when Muhammad explains that the four layers are not separate, but progressive, each one building on the layers that came before it, starting with identity: "They see themselves, they validate themselves, they're learning about other people, which creates a safe space to learn the skills. If you learn the skills, you can learn the intellect. You cannot learn the intellectualism without first having those skills to do so. If you have the intellectualism and that knowledge, you can critique the knowledge. Because of all the layers that came before it, you now have the capacity to disrupt and to dismantle. If you're just woke without the identity and the skills and the intellect, you're not going to be able to make change in ways that you could with those things."

Tough, but Possible

Making this kind of shift-especially if our standards still don't reflect these four layers-will not be an easy task to take on. This concern has been expressed when Muhammad presents her framework to teachers. But despite its challenges, she feels this type of curriculum is exactly what any parent would want for their child.

"It's not a matter or a question of if it's tough," she says. "The question is, is it possible? Everything is tough. And if you had your own child, if you're a parent, parents are going to equally value the beautiful ways that their child loves themselves: identity, the skills they have, the intellect they have, and the social consciousness they have. I don't see parents saying No, let's just talk about my child's reading skills. They talk about their emotional intelligence, they talk about the whole child."

"And that's what we're trying to get to," she says. "This is humanizing work."

Come back for more.
Join our mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration that will make your teaching more effective and fun. You'll get access to our members-only library of free downloads, including 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, the e-booklet that has helped thousands of teachers save time on grading. Over 50,000 teachers have already joined-come on in.

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Historically Responsive Literacy: A More Complete Education for All Students

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Based on the work of 19th century Black literary societies, this fresh approach to curriculum focuses on identity, skills, intellect, and criticality.

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Are Your Diversity Strategies Missing the Mark? Nine Ways to Get it Right

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Are Your Diversity Strategies Missing the Mark? Nine Ways to Get it Right

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Sponsored by Extempore and Participate

For most of my life, I've found myself in the role of the OBF, the One Black Friend in an otherwise white circle of people. While that doesn't qualify me to be The Voice of Black Teachers and Students everywhere, my experiences have taught me a lot about what teachers can do to help students from different backgrounds feel fully included in the classroom, or in some cases, what they do to create the opposite effect.

With all our policies, culturally responsive trainings, and books on cultural diversity, we obviously have the best intentions. But are we reaching desired outcomes, or do our well-intended deeds miss the mark? I could go into statistics about disparities and point to evidence that what we are doing isn't working, but sometimes personal experiences mean more than data. In our hearts, many of us know we are not reaching every student, so I offer this challenge: Is it possible to improve the way you relate to students from diverse backgrounds?

The OBF (or its equivalent for other ethnicities) exists in many classrooms, classrooms where teachers are trying their best to do the right thing for every student. My hope is that my stories and the easy-to-implement strategies I share here will help you improve your practice and avoid some of the faux pas that come with teaching students who may look, think, or opine differently than we do.

Life Through the Eyes of the OBF

My first OBF experience was with my first grade teacher, a gray-haired, gray-eyed "grandma" who looked different than the grandmas I knew. I remember feeling that she didn't like me much but loved the little girl who used to steal my pencils. I knew that the girl who stole my pencils got hugs from the teacher while I got plain pencils to use instead of my fancy ones. I knew it wasn't fair, but it taught me about the value of blonde hair and blue eyes and the lack of perceived value in my brown ones.

As an adult, I moved to Switzerland and my OBF journey continued, first as a teacher, then a mom. Free of American race politics, I learned how to fully enjoy being an OBF with only occasional blips; then I realized that not having "races" or race politics made the Swiss blissfully unaware of the plight of "others." I began to see the hardships of refugees, people with learning or physical disabilities, and even people who were just plain different.

My blissful race-free bubble dissipated with finality the day my 5-year-old son came home with his pants pulled low, excitedly telling me of his neighborhood nickname, Gangsta. Around this same time he came home with a Black-faced, grass-skirted neger for the letter "N" on a worksheet.

It was then that I realized the depth of the "colorblindness" of Swiss society. The fact that there were no colors to see meant that most Swiss had little or no experience "seeing" any other cultures, and when race did come up, the few Brazilians, Tamils, Tibetans and Black and white refugees there were met with a wall of us vs. them as impermeable as the Alps. Without my bubble, the absence of race and race politics were no longer freeing but suddenly a personal affront that led me back home.

After repatriating, I found myself teaching music in a small Lutheran school in Texas. The teachers were welcoming, long tenured, and the school was run by a motherly woman who understood the occasional need to take off for doctor's appointments and sick children. I enjoyed both teaching and the after-hours socializing with my OBF status taking a backseat to the commonality we shared as Christians, teachers, women and mothers. When conversations on local news or social justice issues came up, I used my voice to present another viewpoint, one that women in middle-class white circles had not been exposed to. I felt heard.

Then the 2016 election cycle hit and that was that. Things became uncomfortable. Being Black, divorced, and raising a son alone made me an "other" even in a circle of female believers. We all retreated and gave up on the community. I'm not proud of that, but at the time, I felt too alone and misunderstood to fight to sustain the relationships.

These experiences and others in my OBF journey have framed my teaching practice and provided me with tools to help me better relate to students with various backgrounds and perspectives. I call it my journey because it implies growth rather than an end goal, and the strategies below can help you in your own journey. By making small, intentional changes in the way we relate to the world around us, we can all improve our practice.

9 Ways to Create a More Inclusive Classroom

1. Read, read, read.

There is no shortage of resources, of literature from diverse authors, blogs from minority educators, articles on inclusion from educational magazines as well as scholarly articles from professors and experts. Additionally there are groups that you can join and hashtags you can follow to keep up with actual educators who are working to serve diverse students better.

While you're reading, check your own classroom and school libraries. Book collections should reflect authors from diverse backgrounds and even our youngest students should see picture books with all kinds of people in them. Some of my favorites are Kwame Alexander, Viet Nhan Thien, Sandra Cisneros, Sarah McBride, Samira Ahmed or Poet Laureates Joy Harjo and Maya Angelou

2. Be open to feedback.

I sent a note on that worksheet mentioned above to my son's teacher explaining that there were many N words, and expressed my willingness to help find culturally diverse resources. Her answer? "OK." No expression of regret, no acknowledgement that she needed to do better.

