National and Local Partners
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - Sponsor
Consortium of Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE)
Maryland Department of Education (MSDE)
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (CBNERR)

Premise
Sailing and ocean racing are tools that can bring students an appreciation of the oceans of the world and the Chesapeake Bay, bringing them a sense of wonder at the powerful interaction of the water and the atmosphere. All of the world's weather is created by the interaction of the atmosphere and the seas, yet engaging students to understand these concepts is a real challenge.

In the Ocean Race Chesapeake program:
Teachers and club leaders will be provided with a set of curricular materials and competition guidelines to learn about the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006; its historical importance, the physics of its execution, and the calculations required to achieve success.

The schools will be invited to compete statewide in predicting the exact time the first boat will cross the Chesapeake finish line of the Leg between Rio de Janeiro and Baltimore.

To make this prediction, students will need to examine weather, tides and currents, aerodynamics, and geography.

Schools with the closest to accurate predictions will be treated to a visit from the racers and a trip to see the racing yachts.

Although adaptable to ages from first grade through high school, the materials will be designed with the intent of meeting grade 8 Maryland Learning Outcomes in science, mathematics, social studies, and environmental science.

Program Content
The program will be presented via the World Wide Web. The web site will be modeled after a similar site that can be found at www.polarhusky.com. Each topic will be divided into subtopics. Each subtopic will include the following:
· Background information to familiarize the user with the subtopic
· Learning objectives for the topic
· Links to partners web sites and other materials for further exploration of the topic
· An activity associated with the topic
· Teachers materials for the subtopic (see below)
· An optional assessment of the ORCA program for that subtopic

Teacher Materials
Teachers participating in the ORCA program will receive a packet of curriculum materials to help them deliver exciting hands on instruction to their students. All of this information will be available on the ORCA web site, or by hard copy. Teacher materials will include:

· Background information about the race and its economic and historic importance.
· This introduction will be followed by a set of lesson plans addressing topics ranging from how a boat works to oceans and weather patterns (see attached program content outline). Each lesson plan will include learning objectives, estimated time to complete the lesson, a list of materials required, and the procedure for lesson delivery. Student worksheets will be included where applicable.
· Materials will culminate in a section listing additional resources in addition to forms and directions for entering a statewide competition in predicting the exact time the first boat will cross the Chesapeake finish line.
· Participating teachers will also be asked to complete an evaluation of the curriculum to be used for content revisions.

Program Content
The following subject areas were determined over a 6 month period in working meetings with the ORCA partners. Funding for the development of this content material was provided by the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Overview and Introduction
· History of the clipper ships: trade routes, cultural importance, economics
· Importance of teamwork
· Experiencing an adventure
· Challenges of living at sea
· What is this race?

The Race Experience
· How does a boat work?

Buoyancy
Stability
Sails and Trim

· This Incredible Challenge
Navigation

· The Ocean Race Chesapeake Challenge
· Putting together a team
. Who does what?
. Who's in charge of Safety?

Planning for needs and Risks
· Trying to win

Shaping for speed

Building materials

Tactics

Oceans & Weather
· Temperature and salinity in the Oceans
· Weather
· Heat Engines Driving Weather
· Wind Patterns
· Extreme Events
· Hurricanes
· Spouts
· Flooding
· Nor'easters
· World Wide Weather Patterns

Ocean Currents
· Engines driving Motion in the Ocean

Heat conveyor belt
· Currents & Ocean Patterns
· Extreme Currents
· Circumpolar Current
· South Atlantic High Brazil Current
· Doldrums
· North Equatorial Current
· Equatorial Counter Current
· World Wide Current Patterns

Beneath the Surface of the Oceans
· Sargasso Sea
· Argentine Abyssal Plane
· Coral Islands of the Caribbean Sea
· Guiana Basin
· Mid Atlantic Ridge
· North American Basin
· Life in the Oceans

Ocean Deserts
Coastal Upwelling
Fertile Equatorial Areas
Hydro thermal vents
Microscopic organisms
Coccolithophore Blooms
Phytoplankton Blooms
Mammals in the Atlantic
Dolphins
Whales
Protecting Marine Mammals
Other sea animals in the Atlantic
Sea Turtles
Fish
Invertebrates

Land Ocean Interface/ Where the Rivers Meet the Sea
· Land's effects on the Oceans
· Sand and dust storms
· River mouths
· The Amazon
· The Orinoco River
· The Chesapeake Bay
· Economies
· Communities and Culture

Imaging techniques
World wide weather patterns

· Communities and cultures
Vigo, Galicia Spain
Cape Town South Africa
Melbourne Australia
Wellington New Zealand
Rio d Janeiro, Brazil
Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Gothenburg, Sweden