NC Teacher Workshop 2018

Drawers, Jars and Databases: Teaching the Hidden Science of Natural History Museums

You have probably visited a natural history museum, but have you ever wondered what lies behind the “staff only” signs? Many natural history museums are built around collections of specimens – troves of data about the living world around us. Have you ever wondered: Why do we have these collections? How do scientists use them for research? And how could educators tap into these vast resources?

Join the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, iDigBio (Integrated Digitized Biocollections), and the MicroFungi project to answer these questions and more. Discover the work of collections research on a field trip to Prairie Ridge Ecostation and the Museum’s Research Lab. Get behind the scenes with visits to research collections at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina State University. Participate in hands-on activities that utilize collections, digitization, and collections data, and develop new ways to incorporate collections-based educational resources into your classroom!

General Information

When: Monday-Wednesday, July 9-11, 2018 from 8:00 am-5:00 pm

Where: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences with excursions to Prairie Ridge Ecostation and North Carolina State University.

Cost: FREE! Breakfast and lunch will be provided all three days, and participants traveling 50 miles or more from home are eligible for lodging, mileage, and a stipend to cover meals that are not provided.

Benefits to Participants: All teachers that complete the workshop will receive a certificate of course completion for 24 contact hours to be turned in for CEUs and a thumb drive containing all of the workshop resources.

Conference Hotel: Holiday Inn Raleigh Downtown (320 Hillsborough St, Raleigh, NC 27603).

If you were eligible for lodging it will be arranged through a room block and direct bill. iDigBio will be billed directly you will only be responsible for incidentals. Contact the organizers with any questions.

Things to bring: Each participant will need a laptop. Be sure to contact us if you would like to borrow one for the workshop.

Also be sure to dress appropriately for spending time outdoors because we will spend some time in the field on the first day. For Monday, we recommend that you wear loose fitting long pants and long sleeves, and comfortable closed-toe shoes that you don't mind getting wet/muddy AND a change of clothing so you can be dry and clean for the time we spend indoors. You may also want to bring sunscreen, bug spray, and a hat.

Please note that we will start the workshop on Monday, July 9 at 8 am at Prairie Ridge Ecostation (NOT the Museum downtown), located at 1671 Gold Star Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607. On Monday we will be spending a significant amount of time outdoors in the field.

Here is an online map to help with navigation: http://naturalsciences.org/visit/map and parking information: http://naturalsciences.org/visit/directions-parking

• Directions to Prairie Ridge PDF
• Directions and parking for the museum PDF

Workshop Resources

Websites

• iDigBio educational resources: https://www.idigbio.org/education/k-12-material
• iDigBio specimen portal: https://www.idigbio.org/portal/search
• Notes from Nature: https://www.notesfromnature.org/ A online transcription platform
• iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/ We will be doing an iNaturalist activity first thing on Monday so please download the app and create an account before coming!

• • iNaturalist Android Guide pdf
  • iNaturalist iPhone Guide pdf

Agenda

Monday, 9 July 2018: Meet at Prairie Ridge Ecostation (1671 Gold Star Dr, Raleigh, NC 27607) at 8:00 am. Parking is free.
Time	Location		Activity
8:00 am	Prairie Ridge Outdoor Classroom		Arrive at the Field station. A light breakfast (pastries and coffee) will be provided.
8:30 am	Prairie Ridge Outdoor Classroom		Participant Introductions and workshop goals and expectations.
9:30 am	Field and Prairie Ridge Outdoor Classroom		Field to Database Activity: Sample fish in the Prairie Ridge Creek, process samples, and discuss digitization.
1:00 pm	---Boxed Lunches in the Prairie Ridge Outdoor Classroom---
2:00 pm	Division of Air Quality Conference Room		How we enter data and what we do with the data.
3:00 pm	Division of Air Quality Conference Room		Specimen portal demo and hands-on data portal activity
4:30 pm	Division of Air Quality Conference Room		Debrief
5:00 pm Adjourn Dinner is on your own. We will be organizing an optional group dinner at a downtown Raleigh restaurant.

Tuesday, 10 July 2018: Meet at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Nature Research Center (121 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27603). Parking is 10 dollars/day and can be reimbursed for all participants. Please keep receipts.
Time	Location		Activity
8:00 am	Nature Research Center - Environmental Conference Center (NRC-ECC)		Arrive at the Field station. Coffee and light breakfast (pastries)
9:00 am	Research Collections		Research Collections Tours
11:00 am	Naturalist Center		Naturalist Center tour.
12:00 pm	---Catered lunch in the NRC-ECC.---
1:00 pm	NRC-ECC		Hands-on activities with online resources.
3:00 pm	Various		Planning and flexible time, for exploring the museum, Naturalist Center, talking one-on-one with scientists and museum educators.
4:30 pm	NRC-ECC		Group Reflection.
5:00 pm Adjourn Dinner is on your own.

Wednesday, 11 July 2018: Meet at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Nature Research Center (121 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27603). Parking is 10 dollars/day and can be reimbursed for all participants. Please keep receipts. Transportation will be provided to North Carolina State University (NCSU).
Time	Location		Activity
8:00 am	Nature Research Center - Environmental Conference Center (NRC-ECC)		Arrive at the Field station. Coffee and light breakfast (pastries)and flexible time to work.
9:45 am	Bus		Transport to NCSU
10:00 am	NCSU Various		NCSU tours: mycological and plant herbaria, and insect collection.
12:15 pm	Bus		Transport back to the museum.
12:30 pm	---Catered lunch in the NRC-ECC.---
1:30 pm	NRC-ECC		Working time.
3:00 pm	NRC-ECC		Poster gallery walk.
4:40 pm	NRC-ECC		Wrap up - reflection and evaluation.
5:00 pm Adjourn Dinner is on your own. Please be on the lookout for a workshop survey from Shari Ellis, and reimbursement information from Cathy Bester.