DEPARTMENT POSTS OIL SPILL EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
FOR TEACHERS, FAMILIES AND STUDENTS
FOR TEACHERS, FAMILIES AND STUDENTS
BATON ROUGE, LA — Louisiana and other Gulf South states are fighting hard to protect cherished coastlines from the massive oil spill that has been building in the Gulf of Mexico for more than three weeks now. In an effort to ensure that teachers, families and students have access to instructional tools and up-to-date information, the Louisiana Department of Education has posted an Oil Spill Educational Resource Guide on its website. The Resource Guide, available atwww.louisianaschools.net, provides website links for parents, teachers and students to access satellite images, general information, tips, activities and lesson plans on the scientific and environmental impact of the oil spill.
“As we consider the potential impact of this event on our state, we feel it is important to educate children across Louisiana about the oil spill and the vital importance of Louisiana’s coastline,” State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek said. “Whether it’s in the classroom or in the family living room, our hope is that parents and educators will find the information helpful and meaningful as they attempt to provide Louisiana’s youngest citizens with meaningful and appropriate information.”
The list of web sites is as follows:
- Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS): Provides timely information about the environment of the United States portion of the Gulf of Mexico.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): Provides daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings and climate monitoring to fisheries management and coastal restoration groups.
- NASA: Provides satellite images of the oil spill.
- LSU Earth Scan Laboratory: Real-time access to satellite imagery and measurements of the atmosphere, oceans and coastal areas within the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea region.
- Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Response Resources: Features an Oil Spill Glossary and Frequently Asked Questions about the spill.
- Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico (blog): Links to resources, information, and activities for students and teachers regarding the oil spill.
- The New York Times: Tracking the Oil Spill: Lesson plans and activities for teachers and students, based on New York Times’ coverage of the spill.
- PBS News Hour: Features general information about the spill and its impact on offshore drilling, the environment and the seafood industry, and provides a comparison of the Gulf of Mexico spill and the Exxon Valdez tanker spill in 1989. The site also provides teachers with information on how to incorporate the story into classroom lessons, as well as student worksheets and discussion questions.
- Scholastic: Gulf Coast Oil-Spill Disaster: Teachers may instruct students to read the online news story and download a worksheet that helps develop students’ critical thinking skills by having students underline the “cause” and circle the “effect” of each sentence which relates to the online news story about the spill.
- NOAA Students and Teacher Resources: Responding to Oil Spills: Teachers and students may use the information and graphics to get general information about oil spills and what impact they may have on the environment.
- NOAA Ocean Service Education: Teachers may use this resource to get ideas for the classroom, lesson plans and other materials to help students learn about oil spill recovery through the cleanup and recovery efforts of the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in Alaska’s Prince William Sound.
- National Wildlife Federation: Tips for parents and teachers on how to talk to students about the oil spill. The site also provides links to other resources and activities.
- National Wildlife Federation: The Big Oil Spill Questions and Answers: Kid-friendly questions and answers about the massive Gulf of Mexico spill.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Activities, curriculum guides, teaching tools, videos, and other resources about wetlands education.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Student Center: Provides students with links to various resources on coastal restoration, America’s Wetlands, and other environmental information.
Also, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) has posted health information related to consuming seafood, health risks in the impacted areas and other related information. To access DHH’s Oil Spill Resources, please go to http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/offices/?ID=378.
To learn more about the state’s response to the oil spill, and to receive general information and media updates, please visit www.emergency.louisiana.gov.