I am introducing a new high school elective in Marine Science after several years of curriculum work to students who do not live near the ocean. There are currently thirty-six students enrolled in the elective ranging from advanced 10th graders to 12th graders.
These students have a passion for the ocean and are incredibly curious about marine science.
They have a desire to not only learn more about the animals and plants within the water but the human impacts on the ocean, as well as the biogeochemical and physical workings.
My Project
The requested supplies for my students already have a place in our classroom. The Marine Science course was approved and placed in the course catalog for students to select prior to the economic downturn earlier this year. Now our district is struggling to fund programs along with the added cleaning supplies and staffing needs with a limited budget. The implementation of this new course has very little funding so we need your help in getting everything through our door and into our students' hands! The kits and sharks will help students have a tactile experience. Dissections provide a chance for students to carry out investigations, testing how truthful their theory is while comparing it to what they see during the dissection. The digital crayfish dissection will give remote students an opportunity to see the inner workings of the crayfish. Even more important is for students to research the human impact on the ocean and so studying things like ocean acidification is critical when discussing aspects of climate change and how we are changing the ocean.
Many of these students have a natural curiosity about the ocean but haven't ever been able to visit the ocean and see it first hand.
Likewise, even more students have never touched a shark, let alone dissected one.
Students will research famous Marine Scientists including (but not limited to) Rachel Carson, Sylvia Earle, and K. Megan McArthur. Students are inspired by the IF/THEN collection of females and with the requested supplies, will be able to conduct experiments in a similar fashion to their role models. I truly appreciate your support to make this a reality. I think that these hands on and remote activities will be an engaging, unique, and exciting opportunity the students will not forget.
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