June
2010

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There are
NO SHORTCUTS
to any place
worth going

Beverly Sills

Teacher Stress - 5 Stress Relieving Techniques For Teachers

Fumes and a Prayer
By Dennis Bauer www.dennisbauer.com

Has the unexpected ever hit you hard, took so much out of you that you felt like you were running out of gas? What do you do when the unexpected hits you hard, head on, and you feel it all going down?

If you’d been with me as one of the five passengers in the small, high-winged private airplane I was flying from Tacoma, Washington, where I live, to Arapaho County Airport just south of Denver, you would have the constant drone of the engine. Flying is 99% pure boredom. The other 1% can be …rather “interesting.”

Looking at the ground of northern Colorado 6000’ below, and ahead to the instrument panel in the cockpit, you would have been particularly interested in the two fuel gauges …because they were both on empty! Unexpectedly strong headwinds had used more fuel than anticipated.

The next thing you would have heard was the engine cough, sputter …and then seen the propeller windmilling as we coasted through the air.

I recalled the stern words of my flight instructor several years earlier, the day he leaned over and pulled the power on the plane I was flying …just to see how I would react. “Bauer, when you lose power and you’re going down, remember these three words, and in this order: Aviate, Navigate, Communicate.”

“Aviate”: get control of the basics. Fly the plane first, before doing anything else! The temptation is to start pushing buttons and turning levers, or to start looking around or a place to land. It’s easy to lose control of the airplane, so first of all, get control of the basics.

“Navigate”: determine where you are and decide where you want to go. Then head that way.

“Communicate”: talk to someone on the ground who can see where you are, who can see the big picture around you, and who isn’t freaked out!

Aviate. I got control of the airplane, flew it straight and level. Then I navigated. I knew I couldn’t get from where I was to where I wanted to go. I needed a new place to land. But Denver Approach Control started vectoring me all over the place so I wouldn’t get hit by the big brother jets in the sky.

So I did the third thing: communicate. “Denver Approach, Cessna 1065Victor. How long are you going to keep vectoring me around? I’m a little low on fuel.”

“Cessna 65Victor, are you declaring an emergency?” I looked at my two fuel gauges. I looked at the ground 6000’ below. I looked at my passengers. They were freaking out! How would you feel in a small plane 6000’ off the ground and your only engine conks out?

But I was the pilot …and I was calm. In an emergency, that’s how you want your pilot to be, right? I said, “Denver Approach …no …not yet.” Nevertheless they directed me straight to Stapleton International Airport. Stapleton International was the seventh busiest airport in the world …and I’d never been there!

“Cessna 65Victor, do you see the airport?” It was hazy and difficult to see.

“Cessna 65Victor, do you see Runway 26 Right?” You could land any one of twelve different ways at Stapleton. From the air it looked like a tic-tac-toe game on steroids. I was almost to the beginning of the runway before I realized that this was Runway 26 Right. My passengers knew it was not a pretty landing. But we walked away, and we would fly again.

Your life has had its ups and downs, hasn’t it? In the space of about 12 months I went through the disasters of separation, loss of a career and a home that went into foreclosure. I was going down big time! I discovered that in life, the process can take a little longer, but it still works.

I sat down with my personal journal and filled in three pages of notes. At the top of the first page I wrote the word “Aviate.” I wrote out the basics of life I needed to get under control …eat right, sleep seven hours a night, exercise every day.

Then I wrote the word “Navigate.” I wrote down all the assets and resources I had available to me at that point. Then I wrote down what it would look like when I got to where I wanted to go, and the steps I needed to take to get there.

“Communicate.” I got with a life coach who knew where I was, who could see where I wanted to go, and who wasn’t freaked out! It’s important to talk with someone who is not emotionally involved.

I found that in writing it all out, I got mental clarity, a sense of direction …and hope. I got my engine restarted and headed for a safe and smooth landing.

I challenge you …when life gets “interesting” and you’re down to fumes and a prayer, remember these three words, and in this order: Aviate, Navigate, Communicate. And you will have a smooth landing that you walk away from …and you WILL fly again.

To view this commentary presented as a speech click here.

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Teacher Stress - 5 Stress Relieving Techniques For Teachers
By Adam Waxler, a middle school social studies teachers, adjunct education professor, and author of several teaching resources.

