New NOAA Children’s Book Highlights Teacher’s Adventure on the High Seas: Fourth Edition Marks Book Series Finale 

Julie Bedford
NOAA Office of Communications

May 22, 2009 — "Let’s go fishing" are words teacher Jacob Tanenbaum loves to hear. He discovered, however, that an ocean-bound expedition on one of NOAA’s newest and most technically advanced research vessels, was different from any other fishing trip he’d taken.

For two weeks last October, Tanenbaum was aboard the Henry B. Bigelow, hauling in massive fishing nets and other gear, and working alongside NOAA scientists to survey fish and other marine life off the East Coast.

Tanenbaum’s fantastic voyage from Boston to the coral reefs of the Florida Keys was recently brought to life on the printed page. The elementary school technology teacher’s adventure is the subject of NOAA’s new children’s book "Teacher at Sea: Mr. Tanenbaum Explores Atlantic Fisheries on the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow."

Tanenbaum teaches in the Southern Orangetown (N.Y.) school district north of New York City. The book is NOAA’s fourth (and last) installment of the Teacher at Sea book series that has reached more than 50,000 students and teachers to date. The fourth book spotlights the need for healthy fisheries and marine ecosystems.

"I can’t think of any better way for a teacher to share their educational experience than by having his story retold in a children’s book," said co-author Diane Stanitski, a university professor and NOAA Teacher at Sea alumna.

Stanitski, who serves as a consultant for NOAA, co-authored the book with NOAA Corps Commander John Adler. The book was illustrated by Bruce Cowden, chief boatswain of the NOAA oceanographic research vessel, Ronald H. Brown. Both Stanitski and Cowden worked on the first three Teacher at Sea books, which focused on ocean and atmospheric research, hurricane research, and hydrographic surveys.

NOAA’s Teacher at Sea program allows kindergarten through college-level teachers an opportunity to experience NOAA’s exciting, cutting-edge research. The teachers live and work alongside NOAA scientists and researchers a few weeks each year — and then take that experience back to their classrooms. More than 500 teachers, representing 49 states and 4 countries have participated in the program since it began in 1990.

During the journey, Tanenbaum communicated with his students by e-mail. He and ship scientists also held a video conference about NOAA’s Conservation Program. Tanenbaum collected a variety of sea specimens and photos to share upon his return to school. Tanenbaum said that he and his students "learned some astonishing facts about fish and other marine organisms, the way they are surveyed, and their significance to our lives."

NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco, Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), Rep. Tim Holden (D-PA) and other dignitaries attended a special reception May 14 on Capitol Hill in celebration of the new book. The under secretary presented Chief Boatswain Cowden with a plaque acknowledging his lead role in and steadfast dedication to illustrating and producing all four of the Teacher at Sea books. Dr. Lubchenco also thanked Tanenbaum for his hard work on the ship by presenting him with a NOAA hard hat required of all crew members — a nod to the agency’s "No. 1 priority" of safety at sea.

Tanenbaum’s fourth-grade students, their parents, and the school principal were also present. The students spoke about a lobster experiment they did in Tanenbaum’s class. Afterward, 13 had decided they would like a career in research, more than twice as many as beforehand. One fourth-grader remarked that her initial view of scientists as "dull, kid-hating and humorless workaholics" changed to people who "joke, have adventures in far-off places, and get to do cool experiments."

"Our NOAA Teacher at Sea alumni return to the classroom engaged and excited about teaching their students how NOAA’s research plays a role in stewardship of our environment," said Dr. Lubchenco. "Having spent time at sea myself, I can tell you that the type of work that Jacob and our scientists were doing wasn’t easy — and can be quite smelly. Our ships operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the scientists, officers, and crew work difficult, labor-intensive shifts to collect the data we need to make wise decisions about our oceans."

Teachers may request a free copy of the book by e-mailing to noaa-outreach@noaa.gov. PDFs of the entire series of Teacher at Sea children’s books are available at: http://teacheratsea.noaa.gov/books/index.html.