People have long been fascinated by the ocean and have dreamed of exploring it.

Ocean Explorers in the Classroom

In an effort to expose students to the excitement of ocean exploration and research, NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries, NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration, and NASA Oceanography have joined forces to invite you to participate in the Ocean Explorers in the Classroom Program. Throughout September and early October 2001, classrooms around the country will be introduced to, and engaged in, three of NOAA's "Voyages of Discovery." During the month-long activities, students will have the opportunity to post questions to the aquanauts, scientists, ocean explorers and educators in underwater habitats and aboard oceanographic vessels.

Voyages of Discovery

Aquarius Mission
Deep East Mission
Islands in the Stream--South Atlantic Bight Mission

Schedule of Events

Sept. 11-14, 2001	Aquarius Mission Web Forum
Sept. 17, 2001	Aquarius Mission Webcast
Sept. 24-27, 2001	Deep East Mission Web Forum
Sept. 28, 2001	Deep East Mission Webcast
Oct. 4-8, 2001	Islands in the Stream Mission Web Forum
Oct. 9, 2001	Islands in the Stream Mission Webcast

Participation

How do your students get involved? Join Ocean Explorers in the Classroom activities by logging on to the Web Forum each week and asking questions about the different Voyages of Discovery. Every day, the researchers and other members of the mission team will do their best to address your questions. Stay tuned for the three live Webcasts after your classrooms have interacted with the mission team via the Internet.

Web Forums

Classrooms can post questions to the Aquarius aquanauts, scientists, ocean explorers and educators participating in the three NOAA Voyages of Discovery in September 2001: the Aquarius Mission, the Deep East Mission, and the Islands in the Stream-South Atlantic Bight Mission. Please enter your name, your school, and your state when you post a question. To ask your questions in the chat room all you need is a connection to the Internet. This text-based interface is easy to use. The moderation feature will ensure that all comments and questions made public are appropriate for students of all ages. Once your questions are posted in the Web forum, they will be answered by the participating mission teams, and answers will be posted the following day. From Sept. 11-Oct. 9, 2001, there will be four days during each mission when you can post questions.

Webcasts

Webcasts are live video and/or audio feeds easily accessed via the Internet. This will be an opportunity to engage your classrooms directly with the Aquarius aquanauts, scientists, ocean explorers and educators. While watching the live video stream or listening to the live audio stream, you also will be able to pose questions to the experts and possibly have them answered during the program. You and your students can ask your questions from within a live, moderated chat room. During the program, we will attempt to answer as many questions as possible.

Early ocean explorers had less sophisticated diving equipment.

You will need to download RealPlayer (look for free versions) to view and/or hear the live Webcasts. It is advised that you download the RealPlayer client and test it well in advance of the live broadcast. To ask your questions in the chat room, all you need is a connection to the Internet. This text-based interface is easy to use. The moderation feature will ensure that all comments and questions made public are appropriate for students of all ages. Questions that we cannot answer during the hour-long show will be answered by experts from within the chat room shortly after the program.

Classroom Feedback

Did you enjoy your experience interacting with the mission teams on three of NOAA's Voyages of Discovery? Do you have any suggestions on how Ocean Explorers in the Classroom activities can be improved? You are encouraged to add your comments into the Classroom Feedback bulletin board.

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