MANGROVES- EXCELLENT SITE FOR TEACHER WORKSHOPS IN PUERTO RICO: NOAA-NERRS GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP AND PUERTO RICO SEA GRANT OUTREACH COMPONENTS

A two-week teacher workshop was given at the facilities of the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and the San Juan Bay Estuary system in Puerto Rico. These workshops comprise the outreach components of the NOAA-National Estuarine Research Reserve System and Puerto Rico Sea Grant awards. Hands-on, inquiry based activities were given to enhance the understanding of the local mangrove environments by making topographic profiles and sediment analysis. Science-based inquiry, scientific equipment, data collection and problem solving skills provided middle school in-service teachers with the unique opportunity to experience scientific research. This was accomplished by participating in fieldtrips and analyzing and comparing sediment samples from different environments, within the mangroves, along transects. Instrumentation was constructed with cost effective household and hardware store items to facilitate the dissemination of skills in their classrooms. In addition, the participants created scientific posters based on formulated questions addressed by their collected data and results. All lessons were aligned with Puerto Rico standards and integrated as part of their school science learning goals.