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Marine Migration

Secondary, Middle

Description

In Marine Migration, students will try to answer the big question: How can we ensure the survival of migratory species?

To do this, they will watch an introductory video by youth host Sergio and lead scientist Dr. Boris Worm as they head out on an expedition to Cocos Island in the Eastern Tropical Pacific where they’ll investigate critical habitats and pathways.  

Once students have watched the video, they will choose from three lines of inquiry, each with a focus question, media, and accompanying activities. The three lines of inquiry are:

Open Ocean Oasis: What shapes the patterns of species migration?

  • Students will watch a short clip called To the continental shelf…and beyond where they will join Sergio and Boris to study the migratory habits of the animals that come to this otherwise uninhabited island. They will then use numeric data to get a feel for the areas, distances, and depths described in the adventure to Cocos Island.  
  • Students will then discover the reasons why underwater mountains attract so much life, and will be invited to think from the perspective of a shark and create a poster or video to advertise for a new roommate, which would entice other sharks to come to Cocos Island.  
  • After, students will take a 360o view of sharks and the adaptations that make them so amazing. They will develop a superhero comic for sharks which demonstrates their amazing adaptations.  
  • Next, students will observe how valuable nutrients from the land nourish a wide range of animals in the ocean and build their own VR tour.
  • Finally, students will reflect on the skills necessary for a job on the Argo and create a “Now hiring” poster.

Migratory Mysteries: How do we study migratory species?

  • Students will watch a video called Seamount Science and will then be asked to take a screenshot from the video that illustrates an interesting moment and explain why they found it interesting
  • They will then look at shark tagging and research the pros and cons of it before embarking on a lively debate
  • After watching a video called: Secret life of sharks, students will decide which tagging technologies they would use to study the scalloped hammerhead
  • Next, students will use Google Earth and real-life shark tracking data set to compare the movement of 2 sharks over time
  • Finally, after having watched a short clip on the parts of a submarine, students will be asked to imagine their own robo-sub using provided parts

Critical Conservation: How can we protect critical habitat for migratory species?

  • Students will watch a short clip to take a close look at nursery areas. They will then be asked to make a game to play that will teach others about the perils faced by a white tipped shark OR a green sea turtle
  • Students will think of four different stakeholders in a shrimp trawling ban while reading an article. They will be invited to create a comic or dramatic dialog illustrating the different perspectives.
  • Students will explore why illegal fishing continues and what the rangers are doing to stop it in the Cocos Island National Park, they will then create a plan to protect a natural area close to home
  • Students will then explore an interactive treasure map to see how governments, conservationists, scientists, and citizens are collaborating to protect species in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. They will then create an Instagram post for a conservation project that inspires them
  • Finally, students will collaborate in a virtual scavenger hunt to discover information about different species who frequent Cocos Island. They will use the evidence they collect in the VR experience to craft an argument about why Cocos Island needs protection. They’ll develop a persuasive creative product to promote their vision for the future of Cocos Island.

As a culminating activity, students are given a call to action. Students are encouraged to get outside, identify habitats that are threatened in the local area, investigate, and help to restore the habitat!

This resource is also accompanied by inquiry tools to explicitly target inquiry skills.

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

Dependent on which line of inquiry the students choose, they will learn a multitude of new skills. Students could learn how to create a poster, create a superhero comic, take part in a debate, make a game, create an Instagram post, and so much more. 

Strengths

  • This lesson plan is extensive and provides teachers and students everything they need to complete the module
  • This resource gives students the option to decide which line of inquiry they want to choose out of three providing them with voice and choice.
  • This resource is accompanied with Inquiry tools to explicitly target inquiry skills. As well, each inquiry tool has an educator guide and lesson.
  • This resource can be linked to a Google Classroom or used as is.
  • There is a take action lesson that accompanies this module
  • The lesson has students doing a multitude of different activities in different formats which lends itself well to different learning styles.
  • This resource is available in both official languages

Weaknesses

  • Students and teachers need to sign up to Ocean School in order to use this resource. This can be particularly tricky in jurisdictions with strict privacy acts.

Recommendation of how and where to use it

This resource would be excellent to discuss marine environments, endangered species, and habitat loss in Science classrooms. The Ocean School experience begins by presenting learners with a big question – a challenge that guides their inquiry. Each piece of media comes with a customizable activity that educators can assign via Google Classroom or download to use in class. At the end of a module, learners develop a “Take Action” plan to address the critical, social, and environmental problems they’ve been learning about.

Ocean School empowers the next generation of ocean citizens, researchers, and innovators, with the knowledge and tools to investigate and design innovative solutions for the accelerating challenges that face the world’s ocean.

Relevant Curriculum Units

The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.

