Teacher Workshops
Click Here To Download an Application Form in MS Word (*.doc) Format
Dates have now been set for Fall 2005 workshops!
Turtle Cove is a unique teaching and research facility of Southeastern Louisiana University that is located in the Manchac wetlands near the western shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain. It is an ideal location for learning about the monumental environmental problems facing Louisiana’s coastal zone, due to its exciting location, the active research being conducted there, and the opportunities for hands-on teaching and learning.
*All workshops begin on Friday evening and end midday on Sunday*
- Basic Workshops:
Workshop #1 September 23 - September 25
Workshop #2 September 30 - October 2
“Introduction to the Lake Pontchartrain Estuary” 10 CLUs for professional development
Agenda:
Topics to be covered include an introduction to wetland ecosystems with an emphasis on the Lake Pontchartrain system and its ecological and environmental problems, both current and historical. A detailed investigation of wetland function and value with an emphasis on appreciation of the physical environment, including flora and fauna. Teachers will be introduced to many ideas and concepts that they can take back to their classrooms and easily incorporate into a multitude of lesson plans. Participants will engage in classroom work, microscope work, dip-netting and other exploration of the wetlands, canoeing, photography, etc.
Attendance in the basic workshop will qualify participants to enroll for any of the advanced topics workshops to be held later in the year.
- Advanced Workshops:
- Advanced Field Collection Techniques: 12 CLUs for professional development
This workshop exposes educators to the kinds of field sampling that biologists conduct on a regular basis to assess the health and stability of wetland ecosystems. These techniques will vary depending upon what time of the year the workshops are held, but usually include such activities as a variety of aquatic collection techniques, trawling, using plankton nets, soil and water quality analysis, transect and quadrat analysis of plant communities, benthic sampling techniques, etc. One of the most popular aspects of these workshops is the variety of collection devices that teachers construct on-site and bring back to work with in their own classrooms. Examples of these devices include Berlese funnels, Secchi disks, settling plates, Winogradsky columns, etc.
- Digital Photography: 10 CLUs for professional development
This workshop utilizes digital photography as the medium through which we will view and learn about wetland ecosystems. The workshop will allow educators to learn/strengthen basic photographic techniques, digital processing of photos, and burning images to CD-ROM. During this weekend of artistic pursuits, a great deal of knowledge about wetland ecosystems will be insidiously woven into the various photo safaris undertaken. Participants will explore the wetlands surrounding Turtle Cove with a digital camera for the entire weekend, with an eye towards compiling a cohesive presentation to be later used in the classroom. A number of the photos will also be printed and framed for use as educational tools in the classroom.
Information on additional workshops will be posted as soon as it becomes available.
For more details please contact the biologist on staff at Turtle Cove:
Michael Greene
mgreene@selu.edu
985.549.3600