Participants at the recent American Meteorological Society Teacher’s Workshop had an opportunity to experience activities from the NIEHS Climate and Health educational materials first hand.
(Photo courtesy of John Balbus)
To help bring its new Climate Change and Human Health lesson materials to a global audience, NIEHS will be partnering with the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program. Sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation, GLOBE is an international K-12 educational program that engages students in collecting field data, including soil, water, air, and biological observations. GLOBE protocols teach students scientific techniques and include satellite partnerships that link students’ observations to remotely-sensed satellite data. By teaching students about the impacts of changes in weather and environmental factors on human health, the new NIEHS educational materials complement the GLOBE lessons in earth and atmospheric sciences. Teachers will have the option to help their students understand the societal implications and value of the science they are learning and to relate this science to their own health and that of their families. The NIEHS materials will be adapted to be suitable for a more international audience by adding references to resources addressing health concerns outside the United States.
In January, NIEHS hosted a delegation of Chinese scientists who were brought to the U.S. by the State Department to learn more about citizen science. To read more, see this month’s Environmental Factor.
