The Environmental Journal of Southern Appalachia
Tuesday, 03 December 2024 13:29

NOAA’s Teek and Tom bring fun and free science to classrooms and homes Featured

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It’s all about the ocean-weather-climate connection!

Join intrepid student explorer Teek from planet Queloz and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) climate scientist Tom Di Liberto as they explore planet Earth’s weather and climate. This five-part science series covers a range of scientific topics, including how the ocean influences weather and climate on Earth, and the technologies scientists use to gather information about our planet and its changing climate.

Each episode is supplemented by two lesson plans designed for students in the fourth through sixth grades — all of which are compiled in a single Educator’s Guide. Each lesson allows students to explore and investigate NOAA data, visualizations and content, allowing them to build knowledge of and skills associated with important Earth science concepts.

An understanding of how the Earth works as a system and how humans interact with the Earth is important for all inhabitants of our planet. Teek and Tom are a fun and engaging way to grow that understanding!

Teek and Tom: Educator’s Guide

The Teek and Tom Educator’s Guide includes 10 lesson plans — two supplementing each episode. The lessons allow students to build knowledge of and skills associated with important Earth science concepts. Through the exploration and investigation of NOAA data, visualizations, and content, the lessons support the videos in telling a cohesive story of key Earth systems, and how those systems impact each other.

Each lesson is aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), national standards for mathnational standards for English and language arts, and the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards. These standards reinforce the interdisciplinary nature of ocean, weather and climate studies, and support the teaching of these topics. The lessons engage students in content that is locally relevant; and use the 5E model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) to provide a structure for students to connect science ideas with their own experiences, and apply their learning to new contexts.

To access this high-caliber, free science lesson, download the educator’s guide.