Investigation 5 - Friends of the Sea
| Class Time Required | 5-8 class periods |
| Materials Needed |
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| Teacher Preparation |
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| Prior Student Knowledge |
Students will need to have completed Investigations 3 and 4 to do this activity. |
| Vocabulary | Conservation, Contribution, Preservation, Stewardship |
| Science GLEs Addressed |
3rd grade: SE1.1, SE2.1, SE3.1 4th grade: SE1.1, SE2.1, SE3.1 5th grade: SE1.1, SE2.1, SE3.1 |
| Other GLEs Addressed |
Overview: Students discuss stewardship actions and develop an action plan that they will carry out as a class. They host a “Friends of the Sea” party to involve the school and community in their stewardship efforts and to share the results of their investigations.
Focus Question:
How can we be stewards of the ocean?
Engagement: (30 minutes)
Review the issues that students researched in Investigation 3 and their answers to the fourth research question, “What action can we take to help solve the problem?” Review the analysis of their local field investigation. Brainstorm ideas for a stewardship action project that the class can carry out.
Exploration: (2-5 class periods, depending on project)
Choose a stewardship project to do as a class. It might be:
- A public information campaign to include fliers, posters, news articles, and/or radio spots.
- A letter and/or petition to elected officials requesting a change in policies or regulations that affect the health of the ocean, with signatures collected from the community.
- A community-wide cleanup campaign that might include a cleanup day, placement of trash cans in strategic places, etc.
- Plans for collection of materials that can be recycled.
- Plastic bag reduction efforts such as distribution of cloth shopping bags, re-use of plastic bags.
- Another project that is important to the class or the community.
Set a date for a school/community event to be hosted by your class for a “Friends of the Sea” party during which you will share your research and involve the school and community in your stewardship project.
Make a plan for getting the project accomplished.
- List the tasks that will need to be completed and sketch out a timeline.
- Develop committees for supplies, communications, art, decorations, food, or whatever else is needed.
- Carry out the plan.
Explanation: (1-2 hours)
Host the Friends of the Sea party and share the research posters and papers from Investigation 3. Student groups can be situated at stations with their posters to explain their findings and answer questions.
Explain the stewardship project to the attendees with a presentation, flyers, a poster, sign-up sheets, distribution of bags, and/or other means.
Eat seafood, play games, and celebrate the sea!
Elaboration: (30 minutes)
After the stewardship project has been completed, have students reflect on the process in their science notebooks, and then debrief as a class.
Some possible writing and discussion questions might be:
- What went well?
- What could have worked better and why?
- Were there difficulties you faced in trying to change peoples’ habits?
- How did you handle disagreements or differences of opinion?
- How would you expand and extend the project?
- How did the use of scientific data help your project?
Evaluation (20-30 Minutes)
Return to the KWL chart created at the beginning of the unit, and discuss what students have learned. Ask them to write a paragraph or two about each of the “Enduring Understandings” in their science notebooks, demonstrating the important things they have learned from the unit.
Teacher Preparation:
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Tips from Teachers |
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Expand the stewardship project to a year-long, cross-curricular activity. |
Read through all of the lesson materials.
Consider possible stewardship projects, do any needed research, and revise the list of possibilities for student choice if desired.
Choose possible dates, times, and facilities (if other than classroom) for Friends of the Sea Celebration.
Collect the materials needed.
Curricular Connections:
Language Arts. Students will have an opportunity to practice public speaking and persuasive communication.
Mathematics. Students may use their mathematics skills to calculate and estimate supplies, costs, food quantities, or other aspects of their project.
Art. Students can design fliers, decorations, etc.
Social Studies. This investigation provides opportunities for citizenship and for learning about public policy.
Ideas for adapting to different local environment or context:
Use food and resources from local aquatic environment and theme.
| Student Handouts |
Science notebooks |
| Items for Group Display |
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| Material Items |
Art supplies, decorations, food for celebration as needed Supplies for stewardship project as needed Graphs or displays from Investigation 4 Posters and papers from Investigation 3 |
| Facility/Equipment Requirements |
Appropriate location for "Friends of the Sea" celebration |
Alaska Science Grade Level Expectations Addressed:
3rd Grade GLEs addressed:The student demonstrates an understanding of how to integrate scientific knowledge and technology to address problems by:
[3] SE1.1 identifying local problems and discussing solutions (L)
The student demonstrates an understanding that solving problems involves different ways of thinking, perspectives, and curiosity by:
[3] SE2.1 identifying local tools and materials used in everyday life (L)
The student demonstrates an understanding of how scientific discoveries and technological innovations affect our lives and society by:
[3] SE3.1 listing the positive and negative effects of a single technological development in the local community (e.g., fish trap, fish wheel, four-wheeler, computer) (L)
4th Grade GLEs addressed:
The student demonstrates an understanding of how to integrate scientific knowledge and technology to address problems by:
[4] SE1.1 recognizing that tools (e.g., spear, hammer, hand lens, kayak, computer) and processes (e.g., drying fish, sewing, photography) are an important part of human cultures
The student demonstrates an understanding that solving problems involves different ways of thinking, perspectives, and curiosity by:
[4] SE2.1 identifying the function of a variety of tools (e.g., spear, hammer, hand lens, kayak, computer)
The student demonstrates an understanding of how scientific discoveries and technological innovations affect our lives and society by:
[4] SE3.1 listing the positive and negative effects of a scientific discovery
5th Grade GLEs addressed:
The student demonstrates an understanding of how to integrate scientific knowledge and technology to address problems by:
[5] SE1.1 identifying a community problem or issue and describing the information needed to develop a scientific solution. (L)
The student demonstrates an understanding that solving problems involves different ways of thinking, perspectives, and curiosity by:
[5] SE2.1 investigating a problem or project over a specified period of time and identifying the tools and processes used in that project. (L)
The student demonstrates an understanding of how scientific discoveries and technological innovations affect our lives and society by:
[5] SE3.1 describing the various effects of an innovation (e.g., snow machines, airplanes, immunizations) on the safety, health, and environment of the local community. (L)
Essential Questions:
Enduring Understandings:
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