Welcome to the Pennsylvania Earth Science Teachers Association

Teacher WorkshopWe are the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational organization founded in 1983, whose mission is to facilitate and advance excellence in Earth and Space Science education.

Become a member and share your ideas, vision and energy – join PAESTA today! Membership is free and open to any educator or supporter of Earth and Space science education from Pennsylvania or outside the state.

 

News from PAESTA

2013 Hurricane Webinar Series for Educators

Join Dr. Rick Knabb for a look at the challenges of forecasting Hurricane Sandy

Please join the Hurricanes: Science and Society (HSS) team at the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography for the 2013 Hurricane Educators Webinar Series.  This series of three, 1-hour webinars will focus on current topics in tropical cyclones and preparation for the upcoming 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

Images from NASA's Expedition Earth and Beyond

The EEAB NASA educational program uses the Earth System Science approach to engage students in grades 5-12 in the process of science through the use of astronaut photography. It also provides the opportunity for students to request a new astronaut image to be captured from the International Space Station to support their research.

Learn more about the program.

News and Notes from PAESTA - May 2013

The May 2013 News and Notes from PAESTA has been sent out. You can view it online via this link.

A Line of Wind Turbines

This photo was taken during a visit to Centralia, PA, on September 24, 2010.  The view is from one of the former streets of this former town, looking northeast towards the mountains.

To view information about Pennsylvania's wind farms, please visit: http://www.pennfuture.org/content.aspx?SectionID=192

A Line of Wind Turbines
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May 2013 PAESTAR

This month, we recognize Abbey Dufoe, a May 2013 graduate of The Pennsylvania State University, earning her undergraduate major in Media Studies and minors in Environmental Inquiry and Civic & Community Engagement.  In her time as an undergraduate student, Abbey completed several research projects where she developed curricular materials and supporting resources now available on the PAESTA website, such as five iBooks on topics relating to the hydrosphere.  Abbey presented her PAESTA contributions at the 2012 Fall American Geophysical Union conference in San Francisco

Free Online Climate and Energy Teaching Resources - Grades 6 - 16

The CLEAN project offers the following resources and support:

Free MOOC course in the Foundations of Science

Michigan State University is offering a Foundations of Science MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) designed for the general public and budding science majors.

Special Announcement - The PAESTA Classroom

A Special Announcement email, The PAESTA Classroom, has been sent out. You can view it online via this link.

More News from PAESTA

Science in the News

Updated Guide to Ocean Literacy Now Available

The Ocean Literacy Campaign ad-hoc committee is pleased to announce the publication of a new version of “Ocean Literacy: The Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts of Ocean Sciences for Learners of All Ages.” This guide replaces the version first published in July 2005 as “Ocean Literacy: The Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts of Ocean Sciences K-12.”

The Keeling Curve

To provide a resource for understanding the implications of rising CO2 levels, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is providing daily updates of the "Keeling Curve," the record of atmospheric CO2 measured at Hawaii's Mauna Loa.

Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake near Iran/Pakistan border

Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake in Indonesia

Teachable Moment

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia's mountainous West Papua province on Saturday, April 6, 2013, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The region is sparsely populated.

Download a PowerPoint presentation to share with your students from the IRIS website: http://www.iris.edu/hq/retm

De-extinction

De-extinction is a new and controversial topic that involves resurrecting extinct species from the past. Some of these species’ extinctions were a direct result of human over-hunting, while others were more ‘natural’. Using biotechnological processes, scientists have discovered methods that can make this seemingly science-fiction experiment a reality.

A New Landslide on Whidbey Island, Washington

A landslide occurred near Coupeville, Wash. on Whidbey Island, 4AM Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The slide severely damaged one home and isolated or threatened more than 30 on the island, about 50 miles north of Seattle in Puget Sound. No one was reported injured.

A Hot Topic: Climate Change Coming To Classrooms

A Hot Topic: Climate Change Coming To Classrooms

From NPR -

By the time today's K-12 students grow up, the challenges posed by climate change are expected to be severe and sweeping. Now, for the first time, new nationwide science standards due out soon will recommend that U.S. public school students learn about the climatic shift taking place.

Past Century’s Global Temperature Change Is Fastest On Record

Temperatures are rising faster today than they have at any point since at least the end of the last ice age, about 11,000 years ago. The finding is based on a global reconstruction of temperature records from ice cores, fossils, ocean sediments, and other sources.

More Science in the News