Tuesday, August 13, 2024, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. EDT
Join Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) and Smithsonian's Environmental Research Center (SERC) for an educator professional development opportunity: Utilizing River Otters and Trail Cameras to Build Data Literacy in Your Classroom.
Make your classroom come alive while exploring scientific data utilizing animal/trail cameras to conduct behavioral data analysis of river otters and raccoon interactions in the wild, with a free video data set and student data sheets. In this PD opportunity you’ll learn how otters can be used to track biodiversity in ecosystems, how to setup a trail camera to track biodiversity at your schools, explore the data you can use with your students through trail camera images, receive resources to connect your students with research and animal science careers, and more. Take this opportunity further by joining a free virtual Conservation Classroom program with your students in fall 2024 where we will visit both SERC and NZCBI to see otters in the wild and at the Zoo. Closed captions, ASL interpretation, and Spanish interpretation will be available during the Conservation Classroom program.
This opportunity is intended for 6th-8th grade but is open to all educators who are interested. Educators who attend and participate in the entire live session will receive two hours of professional development credit.
DC Public School Teachers:
A select number of DCPS middle school teachers who register and attend the entire live session will receive one free trail camera for their classroom, sent to their school. Registration and attendance of the entire live PD session (not the recording) is required to receive a kit. This opportunity is provided by a grant generously provided by the Smithsonian’s Women Committee.
Program Accessibility:
This program takes place on Zoom in meeting format. Individual participants will be able to turn their cameras and audio on/off. The program includes live auto-captioning. Please request American sign language interpretation or Spanish interpretation in the registration form if needed. The program will be recorded and emailed out to everyone who registered.