SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION About AGU: 2013 Fall Meeting Highlights, pp. 43–50 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: About AGU: Submit an AGU Honors Nomination, p. 51 About AGU: Outstanding Student Paper Awards, p. 51 What’s on the Web: p. 51 VOLUME 95 NUMBER 5 4 FEBRUARY 2014 Researchers Bring Local Science NEWS Into Classrooms The need to communicate scientific A first step is to ensure that the resources Science Is Key to Decision Making, research beyond academia is increasing scientists provide to the teachers are use- U.S. Secretary of Interior Tells Eos concurrently with a growing emphasis on ful and enrich the classroom experience; science, technology, engineering, and math- therefore, these resources must be continu- As secretary of the U.S. Department of the ematics (STEM) in K–12 education [Breiner ally evaluated for their effectiveness. With Interior, Sally Jewell oversees a department et al., 2012]. Connecting scientists with K–12 their time already limited, teachers may whose mission involves both the manage- educators who will share research with disregard an activity or lesson plan that ment and conservation of federal lands and students in their classrooms is an effec- has not been adequately prepared to suit natural resources. Jewell’s background as a tive method for broadening the audience the needs of their classroom because they petroleum engineer, banker with a specialty for scientific research. However, establish- would need to dedicate time to make adjust- in natural resources, and CEO of Recre- ing connections with teachers can be diffi- ments. To circumvent this, resources shared ational Equipment Inc. (REI) could help her cult, as there are few networking opportuni- with teachers are developed and evaluated balance various, often competing, interests ties between these two groups without one in two ways. First, seminars help scientists and manage Interior’s nine agencies, includ- directly contacting the other. prepare activities or lesson plans in a stan- ing the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); U.S. Scientists have excellent resources from dardized format, grounded in the state and Fish and Wildlife Service; Office of Sur- their research (e.g., data sets, innovative federal educational standards, in collabora- face Mining Reclamation and Enforcement; technology, personal experience, etc.) that tion with a panel of teachers who provide National Park Service; and the bureaus of can be used to enrich the classroom learn- the scientists with guidance. Second, after Reclamation, Land Management, and Ocean ing experience, while scientists themselves teachers utilize one of the lessons in their Energy Management. provide a positive role model for students. classroom, they provide feedback to the On 27 January, Jewell spoke with Eos Educators are looking for creative and scientists on the lessons and make sugges- about balancing energy development and inspiring methods for teaching science but tions for improvements. The resources are conservation, dealing with climate change, are often unaware that scientists are willing then updated and made available online to and the role of Earth science. She said her to share these resources, are not sure of the all of the teachers who are a part of the net- overall approach to striking the right bal- best approach for contacting scientists, or work. This feedback is also a valuable tool ance on issues involves “understanding our do not have time to find and reach out to sci- for helping scientists further their ability landscapes using the best science that we entists whose research specialties align with to translate research results to the general have so that we understand where the con- Photo courtesyU.S. Department of theInterior the teachers’ lessons. To establish a forum public. flicts are.” through which scientists can efficiently pro- The second step, and principal compo- U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell nent, of SciREN is local workshops that initi- vide teachers with scientific resources, the Energy Development Scientific Research and Education Network ate networking between scientists and edu- has been leased “is developed in a safe and ( SciREN) was created, and it is bringing cators and are mutually beneficial. Scientists One hot issue is coal development. Rep. responsible way.” these groups together to share knowledge are provided an accessible venue for out- Doc Hastings ( R-Wash.), chair of the House “We want to make sure that Shell and the and materials. reach, while the educators receive resources of Representatives Committee on Natural other operators up there are able to do what based on current research to incorporate Resources, has charged the Obama adminis- we are requiring of them, both in terms of into the classroom. Working Together to Create tration with “aggressively pursuing a war on having a relief drilling rig handy in case they An added benefit from the local work- Effective Lesson Plans coal.” However, Jew- have a blowout and shops is connecting teachers with scientists ell refuted that. need to drill a relief SciREN’s mission is to foster