California Project WET Gazette
Autumn 2024
Our Blue Planet
Suddenly, from behind the rim of the moon, in long, slow-motion moments of immense majesty, there emerges a sparkling blue and white jewel, a light, delicate sky-blue sphere laced with slowly swirling veils of white, rising gradually like a small pearl in a thick sea of black mystery. It takes more than a moment to fully realize this is Earth … home.
~Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 astronaut
Gazing up from Earth, the moon dominates our view of outer space at night, casting shadows that have fired human imagination, fear and wonder from time immemorial. But this spectacle pales to Mitchell’s miles-high view of Earth as a “sparkling blue and white jewel.”
What makes Earth stand out in space as a brilliant blue oasis of life is its abundance of water. As the science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke once noted, “How inappropriate to call this planet Earth, when clearly it is Ocean.”
Engaging Students with the Blue Planet Activity
Helping students visually and mathematically understand how much of the Earth’s surface is covered by water is the premise of Project WET’s recently updated “Blue Planet” activity (Foundations of Water Education, p. 23).
The warm-up exercise has students looking at images of the Earth taken from space by astronauts on various NASA missions. I prefer to skip the warm-up and have students dive right into the activity and begin exploring the phenomena of water on the surface of the Earth.
Students can begin by estimating the amount of water covering the Earth on an inflatable globe, or by gently tossing the globe to each other, facing one another in a circle. Each student looks to see where a designated thumb or finger is on the globe as they catch it, then tells the scorekeeper if it’s on land or water.
When I taught outdoor science, this was the first activity I did with each new group of students. This strategy not only made the activity flow easier but also ensured all students would be included – and it helped me as the new teacher quickly learn students’ names.
I had them begin by setting a pattern for the globe toss. Each student calls out the name of the classmate receiving their toss, then kneels or steps back to show they had their turn. Once everyone took their turn, I asked students to remember who they tossed to.
The class of 20-25 students tossed the globe around the circle twice to get a decent sample size of data. We then analyzed our data, calculated the proportions of water and land covering the Earth’s surface and compared our results to actual U.S. Geological Survey figures.
We discussed any differences between the two data sets. I had students consider the variables between our inflatable globe simulation and the USGS study. Students get to apply the math they are learning, from the simple counting of primary numbers to the use of probability and statistics taught in the secondary grades.
Blue Planet is a great activity. It gives students a literally hands-on understanding of the Earth’s surface.
While they’ve experienced Earth almost entirely as land, the planet’s surface is overwhelmingly water, making the globe appear to astronauts as a “delicate sky-blue sphere.”
Exploring the Concept of One World Ocean
Where is most of Earth’s surface water located? The oceans is the usual answer, but have students look again at the globe and how many separate oceans do they really see?
A core NOAA Ocean Literacy principle is that there is really only one world ocean. The “oceans” most of us learned about as kids are actually sub-basins.
Understanding the interconnectedness of Earth is essential to comprehending and protecting our planet. As the Space Shuttle astronaut Mae Jemison said, “When you look at the Earth from space, you realize that our planet is a beautiful, interconnected system. We are all in this together.”
The annual California Coastal and River Cleanup Day (Sept. 21) reminds us there are no boundaries preventing trash or any other pollutants from one ocean sub-basin from eventually flowing into another. The major global ocean currents demonstrate this.
Viewing Earth from Outer Space
I would have students study these images of Earth from space, those from the Apollo missions. looking back from the moon. The famous Earthrise photo taken from Apollo 8 is just one of many that capture the scale of ocean covering Earth compared to land.
Ask students how they would describe Earth if they were peering out the windows of a space command module. I suspect their expressions would be very similar to those of astronauts of all nationalities. In a world rife with divisiveness on the ground, there are few things more unifying than seeing the Earth from a distance in space.
Images of Earth from the Apollo missions also prompt discussion of how Earth may be affected by phenomena in space. Some students may have the same reaction as Apollo 11 astronaut Mike Collins, who said, “My God, that little thing is so fragile out there.”
Understanding Connections Between Ocean and Space
Our ancestors understood the connections between the sun and life and between the moon and the ocean tides. In 1687, Sir Isaac Newton explained that ocean tides result from the gravitational attraction of the sun and moon on the Earth’s ocean.
Though the sun dwarfs the Earth and moon in size and gravitational force, it is also 390 times farther from Earth than the moon. The moon’s gravitational pull on Earth is particularly evident in the ocean, creating bulges of water on the side of Earth closest and farthest from the moon.
