This two-year proposal builds on and extends twenty years of education efforts in Ohio Sea Grant. It is designed to help

The project will conduct a mailed survey assess the needs of teachers in the Great Lakes region for materials and training in key Great Lakes topics. Instructional materials will be made available on a new Internet site for topics in current Ohio Sea Grant education products, and MAS agents will be trained in use of the web site.

The time has come to prepare for those days in the future when classrooms are networked into the Internet and students expect to use it to conduct portions of their science investiagtions and communicate their findings. Activities in Ohio Sea Grant Education have been built on a continuing growth pattern that includes a cycle of research, materials development, teacher ecucation, research/evaluation, and so on. This project follows the current research project with new development, and uses education partnerships in the development. Linking the wonder of the Great Lakes to the excitement of Internet technologies can provide teachers and students with greater opportunities and incentives for learning about the Earth system as exemplified in the Great Lakes basin. Ohio Sea Grant Education will continue to lead the region in innovation through its contributions to science education curricula and methods, and the results of recent projects from four other sponsors will be extended to new applications and audiences through Ohio Sea Grant. That leadership will be evident at the Summit Conference as we explore new efforts for Earth Systems Education and science literacy.

Task 1: Development of Presentational Materials and Activities using the Internet. With an experienced webmaster as GRA, we will develop simulated Internet sessions (computer presentations) to introduce chapters of The Great Lake Erie (Fortner & Mayer, eds. 1993). Both Macintosh and Wintel formats of the presentations will be developed to run from a CD-ROM, and the key presentation components would be printable as 35mm slides and overhead transparencies for added flexibility. The separate lessons could also be downloaded from the project Internet site (http://earthsys.ag.ohio-state.edu). Products would be evaluated by the PI and project advisors in teacher education courses and nonformal settings before final CD development.

Task 2: Survey Research on Teacher's Use of Technology and Knowledge of Great Lakes issues. A random sample of 50 ninth grade teachers in the Great Lakes states and Ontario will be matched with an "informed" group of equal size from Sea Grant mailing lists. Self-report questionnaires will provide information for development of teacher education programs throughout the region. This task will be managed by the senior project staff and implemented by an undergraduate honors student.

Task 3: Outreach has three components, MAS inservice in how to use the Internet presentations, preliminary work toward development of a Great Lakes Education Summit for 2000, and general program contacts with school personnel, presentations at teachers' conferences and development of communications about the Ohio Sea Grant Education products and services. These will be done by the senior project staff. An advisory Board of five regional educators will assist the project in determining priorities and methods for diverse education situations.

Task 1 was modified to incorporate all the Great Lakes curriculum materials from Ohio Sea Grant and to link them by concept maps to demonstrate interrelationships. The web site is reachable from http://earthsys.ag.ohio-state.edu by clicking on the "Internet Linked Instructional Materials" button. Materials are added and updated as needed.

Task 2 - The research has been completed, submitted and accepted by the Journal of Great Lakes Research. Teachers' priorities for water education are highest in regard to Water Uses & Conservation, Toxic Chemicals in the Food Chain, Water quality (general) and Ecosystems.

Task 3 - Agents attended a training session on the use of the web site and its values for educators. A CD is being prepared for them to use in presentations.