Education ForeCAST Tipsheet

The JASON Project: Beneath the Oceans The JASON Project is an international education project founded in 1989 by Dr. Robert D. Ballard following his discovery of the wreck of the RMS Titanic. The project is dedicated to enabling teachers and students all over the world to participate in global explorations using advanced interactive telecommunications. The JASON Project is administered by the JASON Foundation for Education, a non-profit educational organization headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Its mission is to engage and excite students in science and technology, and to motivate and provide professional development for their teachers through the use of advanced interactive telecommunications. There are approximately 30 primary Interactive Network Sites (PINS) in the JASON system. They are universities, school systems, museums and research institutions that serve as local centers for implementing the JASON Project in the U.S., Mexico, Bermuda and the United Kingdom. Past JASON expeditions include "Journey to the Center of the Earth"; "Adapting to a Changing Sea"; "Island Earth"; "Planet Earth"; "Baja California Sur"; "The Galapagos Islands"; "The Great Lakes"; and "The Mediterranean Sea". The Classroom Experience In this year's 1998 expedition, "JASON IX: Oceans of Earth and Beyond," the JASON project is studying the structure of shallow, mid-water and deep ocean environments. The expedition will take students from the kelp beds of Monterey Bay and Bermuda to Guaymas Basin's hydrothermal vents. JASON expeditions, supported by extensive professional development for teachers and multimedia curricula, feature live, interactive broadcasts from distinctive sites on our planet through advanced technologies in: robotics fiber optics television production computer science mechanical and electrical engineering satellite communications Meeting National Education Goals The JASON Project aims to make the National Education Goals manifest through innovative components and a national network of community-based partnerships. Readiness for School High School Completion Student Achievement and Citizenship Excellence in Science and Math Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning Safe, Disciplined and Drug-Free Schools Teacher Education and Professional Development Parental Participation Listen to the Education ForeCAST piece on The JASON Project from WBUR-FM Download a free copy of Real Audio

JASON Emphasizes Educational Reform Goals Students participating in The JASON Project curriculum engage in: authentic tasks multidisciplinary tasks collaborative tasks student exploration interactive modes of instruction For more information on The JASON Project, contact the JASON Foundation, 395 Totten Pond Road, Waltham, Massachusetts 02154, tel (781)487-9995; fax (781)487-9999, or send email to info@jason.org Visit The JASON Project online for more information and for links to other exciting sites. (www.jasonproject.org/) Explore these websites to find more resources for studying earth's oceans online: Coastal and Marine Geology Program (http://marine.usgs.gov/) Ocean Planet: A Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition (http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/) World Data Center -- marine geology & geophysics (http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/) 1998:International Year of the Ocean (http://ioc.unesco.org/) Glossary of Oceanography and the Related Geosciences with References -- a glossary of terms and concepts used in oceanography and related fields (www-ocean.tamu.edu/ National Science Foundation -- Ocean Sciences Division (http://www.geo.nsf.gov/) NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration) (www.noaa.gov/) Ocean Pilot -- a guide to many marine-related WWW servers (www.unesco.org/)