The rise and ebb of tides happens as Earth’s land masses rotate through the tidal bulges created by the moon’s gravitational pull. Twice a month, when the Earth, sun and moon align, their gravitational power combines to make exceptionally high tides.
When this occurs during the highest tides of the year, the bulges are known as “king tides.” California’s king tides are expected during November and December this year. These tides are a great opportunity for students of all ages to engage in citizen science to help inform what future higher tides may impact as sea levels rise in our warming climate.
Earth is an “Ocean World” in the parlance of space research. Our ocean contains all known key ingredients for life to exist. There is strong evidence that our “Blue Planet” is not the only ocean world in our solar system or the universe. Scientists predict Jupiter’s moon Europa has a salty ocean beneath its icy crust that could hold the building blocks necessary to sustain life. On Oct. 10, NASA launches its Europa Clipper mission, the first detailed scientific investigation of Europa.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this journey from the moon to Earth’s ocean and back out into our solar system and beyond. Please check out the Websites of Interest section of this newsletter for more information on how our ocean interacts with the moon and sun. You’ll also find a variety of Autumn Events and Professional Development opportunities to enjoy this season, as well as a pretty big list of Grants and Student Contests to consider.
Hope you have a wonderful fall!
WEBSITES OF INTEREST
Project WET – DiscoverWater.org: The Blue Planet
By using probability, we can estimate the percentage of water on Earth’s surface by taking samples of different sizes. The bigger the sample size, the more accurate our estimate will be. Probability is a useful tool when we don’t know the exact results, like when we want to figure out the amount of water on Earth without measuring every single spot. We can predict what will happen if we randomly touch a globe.
NOAA Science on a Sphere: Blue Marble
The Blue Marble is an incredibly detailed, true-color depiction of the Earth. NASA is responsible for this dataset made from a compilation of satellite images throughout 2001. Most of the information came from NASA’s MODIS, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, which is attached to the Terra satellite 435 miles above Earth.
NOAA: Ocean Literacy Scope & Sequence for Grades K-12
The Ocean Literacy Scope and Sequence for Grades K–12 is an instructional tool that provides guidance to educators to help students achieve a full understanding about the ocean in ever more complex ways across years of science instruction. The content is provided as conceptual flow diagrams for each of the seven Ocean Literacy Essential Principles in four grade bands: K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12.
NOAA Ocean Service: How many oceans are there?
While there is only one global ocean, the vast body of water that covers 71 percent of the Earth is divided into distinct named regions. Historically, there are four named ocean regions: the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic. However, most countries now recognize the Southern (Antarctic) as the fifth ocean region.
Copernicus Marine Service: Major Global Ocean Currents
This visualization shows how the global conveyor belt regulates temperatures and climate on a global scale; different regions of the ocean receive and absorb differing amounts of radiation – and therefore heat – from the sun, changing the density of water masses to cause global ocean mixing. This helps distribute heat more evenly to keep more of Earth’s surface comfortably habitable.
You Tube: How 29,000 Lost Rubber Ducks Helped Map the World’s Oceans
In January 1992, the Evergreen Ever Laurel set sail from Hong Kong bound for Tacoma, Washington. The freighter encountered a fierce storm and huge waves knocked 12 shipping containers off board. The spilled cargo included 29,000 floatable toy ducks that went adrift thrrought the world.
NASA: Tides
Walk along a beach and you find seashells, driftwood and seaweed left by the retreating tides at your feet. You can thank the moon for that. As distant as the moon may seem, its gravitational pull on Earth plays a huge role in the formation of tides.
NOAA Ocean Service: Tides and Water Levels
Gravity is one major force that creates tides. In 1687, Sir Isaac Newton explained that ocean tides result from the gravitational attraction of the sun and moon on the oceans of the earth. Our sun is 27 million times larger than our moon. Based on its mass, the sun’s gravitational attraction to the Earth is more than 177 times greater than that of the moon to the Earth. However, the sun is 390 times further from the Earth than is the moon.
California Sea Grant: King Tides: A cosmic phenomenon
Tides are caused by the gravitational forces of the moon and the sun. Even though both the sun and moon influence our tides, the moon’s gravitational pull is about twice as strong than that of the sun. We experience different tidal forces as a result of how far away the sun, moon, and earth respectively are from each other. The term king tide is used to describe the highest tides of the year.
Smithsonian: Ocean Through Time
The ocean may seem like a vast and unchanging landscape, but the reality is that the world beneath the waves has continuously evolved over time. As terrestrial creatures, humans are largely unaware that much of life’s history has taken place in the ocean. Indeed, life had been evolving and changing for more than 3 billion years—the majority of the planet’s existence—before the first creatures made their way out of the water.
