We are in awe of the fortitude, patience, and commitment required of the teachers of 2020. BIISC is committed to helping teachers provide place-based, environmental education experiences for the students of the Big Island. Whether you are in the classroom, trying to manage a “hybrid” model, or negotiating multiple platforms to bring your students the most engaging online learning experiences possible, we want to support you!
LIVE in your (online) classroom
In Quarter 2, all of our classroom presentations will be available to you live online. Schedule one of our educators to Zoom, Meet, or WebEx with your class, whether they are at home or in school. We can host the session on our Zoom platform, or appear as a guest on your online platform. We offer presentations from 25-60 minutes on a variety of Hawaii-based topics, with versions scaled from grades 3 through 12. These presentations can support benchmarks in science, social studies, Hawaiian history, ELA, agriculture, natural resources, and more.
General topics available:
- The history of native Hawaiian species, introductions, and invasive species (grades 3-12)
- Invasive species impacts on the Big Island economy (high school)
Rat lungworm: what it is and how to prevent it (grades 3-12)- Rapid Ohi’a Death (grades 5-12)
- Little fire ants (grades 5-12)
We can focus on specific invasive species topics upon request.
*Recorded sessions will be available later in the semester.
Teacher Professional Development Course – 3 FREE Credits
In 2021, we are offering a free 3-credit professional development course for Hawaii teachers: Engaging Students in Citizen Science through Prevention of Rat Lungworm Disease is being offered entirely online! The class is now structured as a 10-week course through Google Classroom, with readings, videos, assignments, and live class sessions. Based on the curriculum designed by the rat lungworm research team at the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy at UH-Hilo, this is an engaging, place-based, relevant curriculum aimed at upper elementary to high school students. Learn about this public health issue and introduce your students to foundational understandings of epidemiology, integrated pest management, and food safety. Contact fbrewer@hawaii.edu for more details and to learn how to register.
Ohi’a (virtual) Love Fest: November 15-21
Opportunities for learning at all ages will abound this year for Ohi’a Love Fest. Look for a full week of workshops, classes, and entertainment centering around our iconic native ohi’a lehua tree.
- For the younger keiki, we will be offering a storybook reading of the children’s picture book “Escape from Ohi’a Valley.” (date/time tba)
- For older students, we are offering an intimate view of life in a field crew in a new video shot by our rapid ohi’a death early detection team. Field crew members will be live after the showing of the video to answer questions from students about working on our rugged island, career paths in natural resources, and the good, bad, and ugly of field work. Wednesday November 18 @ 10am. This is a registration-only event, so please contact fbrewer@hawaii.edu to reserve your class’ spot.