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NOAA'S SHIP FOR EXPLORATION: A STUDENT CONTEST
 The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in partnership
with Coastal America and the National Environmental Education
and Training Foundation, invites students nationwide in
grades 6-12 to choose a name for a new NOAA ship.
NOAA's
new ocean exploration ship will be unique because it will
be the only NOAA ship dedicated exclusively to exploration
and research of our oceans. Ship names and supporting projects
that capture the spirit of ocean exploration are encouraged.
Despite
a long and rich history of ocean exploration and discovery,
we still know very little about what the oceans contain,
what the seafloor looks like, or how the oceans function.
The information we have indicates a virtual wilderness of
submerged canyons, mountain ranges, volcanoes and other
intriguing topographic features. Even less is known about
how these features interact with the forces of ocean currents
to create biologically rich and diverse marine ecosystems.
New discoveries are being made almost every time we go to
sea or when we probe the ocean depths with new tools and
sensors.
This
new ocean exploration vessel will join NOAA's fleet, under
the direction of NOAA's
Marine and Aviation Operations. Information about NOAA's
fleet can be found at www.nmao.noaa.gov. NOAA ships are
staffed by commissioned officers of the NOAA Corps and civilians.
The Corps is comprised of officers—all scientists
and engineers—who provide NOAA with an important blend
of operational, management and technical skills supporting
NOAA's environmental programs.
Eligibility
All students in grades 6 through 12 from all U.S. state-recognized
public, private and home schools are eligible to participate.
Schools, including home schools, must be in compliance with
federal and state civil rights and nondiscrimination statutes.
Guidelines:
To promote the educational value of this contest, the following
guidelines are offered to teachers.
- Student
teams, composed of at least four, but not more than eight
students, can submit a name for the ship. Teams can be made
up of students from more than one grade and can include
members of clubs, scouting groups, or similar organizations.
A team may submit only one name.
- An
educational project or activity that will help other students
learn about NOAA and its role in the ocean-related sciences,
including exploration, research and stewardship is encouraged.
It is hoped these educational projects or activities will
inspire interdisciplinary vision, creativity and originality.
Teachers and students are encouraged to organize team projects
to produce studies, models, experiments, time charts and
historical comparisons, as well as creative expressions
in writing, song, artworks and film. Projects can be created
for any student age group, K-12, and should be used in a
classroom setting at least once. Projects should be able
to be reproduced in other classrooms. Students should consider
the following: Is the name appropriate for an ocean exploration
vessel, and is this evident? Does it capture the spirit
of ocean exploration?
- Originality
is strongly encouraged. However, if any material included
as part of a Team Project is pre-existing work, or based
closely on pre-existing work, the team must ensure it has
the rights to use that work and must identify and credit
the owner of that pre-existing work. For example, this would
include copyrighted artwork, music, poetry, etc.
- Students
are encouraged to use the NOAA education Web site at www.education.noaa.gov.
Information about the NOAA Ocean Exploration Program can
be found at http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov
and information about NOAA at www.noaa.gov.
- Each
team should have a Team Coordinator who is a member of a
school faculty. The Team Coordinator oversees the team's
work and submits the entry proposal. A Team Coordinator
may oversee more than one team.
- The
cost of participating in this program should be minimal
for students, school and community members. NOAA cannot
provide funds for participation in this program.
Criteria
for Naming NOAA's Ocean Exploration Ship
NOAA's new ship will be unique because it will be the only
NOAA ship dedicated exclusively to the exploration of our
oceans. Proposed names and supporting projects capturing
the spirit of ocean exploration are strongly encouraged.
Generally, NOAA ships are named for mission-type, environmental
phenomena, myths or traditions, geographical features, or
former decommissioned ships crewed by NOAA personnel or
predecessors. The choice of a specific mythological or traditional
name should be reflective of our nation's diverse cultural
past, and the choice of a geographical name should reflect
the nation's diverse heritage. It should be noted, NOAA
ships cannot be named for living people, but can be named
for an individual who has been deceased for at least five
years.
Entry
Packet
Team Coordinators should submit a team's Entry Packet no
later than December 30, 2004, to NOAA Outreach Unit, 1305
East West Highway, #1W514, Silver Spring, MD 20910, Attn:
NOAA Ship for Exploration Contest.
Each
Team's entry packet should include a cover page listing:
-
The proposed ship name
-
Team Coordinator's name
-
Coordinator's position on school faculty
-
School address
-
Team Coordinator's telephone number
-
Team Coordinator's e-mail address
-
Student Team Members' names, grade levels and schools
A
team may include supplemental material, not to exceed (1)
a single page essay, written by students on the team, about
the proposed name, why it is appropriate for a NOAA oceanographic
exploration vessel and how it captures the spirit of NOAA's
oceanographic research, and (2) on a separate sheet, a bibliography
or list of resources used to research the proposed name.
Competition
Process
A NOAA Awards Panel will collect all entries and select
the top name.
Time
Frame
December 30, 2004: Deadline for receipt of entry packet.
By
February 7, 2005 - The Team Coordinator may be asked for
additional information about the educational project.
No
later than May 15, 2005 - Winning team will be notified.
Prizes
for the Winning Team
-
The winning team and school will receive a visit from
the undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere
and from a renowned ocean explorer.
-
Students from the winning team will be invited for a day
tour of one of NOAA's atmospheric or oceanographic facilities.
The Team Coordinator and a representative of the NOAA
Awards Panel will determine the site location based on
the availability and the proximity of NOAA's facilities.
During their visit, students will have the opportunity
to learn about NOAA, environmental stewardship and the
role they can play in protecting the ecosystem. The cost
of transportation for this visit will be provided by the
National Environmental Education and Training Foundation.
-
News releases will be issued locally and nationally, and
a nationwide radio spot will be aired to recognize the
accomplishment of the winning team and school.
-
The school will receive a plaque and a videotape of the
commissioning ceremony of the ship, which is anticipated
to occur in 2005-2006. The commissioning ceremony marks
the time the ship officially becomes part of the NOAA
fleet.
-
The ship will carry a plaque with information about the
winning team and its school.
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