Not knowing is not a criminal offense. Knowing that you don't know and not caring, however, is deeply offensive. If you don't know, ask. If you don't have someone to ask, expand your circle. You'll make mistakes, but if you're sincerely trying to be a better practitioner, people will see that and be generous.

If you do make a mistake-and you will-apologize, learn from it, and do better next time. Just let there be a next time and don't let getting it wrong keep you from learning, growing and trying to build better relationships with all of your students.

3. Expand your circle.

Are you in diverse enough company that someone would tell you when you get it wrong? If not, get involved in the community you teach in. This doesn't mean you have to add more things to your to-do list or take time away from your family. Take them with you to see a student's peewee football game, a church musical or a Juneteenth parade in your school's community. Go shopping there. Pick up dinner from the little restaurant near your school. Find a mentor or make a friend who can help you build bridges to the community you serve. Yes, you will probably be the only white lady at the Black Baptist church and yes you will feel uncomfortable at first, but you will be welcomed. And being the one white face in a sea of brown ones will give you a deeper sense of empathy for your minority students.

When I began teaching in Switzerland, I went to every local event I could. I wanted to know the kids I taught and that meant understanding Swiss culture. It helped me to build deeper relationships and those relationships made me a better teacher. If you really can't manage to get out into the community, start by finding out what your kids did on the weekend. That will provide clues to community life and maybe you'll get an invitation you can't resist.

4. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

You will teach students who look differently, think differently or represent and believe in different things. You may at times feel challenged, out of step with cultural or modern modes of behavior. You may teach students who represent something you don't believe in. You have to be okay with that and that's not always easy.

My Lutheran school experience resembles challenges that arise in classrooms daily. It's easier to simply relate to the students who are like us and, by default, leave the ones perceived as different, or difficult, by the wayside. It is often unintentional, but always unacceptable. Why should it matter that a child represents different political beliefs, wears a hijab, identifies as non-binary, is another color, or wears "weird" hair? It shouldn't, but it usually does. It's human nature to seek the familiar, so it's understandable that "others" can represent a threat, a challenge to the status quo in some form. But the ability to embrace and enjoy what you think of as new and different is a sign of personal growth and maturity, and who doesn't want that?

Embracing the new and different may come harder if you've been teaching a while and you feel like the goalposts keep moving. That's where the uncomfortable part comes in. Everybody knows if you jump headlong in you get acclimated much quicker than if you wade in bit by bit. Jump in but instead of trying to embrace cultures and ideologies, embrace the child standing before you. Do your best for that one soul. Most of all, realize that you can embrace people who are different without changing who you are. That makes it no less uncomfortable, but it becomes much less scary, much more doable.

5. Don't forget gender.

Teachers are overwhelmingly female. Middle aged, white and female. Our classes are more likely to look like Pottery Barn than a man cave. Yet, we teach students who may feel overcome by estrogen with all the rustic swirls and pretty feminine energy. Is your classroom space an environment with which all genders can identify?

And what about gender and lifestyle diversity? Are we prepared for questions that may come up? Maybe your personal stance is that gender and sexual identity questions should not be a part of primary or middle school education, but what will you do if gender-fluid children or same-sex parents are a part of your educational circle? How will you meet the needs of children who may represent a challenge to your belief system? I don't have the answer, but these questions are worth thinking through-see #4 for advice on how to do that.

Acceptance and empathy are human and our job is to provide a space for all students to feel welcome so they can learn. If you're uncomfortable or unknowledgeable, authors like Bonnie Combs, Rigoberto Gonzales and William Mason can help. Written for littles, without getting into the nuts and bolts of human sexuality, these books teach about diversity and acceptance.

6. Beware "imperceptible" distance.

Sometimes the scars of our collective past come to bear on our classroom interactions. Maybe you were the nerd and you have a hard time dealing with mean girls. Maybe you were the mean girl who has a hard time dealing with nerds. I got beat up in 6th and 7th grade by the mean girls. It shaped me and now I have to work hard at seeing them in all their middle school frailty. They need me as much as the artsy, bookish kindred spirits do, so I work at building relationships with them.

Are you internally putting what you hope is imperceptible distance between you and some students you find less than likeable, or are you leaning in with them? Are you challenging yourself daily to make sure that your actions line up with your intent? Children and young people are incredibly perceptive and they can sense it if you don't like them, so try. Go the extra mile, treat them like your favored student and let your actions say what your heart may not be able to.

7. Validate code switching.

Throughout my early and middle school years, integration became more norm than exception but I never stopped being the Black girl in a sea of mostly white faces; consequently, code switching between two different worlds was my norm.

At home I listened to Motown and Rappers Delight and sang in the Gospel choir. At school I listened to Journey and sang in Madrigal group. I excelled and was well liked. I was smart, pretty, and could sing: the trifecta for Black students in white schools. In high school I reaped my great reward for being a "credit to my race" (btw, not a compliment), where my crowning "accomplishment" was winning "Miss Soul." I couldn't explain then why I felt embarrassed by that award. I know now that it was created so the modest number of Black kids would have a shot at winning something other than Best Athlete or Best Performer. It was the "token" award. You got it if you were Black and whites saw you as not too much unlike the majority culture. You got it if you were a master at code switching. I felt that I was being less than my authentic self until I got to college and found out that code switching is a normal part of growing up a part of two cultures.

You may see your model student get in the car with dad who has Cardi B blasting. If your reaction is to believe that the student is not who you thought he was, think again. Just as we are different as spouses than we are as parents, people fulfill different roles in the diverse communities they belong to. There's an outfit and a language for every setting. On the playground is where Spanglish, urban or southern slang and other regional forms of English are welcome. In the classroom standard English is required. Explain that colloquial forms of English are perfectly acceptable in informal settings but the highest paying jobs (besides ballers and artists) require standardized English. Let them know that code switching is an important soft skill and a necessary one; get them started early.

8. Embrace the elephant in the room.

Race is a complex topic and although it might seem easier to avoid, it's healthier to have open conversations where students can learn to process thoughts and ideas on race in a caring, positive setting. Even the most brutally honest question can be reframed using affirming language. For example, "Why is your skin brown?" could be answered with "Here in America we often see white skin, but the world over most people have skin in shades of brown." "Why do you always wear a scarf?" can be explained with, "That's called a hijab and it's a sign of respect in the Muslim faith." Even requests to touch a student's hair can be redirected by instead having conversations about how exploring different hair textures and products can be fun.