With nearly 90% of all teachers experiencing moderate to high levels of stress it is very important that teachers use stress relieving techniques to improve both their career and their health. While stress is evident in any job, teachers seem to face increased levels of stress due to their unique circumstances. Think about what a teacher must deal with day in and day out...high stakes exams, overcrowded classrooms, grading tests, grading homework, grading classwork, administrative paperwork, meeting with parents, department meetings, faculty meetings, challenging students, angry parents, an unsupportive community, and the list goes on...

Without using stress relieving techniques, teacher stress can manifest itself in many ways including headaches, back pain, frequent illness, heartburn, anger, impatience, depression, eating disorders, and insomnia. If not addressed, these manifestations may likely turn into heart disease and hypertension. Stress can even damage memory and cognitive skills.

What's worse is that teachers often don't know how to handle their stress and therefore it comes as no surprise that nearly 50% of all teachers quit within their first five years.

Fortunately, there are many simple stress relieving techniques that teachers can use that will help improve both their health and their career.

Here are five stress relieving techniques:

1. Get exercise! Do NOT use the excuse that you don't have time. You must make time. Make it part of your routine everyday. While it may be tough at first, you'll quickly find yourself with more energy and you'll be much more efficient at work.

2. Learn to say no. This can be quite difficult...especially as a new teacher. New teachers think they must say "yes" to everything in order to keep their job, but this can quickly lead to teacher burnout.

3. Join teacher discussion boards/forums. There are many teacher forums on the internet where teachers can not only vent their frustrations, but get real advice from real teachers who have experienced the same problems.

4. Think positive. In fact, don't just think positive thoughts, but actually say them out loud. In the morning, or on your way to work, say positive things about your job, about your students, about your colleagues. You'll be amazed at the impact that saying these things out loud can have on the rest of your day.

5. Cool down and take breaks. Teachers have a tendency to go straight through the day (and night) without taking a break. This is unhealthy and only adds to your stress level. Make sure to NOT work through lunch. Take that time to eat a healthy meal and talk to colleagues about things other than school. In other words let yourself take a mental break from the job during the day. Also, at the end of the school day, make a to-do list for the next day and then take ten minutes to relax and cool down with some other stress relieving techniques such as deep breathing exercises, stretching, or visualization.

Deepwater Horizon Incident, Gulf of Mexico

As the nation’s leading scientific resource for oil spills, NOAA has been on the scene of the BP oil spill from the start, providing coordinated scientific weather and biological response services to federal, state and local organizations. More

Updated daily
Situation: May 30, 2010

Response:
NOAA continues to do trajectories and survey shoreline oiling. Moderate southerly winds are forecast through Tuesday at 5-10 kts.  These winds may begin moving oil that has been tending to the southwest from the source towards the Delta.  In addition to continued threats to shorelines in Breton and Chandeleur Sounds, model results indicate that some oil may move north to threaten the barrier islands off Mississippi and Alabama later in the forecast period.

Assessment:
NOAA’s Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program is conducting a Natural Resource Damage Assessment. The focus currently is to assemble existing data on resources and their habitats and collect baseline (pre-spill impact) data.  Data on oiled resources and habitats are also being collected.

Fishery closure update (effective May 30)

Marine mammals and turtles (effective May 29):

Sea Turtles
 

Dolphins
 

*Strandings are defined as dead or debilitated animals that wash ashore

Miscellaneous:

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'Cosy relationship' revealed between government office and oil industry
By David Usborne, The Independent

Explosive findings about members of staff at the US government office responsible for the oil industry oversight accepting gifts from drilling companies, and even allowing rig operators to fill in their own inspection forms, are set to dominate congressional hearings in Washington DC today.

Astonishing revelations about the years-long "romance" between employees of the Minerals Management Service (MMS) office in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and the big players in the Gulf of Mexico are contained in a report by the inspector general of the Interior Department, of which MMS is a part.

The acting inspector general, Mary Kendall, decided to unveil some of the report's findings ahead of the planned publication date because of their gravity, and because of the investigation that is now being urgently pursued in a number of hearings on Capitol Hill into the catastrophic blow-out of BP's well in the Gulf of Mexico last month.

Sensing a scandal that may be about to get much worse, Ken Salazar, the US Interior Secretary, also acknowledged the report's main findings last night. "This deeply disturbing report is further evidence of the cosy relationship between some elements of MMS and the oil and gas industry," he said.

"I appreciate and fully support the inspector general's strong work to root out the bad apples in MMS and we will follow through on her recommendations, including taking any and all appropriate personnel actions including termination, discipline, and referrals of any wrongdoing for criminal prosecution."

