The Wonders of the Seas

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

I teach seventh and eighth grade students in a middle school in California. My school is a Title 1 school. This means that my school qualifies for federal funding from the government. Sixty percent of our students qualify for free or reduced breakfasts and lunches. There is a wide variety of students on our campus from those who struggle to read at grade level to those who ride over an hour on the bus every day to participate in our gifted/highly gifted program. Marine biology is my elective class. We study marine topics such as the properties of seawater, tides, characteristics of marine habitats and phyla, and ecological relationships. There is a large emphasis on marine invertebrates and conservation issues.

Middle school is a very difficult time for young people. They are many obstacles (academic, social, and emotional) to face. Under the pressures of standardized testing and curriculum scripts, school is often less than a fascinating place to be. My marine biology class has provided unique opportunities for my students to engage in academic activities (observation, inquiry, and research) and develop their curiosities. This class has provided a good situation, especially to academically struggling students, because all the activities and work has been accomplished during the class period. We have utilized many wonderful images and videos of marine organisms. While these have been interesting, they have not been inspiring.

The most valuable, lasting learning that students experience is achieved through fascination. A marine touch tank would allow my students to explore the adaptations of marine invertebrates, providing them with the real-life experiences of observation and discovery of a scientist.

Your support would provide an invaluable learning experience for my students. Last year, I was able to take my marine class on a fieldtrip to a tidepool. As we were walking up the hill on our way back, many of my students were stopping to pick up trash along the way so that it would not end up harming the tidepool organisms. Their very short encounter with live marine creatures produced an immediate sense of responsibility and stewardship. Imagine what could be fostered in young students who had an intimate knowledge and contact with marine organisms on a daily basis.