Dr. Isaac Ginis was contacted by the Louisiana State Museum (LSM) to provide expertise for the exhibit
Living with Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond. "I thought
there might be a way to do something beyond an exhibit," says Isaac. "There are many lessons for coastal communities to learn
after Katrina." Shortly afterward Isaac met National COSEE Office (NCO) Director Gail Scowcroft. Together they developed the
concept of the
Hurricanes: Science and Society website, which was funded by the
National Science Foundation in conjunction with the LSM exhibit.
"Learning about hurricanes can happen anywhere." |
Launched in October 2010, Hurricanes: Science and Society is a comprehensive interactive website, developed using
multi-disciplinary input from an expert advisory panel plus coordination with the LSM and Raytheon Web Solutions. The website
is intended as a nationwide classroom tool for teaching and learning hurricane science, with information tailored for specific
audiences such as K-12 educators and students, the general public, and the media.
Concurrent with the LSM exhibit opening and website launch, Isaac and Gail held a symposium for educators, researchers and
policymakers to introduce the website, and also offered a workshop for middle and high school educators. The educators received
Professional Development based on the website and then were asked for feedback on the website content. The educators also
developed activities based on the website content that could be added to their classroom curriculum. Some of these activities
are currently being piloted in classrooms.
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Hurricanes |
More details and a link to NOAA’s 2011 Atlantic hurricane season outlook can be found on the homepage of the
Hurricanes: Science and Society website.
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"What is unique about this website is it's peer-reviewed, on the same level as a textbook or official publication, so people
can be confidant using it," says Isaac. "I led a group of science experts who participated in the development and review of
content, and I was gratified to see how excited my colleagues were when I asked them to participate." Also unique is the
educational component, offering resources for science teachers and informal educators, and the website also provides a
scaffolding for associated outreach through workshops and presentations at conferences.
