Map of the Week – Education for Climate: Water surface temperature measured by students
If you have been following the activities of the European Atlas of the Seas, you have surely heard about the challenge 'Be a scientist! Mapping climate change at seas & waterways' launched by the Education for Climate Coalition and the European Atlas of the Seas in 2022 which invited schools across Europe to become data providers for a new map layer in the Atlas. They did it! Thanks to the contributions of multiple data providers, the Atlas team has now published a brand-new educational map showing water surface temperature measured by students! As the school year finishes, we celebrate this wonderful achievement!
The challenge included seven phases. The first two phases allowed participants to discover how the Atlas works. Teachers then voted for the topic of the map to be developed: water surface temperature at sea, in rivers, lakes or ponds. This made it possible for schools located along the coast as well as inland schools to participate in the challenge. Schools could measure the water temperature in different locations and at different times. They provided the results of their measurements and all necessary related information (e.g.; name of the school/group, geographical coordinates of the location where the measurement was made, date and time of the measurement, method used to measure the temperature…) by completing an online form during the data collection phase which ended on 31 March 2023. By doing so, students learned about data collection, data harmonisation, data visualisation and data sharing. How did the schools measure the water temperature? Several schools used a thermometer (these measurements appear as graduation hats on the map) but – thanks to the collaboration of the Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO ) and Educational Passages – the Atlas Team also received data from schools who have built miniboats deployed at sea which are equipped with temperature sensors (these measurements appear as boats on the map)! With this map layer, everyone now has access to the data collected by the schools. Click on the symbols to discover who made the measurements, when they were made and how they were made. The map can be used as teaching material by the schools that contributed data, other schools across the World and anyone interested in this new educational map!
Wish to learn more? Wish to do more?
- The Education for Climate Challenge started with a game in a map. Create your own game with the new map and share it with us through the Atlas feedback form!
- Learn more about the miniboats programme from Educational Passages .
- Discover the work of the Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO ).
- Find out about the activities of the Education for Climate Community and how you can participate.
- Bring the ocean into your classroom by joining the Network of European Blue Schools.
- Ready for a new challenge? Submit your application for the EU4Ocean Challenge of the Year by 14 July 2023!
Thank you and congratulations to all contributing schools, to POGO and to Educational Passage for their amazing contribution! Open data, education and Ocean Literacy are all about team work!
The data in this map are provided by Education for Climate Community.