And while you don't want to ask any student to be the Voice of His People, it is perfectly acceptable to acknowledge and discuss cultural differences. Assess in a private conversation if a student feels comfortable talking about Ramadan or Dia de los Muertos with the class, or for that matter, scouting or tuba lessons. If you filter out personal perceptions or opinions about questions that arise and answer factually and calmly, a question will just be a learning opportunity. If, however, you feel that a student question is designed to be intimidating or rude, speak to that as well. Tact and kindness sometimes need to be taught, as does empathy. If tension arises between students, teach respectful conflict resolution using sentence stems.The Big Idea is to create a kinder, accepting society and that can be your guide.

9. Identify and fight bias.

If imperceptible distance is bad, tangible tension is worse. If you are a white teacher teaching minority students, you might feel challenged by a student in a way that feels disrespectful. A racially conflicted history may color the interaction. First, remember that your interaction may have nothing to do with cultural dissonance. Dealing with "attitude" is a part of the job at some point for every teacher, color and culture notwithstanding. Sometimes, however, mistrust and fear need to be overcome on both sides. That can make an interaction feel bigger than it really is and that truth alone can help temper your reactions.

If you really feel there is a racial or cultural disconnect, you might ask a trusted teacher who shares the student's culture or one who has a better rapport with the student to have a meeting with you both. Having a second teacher monitor conflict resolution is helpful even when the issues are not cultural. Finally, if you find that you are having regular conflicts with students who share a similar background, you may want to do some soul searching. Having bias is human. Being biased against certain groups is damaging, to you as a practitioner and to the students you serve.

If you suspect your bias may be keeping your students from feeling truly comfortable in the classroom, I hope you've found strategies here to help. Additionally, both Learning for Justice and Harvard's Project Implicitare great places to gain insight and find resources to help you make a change.

Throughout my journey as an OBF, I'm sure my teachers intended to encourage and empower me, and they often did. But they also told me in hundreds of little and big ways that I was an anomaly and part of a group that was sub-standard. Their well-intended strategies missed the mark. Tomorrow, I hope when you look at your students, you'll remember my one Black friend stories and be able to identify the OBFs-and the equivalent for other ethnicities-in your class. I hope seeing them helps you feel brave, empowered and ready to build stronger relationships. I hope your intentions lead to desired outcomes and that you are able to side-step pitfalls more easily. Most of all, I hope you've learned something that leads you to celebrate all students, starting with the one in front of you at any given moment.

Come back for more.
Join our mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration that will make your teaching more effective and fun. You'll get access to our members-only library of free downloads, including 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, the e-booklet that has helped thousands of teachers save time on grading. Over 50,000 teachers have already joined-come on in.

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Are Your Diversity Strategies Missing the Mark? Nine Ways to Get it Right

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Sponsored by Extempore and Participate For most of my life, I've found myself in the role of the OBF, the One Black Friend in an otherwise white circle of people.

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Why White Students Need Multicultural and Social Justice Education

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Why White Students Need Multicultural and Social Justice Education

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Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

Sponsored by PowerSchool and ViewSonic

These last few weeks have been especially difficult for me as the news continues to reflect that racism still exists in 2020. I've witnessed video footage of Ahmaud Arbery shot and killed while jogging, George Floyd murdered by the police, and Christian Cooper harassed while bird watching in Central Park. As we think about the next generation of adults we are influencing, particularly our White students, now more than ever, we need to teach more than kindness.

As an equity advocate, I have lots of conversations about culturally responsive teaching and multicultural education. Not too long ago while I was consulting with an elementary school principal she said, "Multicultural Education is nice, but we are well over 90% White at my school."

A common myth regarding multicultural education is that it is about helping students of color see themselves within the content. But multicultural education is about more than just race: It refers to any form of learning or teaching that incorporates the histories, texts, values, beliefs, and perspectives of people from different cultural backgrounds ( Glossary of Education Reform). And even if the majority of your students are White, it doesn't mean we shouldn't teach from a multicultural perspective.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not advocating for a bunch of Kumbaya moments in the classroom. This is not a post about how we need to teach students to embrace diversity and love each other. It's about the influence we can and should have on our students. Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings taught us that we teach what we value. Therefore, we are part of the problem if we refuse to teach about antiracism and speak out against police brutality. Our students look up to us as adults, and many of our students mimic our behavior. If we are silent around social justice matters, we send a loud message to our students about where we stand as these issues impact many of the communities we serve.

In fact, we need to go beyond multicultural education. In this 2017 interview, Zaretta Hammond differentiates between multicultural education and social justice education, which provides "a lens for the student, really being able to look at the world and seeing where things aren't fair or where injustice exists." To ensure the changes our society is hurting for, we need to give our White students both multicultural and social justice education. Additionally, Dr. James Banks, the father of multicultural education, advocates for educators to teach our students about social and civic action. Ensuring that students engage in multiple perspectives without coupling their learning with civic engagement does not complete the process of developing socially just citizens who are willing to take a stance against the mistreatment of others. We need to help our students find ways they can take action in response to what they have learned.

Going back to the principal I was speaking with about whether there was a need for multicultural education at her school, I was thinking, "This is why multicultural and social justice education is so important!" Even with her assumptions that because there wasn't a lot of racial representation at her school, does that mean the small percentage of students of color don't matter to her? If that's the case, what would her teachers say? Would they support her sentiments?

Why Multicultural Education is 100% Relevant in All-White Schools

"Whiteness" is Complex

When someone asks why multicultural education is needed at a predominately White school, an assumption is being made that White people are a homogenous group. But White people are as heterogeneous as other racial and ethnic groups: there's socioeconomic status, gender and sexual orientation, identity, religion, language, age, and disability, to name a few. All of those represent different cultures. Sometimes, when you're in a dominant culture and used to things being a certain way, you don't necessarily think about your ancestry or heritage and how things have changed over time. And because conditions have changed over time, it may appear that Whiteness is Whiteness, but there are so many different cultures embedded within that broad category.

I think it's essential that we help teach our White students about their ancestors and the origins of when their families first arrived in the United States. The languages, the cultures, the traditions, all those things don't necessarily have to be lost. They can be retrieved.

Let's go back to the 1790s, where the first census was started. With the first US Census, they classified race. The classifying of race allowed those in power to determine or allow a few rights: Who gets the right to get jobs? Who gets the right to marry? Who gets the right to own property? That's how the social construct of race started.

