About COOL Classroom

COOL Classroom Introduction

The Rutgers Marine and Coastal Sciences (RMCS), in conjunction with the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JCNERR) has addressed the need for innovative materials that provide educators with the knowledge and skills they need to develop scientific literacy in their students. RMCS staff, a group of classroom teachers, and scientists have developed supplemental science education resources that facilitate the learning of basic scientific concepts and principles using current marine science research and data. These resources empower educators to capitalize on students' natural fascination with the marine environment to promote basic skills training, problem solving, and critical thinking skills. The COOL (Coastal Ocean Observation Laboratory) Classroom is a series of Internet-based instructional modules that link middle and high school classrooms with active research investigations at the Rutgers RMCS COOLroom, a collaboration of oceanographers studying the coastal ocean off the coast of New Jersey.

Who Created the COOL Classroom?

Through associations with the JCNERR and partners such as the Lawrence Hall of Science, the National Marine Educators Association, Stevens Institute of Technology, and Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Rutgers has attempted to develop innovative concepts for teaching science and forge strong partnerships with K-12 educators. These programs and partnerships have facilitated the integration of research into high-quality professional development programs and educational materials.

The COOL Classroom was created by a team of scientists, classroom teachers, and informal educators with support from the National Ocean Partnership Program (NOPP). This project enjoys the support of the following institutions: The Rutgers Marine and Coastal Sciences (RMCS), the Center for Advanced Information Processing (CAIP) at Rutgers University, the Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education (CIESE) at Stevens Institute of Technology, seven New Jersey middle and high school educators, Blue Iceberg (web development firm), Turnstone Publishing, The National Undersea Research Program (NURP), and the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JCNERR). These partners have worked together to support the goals of the project.