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  • Alberta
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    • Grade 7
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        • Interactions and Ecosystems
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        • Freshwater and Saltwater Systems
    • Grade 9
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      • Environmental Science
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        • Environment and Outdoor Education: Commitment to Action
        • Environment and Outdoor Education: Environmental Investigations
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        • Biological Diversity
        • Knowledge and Employability Science: Biological Diversity (Social and Environmental Contexts Emphasis)
    • Grade 10
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        • Science 10-4 (Knowledge and Employability Science): Investigating Matter and Energy in Environmental Systems
        • Science 14:Investigating Matter and Energy in the Environment
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        • Science 9: The biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere are interconnected, as matter cycles and energy flows through them.
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        • Energy is conserved and its transformation can affect living things and the environment
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        • Senior 2 Science: Dynamics of Ecosystems
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        • Science 7 Earth Surface Processes: Learning and Living Sustainably
        • Science 7 Earth Surface Processes: Scientific Literacy
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        • Science 9 Ecosystem Dynamics: Learning and Living Sustainably
        • Science 9 Ecosystem Dynamics: Scientific Literacy
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        • Science 1206: Sustainability of Ecosystems
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        • Biological Diversity
        • Science 9: The biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere are interconnected, as matter cycles and energy flows through them.
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        • Experiential Science 10, Terrestial Systems: Ecology of the Land
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        • Science 14:Investigating Matter and Energy in the Environment
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        • Science 10: Sustainability of Ecosystems
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        • Interactions and Ecosystems
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        • Freshwater and Saltwater Systems
        • Interactions in Our Environment
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        • Biological Diversity
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        • Experiential Science 10, Terrestial Systems: Ecology of the Land
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        • Science 14: Investigating Matter and Energy in the Environment
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        • :Biology: Sustainable Ecosystems
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        • Interactions Within Ecosystems
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        • Water Systems on Earth
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        • Science 9: Content Knowledge
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        • Science 431A: Life Science, Sustainability of Ecosystems
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        • Science 7: Life Science: Interactions within Ecosystems
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        • Science 8: Water Systems on Earth
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        • Science 10: Climate and Ecosystem Dynamics
  • Yukon Territory
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    • Grade 9
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      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Science 9: The biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere are interconnected, as matter cycles and energy flows through them.

Themes Addressed

Ecosystems (4)

  • Appreciating the Natural World
  • Biodiversity
  • Habitat Loss
  • Wildlife Protection

Land Use & Natural Resources (1)

  • Fisheries

Water (1)

  • Marine Environments

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Very Good

The multitude of activities in this resource provide students with a complete view of the issue. Students can then form their own opinion and take an informed position on the subject. 

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Very Good

Throughout the three different lines of inquiry, students will look at different dimensions of marine migrations. Students will take a deep look at how to ensure the survival of migratory species.

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Very Good

The resource contributes to complex problems. Students examine the complexities of protecting migrating species by examining how hammerhead sharks have been decimating in the Cocos Island. 

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Very Good

A take action lesson accompanies this module where students are asked to get outside, identify habitats that are threatened in the local area, investigate and help restore the habitat. The Take Action is the culminating activity of the module. Students are asked to reflect about what they've learned and how they can put their learning into action. This activity is designed to support inquiry, leadership and collaboration. 

Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Very Good

Students' opinions and beliefs are at the center of this resource. Students have many opportunities to express themselves and there is no right answer. 

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Poor/Not considered

This is not a focus of this resource. 

Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Good

Students will take a look at the marine environment and therefore foster an appreciation and concern for the natural world. However, all activities are completed inside the classroom via videos and simulations.

Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Satisfactory

Activities in this resource are centered around Cocos Island in Costa Rica. However, marine migration is a real problem in any coastal area which would make it relevant to most of our Canadian students. 

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Very Good
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Very Good

As an inquiry-based learning platform, Ocean School is designed to allow students to choose their own path according to their groups decisions. Also, each path has a multitude of opinion questions and students get to share their ideas. 

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Good
  • Science
  • Environmental Science
Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Very Good

Inquiry based learning encourages students to take the lead in their learning experience. Posing their own questions and gathering evidence, learners practice the skills they need to participate in knowledge creation. On the Ocean School platform, the media experiences are designed to support open-ended investigations into a question or a problem. Students and educators share responsibility for identifying problems that students can investigate further. Together, they engage in critical thinking, collection and analysis of evidence, logical reasoning, and creative problem-solving.

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Good

This resource has a multitude of different activities for students to do and therefore addresses well the needs of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. However, strategies for learners with difficulties are not provided. 

Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Good

This resource includes multiple simulations and videos that bring a real world context. However, no real world experiences take place. 

Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Satisfactory

Some of the activities provided involve group work. 

Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Very Good

The resource suggests four types of assessment.

  • Observing students and engaging them in conversations
  • Each time a group or individual completes a piece of media, an assignment or reflection is automatically generated in their Google Drive
  • Ocean School encourages both educators and students to engage in the learning and assessment process. In the resource, you will find modifiable self-assessment forms for peer and self-assessment that you can use with your students.
  • Take Action - The Take Action plan is designed to extend and sustain inquiry.
Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Poor/Not considered

This is not a focus of this resource

Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Very Good

This resource follows youth host Sergio and lead scientist Dr. Boris Worm as they head out on an open ocean adventure to Cocos Island in the Eastern Tropical Pacific making it authentic for students.

Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Very Good

In this resource, students will get to choose their own learning path and question to answer. 

Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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