The Weather Channel hosted a live virtual field trip today for K-12 classrooms, in partnership with Discovery Education.
The goal of the event: “to bring the science of weather and natural disaster preparedness to classrooms.”
Amen to that, especially the science part.
In 2009, [the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)] found that 15-year-old U.S. students ranked 17th of 34 developed countries in science and 25th of 34 in math. The same study revealed that the U.S. has among the most unequal performance in the world, with achievement levels highly dependent on socio-economic status. Low-income and minority communities are especially hard-hit by lack of access to high-quality science resources. The results from the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress drive home the severity of the problem – only 18 percent of New York City’s 4th graders and 13 percent of 8th graders performed at or above the proficient level in science. Source.]
According to the (emailed) news release:
The virtual field trip allows students to meet meteorologists, tour The Weather Channel’s studio and severe weather center and familiarize themselves with the equipment used to detect and forecast hurricanes, tornadoes, winter storms, floods, and ice.
Is your family prepared for severe weather? Check this Discovery Education tip sheet.
There are four videos and handouts on the Connect With Weather website: winter storms, hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires.
If you have children, ask them if they heard about this today. If you are a K-12 educator, did you know about it? Did you participate?
Why not test your knowledge? Take the Smithsonian Magazine scientific literacy quiz from earlier this year. Or this one from the Christian Science Monitor from 2011.
Known for gnawing at complex questions like a terrier with a bone. Digital evangelist, writer, teacher. Transplanted Southerner; teach newbies to ride motorcycles. @kegill (Twitter and Mastodon.social); wiredpen.com