NASA: Milankovitch (Orbital) Cycles and Their Role in Earth’s Climate
Cycles play key roles in Earth’s short-term weather and long-term climate. A century ago, the Serbian scientist Milutin Milankovitch hypothesized that the Earth’s climate is strongly influenced by the long-term, collective effects of changes in Earth’s position relative to the sun. However, the orbital motions known as Milankovitch cycles cannot account for the current period of rapid warming Earth has experienced since the 1700s.
Earth.com: Ocean warming is subtly changing the tides
Few aspects of the natural world are as dependable as ocean tides. Ocean tides influence the daily lives of millions and the health of countless ecosystems. However, scientists have observed subtle shifts in tidal patterns that cannot be explained by the usual lunar and solar influences.
NASA: About the Planets
The solar system has eight planets and five officially recognized dwarf planets. Earth is only world in our solar system with liquid water on the surface. The moon makes Earth a more livable planet by moderating our home planet’s wobble on its axis, leading to a relatively stable climate. It also causes tides, creating a rhythm that has guided humans for thousands of years.
NASA: Ocean Worlds: Water in the Solar System and Beyond
The story of oceans is the story of life. Life as we know it requires three ingredients: energy, organic molecules, and liquid water. Our search for life beyond Earth is, in part, a search for planets and moons that harbor substantial liquid water. We call these places “ocean worlds,” and we’re learning that they could be ubiquitous in the galaxy.
NASA: Why Europa?
Scientists look for three key ingredients that make life possible: liquid water, chemistry, and energy. Also, life takes time to develop. Jupiter’s icy moon Europa may have these essential ingredients and is as old as Earth. Evidence strongly suggests that an ocean of liquid water is hidden beneath its surface of ice. NASA’s Europa Clipper is launching Oct. 10, 2024 to conduct a detailed science investigation of Europa.
California Department of Water Resources: Education
We provide a variety of resources to K-12 educators to encourage water education in and out of the classroom. Our free supplementary materials can be used to help learn about California’s water resources. Check out our ‘Water Wednesdays’ You Tube page for recording of our weekly conversations with DWR researchers on a range of water topics.
US Geological Survey: Water Science School
The Earth is a watery place. But just how much water exists on, in, and above our planet? About 71 percent of the Earth’s surface is water-covered, and the oceans hold about 96.5 percent of all Earth’s water. Water never sits still. Thanks to the water cycle, our planet’s water supply is constantly moving from one place to another and from one form to another. Things would get pretty stale without the water cycle!
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
California Project WET Workshops
Join us this fall for Project WET workshops focused on increasing your knowledge and environmental literacy through the lens of water, and how to use the interdisciplinary activities of Project WET to engage students K-12 in the study of water conservation, climate change and water resources, flood preparedness and water quality.
Classroom Aquarium Education Program
The Classroom Aquarium and Education Program offers excellent ways to engage K-12 students by raising native fish in your classroom. CAEP fosters stewardship of natural resources by relating the effects of human activities on native fish in your local watershed.
California Environmental Education Interagency Network (CEEIN)
This is a consortium of environmental educators representing state departments and partner organizations. Educators can find a variety of workshops and other participatory opportunities on our online events calendar to increase their environmental literacy on California natural resource topics and issues.
Climate Change & California Water Workshops
These specialized Project WET workshops provide an opportunity for educators to interact with climate experts for a day of learning about the basics of weather and climate science, how the California Department of Water Resources and other organizations are applying this science to safeguard California water resources – and how Project WET activities can help you integrate climate science concepts and skills back in the classroom. Join us this fall in Alameda County on October 5th or Orange County on November 2nd!
FIT-Focus sessions are 3-day continued professional learning events that allows California educators to deep-dive into special topics in forestry and natural resource management over the course of a weekend (Friday-Sunday). Whether leveraging the foundational learning of FIT’s core week-long summer sessions, or engaging with FIT for the first time, FIT-Focus offers all California educators a chance to connect with the FIT community and further their forestry learning.
California Project Learning Tree Workshops
Project Learning Tree uses trees and forests as windows on the world to increase students’ understanding of the environment and actions they can take to conserve it. Trainings are offered to schools, teachers, parents, students and other non-profit organizations for outdoor environmental education programs.
