Gulf Oil Spill Workshop for Teachers



Brooke discusses the attributes of
 the loop current

Last night my colleague from Rookery Bay, Brooke Carney, and I held a workshop for Collier County school teachers on the Gulf Oil Spill. Sixteen elementary, middle, and high school teachers attended the program. Brooke delivered a presentaiton on the physical and chemical aspects of the Gulf oil spill while I covered the biological and ecological aspects. After the presentations we had the teachers participate in an oil spill simulation activity where they had to 1) create an oil spill, 2) use different methods to clean up the spill, and 3) tally up the "associated costs" for conducting their clean up. We took the activity from the Smithsonian multidisciplinary ocean curriculum. It was called "Pollution Solution". The nice thing about this activity is that it can be modified in various forms to meet many student levels. Teachers were also provided with a number of other activities they could use with students as well as web resources for them and their students. I know it made a very long day for the teachers, but really appreciate them coming. I can't thank them enough for their hard work and dedication to Collier County's students! Thanks.

this group had the task of cleaning up
oil out of an oyster bar





teachers practice removing
oil from their
"mangrove forest"



Teachers observe their

"oil spill"