Lake Mead to become living classroom for teachers

Lake Mead National Recreation Area will be a living classroom for teachers through Lake Mead Institute’s professional development series’ workshop Climate Change in the Desert Southwest.

The workshop is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, 4-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sept. 20 and 4-6:30 p.m. Sept. 23.

The National Park Service, Great Basin Institute, Regional Professional Development Program and Desert Research Institute are partnering to provide educators with grade-level climate change lesson plans, information about how climate change affects Southern Nevada, and ideas for field trips and service projects.

“These teachers will have the opportunity to participate in class face-to-face times with natural resource specialists, participate in hands-on learning, tour resource management facilities such as the Song Dog Native Plant Nursery at Lake Mead, and the DRI soil lysimeter,” said Amanda Rowland, education specialist at the recreation area. “They will also be able to meet scientists and discuss real-time science projects that connect their students to science, technology, engineering and math.”

As part of the program, the public is invited to attend a lecture on “Soil: More Than Just Dirt?” presented by Markus Berli at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Rogers Auditorium in the National Atomic Testing Museum, 755 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. Berli is an associate research professor for environmental hydrogeophysics at the Desert Research Institute in Las Vegas. He has 17 years of experience in basic and applied research related to the physics, mechanics and hydraulics of soils and soft rocks.

Teachers participating in the workshop will be given stipends, which are provided by a grant from the National Park Foundation. It also is offered as a two-credit graduate course through the Regional Professional Development Program.

Educators interested in participating in the workshop should contact Amanda Rowland at 702-277-2770 or Amanda_rowland@nps.gov. Space is limited.

The Parks Climate Challenge lesson plans and instructional videos are available online to educators everywhere. Educators can use the free online resources to train themselves and replicate the Parks Climate Challenge model in their own communities across the nation. Learn more at www.parksclimatechallenge.org.