Taking the Pulse of our Changing Planet
A public lecture and professional development series at Liberty Science Center
This family-friendly Saturday series brings Rutgers University scientists to Liberty Science Center to teach you things you never knew about our planet’s dominant feature: the ocean. Learn about topics ranging from microscopic organisms to our weather and changing climate in fun and lively discussions and demonstrations.
EDUCATORS WELCOME!
Following the lectures, K-12 educators will be invited to stay and participate in a two hour professional development workshop. Here you will get lesson plans and materials that will help you bring the ocean back to your classroom. NJ Educators can receive credit towards their professional development hours.
REGISTRATION |
Last email sent: 5/1/2008 |
Next Lecture:
May 17th, 2008
Spring has sprung... in the Ocean.
Dr. Kay Bidle
Assistant Professor
Rutgers University
Public Lecture: 10:00am - 11:00am
Ever wonder about the cycles of life in the ocean? The oceans contain a tremendous diversity of marine organisms, most of which owe their existence to phytoplankton, tiny microscopic plants that ‘bloom’ and drift around in the sunlit oceans and form the basis of marine food webs. They also account for approximately half the air you breath! Dr. Bidle will discuss the amazing microbial world of phytoplankton, including the annual cycles of productivity in the ocean, the diverse and fascinating organisms that are responsible, what they mean to the oxygen we breath and the fish we eat, and how we can potentially use their genes for biotechnology.
Professional Development: 11:00am - 1:15pm
During this session we will focus on phytoplankton and their role in marine food webs. Teachers will have the opportunity to see and participate in several classroom activities demonstrating how the excitement of marine science can be brought to traditional science concepts.
Lecture Resources
Last Lecture:
April 19th, 2008
Our Networked Ocean World
Dr. Scott Glenn
Professor
Rutgers University
Our world’s coastal ocean is responding to both the growing pressure of increasing human population and the effects of global climate change. New sensing technologies called ocean observatories are transforming the way oceanographers explore the ocean, and how they monitor ecosystem health. In our next lecture, Dr. Scott Glenn will introduce the concept of a Networked Ocean World, describing how new technologies are enabling Internet-based ocean exploration and how we are using it to build a new global community of ocean scientists and educators to better understand our planet.
Lecture Resources
Past Lecture Resources
3/8/08 - Life on Other Planets?
2/16/08 - Relationships in the Ocean
1/26/08 - Global Warming... It is Later than we Think... but not too Late!
11/17/07 - The Sea You Can’t See: Microbes in the Ocean
10/27/07 - Missing SINK: Carbon Dioxide and the Ocean Connection
- Video Clips and Slides from the Lecture
- Online Resources
- Photosynthesis Presentation (2.8 MB ppt)
- Foram Fun Presentation (20.8 MB ppt)
- Foram Fun Worksheet (1.5 MB ppt)
- How to Order GEMS Guides
9/22/07 - Stormin' and Warmin': Weather and Changing Climate in New Jersey
Future Lectures
- Stay Tuned!!!
