LAKE MEAD INSTITUTE OFFERING FREE 2-CREDIT HOUR TEACHER WORKSHOP
BOULDER CITY, Nev. - Lake Mead National Recreation will become a living classroom in September through the Lake Mead Institute’s Professional Development Series teacher workshop, Climate Change in the Desert Southwest. The workshop is offered as a two-credit graduate course through the Regional Professional Development Program.
The National Park Service, Great Basin Institute, RPDP and Desert Research Institute are partnering to provide educators with grade level appropriate climate change lesson plans, an awareness of climate change impacts on Southern Nevada, implementation ideas for fieldtrip and service projects and plans for the 2014-2015 school year, and motivation to lead and teach action projects on climate change.
The participating teacher will also be provided with stipends which are provided by a grant from the National Park Foundation.
“These teachers will have the opportunity to participate in class face-to-face times with natural resource specialists, participate in hands-on learning, tour resource management facilities such as the Song Dog Native Plant Nursery at Lake Mead, and the DRI Soil Lysimeter," said Amanda Rowland, education specialist, Lake Mead NRA. “They will also be able to meet scientists and discuss real-time science projects that connect their students to science, technology, engineering and math."
The workshop is 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sept. 13, 4 to 6:30 p.m. Sept. 16, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sept. 20 and 4 to 6:30 p.m. Sept. 23.
As part of the program, the public is invited to attend a lecture on “Soil: More Than Just Dirt?" presented by Dr. Markus Berli at 5 p.m. Sept. 16 at the Rogers Auditorium located in the National Atomic Testing Museum. Berli is an associate research professor for Environmental Hydrogeophysics at the Desert Research Institute in Las Vegas. He has 17 years of experience in basic and applied research related to the physics, mechanics and hydraulics of soils and soft rocks.
Educators interested in participating in the workshop should contact Amanda Rowland at 702-277-2770 or Amanda_rowland@nps.gov. Space is limited.
The Parks Climate Challenge lesson plans and instructional videos are available online to educators everywhere. Educators can use the free online resources to train themselves and replicate the Parks Climate Challenge model in their own communities across the nation. Learn more at www.parksclimatechallenge.org.
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Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
