My students need science kits for a first hand look at life under the sea to develop an appreciation for the delicate nature of the ecosystem and how to protect and preserve our resources.
Under the sea, a world that most students have never seen or experienced. How can we teach students to protect and preserve the ocean and our natural resources if they do not have a first hand experience with the creatures that reside there or it's delicate nature?
Living in Northeast Arkansas, our students are far removed from life under the sea.
Our school is a small rural district serving approximately 2,500 students k-12. The majority of our students have not had the opportunity to travel to the ocean to observe sea life. This project would bring the sea to our classroom! By observing and helping to maintain the salt water aquarium in the classroom students will develop a deeper understanding of the units of study covered in the 8th grade science curriculum. The study of effects of global warming, the interactions and effects of various populations and ecosystems, tides and currents will all be enhanced and deepened through the addition of the marine life aquarium. The goal of the project is to help increase awareness of how student's actions can help protect and preserve these ecosystems rather than continuing current patterns that aid in their destruction.
My Project
It is our hope that this project will bring the world's oceans and the marine life that inhabit them to life for our students. Geographically our students are far removed from our oceans, but their actions can still play a part in the preservation or continued destruction of these resources. By increasing their awareness of how marine life live and the delicate balance which must exist to maintain these organisms students will become more aware of their role in reducing pollutants, and working actively to support the preservation of our oceans. Students will observe and maintain appropriate temperatures for the marine life which will relate to studies of global warming. Involvement in the feeding of the aquarium will relate to the study of food chains and food webs. The variety or organisms housed in the aquariums will provide several opportunities for a "touch tank" giving students a real life connection to the organisms in the under the sea.
Bringing the sea to life for students in a rural school in Arkansas will broaden the student's understanding and appreciation for the beauty of nature.
This project will hopefully expand the students understanding of issues such as pollution and global warming, helping students see the devastating effects on life under the sea. The aquarium will serve to open discussion to the natural resources found in this ecosystem and the medical and environmental benefits found there as well.
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