Gifts apparently received by regulators and inspectors – in clear contravention of federal ethics guidelines – include everything from free lunches to tickets to high-priced sporting events. The report also refers to MMS staffers in Louisiana using government computers to view pornography.

Already, there is a clear perception that what should have been an emphasis on safety was allowed over the years to give way to a quite different priority: keeping the industry happy.

Perhaps most shocking to members of Congress will be passages in the report describing how inspection forms were left with drill operators to fill in themselves so long as they left the signature boxes empty for the government employees to fill later.

The inspector general "found a culture where the acceptance of gifts from oil and gas companies was widespread throughout that office", although that has improved in recent years, the report says.

Ms Kendall added in a statement: "We discovered that the individuals involved in the fraternising and gift exchange – both government and industry – have often known one another since childhood."

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After failed fix, dead ahead for nation and ocean: A dispiriting summer of oil and anger
By: MARY FOSTER, TED ANTHONY Associated Press Writers

This summer on the oil-stained Gulf Coast promises to be like no other.

Just off Louisiana on Grand Isle, which was hit with oil from the spill, the beach reopened for Memorial Day weekend but with several caveats: No swimming or fishing, and stay away from oil cleanup crews. Elsewhere, fishermen were idled during what's normally a busy season, and floating hotels were being set up to house workers who will try to mop up the crude seeping into marshes.

With BP making yet another attempt to stem the flow from a blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico — this time only to contain the leak, not stop it — signs point to August before any real end is in sight. The new plan carries the risk of making the torrent worse, top government officials have warned. On top of that, hurricane season begins Tuesday.

"I was just sitting here thinking our way of life is over. It's the end, the apocalypse," said fisherman Tom Young of Plaquemines Parish on the coast. "And no one outside of these few parishes really cares. They say they do, but they don't do nothing but talk. Where's the action? Where's the person who says these are real people, real people with families and they are hurting?"

Responding to suggestions that the military should take the lead in responding to the spill, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said Monday the oil industry is better-equipped to deal with the disaster.

Military officials have looked at what they have available but "the best technology in the world, with respect to that, exists in the oil industry," Mullen said on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Mullen also said a decision on the military leading the response would come from the president.

Meanwhile, churches echoed with prayers for a solution.

"There are people who are getting desperate, and there are more getting anxious as we get further into the shrimping season and there is less chance they will recover," said the Rev. Theodore Turner, 57, at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Boothville, near where oil first washed ashore. Fishermen make up about a third of his congregation.

As the oil washes ashore, crude-coated birds have become a frequent sight. At the sea's bottom, no one knows what the oil will do to species like the newly discovered bottom-dwelling pancake batfish — and others that remain unknown but just as threatened.

Scientists from several universities have reported large underwater plumes of oil stretching for miles and reaching hundreds of feet beneath the Gulf's surface, though BP PLC CEO Tony Hayward on Sunday disputed their findings, saying the company's tests found no such evidence of oily clouds underwater.

"The oil is on the surface," Hayward said. "Oil has a specific gravity that's about half that of water. It wants to get to the surface because of the difference in specific gravity."

One researcher said their findings were bolstered by the fact that scientists from different institutions reached similar conclusions with separate tests.

"There's been enough evidence from enough different sources," said marine scientist James Cowan of Louisiana State University, who reported finding a plume last week about 50 miles from the spill site. Cowan said oil reached to depths of at least 400 feet.

Perhaps most alarming of all, 40 days after the Deepwater Horizon blew up and began the underwater deluge, hurricane season is at hand. It brings the horrifying possibility of wind-whipped, oil-soaked waves and water spinning ashore and coating areas much farther inland.

The spill is already the worst in American history — worse, even, than the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster. It has already released between 20 million and 43 million gallons of oil into the Gulf, according to government estimates.

"This is probably the biggest environmental disaster we've ever faced in this country," White House Energy and Climate Change Advisor Carol Browner said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

BP's next containment effort involves an assortment of undersea robot maneuvers that would redirect the oil up and out of the water it is poisoning.

The first step in BP's latest effort is the intricate removal of a damaged riser that brought oil to the surface of the Deepwater Horizon rig. The riser will be cut at the top of the crippled blowout preventer, creating a flat surface that a new containment valve can seal against.

The valve would force the oil into a new pipe that would bring it up to a ship. The seal, however, would not prevent all oil from escaping. Browner said Sunday the effort could result in a temporary 20 percent increase in the flow. BP has said it didn't expect a significant increase in flow from the cutting and capping plan.