AUTUMN EVENTS
September: National Preparedness Month
National Preparedness Month is an annual observance to raise public awareness about preparing for disasters and emergencies — man-made or natural — that could affect them, their homes, communities, or businesses. This month aims to reduce the fallout of large-scale emergencies by preparing every citizen, young and old.
Sept. 21: California Coastal Cleanup Day
Join the fight to help clean the beach by picking up litter in your community. Trash travels through storm drains, creeks, and rivers to become beach and ocean pollution. Cleaning your neighborhoods, local parks, streets, and storm drains helps protect our coast. Plan to spend a day outside connecting with your community to celebrate California!
Sept. 27-29: California Agriculture in the Classroom Conference
Join us in Orange County for an invaluable opportunity to collaborate with educators who share your passion for agriculture! The conference is designed for K-12 educators, administrators and volunteers to learn and share how to incorporate food and fiber into all curricular areas! Registration is $365 and will increase to $385 after August 16.
September 28: Oroville Salmon Festival
Each year the Oroville Salmon Festival celebrates the return of the salmon to the Feather River. The Feather River Fish Hatchery will be open for this year’s festival! Learn everything there is to know about salmon by taking a free tour of the hatchery. There will also be kayak tours, a mobile fish exhibit, nature related booths and food available.
Sept. 28: National Public Lands Day
The 30th annual National Public Lands Day, the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event for public lands, brings out thousands of volunteers to help restore and improve public lands around the country.
Sept. 28: Free Entrance Days in the National Parks
NPLD is also a “Fee-Free Day, one of only five days a year when entrance fees are waived at national parks and other public lands. You can care for your national parks by volunteering during a one-time event or on a reoccurring basis.
Oct. 13 – 19: Earth Science Week
Celebrate the theme “Earth Science Everywhere.” The year’s event will highlight connections across disciplines in STEM subjects, the humanities, and others. These connections can be used to help all people understand how geoscience relates to their interests, their communities and their futures.
Oct. 19 – 26: California Flood Preparedness Week
Did you know that every county in California has been declared a federal flood disaster area at least once in the last 20 years? Each year during this week, communities and local, state, and federal agencies share information about flood risk, the types of flooding that impact communities, engage kids with interactive demonstrations and exhibits and how to prepare.
Nov. 8 – 10: California Science Education Conference
Join us in shaping the future of science education as we gather to ignite curiosity, inspire discovery, and illuminate minds this November. Take advantage of low registration fees before July 1, 2024. CASE members receive even a bigger discount, so make sure to join or renew your membership – and get ready to be inspired in Sacramento!
Nov. 11: National Parks Free Entrance Day
Many national parks have direct connections to the American military—there are dozens of battlefields, military parks, and historic sites that commemorate and honor the service of American veterans. The National Park Service invites all visitors to remember our veterans by visiting any National Park Service site for free on Veterans Day.
Nov. 15 – 17 & Dec. 13 – 15: California King Tides Project
The California King Tides Project helps us visualize future sea level by observing the highest tides of today. You can help by taking and sharing photos of the shoreline during King Tides – including in tidally influenced areas of the Delta – to create a record of changes to our coast and estuaries. Click here to find out what time and how high the King Tides will be near you. Learn how to participate by uploading via a web browser or free app.
SCHOOL GRANTS & OPPORTUNITIES
Philanthropic Ventures Foundation Teacher Grants
Teachers come up with good ideas all the time, but don’t have the resources to fund them or the time to pursue arduous funding requirements. That’s why we launched Teacher Resource Grants. These small but critically needed grants for teachers help to address inequalities in public education and build future generations of strong leaders. Grants available while funding lasts!
Through the “Let’s Go!” Field Trip Fund, the Environmental Volunteers provides affordable, easy-to-schedule, efficient and safe transportation for low-income youth (K-12) in the San Francisco Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, or Sonoma) that facilitates access to science and environmental education field trips. Available while funding Lasts!
Early Childhood Education Grants: Due Oct. 1
The Frances R. Dewing Foundation supports innovation in early childhood education and accepts applications from United States based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, schools and school districts. The foundation provides seed money in the form of small grants up to $25,000. The foundation prefers to provide a significant portion of any project it funds. Consideration is only given to projects concerned with early childhood education, specifically for children up to sixth grade.
Toshiba America Foundation Grades K – 5 Grant: Due Oct. 1
Do you have an innovative idea for improving science, technology, engineering and math learning in your classroom? What do you need to make learning math and science fun for your students? K-5 grade teachers are invited to apply on-line for a $1,000 Toshiba America Foundation grant to help bring an innovative hands-on project into their own classroom.
