Featured COSEE Great Lakes Events
Lake Ontario Exploration Workshop- Mark the dates! July 25-30, 2010. This six-day summer workshop will offer educators an excursion into Great Lakes and marine science education in the diverse environments of Lake Ontario. Pre- and post-workshop conference calls required. Fifteen teachers and informal educators of Grades 4-10 will be selected to attend. Watch this space for more information!
Shipboard and Shoreline Science Workshops on the R/V Lake Guardian- Educators participate in Great Lakes research first-hand as they cruise on Lake Michigan for a week, July 6-12, 2010. Work side by side with scientists on limnological inquiry, and stop in ports for additional science learning. These events are in partnership with USEPA's Great Lakes National Program Office. Stay tuned for the Educator Application Form in January 2010.
Marine Immersion Scholarships for Great Lakes Teachers- Scholarships are available to Great Lakes informal educators and teachers of grades 4-10. Watch this space for programs supported in 2010.
On-line workshops through the College of Exploration: Now archived for continued use- For three years we offered an on-line program with streaming video of guest speakers on Great Lakes science topics, and downloadable educational resources for teaching about the topics. The programs fostered interactive discussions between scientists and educators. Programs included:
2007: What’s so great about the Great Lakes? [general characteristics and aspects of Great Lakes importance]
2008: The Great Lakes ROCK! [geosciences]
2009: Great Lakes ALIVE [biology and ecology]
In 2010 the College of Exploration will be making DVDs available with those previous programs. Until those are ready, previous workshop materials remain on-line for continued free use. 
Teachable Moments for Great Lakes and Ocean Science- For each Great Lake, twice a year, we conduct short workshops designed to provide information on emerging issues or update public information on lake sciences.
Educator House Calls- Designed as opportunities for small groups of teachers and scientists to interact, “Educator House Calls” offer a chance to learn from one another and develop innovative approaches to enhancing educational outreach to promote science literacy.
Program Highlights of 2009
Treasures of Lake Erie
Discovering hidden treasures on the Great Lakes is what drew 16 educators to the Lake Erie Exploration Workshop (July 18-24, 2009). What we left with was so much more!
COSEE brought classroom and informal educators from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin together to bond over their enthusiasm for science treasures in the Great Lakes, and discover ways we can all work together to improve freshwater literacy among our audiences.
Read more about the workshop here.
COSEE Collaborative Workshop
TEACHERS OF K-GRAY! DO REAL, INTERDISCIPLINARY AQUATIC SCIENCE WITH ACTIVE SCIENTISTS!
Invasive species research, focusing on Quagga Mussels in Lake Michigan, aims to understand how non-native species disrupt aquatic food webs. The work emphasizes that "all Great Lakes are not the same" and explains through physical, chemical, and geological perspectives why Lake Michigan reacted so strongly to this particular invader. In this 5-day workshop (27-31 July 2009) you will work with Drs. Russell Cuhel and Carmen Aguilar of the UWM Great Lakes WATER Institute in Milwaukee WI. Initial hypothesis development will be followed by a day of shipboard collections at a natural reef ecosystem; a day of laboratory measurement, analysis, and discussion; a second day of shipboard work utilizing remotely operated vehicle technology on a surprise site; and two final days of research interspersed with activities demonstrations and application of the experience to standards-based classroom use. A small stipend will be provided, as well as some hardware resources for classroom use. Teachers will become aware of diverse scientific resources for weather, lake characteristics, and appropriate environmental research results. Because of the stewardship aspects of lake ecology, Native American-serving teachers are especially encouraged to apply. Teachers distant from the Milwaukee area may receive support for dorm housing for the week. For inquiries contact Russell Cuhel, rcuhel@uwm.edu, 414-382-1700 x1711. Click for Application Form.
Additional Program Highlights of 2009
- Science Activities special issue for Ocean Literacy
- August 2009
- R/V Lake Guardian on Lake Huron
- August 2009
- R/V Lake Guardian on Lake Superior
- July 2009
- Educators make a House Call at GLERL
- July 2009
- School for Scientists 2009
- May 2009