Above is a view of Europeans, or some of the first immigrants, who were coming from various countries. And if you look at the picture, they're White people, right? But they're coming from multiple countries. At this time, there were several languages represented. You had folks that came from Italy, Germany, Russia, England, and so on. There were all types of cultures coming into the United States.

There were also various forms of religions represented when the Europeans began to arrive in the US. In Russia, you had the Orthodox church. In England, you had the Anglican church. When they first came, they weren't willing to give up their culture and become this one White race. They held onto their traditions, values, and beliefs. But we see that over time, things have changed to where White supremacy and racial hierarchies began to form. Today, there are a lot of families who have European origins that may not necessarily speak the language from their original land of ancestry because those things might have been lost over generations.

Multicultural Literacy Is a Separate and Necessary Literacy

The concept of "literacy" is broad. Still, it can be divided into many different sub-categories. One of these is multicultural literacy, the ability to uncover biases relating to culture, and the skills to view the world through different cultural perspectives.

Dr. Robin DiAngelo says, "Historically reinforced ideologies such as individualism and color-blindness have left many White people racially illiterate but racially conscious when perceiving other racialized groups." So because they're in the dominant culture, they don't necessarily have to think about race, but they'll maybe notice racial issues that are not related to Whiteness.

In other words, maybe they might notice police brutality in a Black community. Perhaps they might see issues of race with Islamophobia and discrimination. But we want our students to do more than notice; responding to issues of racism, prejudice, and discrimination is essential.

Having literacy in this area is also key for equipping White students to participate more actively in conversations about racial justice. If they are not regularly exposed to these conversations, they are less likely to speak up on this topic. White friends and colleagues tell me all the time that they want to say something when racism and equity come up, but they often hold back because they don't know what to say or are afraid to say the wrong thing. With a higher level of multicultural literacy, our students will build more confidence.

What We've Been Doing Isn't Enough

Although multicultural education certainly isn't new, it's clear that what we've been doing up to this point hasn't been enough.

As recently as a few weeks ago, there have been instances of White people utilizing the police as a means to address their encounters with people of color. The underlying issue of racism is apparent in many of these instances. Discussing current events and helping White students understand why they should also be upset at discrimination and racism may prevent a continuous cycle of White people remaining silent and complicit when issues happen that do not directly impact them.

These conversations are essential to have. It's also critical to teach students about becoming allies and co-conspirators, especially at the middle and high school levels. It might be a little bit difficult with your first and second graders, and maybe your kindergartners, but I think there are some messages you could still portray to your students even at that age.

What Can Multicultural Education Teach Our White Students?

We've already established multicultural education goes beyond race. There's so much within the concept of "culture," and we must help our White students understand how race can impact them and how they can actively use whatever privilege they have to reduce issues of racism, discrimination, and bigotry.

1. Understanding Their Own Cultural and Ethnic Background

It's not uncommon for White people to say, Oh, I'm just White. I don't have a culture. We need to teach our White students about what their cultural background is and their ethnic backgrounds so they can understand and think about their language and religions going back to their ancestry. Lessons on their culture may help them start to understand how privilege and White supremacy began. So begin with going back and taking some time to help your students understand that. You can also work with students by exploring community history and cultural influence.

One of the things you can teach your students, your White students, is in history. Many White immigrants have been accused of marginalizing other White immigrants. For example, the Irish and Italians were mistreated, discriminated, and marginalized against by other White immigrants. If we can teach our White students how their ancestors might have perpetuated that oppression or perhaps were part of that oppression against each other, maybe that will help them understand a little bit how in 2020, oppression continues to exist to those who are not included in the dominant culture. They can kind of see how the "haves" and the "have nots" happened back then. One of the things we want to do is help students relate items from their background knowledge and be able to bring those to light.

2. Studying Implicit Bias in Everyday Language

Another thing we can do is discuss everyday language. How are words associated with white and black used? Words such as blackmail, blackballed, or blacklisted have different connotations than words like white labeled or whitelisted. We can have students examine how these words may spark negative perceptions based on their meanings and associations.

Consider how words such as "alien" or "immigrant" may trigger the thoughts of someone of Mexican descent. These types of stereotypes in our language may trigger our Latinx community. The same rule applies to phrases like "You should speak up more, you're so quiet" to an Asian student.

The language we use every day may not seem significant because of the implicit biases we have developed in our lives. The words we use daily are influenced by how we were raised, our social circle, and the media. We may not notice how some of the words we use may have adverse effects on particular groups of people (stereotypes, derogatory language, etc.). We can teach students about implicit bias and how to overcome bias in our language usage.

3. Examining Representation in Curriculum and Beyond

Let's take a look at our school curriculum. Have your students investigate how various cultural groups are represented in the school's curriculum. Lead these discussions with your students and have them understand it because a lot of times, that's not a thing we think about. When we are discussing representation in the school's curriculum, allow opportunities for a dialogue beyond heterosexual, cisgender, Christian-based educational norms. Instead, talk about subjects that aren't reflected, such as disabilities, and how they are depicted in the curriculum. How are people from the LGBTQ community portrayed or even acknowledged in the content? Chimamanda Adichie talks about the danger of a single story. We need to make sure that we can bring in various perspectives in our curriculum and instruction.

If students find minimal to no representation of certain groups in the curriculum, discuss ways to bring in a variety of multicultural perspectives. The website We Need Diverse Books is an excellent resource for building a more inclusive classroom library, and Milner published an article that discusses developing a multicultural curriculum for an all-White classroom.

From there, you can expand your communications by discussing popular culture and how various groups are represented in multiple media outlets such as the news, music, movies, and social media. Have them study or research certain groups and how the articles that come up and the titles of those articles. What do the reports say versus other articles about various groups?

4. Understanding and Recognizing Privilege

A combination of multicultural and social justice education can help students see the trouble with implicit racism and how even though they are not doing anything actively racist, they are still benefiting from a legacy of racism. Calling the cops to say that "an African American man is threatening me and my dog" is a result of White privilege. Knowing that Black people have historically been mistreated by law enforcement and using that knowledge to one's advantage is inhumane.

Teaching White students about power and privilege may be a touchy subject for some as White guilt and fragility may seep into the mindset of White teachers and students. However, we must learn to "disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed." Starting at a young age, we can help our students learn to understand that not everyone has access and the same opportunities as others. Students as young as six years old can learn about race and class. And this work doesn't have to be limited to social studies class. We can embed these principles in all subjects, including mathematics.

