General Information

• Target audience: Teachers from all education levels, preschool teachers, and non-formal educators. No prerequisites.
• Language: Portuguese

Course description

This online course aims to enhance teachers’ ability to communicate and teach about the ocean and make more informed decisions. It also seeks to empower teachers and educators as multipliers of this capability, increasing the capacity of students and school communities to translate knowledge into practical behavior and attitude changes.

The course addresses Ocean Literacy through the multi-perspective approach endorsed by UNESCO and aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals 4 (Quality Education), 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), 13 (Climate Action), and 14 (Life Below Water) of the 2030 Agenda, as well as the challenges of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).

This course directly contributes to SDG 14 – Target 7 – Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship, and to challenges 9 – Skills, knowledge, technology, and participation for all, and 10 – Restore society’s relationship with the ocean from the Ocean Decade.

The course will provide knowledge and tools for the classroom, promoting critical thinking and understanding of the ocean, raising awareness of our daily relationship with the ocean and the impact of our behaviors on ocean sustainability.

It is expected that students’ experiences will be transferred and adapted to formal educational contexts. This course is an initiative endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).

Specific aims of the course

By the end of the course, participants should be able to:

• Explain the importance of Ocean Literacy.
• Discuss the influence we have on the ocean through our daily choices.
• Promote behavioral and attitudinal changes regarding ocean-related issues.
• Foster interaction between teachers and the scientific community.
• Explore and select information, activities, and educational resources about the ocean to address the topic in the classroom.
• Understand and explore the ocean from different perspectives (Science, Geography, Values, Gender Equality, Culture, Sustainability, History).
• Guide students to take a more active role in seeking solutions to ocean-related problems.
• Integrate ocean sustainability into curricula across different subjects and education levels using a holistic approach.

Course Programme

• Module 1 (3.5h): Diving into Ocean Literacy
• Module 2 (3.5h): The Ocean from a Historical and Geographical Perspective
• Module 3 (5.5h): The Ocean Science We Need for the Future We Want
• Module 4 (4.5h): Go Blue – What is Sustainable Blue and the Value(s) of Our Ocean
• Module 5 (7h): Independent Work – Translating Ocean Literacy into Teaching Practice Using Local Examples (Group or Individual)
• Module 6 (1h): Online Session for Final Course Discussion and Review of Module 5 Outcomes

This course is part of the OceanTeacher Global Academy. More information and registration via this link.

Instructors

• Patrícia Conceição (Task Force for the Extension of the Continental Shelf, EMEPC)
• Laura Guimarães (Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, CIIMAR)
• Zara Teixeira (Centre of Marine and Environmental Sciences, MARE)
• Raquel Costa (Institute of Education, IE)
• Filomena Cardoso (University of Aveiro, UA)
• Fernanda Rollo (NOVA University Lisbon, UL)
• Cláudia Moreira (Currently at APA)
• Marisa Almeida (CIIMAR)
• Ana Marta Gonçalves (Centre of Marine and Environmental Sciences, MARE)
• Mariana Almeida (University of Aveiro, UA)
• Narcisa Bandarra (Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere, IPMA)