Posted on 05/13/2010 9:49:58 PM PDT by Libloather
Middle-schoolers get up-close lessons on spill
By Jessica Bock
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
05/12/2010
Amid one of the nation's worst oil spills, eighth-graders at Maplewood Richmond Heights Middle School are off the coast of Alabama this week studying ecology near the Gulf of Mexico.
Although the students had not seen any oil as of Tuesday, Dauphin Island is bustling with media, scientists and environmental workers who are building barriers to protect the area and preparing for the worst, said Dave Grossman, technology coordinator at the middle school.
"We saw the impact right away. Dauphin Island is usually quiet, but it's been one caravan after the other of trucks," he said in a phone interview on Tuesday morning from the island. "This island has swelled quite a bit."
The trip to Dauphin Island Sea Lab, a marine science education center, has become a regular part of the school's expedition program for several years. It is situated about 35 miles from Mobile, Ala., and surrounded by Mobile Bay, Mississippi Sound and the Gulf of Mexico. The group of 67 from Maplewood Richmond Heights arrived late Sunday evening, and they're scheduled to come back Thursday.
The massive oil spill caused by a rig explosion has been contaminating water in the Gulf for three weeks. It threatens marine life from Louisiana to Florida.
The students may never see Dauphin Island the same way again, and they might collect some of the last oil-free data in the area, officials say.
**SNIP**
The group is posting updates, photos and videos from its trip on Twitter at twitter.com/mrhmiddleschool and YouTube at youtube.com/mrhmiddleschool.
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
Did they walk there - or were fossil fuels involved?
St. Louis School Takes Field Trip to Oil Spill
RUSH: Here's that story on the St. Louis school heading down there to the oil spill. Jessica Bock is the authorette: "Amid one of the nation's worst oil spills, eighth-graders at Maplewood Richmond Heights Middle School are off the coast of Alabama this week studying ecology near the Gulf of Mexico. Although the students had not seen any oil as of Tuesday," that's because it hasn't come ashore yet, "Dauphin Island is bustling with media, scientists and environmental workers who are building barriers to protect the area and preparing for the worst, said Dave Grossman, technology coordinator at the middle school. 'We saw the impact right away. Dauphin Island is usually quiet, but it's been one caravan after the other of trucks,' he said in a phone interview on Tuesday morning from the island. 'This island has swelled quite a bit.'" I wonder what the environmental impact of all the media is down there. Maybe these kids can study the environmental impact of the media while they scan the horizon for the oil.
Now, just an aside, this Dave Grossman, the technology coordinator at the middle school… Did you have a technology coordinator in junior high school? (interruption) What's an AV guy? Oh, AV. Well, no, we didn't have any AV, we had industrial arts. Yeah, scratch-alls and jack planes. Oh, the filmstrip guy, oh, yeah, and the mimeograph machine. Oh, yeah, okay, that guy. Okay, so that's who he is, that's the technological coordinator. Okay. It's sort of like calling a window washer a vision control coordinator. I get it.
Anyway: "As the students learn more about the oil spill, some are frustrated and angry that it happened because of their concerns for the environment, Grossman said. 'We might have a new generation of environmentalists in our group right now.'" Well, naturally, what is the objective? Why take 'em on a field trip to the oil spill in the first place if you're not trying to create a bunch of environmentalist wackos?
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_051310/content/01125104.guest.html
where are the parents?
do they not read the news?
You are really going to let some wacko teacher take your kids to another state for days at a time?
really?
“We might have a new generation of environmentalists in our group right now,” he said.”
It’ll be a tragedey if they’re ever that indoctrinated, unthinking and stupid.
Last night I was watching a cable show about the Queen Mary II. When they got to the garbage wrangler’s story he stated (he did not opine he STATED) that one cigarette butt will take “400 years” to clear if left in the ocean.
IF I were the parent of one of these children I’d refuse to let them go for health reasons.
I’ve been a long-time lurker, but I just created this account to tell you that a technology coordinator these days is incredibly important, because the kids need COMPUTER SKILLS.
Take care,
Laura
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