COSEE: Central Gulf of Mexico (COSEE:CGOM) offers many resources for science teachers. As part of our Teacher/Scientist Institute every summer, participants are asked to develop standards-based lesson plans that can be used to teach ocean science topics. We have selected the best of the best of these resources and have provided them for you in a searchable database. This is updated regularly, so check back often. We also suggest you check out the C•R•E•A•T•E for Mississippi lesson plan database which has additional resources that cover broader subjects and emphasizes the use of technology in the classroom. You can also visit the Bridge, COSEE's partner for teacher-reviewed ocean education materials, professional development opportunities, and the latest news in K-12 ocean education.

If professional development is something you are looking for, COSEE:CGOM offers you the opportunity to attend many types of institutes, programs and hands-on seminars. Our Teacher/Scientist Institute is held each summer, and allows in-service and pre-service teachers of grades 4-12 to pair up with research scientists from across the Gulf of Mexico State region for a five-day in residence program that includes lectures, discussion groups and field activities. The content focus is coastal processes, habitats and organisms, and marine technology. Following the face-to-face institute, teachers return home and continue the program through our Online Institute for three weeks in July. This features six additional ocean science lessons that build upon what was covered in the classroom. We highly encourage you to learn more about this program and apply for summer 2009.

If a summer institute is not your cup of tea, or if you are looking for additional opportunities, the COSEE:CGOM also offers Two-Day Workshops that target specific ocean science topics. The goal of the programs are to provide formal and informal educators with the latest research on ocean observing systems and apex predators; grant opportunities to network with colleagues and scientists; and provide a forum for discussing ways to bridge the gap between scientists, policy makers and educational communities. We hold two a year and we highly encourage you to attend.

Finally, COSEE:CGOM is proud to offer teachers the opportunity to join researchers and scientists on an actual ocean voyage aboard a research vessel though our Sea Scholars Program. Sea Scholars is organized around the notion that real-life oceanographic ship operations, problems and destinations present appropriate classroom topics which integrate all principal subjects.  The program connects the Navy's oceanographic fleet with classrooms around the country via emerging technology, including the World Wide Web (WWW) and satellite communications. Topics include: sea and seafaring, nautical skills, oceanography, geography, meteorology, marine biology, geology, communications, literature, the arts, and interdisciplinary studies of distant lands and peoples. It’s a very popular program so sign up now to compete for a limited seat on our next voyage.