"Sea-Level Rise in the Classroom," a curriculum that helps teachers explore sea-level rise science from the intersection of social and environmental issues, is now available online.
Since early 2018, a group of experienced educators and researchers have collaborated to develop the "Sea-Level Rise in the Classroom" curriculum, which helps science and social studies understand and teach the science around sea-level rise and the actions that can increase resilience.
This new curriculum’s modules work together to showcase the range of possible community actions to increase resilience.
- Module 1 addresses the science behind sea-level rise and coastal flooding, and the other three highlight pathways towards community resilience through individual and community action.
- Module 2 covers natural solutions.
- Module 3 allows students to investigate the role of policy and ordinances.
- Module 4 brings it together through community planning. Students can also build their own plan for resilience using their new knowledge and fictional Gulf Coast towns.
In an effort to further support coastal education, the Program for Local Adaptations to Climate Effects: Sea-Level Rise (PLACE: SLR) will host six teacher workshops along the Gulf of Mexico in spring and summer of 2022! If you are interested in attending an educator workshop, please sign up online.
Coastal Alabama and Mississippi educators have been critical to project development and involved in the project’s advisory panel, pilot test and beta test. By creating a high school curriculum dedicated to the risks and solutions surrounding coastal flooding, this effort will help local youth and future community leaders be informed and prepared to reduce coastal vulnerability to flooding and sea-level rise.
This curriculum was developed with the Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Cooperative, Alabama School of Math and Science, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Smart Home America, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, Mississippi State University and University of South Alabama.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Gulf Research Program provided funding.
The following organizations contributed to the project advisory panel and in-class curriculum testing: Alma Bryant High School, Ben C. Rain High School, Chickasaw High School, Daphne High School, Mobile County Public Schools Environmental Studies Center, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Gautier High School, the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Lab’s Marine Education Center, Grand Bay National Estuary Research Reserve (NERR), Gulf Shores High School, Jackson County Extension, Mobile County Public Schools, Murphy High School, Oak Grove High School, Ocean Springs High School, Our Lady Academy, Pascagoula High School, Pascagoula-Gautier School District, Pass Christian High School and Weeks Bay NERR.