Over a four year period we offered teacher professional development on a new ocean and climate topic each year, accompanied by related lectures delivered by scientists on their cutting edge research. The focus of Exploring Connections between the Global Oceans and the Inland Southwest series was to illustrate the importance of the ocean to our region’s weather and climate, as well as to explore how inland populations affect the global oceans. 

Module 6, Climate Literacy and Misconceptions, related to two of the course’s central concepts, Ocean/Weather and Climate Connection, and Ocean/Human Connection. The ocean and humans are interconnected. Humans depend on the ocean for food, energy resources, and transportation. Changes in the oceans impact atmosphere and climate patterns. By understanding how climate works, we can come to a better understanding of our impact upon climate.