5. Dismantling Racism

It is not enough to teach White children to embrace racial and cultural diversity. We've got to go beyond cultural competency. "Children must also develop individual and group identities that will recognize and resist the false notions of superiority and racial entitlement" (Derman-Sparks, Ramsey, and Edwards, 2011). Because today we have to teach our students how to be antiracist and how to work to dismantle racism actively.

Invest in meaningful dialogue that brings awareness to issues impacting both local and global communities. Additionally, a social justice-minded educator teaches their students to develop their own socio-cultural consciousness and advocacy skills so they can advocate for themselves and others.

For elementary students, that action may include students committing to do more than not bully or laugh at each other. They may also commit to bystander intervention by stepping in and helping their peers who they see are being mistreated. We can help our students take a stance instead of just teaching them to be kind to each other and not engage in activities that include mistreating others.

For secondary students, action may include writing their school board about their concerns and calls for change. A strong student group organized with a mission and objectives goes a long way toward challenging institutional practices that are unjust toward certain groups. On local and national scales, have students engage in lessons that address mass incarceration, police brutality, civil rights, immigration, racism, healthcare disparities, unequal pay issues, trauma, suicide, drug abuse, and women's rights, and privilege.

Sometimes we teach our students how to be kind to others, embrace diversity, and respect differences. We can go beyond that by teaching our White students how to be antiracist actively and do their part to support advocacy towards social justice and reform. The foundation for teaching our students how to engage in these practices actively is by helping students understand their White racial identity and positionality in society. From there, students may have a better understanding of the need for a multicultural approach in education and what they can do to find their voice and role in creating a socially just society.

Additional Resources
Framing Brave Conversations About Race and Ethnicity 8 Ways Teachers Can Address White Supremacy in the Classroom Teaching About Racism, Antisemitism and White Supremacy How Does Race Affect a Student's Math Education? Curriculum for White Americans to Educate Themselves on Race and Racism White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America Diversity Equity and Inclusion Activity for Project Based Learning Racism No Way: Anti-racism Activities, Years 3-12 How Should I Talk About Race in My Mostly White Classroom?
Learn more from Sheldon Eakins on his website, the Leading Equity Center, where he offers resources, courses, and his podcast, the Leading Equity Podcast.

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Why White Students Need Multicultural and Social Justice Education

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Sponsored by PowerSchool and ViewSonic These last few weeks have been especially difficult for me as the news continues to reflect that racism still exists in 2020. I've witnessed video footage of Ahmaud Arbery shot and killed while jogging, George Floyd murdered by the police, and Christian Cooper harassed while bird watching in Central Park.

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Making School a Safe Place for LGBTQ Students

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Making School a Safe Place for LGBTQ Students

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Listen to this post as a podcast:

Proudly sponsored by Write About and Peergrade

Depending on where you live, you might think we've reached a point where society has truly embraced people of all gender and sexual identities, making the topic of LGBTQ rights kind of a non-issue. The truth is, for many LGBTQ students, discrimination and harassment are still a daily reality, and school is one of the main places where they experience these things.

A 2015 national school climate study conducted by GLSEN, an organization focused on ensuring safe and affirming schools for LGBTQ students, found that over 85 percent of these students have experienced verbal harassment and 66 percent have been discriminated against based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. As a result of feeling more isolated and unsafe, many of these students miss school, avoid bathrooms, and stay away from locker rooms. Students who experience more victimization are also more likely to have lower GPAs and to report feeling depressed.

And it's not just other students who create this hostile climate for their LGBTQ peers. Over half of the more than 10,000 students surveyed reported hearing biased remarks from school staff, and school staff often fail to intervene when they hear these remarks at school.

The good news? Overall, the number of students who report being harassed or discriminated against is declining. The climate is improving across the board, but for many students, it's not happening fast enough.

What Teachers Can Do

As educators, we set the tone for how our students treat each other. No, we can't control everything, but we can do a lot to influence the climate in our schools and make sure our classrooms are places where all students feel welcome.

The best place to learn more about the specific things you can do is on GLSEN's website, and I've posted two of their best resources for teachers below, but to get you started, I've pulled some of the most important steps teachers can take. I also interviewed Becca Mui, GLSEN's Education Manager, to contribute her insights to the podcast.

These tips, pulled from resources created by GLSEN and my interview with Mui, will give you a good start toward making your school safer and more welcoming for LGBTQ students.

1. Educate Yourself

If you do not personally identify as LGBTQ or spend time in that community, you'll be a much more effective ally if you commit to listening and learning about the issues. "A huge portion of support is staying educated," Mui says, "so things like listening to podcasts or just reading some blogs about LGBTQ people and continually learning about that can help you become an ally and an advocate in your school."

Making an effort to use whatever terminology is currently embraced by the LGBTQ community is another important way to show respect.

"It's always helpful to have a shared language when you're talking about identity," Mui explains. "One of the things that is tricky about LGBTQ and trans identities when people are not part of those communities is that that language is changing, specifically the language we're using to talk about gender."

This is a challenge even for people within the LGBTQ community. "It is literally my job to be connected, to be supportive, to know what's going on," Mui says, "and I'm constantly finding out that something's been updated, something's been changed." She recommends viewing language as an always evolving process. "Having the attitude that we use the language we have and we are open to learning that something's been updated can be really useful."

With that in mind, let's start here by looking at the acronym LGBTQ:
L = Lesbian G = Gay
B = Bisexual
a person who is attracted to two genders, or people with your gender and other genders Q = Queer
also an umbrella term to describe sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression that doesn't conform to heteronormativity a male-identified person who's emotionally or physically attracted to other males
a person who is female-identified who is emotionally or physically attracted to other females
In some spaces, the term "gay" is used as a general term to describe the LGBTQ population as a whole, but GLSEN is trying to move toward language that's more inclusive, rather than placing gay men at the center.

T = Transgender (or "trans")
an umbrella term for people whose gender identity doesn't match the sex they were assigned at birth

The opposite of transgender is cisgender (abbreviated as "cis"), someone whose gender identity is aligned with the one they were assigned at birth.