If the containment valve fails, BP may try installing a new blowout preventer on top of the existing one.

In the end, however, a relief well would ease the pressure on the runaway gusher in favor of a controlled pumping — essentially what the Deepwater Horizon was trying to do. But that will take at least two months.

Using government figures, if the leak continues at its current pace and is stopped on Aug. 1, 51 million to 106 million gallons will have spilled.

Coastal tent cities are about to rise to house the workers and contractors minimizing the damage, while barge-like floating hotels for a total of about 800 workers are being readied at three locations off Louisiana. Sand banks and barriers are being built. But the consensus around the Gulf Coast is turning more apoplectic and apocalyptic. This is, people are starting to say, a generational event — tragic to this generation, potentially crippling to the next.

"The oil spill is part of prophecy," said Turner, the Louisiana minister. "The Bible prophesized hardships. If we believe the word of God is true — and we do — we also know that in addition to prophecying hardships he promised to take care of us."
 

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JPL Seeks Students With Science Projects
This is a feature from the NASA/JPL Education Office.

NASA would like to honor students' interest and enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering and mathematics by inviting selected students to display their projects at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's "Student Showcase" on Saturday, June 12 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event will be an opportunity to show students' work, let students share their work with peers and interact with NASA/JPL scientists and engineers.

We are asking teachers to spread the word to students who may quality for this event. A full list of qualifications and registration information can be found at http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/studentshowcase .

Other activities for the students and their mentor or parents include learning about NASA/JPL missions and hearing about NASA careers and internship opportunities. Tours will be offered of JPL facilities like the Space Flight Operations Facility and Spacecraft Assembly Facility (where the next Mars rover is being assembled).

Advanced registration is required for each student. Each student may be accompanied by up to two additional people. The event is free but space is limited to a maximum of 200 students. Small team projects are welcome. The displays must meet science fair safety standards and all dynamic or kinetic, electrical, chemical and biological aspects must be disclosed as part of the registration process. Please keep you project intact between now and then!

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Earth for Educators

Earth is a complex, dynamic system we do not yet fully understand. The Earth system, like the human body, comprises diverse components that interact in complex ways. We need to understand the Earth's atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere as a single connected system. Our planet is changing on all spatial and temporal scales. The purpose of NASA's Earth science program is to develop a scientific understanding of Earth's system and its response to natural or human-induced changes, and to improve prediction of climate, weather, and natural hazards

NASA recently completed deployment of the Earth Observing System, the world's most advanced and comprehensive capability to measure global climate change. Over the coming decade, NASA and the Agency's research partners will be analyzing EOS data to characterize, understand, and predict variability and trends in Earth's system for both research and applications. Earth is the only planet we know to be capable of sustaining life. It is our lifeboat in the vast expanse of space. Over the past 50 years, world population has doubled, grain yields have tripled and economic output has grown sevenfold. Earth science research can ascertain whether and how the Earth can sustain this growth in the future. Also, over a third of the US economy - $3 trillion annually - is influenced by climate, weather, space weather, and natural hazards, providing economic incentive to study the Earth.

NASA Earth System Science conducts and sponsors research, collects new observations from space, develops technologies and extends science and technology education to learners of all ages. We work closely with our global partners in government, industry, and the public to enhance economic security, and environmental stewardship, benefiting society in many tangible ways. We conduct and sponsor research to answer fundamental science questions about the changes we see in climate, weather, and natural hazards, and deliver sound science that helps decision-makers make informed decisions. We inspire the next generation of explorers by providing opportunities for learners of all ages to investigate the Earth system using unique NASA resources, and our Earth System research is strengthening science, technology, engineering and mathematics education nationwide. This is a fundamental part of our mission because the leaders and citizens who will meet challenges of tomorrow are the students of today.

For Educators

The Science Mission Directorate has an essential role in NASA's education mission "to inspire the next generation of explorers." The discoveries and new knowledge from our missions and research programs consistently engage people's imaginations, inform teachers, and excite students about science and exploration. We are committed to utilizing our resources to foster the broad involvement of the Earth and space science communities in education and public outreach (E/PO) with the goal of enhancing the nation's formal education system and contributing to the broad public understanding of science, mathematics and technology.

NASA's Science Education Program creates products using NASA's results in Earth-Sun system science, solar system research, universe exploration, and the development of new technologies to support learning. The program sponsors educational activities at all levels of formal and informal education to provide opportunities for learners to investigate their world and their universe using unique NASA resources.

