Student Project

The primary focus of this project was to engage my students in conducting research on the ocean environment. My students were asked to identify a topic that could be developed into a project. They were engaged in an open-ended discussion in which they were directed to create a concept map of everything they knew about the ocean. Afterwards, they listed all of their questions. The project selected was Aquatic Life in the Ocean.

In groups, students selected organisms to research. Students had roles such as writer, researcher, artist and reader. They were given time to make collective decisions about how to organize their work for final publication.

Students took a field trip to the New York City Aquarium and visited the Atlantis, a scientific research vessel.

Objectives

This project was designed to give students an opportunity to study how organisms are connected within the Killer Whale food chain and how pollution affects life in the ocean. It also encouraged my students to use their imagination to do creative writing.

Sample Activity - Killer Whale food chain
Students drew a Killer Whale food chain. They used literature and art skills.

Research Questions

• How does air pressure affect living organisms in the ocean?
• How can organisms live at the bottom of the ocean?
• What determines the temperature of the ocean?
• How does weather affect life in the ocean?
• How do sand and rocks affect the ocean floor?
• How does the water cycle affect the ocean?
• Does salt in the ocean water evaporate into the atmosphere?
• How are organisms affected by pollution in the ocean?
• What is the food chain of the Killer Whale?
• If one organism in the food chain dies, how are the others affected?

Science and MST Standards Addressed

This project addresses the national science standards (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7) and the New York State MST standards (1, 4, 6, 7).

Evaluation/Assessment Plan

Student assessment was based upon my evaluation of the quality of research, creative writing and a final exam.