"Historically, (this term) was used as a slur," Mui says, "but there is a power in re-claimed words, and we find that across different types of marginalized identities, the power to take a word that has been used negatively and say, 'This is mine' that a lot of young LGBTQ people are feeling."

Another term that comes up frequently in discussions of LGBTQ issues is heteronormativity, which is defined by the Queer Dictionary as the belief or assumption that all people are heterosexual, or that heterosexuality is the default or "normal" state of human being. In our schools and our society at large, we often come from a heteronormative place, speaking of the LGBTQ population as the "other," which communicates to our LGBTQ students that they are deviant or unnatural. We'll talk more about that a little bit later.

To learn more about terminology and other important issues, download GLSEN's Safe Space Kit below.

GLSEN Safe Space Kit
A Guide to Supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
and Transgender Students in Your School

2. Check Your Biases

As with any kind of advocacy, it's crucial to understand your own background and biases. "All of us, LGBT and non-LGBT, have learned messages about LGBT people," reads a passage from the Safe Space Kit. "What were the earliest messages you received about LGBT people and where did they come from? Were they positive, negative or neutral? Understanding the messages we receive can help us identify our own beliefs and biases that we can then challenge, helping to make us stronger allies."

The GLSEN Safe Space Kit provides a "Check Yourself" exercise that will help you take a close look at your own underlying beliefs.

3. Teach Inclusively

The things we teach and how we teach them can send important messages to our students about whether or not they are valued as they are. "So much of our language is gendered in ways that we're not really thoughtful of," Mui explains. "Just saying, 'Boys and girls,' and not really thinking about who we're saying that to, or addressing the compliments that we're giving to students, really thinking about how are we using language, how are we making space in our language for students to identify and be whoever and however they want is a really important step."

Here are some things you can do to make sure you're nurturing your LGBTQ students in your instruction:

Include a variety of gender representations.
When students are presented with a narrow picture of gender roles-and they don't see themselves in any of them-they develop a sense early on that something is wrong with them. GLSEN's Ready, Set, Respect! toolkit for elementary teachers (link below) encourages teachers to make sure that classroom books and materials include diverse families and people whose careers and other life roles don't conform to gender stereotypes.

Group neutrally.
Out of habit, teachers will often divide students into "boy" and "girl" groups. This can make students who don't conform to gender-based stereotypes feel uncomfortable and isolated. The Ready, Set, Respect! toolkit recommends that instead, we divide students more neutrally by birthday month or by numbering them as 1s and 2s.

Evaluate your speech and materials for heteronormative and gender-normative bias.
In casual conversation, in the examples we use while teaching, and in our materials, we often communicate assumptions about gender and sexuality: Boys are attracted to and will grow up to marry girls (and vice-versa), girls will naturally prefer activities like shopping while boys will naturally be interested in athletics, and so on. All of these send the message that there is only one way to be "normal" and that students who don't fit these descriptions are abnormal. As you talk, teach, and look at your materials, ask yourself whether you're communicating these messages, and find ways to replace them with more inclusive examples.

Include positive representations of LGBTQ people in your curriculum.
"Whatever curriculum that is," Mui says, "there are usually people involved in that, whether that's the people you're listing in a math problem or the histories that you're teaching in a history class, there are ways to bring about diversity. Integrating that into your learning helps all of your students to learn more about the world and it helps LGBTQ students see themselves in their learning." GLSEN has resources on LGBTQ history that can help with this. As with all resources, teachers should preview these material before offering them to students. GLSEN serves K-12 students, and you will know best which activities and lessons will meet your students' needs. When sharing facts about LGBTQ history, it's important for educators to balance a positive influence and celebration of icons and leaders while not hiding the truth behind historically important events.

Ready, Set, Respect!
GLSEN's Elementary School Toolkit

4. Be Visible

Let your LGBTQ students know that you are an ally by displaying some visible sign of your support. Hanging a rainbow flag or a Safe Space Poster or Sticker in your classroom can accomplish this. GLSEN's Safe Space Kit points out that this kind of visibility affects students more than we might even realize. "Even if students don't come to you directly, the kit says, "research shows that just knowing that there is a supportive educator at school can help LGBT students feel better about being in school."

5. Respond to Anti-LGBTQ Behavior

When students experience harassment in your presence, take action. Simply saying something like "That language is unacceptable," is enough to acknowledge the act and stop it. The Safe Space Kit includes more detailed information on turning incidents like these into teachable moments and how to respond in more specific situations, like when a student says "That's so gay." But the most important thing to remember is to not ignore it. "Remember," says the Safe Space Kit, "no action is an action - if an incident is overlooked or not addressed it can imply acceptance and approval."

6. Support Students Who Come Out

As you make yourself more visible as an ally, students may be more likely to come out to you about their sexual orientation or gender identity. This important and sensitive conversation needs to be handled carefully, and the Safe Space Kit offers detailed advice for teachers.

Their most important advice is to listen. Instead of assuming that you know what the student needs or that their situation will be similar to that of other LGBTQ people you have known, treat each student as an individual and just let them talk. Ask them what they need and how you can help. You can give GLSEN's new Coming Out Resource to students who are thinking of sharing this part of their identity. It may be useful to let students know about hotlines they can call to get out-of-school support. The LGBT National Help Center at glbthotline.org has a collection of numbers that can help.

Remember that this student is trusting you with confidential information that you should not share until they are ready. To be on the safe side, talk to your administrator and guidance counselor about what your school policy says about confidentiality. If it doesn't go far enough to protect the rights of students, work to change that. Policies regarding confidentiality should also take gender identity into account. GLSEN provides guidelines for these considerations in its Transgender Model District Policy: "It is critical that parental/guardian approval is never a prerequisite for respecting a student's chosen name, appropriate gender, and pronouns... Staff should take guidance from and work collaboratively with the student to ensure that the student remains safe, both at school and at home."

7. Support a Student GSA

GLSEN's research has shown that the existence of a student GSA, or Gender Sexuality Alliance, can go a long way toward improving a school's climate for LGBTQ students. "Those need to be started by students," Mui explains, "but asking students if that's something they want support around" can be a good place to start. A GSA will also need a faculty advisor, so offering your services in that way can make a GSA a reality in your school.

8. Revisit Your School Policies

Making sure that your school's anti-bullying and anti-discrimination policies include language specific to sexual orientation and gender identity can also improve your school's climate, and GLSEN's research has found these types of policies to have significant impact on quality of life for LGBTQ students. Part of your work as an advocate is looking into these policies and working toward real change. Use GLSEN's Model Policies as a reference: www.glsen.org/modelpolicies.

