Helping teachers and informal educators weave authentic scientific research and data from the San Francisco Estuary and watershed into their classroom learning.
Teacher Training Programs
We offer professional development training programs for science educators. We are continually developing in-depth programming to help teachers meet Next Generation Science Standards by integrating local, authentic research into their classrooms. Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on future offerings!
Educational Resources
Looking for resources to teach about the San Francisco Estuary? Check out the links below!
China Camp Road Flooding
Data sets, photos, and design brief to kick-off an investigation of the effects of a road traversing through a tidal salt marsh.
Teachers on the Estuary – Oyster Research
Resources from the workshop, including photo gallery of artificial reef structures and NGSS lesson plan.
Teachers on the Estuary – Suisun Marsh
Resources from workshop, including lesson plans, NGSS links, and presentation.
Project Excel Summer Institute
Instructions for activities: Build-a-drifter, Habitat in a Bucket, Dishpan Tidepool, Estuary Stratification Model, Beach in a Pan.
Field Trip for Educators – Sea Level Rise in San Francisco Bay
Links to scientific papers, sea level rise viewer, and lesson plans.
Salinity, Temperature, and Long-term Water-Quality Monitoring
Includes NERRS lesson plan and additional resources related to the lesson plan and links to long-term monitoring data.
Adaptation to Climate Change
Climate Change Guaranteed: Adaptations of organisms and natural communities to changing climate. Lesson plans, speakers presentations, carbon footprint challenge, migrating mangroves, estuary food web, sea level trends
Ocean Acidification
Chemistry and implications of changes in pH of ocean waters due to climate change. Virtual Urchin, demos, hands-on labs and videos
Climate Change in California
Climate science, predicted impacts of climate change to San Francisco Estuary and coastal California.
Sea Level Rise
Predictions and implications for sea level rise in San Francisco Estuary. Lesson plans, reports, interactive maps, modeling and visualization tools
Rush Ranch Docent Training
Hand-outs and presentations from Rush Ranch Docent Program training, primarily about the tidal marsh at Rush Ranch. PDF presentations, reports, field guide, nature walk planning
5th Grade NGSS aligned Unit on the San Francisco Bay
A full unit plan and lesson ideas. Field trip, habitat in a bucket, modeling, historical research projects, addressing pollution and changes in the bay