Running challenge for schools: "Be a scientist! Mapping climate change at seas & waterways"

The Education for Climate Coalition and the European Atlas of the Seas are inviting schools to take part in a new challenge, "Be a scientist! Mapping climate change at seas & waterways".

This challenge takes you on a six phases scientific wave ride. It started before the summer 2022 but you can join the challenge at any stage!

Become familiar | concept experience (past phases)

1. Let's play a boat race within the European Atlas of the Seas to immerse ourselves.

2. Let's re-play - you have the opportunity to play and repeat the boat race in class in a challenge against other classes to reflect playfully on issues of marine geography and environmental sustainability.

Did you miss these activities?

• Watch the recordings by clicking on the hyperlinks above!
• Organise the virtual boat race in your school and consult the Teachers' Guide to the boat race!

Experiment | develop (past phases)

3. Let's create our own map collectively and select the topic the map shall cover around climate change

Three topics were proposed for the new map that will be created:

• Precipitation
• Water transparency
• Water temperature

It was collectively decided to select the topic on water temperature.

4. Let's be scientists - What data do we need for this topic map and how can we collect it (tools & measurement?)

Did you miss these activities?

• Watch the recording of the workshop organised on 7 September 2022!

Explore | field work (phase 6 ongoing)

5. Let's explore, collect and report to bring together insights for our map!

We invited schools across Europe to measure surface water temperature in the sea, rivers, lakes or ponds and to submit their data online to contribute to a new map in the European Atlas of the Seas.

Details and information on how schools could participate in the challenge were available at: https://education-for-climate.ec.europa.eu/community/Atlas/topic/what-water-temperature-your-sea-river-lake-pond

Data collection ended on 31 March 2023.

Students from all age groups and from all countries were invited to participate in the data collection whether they were located in a coastal region or in a landlocked country.

6. Let's create the community map based on the reported data - and re-play!

Thank you to all participants who contributed to the data collection! Based on the data received, the Atlas team will now start the processes to develop the new map! This will include data control / data harmonisation (all data is complete and coherent), data visualization and production of the map in the Atlas. This will be the first citizen science map in the Atlas! Stay tuned!

Join us! Let's meet the challenge together!