Travelersmath
The purpose of this blog is to link education to traveling. The travel club gives students, parents, teachers & alumni an opportunity to have educational experiences around the world.
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
McNair High Students travel to Savannah, Georgia to research Marine Biology, Oceanography & learn the history the city.
A BIG THANK YOU to organizations like the GA Aquarium, NOAA.gov, Tybee Island Marine Center & UGA Marine Education / Aquarium who inspire & support hands-on projects to enrich the lives of adults & youth through internships, field trips & opportunities galore! #gaaquarium #ugamarineextension #noaafisheries #noaaeducation #noaateacheratsea #riverstoreef #impactthroughaction #ilovedekalbschools #ilovedcsd #fieldtrip #fieldtripfun
Stay tuned for project presentation photos.
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
NOAA Teacher at Sea Program Highlights
The NOAA Teacher at Sea Program is a great opportunity for teachers to get real-world exposure to current research in oceanography & marine biology. Open the links below to get more information, read the news article & listen to the NOAA Podcast interview. This program inspired me to include my students in similar experiences like...
*GA Aquarium: Students go behind the scenes, tour the aquarium & see the dolphin or sea lion show. They learn about possible careers related to marine life through the Instructor Led Program. The programs are called Alien Extremes, Animal Behaviors, Oceanic Occupations & Oceanography. https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/school-programs/
*UGA Marine Extension: Math & Science students will visit the University of Georgia Marine Extension in Skidaway Island to explore marine biology through interactive classes, demonstrations, laboratory experiences, field studies & an estuary trawl. Students will examine coastal reptiles, fish, invertebrate lab, marine debris, plankton, tour the aquarium, dissect fish, and explore the estuary. They will learn about possible careers & behind the scenes at the aquarium. https://gacoast.uga.edu/education/schools-and-groups/planning-a-visit/
*Chattahoochee River Clean Up: Students volunteer to help clean the waterways in Atlanta. They remove tons of waste from creeks that lead to the Chattahoochee River. These opportunities are monthly & depend on weather conditions. https://chattahoochee.org/volunteer/
*Keep Dekalb Beautiful: Students organize campus cleanup days where they beautify McNair High School. Dekalb County Sanitation Department provides all the supplies needed for the student volunteers to clean their environment within a 1 mile radius of the school. They plant flowers, paint rocks, collect trash & remove discarded tires from the premises. https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/beautification/keep-dekalb-beautiful
*Math & Science Projects: Each semester students complete Math & Science project presentations related to what they learned in the classroom & field trips. Some projects are presented in the classroom while others are designed to encourage parents & family to participate during Parent/Teacher Conferences.
Click Here for Education Week News Article Featuring Maronda Hastie
Click Here for the NOAA Fisheries Podcast Interview Featuring Maronda Hastie Aboard the Oregon II
Click Here for the NOAA Blogs Published by Maronda Hastie
UGA Marine Education Center in Skidaway Island
See what happens when inspiration comes from past field trips & excursions. More students have opportunities to explore the world!
McNair High students explored the University of Georgia Marine Education Center in Skidaway Island, Savannah & Tybee Island along the coast of Georgia. They collected samples in the estuary, dissected fish, learned about invertebrates & coastal reptiles, used microscopes to view plankton & other sea life, discussed marine debris & water quality, identified & sorted fish, saw dolphins, learned about the salt marsh & barrier islands.
Pictured from left to right
Top: Chase G, Maxcine F, Fatou G, Ema J, Elijah D
Bottom: Dieynabou D, Amellion M, Ameenah J, Maronda H
We started our journey with a 3 hour walking tour from Forsyth Park to Riverstreet with Ms. Bethany Campbell, former director of the APEX museum on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, GA.
Ms. Bethany Campbell is fascinating while telling her stories of the history of Georgia! She makes sure she remembers all the students' names & includes them in all the discussions.
We learned so much more than the standard text books while walking through the beautiful azalea flowers. Many of the squares dated back to 1733 with monuments, lush greenery & burial sites.
Did you know that Tomochichi, the leader of the Creek Native American Tribe, is buried in Wright Square in Savannah, Georgia? People have mixed feeling about him since he helped James Oglethorpe establish his colony.
This rock, taken from the Stone Mountain Rock Query, is all that commemorates the memory of Tomochichi, one of the leaders of the Creek Native American Tribe.
Notice the chains are broken in honor of African Americans.
STAY TUNED FOR MARCH 2024 Marine, Oceanography, STEM & History fieldtrip.
Monday, September 5, 2022
NOAA Teacher at Sea Program
NOAA Teacher at Sea Program
I am pleased to represent McNair High School, Dekalb County School System, my family & community for the Teacher at Sea Program sponsored by NOAA (National Oceanic Atmospheric Association). I am 1 of 6 teachers selected around the United States to work with scientists & fishermen aboard a research vessel for 15 days.
Click Here to Visit NOAA Teacher at Sea Blogs
Students at Skidaway Island Marine Science Center & Chattahoochee Nature Trail |
My journey goes like this:
1. Depart from Atlanta, Georgia & head to Orlando, Florida
2. Depart from Orlando, Florida & head to Cape Canaveral to Board the NOAA Oregon II
3. Meet my shipmates (scientists, fishermen, interns, Capitan, technician, engineers, chef). About 30 people.
4. Travel around Florida, pass Cuba & other islands & enter the Gulf of Mexico
5. Work from 12pm-12am: Set up 100 pieces of Mackerel to bait hooks. Catch Shark, Red Snapper, Grouper, etc) Collect data, tissue samples, tag fish, etc.
6. See sunrises, sunsets, beautiful horizon, dolphins, flying fish, jellyfish, starfish, etc. every day!
7. Disembark in Pascagoula, Mississippi & fly back to Atlanta.
8. Share the experience with others, plan fieldtrips & create hands-on lessons.
Tag shark, take measurements & tissue sample from fin |
Bait 100 hooks, 50 per barrel. |
The skyline is beautiful every day! |
A few tools to help us complete our mission. |
Red Snapper, Starfish & a Sandbar Shark |