ChesSIE Website ChesSIE sighted at www.bayeducation.net! By Susanna Musick

Have you seen ChesSIE? We're not talking about the fictitious Bay beast, but an online resource center of current K-12 Chesapeake Bay science education materials. ChesSIE (Chesapeake Science on the Internet for Educators) is maintained by VIMS, an advisory committee and a teacher focus group that provide valuable feedback about the site's content. ChesSIE is also supported by the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program and is part of the Chesapeake Information System (CIMS).

ChesSIE provides educators with access to quality Bay-related education resources, online data and professional development opportunities. Researchers, resource managers, and other Bay stakeholders are supplied with a venue for sharing information and connecting with K-12 classrooms. Interested in traveling? Take part in an online field trip throughout the Bay or find a great field trip destination. Do you need to key out a Bay critter you found sampling? Use ChesSIE to identify and investigate various Bay species. Would you like a new lesson plan or activity for your students? Lesson plans and classroom activities are present for every grade level. How about real-time data? CBP/CIMS, CBOS and other online data products are accessible. ChesSIE also features a Bay education discussion list; links to Bay educational facilities: aquariums, museums, science centers, field schools; Bay science research centers and graduate programs; grants and awards available to Bay educators; state departments of education and jurisdictional information; professional organizations and event calendars: NMEA, MAMEA, NSTA; and information about CBP educational projects and partners.

So, if you're looking for a restoration project in your area, a summer program for your students, data from your watershed, or fun facts about the Bay, be sure to check out ChesSIE at http://www.bayeducation.net. For further information about ChesSIE, please contact Susanna Musick at sxmusi@vims.edu.

http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/Extension/msgsnn/msgsnn04_2/chessie.html