interactions who are conducting local research. The les- “There certainly well, as we saw hap- between teachers and scientists to help dis- sons and resources that these researchers is not a war on coal “We need to take the pen in the Gulf [of seminate current research in a relatable, effi- provide can connect with students on a per- on the part of this Mexico oil spill of cient, and effective manner, thereby enrich- sonal level because they are often about best science that we have administration,” 2010], and also con- ing K–12 education. With limited time and familiar places or topics. Place-based edu- she said. “There is tainment, because if financial resources, today’s teachers are cation, where students’ educational experi- available and apply it to a significant part of there is oil spilling, required by state and federal governments ence is rooted in their communities, is gain- our electricity infra- everything we know.” we don’t want it going to meet certain objectives for their courses. ing popularity as a method for teaching structure that does into that sensitive Considering these constraints on teachers, STEM subjects [Smith, 2013]. The workshops not have alterna- Arctic environment,” combined with the desire to provide scien- not only highlight local research but also tives to coal right out of the gate, and the she said. “And, as has been well publicized, tists with an accessible opportunity to con- present studies conducted globally that align administration has done a lot of work, nota- there were challenges with the containment duct outreach, SciREN has two primary goals with the many educational standards that bly through the Department of Energy and structure before. But our team is working to to fulfill its mission: first, to better prepare teachers must meet. the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency], make sure that what the companies say the scientists for informal and formal outreach in addressing the carbon pollution associ- containment system will do, it actually does and, second, to bring scientists and teach- The First SciREN Workshop ated with coal. But we also recognize that with a real-life test,” Jewell noted. “With the ers together to network and provide teachers there are BTUs [British thermal units] gener- benefit of science from the USGS and oth- with prepared resources for their classrooms. In April 2013, graduate students from the ated by coal that generate electricity that are ers, we have a sense of what the risk and the This cooperative approach helps ensure University of North Carolina’s Institute of important to this country, and it’s an asset potential are in these areas. We’re not going that the research will reach exponen- Marine Sciences (UNC-IMS) teamed up with that this country has.” in blind.” tially more citizens as teachers share these the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll She said, “So we’re not going to wean our- resources with their classrooms. However, Shores (NCA-PKS) to bring resident marine selves from coal in the near term, but we Striking a Balance ensuring that research is presented clearly, scientists together with teachers from believe we can support development of coal accurately, and engagingly can be a difficult around North Carolina. Informal science and the use of coal in a way that’s more During Jewell’s Senate confirmation hear- task. To meet this challenge, SciREN incor- education institutions like NCA-PKS are ideal environmentally friendly than has been his- ing in March 2013, Sen. Ron Wyden ( D-Oreg.), porates two key steps to achieve its vision of venues for scientific outreach, as they are torical practice, and that’s where the parts of chair of the Senate Committee on Energy making science outreach more efficacious the President’s Climate Action Plan [issued and Natural Resources, said Jewell’s biggest with K–12 audiences. cont. on page 42 Local Science on 25 June 2013] that deal with carbon pol- challenge “will be striking the right balance lution really take an important stand.” between the secretary’s dual roles of both Jewell continued, “In spite of what you conserving and developing our resources.” might hear from members of Congress, we Jewell commented to Eos, “I am very, continue to hold coal lease sales around the very interested in using the kinds of scien- country. I would say that the interest in coal tific tools that we have available to us—GIS leasing has waned, and a good part of that [geographic information systems] mapping, has to do with fundamental economics and Landsat, the geospatial database, those where is coal in its economics versus other quantitative means of information that we sources, notably, natural gas.” have—and blending that with the qualita- Jewell also addressed offshore energy tive on- the- ground [information] that says, exploration in the Arctic and other poten- you know, for conservationists, what are the tially sensitive areas, noting that leases areas that are too special to develop and for oil and gas drilling in the Arctic were why? For tribal communities, what are the done in the last decade prior to the Obama areas that are too sacred to develop and administration.