Keeping Watch on Coral Reefs

Keeping Watch on Coral Reefs
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/corals/lessons/keep_watch.html

NOAA Ocean Service Education

This activity identifies and explains the benefits of and threats to coral reef systems. Students read tutorials, describe the role of satellites, analyze oceanographic data and identify actions that can be undertaken to reduce or eliminate threats to coral reefs. As a culminating activity, students prepare a public education program.

Activity takes one or two 45-minute class periods. Computer access is useful but not required.

Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness»

See how this Activity supports the Next Generation Science Standards»
High School: 1 Performance Expectation, 2 Disciplinary Core Ideas, 5 Cross Cutting Concepts, 6 Science and Engineering Practices

Excellence in Environmental Education Guidelines

2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.2 The Living Environment:A) Organisms, populations, and communities
Other materials addressing:
A) Organisms, populations, and communities.

2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.2 The Living Environment:C) Systems and connections
Other materials addressing:
C) Systems and connections.

Notes From Our Reviewers The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials
Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy | Technical Details

Teaching Tips

If students do not have access to the Internet, educator can download copies of materials cited under “Learning Procedure” and provide copies of these materials to students.
Students read about human impacts on coral in the tutorial. Educators will need to reinforce this concept in the discussion after the data collection activity.
There is a complementary and overlapping activity at: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/corals/lessons/coral_bleach.html. It uses the same material and asks students to demonstrate their understanding of coral bleaching through writing and public presentation.
Activity is linked to Ocean Literacy Essential Principles.

About the Science

Gives thorough coverage of the science in the background section.
Includes a section on mitigation strategies.
Comment from scientist: This is as extremely comprehensive set set of tools to enhance a variety of lessons on both coral reef ecology and about the technology used to do remote sensing.
Comment from scientist: The activity doesn't introduce the scientific process of how to pose a hypothesis or how to design an experiment. This is very much an advanced tool for those that already know the scientific method.

About the Pedagogy

Opportunities for students to work in teams to gather evidence and draw conclusions.
Because the material is extensive, it is well suited for adaptation for a variety of students' learning needs.
Clear student instructions and educator background section.
The tutorials are interactive and engaging.

Technical Details/Ease of Use

Ready to go. All necessary materials are available.
Here is an updated link for Part 1 Step 2:http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/index.php and a link to the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation site http://coralreef.noaa.gov/ for Extension #2.
Links for the first two Overview Essays and Resources are out of date. Here are updates http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/oceans/corals/ and http://www.coris.noaa.gov/about/what_are/
Some of the links in the Resources section of the activity may no longer be available.

Learn more about CLEAN and NGSS

Next Generation Science Standards See how this Activity supports:

High School (see details)

High School

Performance Expectations: 1

HS-LS2-7: Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 2

HS-ESS3.C1:The sustainability of human societies and the biodiversity that supports them requires responsible management of natural resources.

HS-LS2.C:Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience

Cross Cutting Concepts: 5

Patterns, Cause and effect, Systems and System Models, Stability and Change

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Patterns, Cause and effect, Systems and System Models, Stability and Change

HS-C1.1:Different patterns may be observed at each of the scales at which a system is studied and can provide evidence for causality in explanations of phenomena

HS-C2.1:Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects.

HS-C2.2:Cause and effect relationships can be suggested and predicted for complex natural and human designed systems by examining what is known about smaller scale mechanisms within the system.

HS-C4.2:When investigating or describing a system, the boundaries and initial conditions of the system need to be defined and their inputs and outputs analyzed and described using models.

HS-C7.1:Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things change and how they remain stable.

Science and Engineering Practices: 6

Analyzing and Interpreting Data, Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions, Engaging in Argument from Evidence, Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

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Analyzing and Interpreting Data, Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions, Engaging in Argument from Evidence, Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

HS-P4.1:Analyze data using tools, technologies, and/or models (e.g., computational, mathematical) in order to make valid and reliable scientific claims or determine an optimal design solution.

HS-P6.1:Make a quantitative and/or qualitative claim regarding the relationship between dependent and independent variables.

HS-P6.2:Construct and revise an explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from a variety of sources (including students’ own investigations, models, theories, simulations, peer review) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

HS-P6.4:Apply scientific reasoning, theory, and/or models to link evidence to the claims to assess the extent to which the reasoning and data support the explanation or conclusion.

HS-P7.4:Construct, use, and/or present an oral and written argument or counter-arguments based on data and evidence.

HS-P8.5:Communicate scientific and/or technical information or ideas (e.g. about phenomena and/or the process of development and the design and performance of a proposed process or system) in multiple formats (i.e., orally, graphically, textually, mathematically).

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