Announcing “Picture Post for Environmental Conservation”—A New Program for Middle School Youth at Blue Hill Observatory with Supporting Online Units Coming Soon—Developed in Partnership with the Yawkey Foundation

Middle School Educators: Blue Hill Observatory and Science Center Invites You and Your Students to Visit Great Blue Hill this Fall—at No Charge from Oct to Dec. 2022 (and we will help organize your field trip)
    “Picture Post for Environmental Conservation,” described below, was developed with heartfelt gratitude to Greater Boston educators who work tirelessly to help all youth to reach their true potential. In the future the program will be expanded to elementary and high school as soon as next year. 
      About “Picture Post for Environmental Conservation”
      In partnership with the Yawkey Foundation our team at the Observatory has completed: “Picture Post for Environmental Conservation” a new three-tiered middle school curriculum—where each component may stand alone.
      The program utilizes critical reasoning to answer the question—“How is the local environment changing over time, and what steps youth and adults can take now to protect it for the future?”
        Program Overview
        I. “Picture Post for Environmental Conservation Onsite at Blue Hill Observatory”
        Fours hours of instruction and activities to be completed with our team at the Blue Hill Observatory supported by an additional four hours of curriculum for in-classroom instruction that compliments
        the onsite visit.
        II. “Picture Post for Environmental Conservation Guided Hike of Great Blue Hill” leads students through a hike of Great Blue Hill where they learn to identify environmental changes that have been outlined within the program’s curricular modules.
        III. “Picture Post for Environmental Conservation Online Curriculum”—this tier of the program is not online yet—
        has eight curricular modules supported by student and teacher guides on the topics of:
        • Temperature Trends
        • Droughts
        • Precipitation
        • Haze
        • Freeze/Thaw Cycles
        •  Sunshine Duration
        •  Changes in Flora
        • Means and Extremes
        Academic Outcomes
        As educators work through the curriculum, students will be able to:
        • Analyze and interpret data from the Blue Hill Observatory’s 137-year climate record including, but not limited to temperature, precipitation, or sunlight duration data.
        • Describe changes over time that they identified in Blue Hill Picture Post photographs to answer critical questions and make predictions.
        • Demonstrate an understanding of the physical processes that they are investigating including, but not limited to, movement of water in the water cycle, freeze/thaw cycling, importance of sunshine duration, etc.
        • Design, organize, plan, and implement an original research project using principles and data from the curriculum.
        • Make informed predictions about future environmental change and propose future action to reduce or mitigate the consequences of their predictions.
        At this time the Observatory is seeking to pilot two program components from late Oct. thru Dec. The Observatory’s team will help to organize no-cost field trips to Great Blue Hill for as many as 200 youth. Educators may chose which program they prefer.
        I. “Picture Post for Environmental Conservation Onsite at Blue Hill Observatory”
        II. “Picture Post for Environmental Conservation Guided Hike of Great Blue Hill”
          To participate please email ccummings@bluehill.org

            Other Educational Programs

            Blue Hill Observatory and  Science Center also offers additional fee for service programs for teachers, students and the general public to learn more about climate science. These include programs weather watching at Blue Hill, weather forecasting, making and flying kites, balloon launches, guided hikes of Great Blue Hill, and many others.

            You can even create a custom program that suits your particular needs.

            Weather Watching at Great Blue Hill

            Tour the Observatory using a study guide and learn about weather instruments and how observers record and analyze the weather.

            Cost: $50, plus $2.00 per student and $4.00 per adult. Maximum group size is 60 students with one chaperon for each 6 to 10 students (no charge for chaperons).
            Time: About 75 minutes

            Kite-Making Workshops

            Design, build and fly your own kite! Travel with a guide through the history of kites and their use at the Observatory. Kite Flying on Blue Hill is possible time and weather permitting.

            Cost: $75, plus materials ($1.00 to $75 per kite depending on style)
            Time: 30 to 90 minutes

            Windy Weather

            Make wind catchers and explore the wind with a guided tour of the Observatory.

            Cost: $75, plus materials ($1.00 to $10 per student depending on activity)
            Time: About 75 minutes

            Guided Hikes

            Trek through the Blue Hills and learn about your environment.

            Cost: $45 per guide, plus $2.00 per student and $4.00 per adult. Maximum group size is 24 students with one chaperon for each 6 to 12 students (no charge for chaperons).
            Time: About 45 minutes

            Weather Forecasting

            How do meteorologists make weather forecasts? Learn from the experts in a forecasting workshop.

            Cost: $50, plus $2.00 per student and $4.00 per adult. Maximum group size is 16 students with one chaperon for each 6 to 8 students (no charge for chaperons).
            Time: About 90 minutes

            Balloon Launch

            Track and learn properties of the wind with bio-degradable balloons.

            Cost: $40, plus $1 per balloon
            Time: 20 to 30 minutes

            Observation Exploration

            See the Observatory in action. Discover the tools used by Blue Hill meteorologists since 1885 on a detailed tour.

            Cost: $45, plus $1.50 per student and $3.00 per adult. Maximum group size is 16 students with one chaperon for each 6 to 8 students (no charge for chaperons).
            Time: About 45 minutes

            The Math of Meteorology

            How do you find the average wind speed, temperature range and relative humidity? Use math skills to learn about the weather.

            Cost: $50, plus $2.00 per student and $4.00 per adult. Maximum group size is 60 students with one chaperon for each 6 to 10 students (no charge for chaperons).
            Time: About 75 minutes

            Questions? Contact Us Online