Leadership of the Science Mission Directorate EPO program is provided by Stephanie Stockman.

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Helping Threatened Corals Thrive: A Love Story

The circle of life — it’s not just a song in an animated movie. For many NOAA researchers the circle of life starts with coral reefs. Why? Coral reefs — a critical part of the ocean ecosystem — teem with sea life that relies on them for survival. And this sea life is important to our economy, providing millions of people around the globe with food, coastal storm protection, and jobs.

Unfortunately, coral reefs are threatened by a growing number of natural and man-made stresses. These threats range from very localized and potentially manageable events to global phenomena that we are still attempting to understand affecting entire oceans.

The elkhorn and staghorn corals — both listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act — are particularly at risk due to difficulties reproducing. That’s why the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Region Protected Resources Division is working closely with partners on two fronts to ensure successful reproduction and the continued survival of these important species.

Little Chance for Romance

These two Caribbean species of branching corals reproduce both sexually (eggs and sperm released in the water in many locations, or broadcast spawning) and asexually (broken fragments reattaching themselves to new coral, or fragmentation).

Sexual reproduction has not been successful in recent years because of extremely low numbers — populations are less than 3 percent of historic levels. That means individual corals are probably too far apart for eggs and sperm to encounter each other in the water column.

Although asexual reproduction through fragmentation is a natural part of the corals’ life history, this strategy is not as successful as it once was. Broken fragments are not reattaching and growing into a new coral colony because the degraded reef habitat is dominated by macroalgae and sediments. 

A Labor of Love

To enhance sexual reproduction, NOAA Fisheries is working with SECORE (SExual COral REproduction), a non-profit initiative of public aquariums and coral scientists, which collects eggs and sperm from Caribbean reefs during the annual spawning event, assists with fertilization, and sends microscopic baby corals to zoos and aquariums around the world to grow.

SECORE has been growing baby threatened corals successfully for several years and this year they will begin growing baby corals in tanks receiving natural seawater from an adjacent reef in Curacao. Baby corals large enough to be attached to a reef in the ocean will help improve wild populations. 

Baby Boomers

Complementary efforts to assist with asexual propagation are being conducted with partners from The Nature Conservancy, Coral Restoration Foundation, NOVA Southeastern University, University of Miami, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Mote Marine Laboratories, and the National Park Service.

Researchers are collecting orphan coral fragments and some from attached colonies and are bringing them into field nurseries throughout Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands to grow. Nursery-grown corals placed back out on the reef will supplement the wild population, increasing the likelihood of threatened corals being close enough together for successful sexual reproduction.  These partners were awarded $3.3M through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support their efforts to improve genetic diversity and increase numbers of threatened corals, while also creating blue-green jobs.

Both projects work together to boost natural reproduction in extremely diminished wild populations, and ultimately rely on our continued efforts to address the myriad threats affecting threatened elkhorn and staghorn corals.

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Dust Cloud From China Shows How We Share the Air

The air we breathe doesn't always come from our own backyard. In fact, sometimes it doesn't even come from our neighbors.

On April 22, 2010, a NASA satellite captured the appearance of a large dust cloud over the eastern coast of United States that originated on the other side of the world -- in China.

"Dust can stimulate the production of more clouds, altering local weather and potentially the climate," said Zhoayan Liu, a researcher at the National Institute of Aerospace and NASA's Langley Research Center who is monitoring the dust movement. The dust cloud was in upper troposphere, the atmospheric layer in which we live.

The dust plume that arrived in the U.S. maintained an average size of more than 1,200 miles wide and six miles tall as it traveled across the Earth. It began in China's Taklimakan and Gobi Deserts, and over 10 days, NASA captured the dust moving across the Pacific Ocean, through the United States and Canada and over Virginia.

"It is likely that a cold front over the deserts generated strong surface winds that pushed a large amount of the dust into the atmosphere and from there the jet streams brought it across the world," said Liu.

Liu and his colleagues at NASA discovered the relocation of the dust after analyzing data from Langley's Earth observing satellite CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations). It can be difficult to distinguish dust from regular clouds and other types of aerosols in photographs taken from space. CALIPSO, however, measures vertical profiles of the atmosphere and produces data that makes a distinction between the different particle types in our atmosphere, such as clouds, smoke, or dust. Not only can it tell scientists what is in our air, CALIPSO can also identify the vertical and horizontal location of the particles as well.

