First-ever Weather and Water Project WET Workshop

– By CWRA Project WET Canada –

The first joint CWRA Project WET Canada and Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS) activity was a one-day workshop cohosted for the Association of Science Teachers Conference in Halifax in October 2021. The Project WET 2.0 workshop was led by Lizabeth Nicholls and Maxine Koskie from CWRA Project WET with involvement from three CMOS National Executive and Council members who live in Halifax: Jim Abraham, Serge Desjardins, and Aldona Wiacek.

The workshop comprised a number of activities related to weather and water. Jim Abraham introduced the teachers to the CoCoRaHS Citizen Science program opportunities for schools. The CMOS participants led several breakout sessions related to the impact of weather and climate extremes on daily life, and an open session: “Ask a Scientist”.

The water activities led by Lizabeth and Maxine introduced the science teachers to the Earth’s surface water, the hydrologic cycle, total water quantity and potability of available freshwater sources on the planet, water stewardship, and the properties of cohesion and adhesion of water. There was also an opportunity to experience the “Rainstick” activity and the related activity “Thunderstorm”. During the workshop, the teachers were oriented to the features of the Project WET 2.0 Educator Guide and the many free supplementary resources on the CWRA Project WET webpages.

Sixteen Nova Scotia science teachers of the twenty-one who registered were certified during this virtual workshop. Together, they have the potential to reach over 1,300 Pre-K – Grade 12 students. One of the participants summarized the experience as “I am so excited to introduce some of these activities to my grade 8 students. The activities are very inclusive and allow for a variety of conversations depending on the set goal for the activity”.

The CWRA Project WET Canada and CMOS workshop was conducted as the first jointly planned activity under an arrangement that will bring weather, climate, and water resources to educators in Canada. The Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society and CWRA have developed a Letter of Collaboration to deliver weather, climate, and water-related Project WET activities. Jim noted that “The newly released Project WET initiative on Climate, Water and Resilience is a perfect opportunity for CMOS and CWRA to work together, given the importance of climate change and the need for teachers to possess the tools and knowledge to engage students as active and informed members of society”.

Sponsors

The Association of Science Teachers coordinated the conference and gave CWRA Project WET the prime placement on the agenda, in addition to coordinating communications with the registrants. Nova Scotia Environment donated the Project WET 2.0 Educator Guides for the workshop. CMOS handled the distribution of the Educator Guides to the teachers who received certification. CWRA Project WET Canada acknowledges major funding for the workshop from the National Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) through their PromoScience Program.

Reprinted with permission from Water News, Canadian Water Resources Association.

The Canadian Water Resources Association (CWRA) is a national registered charity comprised of members from the public, private and academic sectors who are committed to promoting responsible, innovative and effective water resources management. Formed in 1947 as the Western Canada Reclamation Association, CWRA is the only national organization addressing all water resources issues across all regions of Canada. We offer a range of services and programs focused on professional development, providing expertise and advice, education, and collaboration.