9. Educate Your Colleagues

Apart from being more vocal and open with your own support for LGBTQ students, you can also conduct your own workshops for colleagues. The Safe Space Kit includes a sample 20-minute presentation teachers can give to school staff. GLSEN also offers in-person professional development. "We are a national organization, but we also have 40 local chapters which are amazingly volunteer-run by humans who are really dedicated and fantastic in this work," Mui says. "They're doing this work on the ground, and so we support them here from the national office with resources." Click here to view a map of local GLSEN chapters.

All of these actions will send a message of love and acceptance to your LGBTQ students-those you know about, and especially those you don't. Committing yourself to taking even a few of these steps can make such an incredible difference, impacting students' mental health, their safety, their academic success, and their overall quality of life. It just takes one person to start tipping the scales, to start moving a school culture in a more inclusive direction; I very much hope, for the sake of the students who need you, that you'll be that person. ♥

ONE MORE RESOURCE: LGBTQ+ youth face more than double the risk of experiencing homelessness compared to their nonqueer-identifying peers. In the last decade, many organizations have formed to help these young adults and children, providing support and resources so they can have somewhere safe and stable to live. To address this issue, Architectural Digest Reviews created this guide to housing assistance for LGBTQ+ youth.

There's more where this came from.
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Making School a Safe Place for LGBTQ Students

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Discrimination and harassment are still a daily reality for many LGBTQ students. Here are some things teachers can do to change that.

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Critical Questions (COVID -19 Considerations) (2)

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STEM Teaching Tools: Guidance for Justice-Centered Climate Change Teaching and Learning

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STEM Teaching Tools: Guidance for Justice-Centered Climate Change Teaching and Learning

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Brief

STEM Teaching Tools: Guidance for Justice-Centered Climate Change Teaching and Learning

STEM Teaching Tools: Practical Tools for Science Educators

These practice briefs help support implementation of the National Research Council's A Framework for K-12 Science Education (NRC 2012) in ways that keep front and center the needs of students farthest from educational justice. We hope any educator will find tools that meet their needs, including ideas and strategies they can use in their classroom. To learn more about this effort, you can read about why we launched it and what we hope to accomplish.

New STEM Teaching Tools resources support the range of educators who help young people learn about climate science, including science communicators, informal educators, and classroom teachers.

Each STEM Teaching Tool describes an issue in a concise, two-page format, which includes actionable steps and related resources.

Related Resources for Professional Learning Around Climate and Environmental Justice in Education

In winter 2021, Philip Bell and colleague Nancy Price taught a graduate seminar on Climate and Environmental Justice in Education at the University of Washington. As part of this course, they mixed open educational academic resources with STEM Teaching Tools and other practice-focused resources to support deep explorations of justice-centered ideas, contexts, and responses. The course is openly available here:

We are grateful to our many collaborators that helped develop these resources and our users that continue to inform and inspire our efforts. These resources have been developed with support by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. 1920249, 1238253, and 1854059; and the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) through the ClimeTime initiative. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of any funder.

is Professor of Education and holds the Shauna C. Larson Chair in Learning Sciences at the University of Washington. His current research focuses on understanding and resourcing equity improvements in PK-12 science education-with a key focus on promoting climate and environmental justice across scales of educational implementation. Abby Rhinehart (rhinehah@uw.edu) is a research scientist at the University of Washington, Institute for Science and Math Education , where she manages both communications and research projects. She has worked as an out-of-school educator in several locations, including the Washington State History Museum and Mt. Rainier.

citation: Bell, P., and A. Rhinehart. 2021. STEM teaching tools: Guidance for justice-centered climate change teaching and learning. Connected Science Learning 3 (5). https://www.nsta.org/connected-science-learning/connected-science-learning-september-october-2021/stem-teaching-tools

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STEM Teaching Tools: Guidance for Justice-Centered Climate Change Teaching and Learning

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Brief These practice briefs help support implementation of the National Research Council's A Framework for K-12 Science Education (NRC 2012) in ways that keep front and center the needs of students farthest from educational justice. We hope any educator will find tools that meet their needs, including ideas and strategies they can use in their classroom.

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Beat the Uncertainty: Planning Climate-Resilient Cities

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Beat the Uncertainty: Planning Climate-Resilient Cities

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national oceanic and atmospheric administration

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Beat the Uncertainty: Planning Climate-Resilient Cities: Games@NOAA

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You and your fellow players are the leaders-citizens, policymakers, business leaders, nonprofit leaders, and researchers-of a coastal city. Your job is to make smart decisions that will increase the city's resilience to climate change.

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Justice-centered education amid the COVID-19 pandemic

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Justice-centered education amid the COVID-19 pandemic

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The COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated some shortcomings of the educational system in the United States, particularly in environmental education concerning equitable policymaking. For instance, socio-political context can constrain effective decision-making and exacerbate the social inequities in the United States and the world, such as food insecurity or the lack of resources for virtual learning in marginalized communities brought on by the pandemic. Students taught solely on reading and writing – a dominant educational practice in the United States – are thus ill-equipped to handle such decisions. Therefore, a justice-centered pedagogy is needed develop the skills in students to evaluate the socio-political contexts of an environmental issue and make effective and just decisions. In this article, the researchers reviewed three case studies that highlighted the parallels between the pandemic and issues in environmental education, science education, and social science to provide ways in which a justice-centered teaching practice can improve the educational system and student outcomes in the United States.

Each of the three disciplines (environmental education, science education, and social science) has opportunities for discourse about justice-centered pedagogy. Justice has been a central theoretical component of environmental education since its inception despite the tendency to teach global issues based on colonial power structures and the possible perpetuation of Western ideologies. However, there is a push to bring justice to the forefront of environmental education practices by reframing global issues and decolonizing the materials and methods. Science education has traditionally taught students to do science and think critically about the methodology. In recent years, there has been a push to encourage a justice-centered approach to science education in that students review the impact of science on different communities and assess inequitable access to science among students. Social science has provided students a range of subjects in which to review justice and inequities. Yet social science with a justice-centered pedagogy requires students to evaluate the socio-political context of the injustices and understand the causes of these issues.