Karma for Cara Microgrant Program: Due Oct. 1
The K4C Microgrant Program is the bridge between ideas and action, helping young citizen leaders execute and magnify their initiatives to help repair our world. Students 18 years of age and under may apply for funds between $250 and $1,000 to complete service projects in their communities throughout the United States. Whether you plan to turn a vacant lot into a community garden, rebuild a school playground or help senior citizens ready their homes for the winter, we want to hear what project you’re passionate about!
Literacy for Life Grants: Due Oct. 4
Literacy for Life grants are designed to help initiate new projects or expand existing ones that promote agricultural literacy. Grants of up to $500 are provided to California K-12 educators to support integration of agriculture into regular classroom instruction. Explore the list of project ideas and read how previous recipients have used this funding to improve agricultural learning opportunities on their campuses.
Walmart Community Grant Program: Due Oct.15
Our local community grants are awarded through an open application process and provide funding directly from Walmart and Sam’s Club facilities to local organizations in the U.S, including K-12 public, nonprofit private schools, charter schools, community/junior colleges, state/private colleges; or a church or other faith-based organization with a proposed project that benefits the community at large.
Watershed Stewardship and Education Grant: Due Oct. 15
The Sacramento County Stormwater Quality Program is offering grants to support creative projects that will inspire people to keep our waterways clean. Up to $2,500 Awarded Per Recipient!
Teachers, neighborhood groups, volunteer groups, environmental organizations and other nonprofit associations are encouraged to submit their ideas for protecting, restoring or enhancing creeks, riparian corridors, watersheds, and rivers within the unincorporated urban areas of Sacramento County.
Redwood Connect Grants: Due Oct.18
Save the Redwoods League invites community-based organizations, schools, park associations, environmental educators, and naturalists to apply for a grant to support meaningful and engaging redwood park experiences.
Our Redwood Connect Grants are designed to foster equitable access to parks, meaningful and community-driven connections with nature, and a deeper understanding of the many different attributes and benefits of the redwood forest. All Redwood Connect Grant awards are $6,000.
The Lawrence Foundation Grant: Due Oct. 31
The Lawrence Foundation is a private family foundation focused on making grants to support environmental, human services and other causes. We make both program and operating grants and do not have any geographical restrictions on our grants. Nonprofit organizations that qualify for public charity status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, public schools and libraries are eligible for contributions or grants between $5,000 – $10,000.
Toshiba America Foundation 6-12 Grant: Due Nov. 1
Do you teach in a middle and high school classroom and have an innovative idea for improving STEM (Science, technology, engineering and math) learning in your classroom with measurable outcomes? Sixth to 12th grade teachers are invited to apply on-line for a grant greater than $5,000 to help bring an innovative project into your classroom.
Toshiba America Foundation 6-12 Grant: Due Dec. 1
Do you teach in a middle and high school classroom and have an innovative idea for improving STEM (Science, technology, engineering and math) learning in your classroom with measurable outcomes? Sixth to 12th grade teachers are invited to apply on-line for a grant for less than $5,000 to help bring an innovative project into your classroom.
WHALE TAIL® Grants: Due Nov. 4
WHALE TAIL® grants support experiential education and stewardship of the California coast and its watersheds. Grant projects can engage youth or adults and can take place anywhere in California; you don’t have to go to the ocean. Climate change-related projects are eligible, as are projects that engage people in protecting and conserving the coast and ocean through beach cleanups, ecological restoration, etc.
Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Program: Due Nov. 15
All public and private schools, non-profits such as nature centers, youth organizations and community youth centers in the US are welcome to apply for a grant ranging from $100 to $500, so long as the project uses native plants or seeds to educate youth. Please note, SFE grants do not fund vegetable gardens.
Youth Garden Grant: Due Nov. 22
KidsGardening offers a variety of grants to new and existing youth garden programs across the nation. Since 1982, the Youth Garden Grant has supported school and youth educational garden projects that enhance the quality of life for students and their communities. In 2024, fifty programs will receive award packages consisting of a cash prize and a variety of gardening tools and supplies.
CREDITS
California Project WET Gazette is published by the Water Education Foundation, which serves as the state coordinator and host institution for Project WET USA, a program of the Project WET Foundation.
This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Geological Survey under Cooperative Agreement # G23AC00673. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Geological Survey. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Editor: Brian Brown, California Project WET Coordinator
Water Education Foundation
2151 River Plaza Drive, Suite 205
Sacramento CA 95833
916.444.6240
www.watereducation.org
