environmental stewardship: why should we care?
Students will develop an understanding of the interconnectedness of the natural world and how human actions affect the balance of our ecosystems. During the case study, “A Glimpse of Our Oceans” students will discuss an author’s geographical location and how it affects their point of view as they explore ocean conservation and the impact of human activities on life in the oceans. To achieve this students will engage in close reading strategies while reading the anchor texts, World Without Fish and Flush. Further students will conduct science and math investigations to support their understanding of the problem of overfishing and fish depletion in our oceans to develop evidence based arguments. A local focus on the fisheries of the Gulf of Maine will be deployed by incorporating student-led interviews of local fisherman and commercial fisheries landings data. Students will then create an informational consumer guide for explaining sustainable fish consumption for local grocery shoppers in Bath. These will be displayed at the fish counter in the Bath Shaw’s. Students will attend the Ecology School in Saco, ME for three-days and two-nights (October 27th-29th) to further explore coastal ecosystems in Maine. Additionally, students will take on a design challenge to create a zero bycatch trap for commercial fisheries. Students will use the expertise of scientists from the Gulf of Maine Research Institute who specialize in trap design to innovate their own designs. These designs will be displayed during the symposium at the expedition culmination.
The global perspective of our world’s oceans during the first case study through the anchor texts, World Without Fish and Flush will lay the groundwork to shift to the local focus of the coast of Maine. The coast of Maine is our home and integral to our lives. During the case study, “The Green Crab Invasion” students will learn about how this important resource is at stake and how the dynamics of this ecosystem are becoming altered due to an invasive species. Through an investigation of the European green crab, students will conduct green crab surveys in conjunction with the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT) and Gulf of Maine Research Institutes’ (GMRI) Vital Signs program. This field work will be to compile multi-year data on the local green crab population. Students will be collecting data and comparing their own data to data collected by Bath Middle School students during the 2013-2014 school year at 3 study sites. Their survey results will be submitted into the Vital Signs database (online citizen science community) and then analyzed and compiled into a scientific report to be presented to local stakeholders during a symposium at Bath City Hall as a culmination to the expedition.
The global perspective of our world’s oceans during the first case study through the anchor texts, World Without Fish and Flush will lay the groundwork to shift to the local focus of the coast of Maine. The coast of Maine is our home and integral to our lives. During the case study, “The Green Crab Invasion” students will learn about how this important resource is at stake and how the dynamics of this ecosystem are becoming altered due to an invasive species. Through an investigation of the European green crab, students will conduct green crab surveys in conjunction with the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT) and Gulf of Maine Research Institutes’ (GMRI) Vital Signs program. This field work will be to compile multi-year data on the local green crab population. Students will be collecting data and comparing their own data to data collected by Bath Middle School students during the 2013-2014 school year at 3 study sites. Their survey results will be submitted into the Vital Signs database (online citizen science community) and then analyzed and compiled into a scientific report to be presented to local stakeholders during a symposium at Bath City Hall as a culmination to the expedition.