To validate what the satellite saw, NASA scientists took to the sky with the NASA King Air B200 aircraft and a lidar instrument similar to the one on CALIPSO. Aboard the plane, scientists were able to take the same measurements as CALIPSO over North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. The local flights, which took place the same day and time that the satellite detected the dust, confirmed what the satellite observed.

"This transport of dust out of China happens every spring, but we rarely see it move this far with such intensity," said Raymond Rogers, a Langley scientist who participated in the local flights. The air is always made up of various kinds of particles, but it is uncommon that those particles relocate in such large amounts that can their origin can be visibly tracked.

Rogers and Liu said that using CALIPSO and local airborne measurements to monitor the presence of dust in our atmosphere will provide others with data that can be used to gain a better understanding of how dust impacts humans and ecosystems

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M.Y. S.P.A.C.E. Photos from the conference posted.
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Be a M.Y. S.P.A.C.E. Teacher
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to find out how

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PD for Urban Elementary and Middle School Educators

No single principle of school reform is more valid than the maxim that “student learning depends first, last, and always on the quality of the teachers.” In this context, the Urban Science Education Leaders (USEL) and NSTA are partnering to offer the second annual learning opportunity—an Urban Science Education Leadership Academy, scheduled for August 2–5, 2010, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Teams of teachers accompanied by their district supervisor will collaborate to develop the leadership skills to help guide reform that supports excellence in science learning in urban schools. Attendees will share their personal experiences, build on their knowledge of the change process, and become experienced practitioners who will lead initiatives for science education improvements in their districts. Ultimately, the Academy will help form engaged and responsible leaders who will enhance best practices in an urban setting and improve student performance. Dr. Adrian Dorrington, a noted PD expert, will facilitate. The featured speaker is astronaut Dr. Bernard Harris, Jr.

Who should attend: Teams (five-person team required) composed of one district science coordinator, one building administrator-principal/assistant principal, and three teachers
When: August 2–5, 2010
Where: New Orleans, Louisiana

Registration is required by June 30.

For more information, visit the USEL Academy web page.

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NOAA Scientists Putting Gulf Coast Oysters to the Test

Will oil from the BP spill contaminate shellfish in affected areas of the Gulf of Mexico? NOAA researchers are fast at work trying to answer that very question.

Two teams of scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and Southeast Fisheries Science Center are collecting oysters and sediment from nearly 60 Gulf Coast shoreline sites stretching from the Texas/Louisiana border to southwestern Florida. 

Working in tandem with colleagues from Louisiana State University and the Mote Marine Laboratory, researchers will be testing the samples for 120 chemical and microbial contaminants — including 60 oil-related compounds — to determine their baseline contamination. Once oil reaches the shoreline, new samples will be collected and tested. By comparing these two sets of data, scientists can determine any pre-existing level and type of contamination, and identify any change in contamination that might be linked to the spill. 

Researchers also will look at the toxic effects that the oil may have on sediment-dwelling creatures, which play an important role in the food chain. 

The chemical structure of oil-related compounds — known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) — make it easier for scientists to differentiate between contamination related to the BP spill versus other sources, such as factory emissions or runoff. PAHs come with a distinctive chemical “fingerprint” that distinguishes them from other contaminants. NOAA scientists and partners will test for the presence of PAHs in water samples taken at the selected Gulf shoreline sites.

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Earth's Atmosphere

Ever wonder what makes up the air around you? In this BrainPOP movie, Tim and Moby teach you all about the invisible gas that supports life on Earth. You’ll learn what the major gases of the atmosphere are, and how our atmosphere is divided into different layers. Take a ride to the top to see just how many layers there are, and what makes each one unique. Watch and learn what the layer down at the surface of the planet is called. Discover where ozone is located, and how it helps protect life down below! Finally, if you didn’t already know, Tim will tell you the truth about why the sky is blue!

Watch the Science movie about Earth's Atmosphere »

Student Teachers Webinar

Last month we were joined by student teacher Megan Hoke, from Atlanta, GA, as a special guest, facilitating “Using BrainPOP to Study for Teacher Certification Tests.” Since student teachers often have limited experience to draw from, and are expected to perform in a high pressure environment, Megan thought BrainPOP was a powerful tool for learning and reviewing subject area content, as well as teaching strategies. Megan was fabulous, and offered tons of good ideas. You can access a recording of the webinar. Feel free to pass it along!

Here are some ideas that came out of the webinar.

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