The researchers reviewed three case studies related to the K-12 school systems’ shortcomings highlighted by the public response to the pandemic. In the first case study, the emphasis was that scientific knowledge changes over time, as illustrated by the frequently changing science on how COVID spreads. The researchers shared that science is an evolving field, and findings often change. However, the educational system typically teaches students as if science is fact and that it rarely changes. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the information being disseminated to the public changed as more data was gathered over time, and thus, information sometimes contradicted previous information. The second case study focused on the ways people make decisions based on scientific information within socio-political and economic influences, as illustrated by how vaccines were distributed. For instance, the COVID-19 vaccine distribution in the state of California was changed from the initial structure where health care workers were vaccinated first to instead prioritize vaccinating elderly residents first to slow the spread of the virus and subsequent hospitalizations of those infected. This decision was influenced by the social and economic strains, rapid spread of the virus, and high hospitalization rate among the elderly. The third case study reviewed the ways socio-political decisions impact the environment, and the cascading effect of those decisions that cause disproportionate harm to innocent communities. This is illustrated by the increased amount of waste from COVID. During the pandemic, the amount of waste from masks and other pandemic-related materials increased in coastal environments. Pollution of this nature typically adversely affects marginalized communities and can impact human health, a complex issue that requires scientific knowledge and socio-political acumen to alleviate.

These three case studies show how the pandemic raised multiple social issues that needed to be addressed by decision-makers, which are not usually integrated into science or environmental education. Based on the case studies, the researchers concluded the following. First, environmental education can support students in understanding the fluctuations in science or what is commonly understood as fact. For example, the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) standards include language and set a precedent about the changing nature of the field because of the complex feedback loop of humans, communities, political structures, economics, and environment. Second, environmental education centered on justice and science education can help students better consider socio-political influences alongside science when making decisions. Third, a justice-centered educational system can help students and scientists understand the impacts of their decisions.

There were limitations to this study. First, the researchers acknowledged that their experience with teaching future educators and teaching during the pandemic may have biased the information shared. Second, the United States is part of the Global North, making the research perspective biased and not generalizable to other countries. Third, the researchers did not mention nor provide examples of state educational or private school policies that incorporate justice-centered education, which may have provided tangible examples of implementing such complex educational changes.

The researchers recommended a transboundary justice-centered educational system that meaningfully combines the justice principles and opportunities of environmental education, science education, and social science. In doing so, each subject will take a more interdisciplinary approach and undermine Western ideology in teaching. For example, instead of asking students to consider the water cycle itself, teachers should encourage students to consider how the water cycle contributes to society and how it impacts and is impacted by specific communities. This type of teaching and learning will lead to a society of thinkers that can better meet future challenges and make just and equitable decisions.

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Justice-centered education amid the COVID-19 pandemic

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The role of justice in environmental education, science education, and social science

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NOAA Sea to Sky: Education resource database

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NOAA Sea to Sky: Education resource database

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Audience

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Resource type

Topic

Weather and atmosphere

Weather systems and patterns

There’s a saying among climate scientists: What happens in the Arctic doesn’t necessarily stay in the Arctic. That’s especially true when a sudden warming of the polar stratosphere -- the layer of the atmosphere just above the layer where we live -- in winter causes the Arctic jet stream to slow and wobble, spilling frigid air and extreme weather south over North America and Europe, often for weeks at a time.

Audience

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Resource type

Topic

Weather and atmosphere

Weather systems and patterns

The term jet stream is used increasingly in both weather forecasts and news reports of extreme events, from cold spells and flooding to heatwaves and droughts. But what is the jet stream, and why do we care about it so much?

Audience

Grade 3-5

Grade 6-8

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Resource type

Topic

Marine life

Life in an estuary

Weather and atmosphere

Weather observations

At the Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve, a new community of students is getting their boots wet gathering data through a new program that serves the children of migrant farmers.

Audience

Grade 6-8

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Earth science

Social Studies

Resource type

Career profile

Related story

Topic

Marine life

Fisheries and seafood

Celebrate the vital role that aquaculture plays in supporting our nation’s seafood production, creating year-round jobs, rebuilding protected species and habitats, and enhancing coastal resilience. Meet some of the experts working in this important and growing field.

Audience

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Earth science

Social Studies

Resource type

Topic

Climate

Climate change

Climate change impacts

Ocean and coasts

Sea level rise

Weather and atmosphere

Hurricanes

A key issue facing hurricane scientists and climate scientists is how Atlantic hurricane activity might be expected to change assuming the climate continues to warm over the coming century.

Audience

Grade 3-5

Grade 6-8

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Earth science

Social Studies

Resource type

Topic

Climate

Climate change

Resiliency and mitigation

The Redlands Mesa area outside Hotchkiss, Colorado, is particularly at risk to wildfires, but with funding from NOAA’s Environmental Literacy Program, local high school students are taking action to tackle their community’s vulnerability to this hazard.

Audience

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Earth science

Social Studies

Resource type

Topic

Climate

Carbon cycle

Climate change

Global carbon emissions are projected to bounce back to after an unprecedented drop caused by the response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to an annual report by the Global Carbon Project.

Audience

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Resource type

Topic

Climate

Carbon cycle

Climate change

Climate change impacts

Climate data monitoring

New research utilizes airborne measurements of carbon dioxide to estimate ocean uptake.

Audience

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Resource type

Topic

Climate

Carbon cycle

Climate change

Climate change impacts

Climate data monitoring

Carbon dioxide concentrations are rising mostly because of the fossil fuels that people are burning for energy.

Audience

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Earth science

Life science

Resource type

Topic

Climate

Carbon cycle

Climate change

Climate change impacts

Marine life

Coral reef ecosystems

Ecosystems

Life in an estuary

Seaweed and algae

Ocean and coasts

Earth processes

Read an interview with Ariane Arias-Ortiz, a 2019-2021 NOAA Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Fellow at University of California Berkeley’s Biometeorology Lab. Ariane studies carbon storage in coastal saltwater and freshwater wetlands. Her work holds significant, immediate implications for reducing global carbon emissions through wetlands restoration.

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NOAA Sea to Sky: Education resource database

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Welcome to our new searchable database of education resources created by NOAA and our partners.

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BIMS Bioluminescent Algae Coloring Page 

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BIMS Bioluminescent Algae Coloring Page 

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BIMS Bioluminescent Plankton Coloring Page 

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BIMS Bioluminescent Plankton Coloring Page 