Download the pdf of this lesson

Topic:

Students simulate field research by working in small teams to collect, analyze, and discuss data on local populations of Black Sea Bass.

Audience:

Elementary, Middle, and High School

Length:

Two 40-minute class periods

NJ State Standards:

• 5.3.2.C.3 – Humans can change natural habitats in ways that can be helpful or harmful for the plants and animals that live there.

• 5.3.6.C.1 – Various human activities have changed the capacity of the environment to support some life forms.

• 5.3.8.E.1 – Individual organisms with certain traits are more likely than others to survive and have offspring in particular environments.

• 5.3.12.C.2 – Stability in an ecosystem can be disrupted by natural or human interactions.

Key Concept:

Fish population fluctuate over time and the actions of human can influence the fluctuations in positive and negative ways.

Introduction:

This activity is intended to help students understand how fisheries scientists collect and analyze data about the local fish populations. Through a simulate field seasons, students are exposed to what fish science in the field looks like. Also, students must analyze their data and compare it with the 40 years of actual Black Sea Bass data. The activity is meant to model the work of fisheries scientists and enable students to see natural fluctuations and the effects of humans on wild populations.

Background:

Black Sea Bass are important fish species in both commercial and recreational fisheries in New Jersey; they range from Maine to Florida. The Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils manage the fisheries. The population decreased from the early 1970s to the late 1990s, but currently is recovering to higher levels. Black Sea Bass provide a good example of fluctuations in a fish population and successful fisheries management.

Overview:

Overall:

The three goals for the activity are:

• Estimate the current Black Sea Bass population in the Mid-Atlantic region.
• Determine what sorts of changes (if any) are occurring in the Black Sea Bass population over time.
• Decide what can be done to prevent damage to the Black Sea Bass population.

Session 1:

To prepare, create the Mid-Atlantic region on the floor of your classroom (Image of Mid-Atlantic region set-up with blue and green boundaries). There will be up to 100 quadrats laid out in the Mid-Atlantic region (black boxes in image). On the under side of the quadrats will be information about what happens in that space (see Resources below).

During the activity, students first are introduced to the activity goals and their challenge: given limited time and resources, how can they accurately estimate a Black Sea Bass population? Ask the students how a scientist migh accomplish these goals? After brainstorming ideas, students test their methods for data collection and afterwards classmates discuss why they place their confidence in one method over another.

Then present your students with a standardized method for sampling and estimating the population of an organism in the field. Students work in small research teams to randomly select study sites and conduct “fishing collection trips” to collect data. Once they have recorded their data they will work to analyze the raw data and convert it into a useable format. From the raw data students calculate the mean length of Black Sea Bass sampled, the sex ratio of the populations, estimates of the population density, and the percentage of males in different length bins within the population.

Session 2:

To prepare, make large replicas of the Black Sea Bass Data Over Time line graph (see Resources below). These data are of the total biomass (estimated size of the Black Sea Bass population in the ocean) and total landings (number of Black Sea Bass that were caught in the commercial and recreational fisheries) from 1968 to 2007 that are used in the Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan. If you had your students calculate the percentage of male Black Sea Bass in the population, also create a large replica of the Percent Male by Length graph (see Resources below).

Through the activity their goal is to determine an overall population estimate, account for any discrepancies, observe and compare their results with results from previous years, and determine if any meaningful recommendations can be generated for the future of the local Black Sea Bass population. During the activity, student teams share their data in a conference setting. After recording all of the class data, tell the students the actual size of the Black Sea Bass population and show them the graph with the Total Biomass of Black Sea Bass from 1968-2007. Using the data, ask the students to report on patterns over time in the Black Sea Bass population.

Then show the students the graph of Total Biomass and Total Landings of Black Sea Bass from 1968-2007. Again using the data, ask the students to report on patterns over time in the Black Sea Bass population. Engage the students in a discussion about comparing the total biomass and total landings over time. What does this mean?

Wrap-up:

1. Once the students have finished- distribute a sheet of paper and pen/pencil to each students. Have them do a “Quick Write” about: What are the short term, medium term, and long-term consequences to the total biomass of Black Sea Bass by increasing the amount of fishing pressure? What about decreasing the amount of fishing pressure? What arguments and evidence can you give to support your predictions?
2. Lead a whole group discussion and have students share their predictions with the class
3. Write the key concept (Fish populations fluctuate over time and the actions of humans can influence the fluctuations in positive and negative ways) on the board.
4. Ask the students if they have other observations or comments about the activity.
5. How do you think real marine organisms decide where and when they are going to migrate?

Materials:

For Session 1:

For the class:

• Poster of challenge goals
• Two 50-ft ropes to mark the boundaries of the Mid-Atlantic region
• 100 quadrats (1 ft x 1 ft)

For each student group:

• 1 bag of numbered pieces (poker chips, small tiles, pieces of paper, etc.)
• Calcualators
• 1 Clipboard
• 1 Data Sheet

For Session 2:

For the class:

• Graph of Black Sea Bass Data Over Time
• 1 sheet of large chart paper
• Colored Markers

For each student group:

• 1 sheet of 8.5″ x 11″ paper
• 1 pen/pencil
• 1 Clipboard

Safety Precautions:

Students must walk and interact with one another during the field season part of this activity.

Resources:

Data for the activity:

• Black Sea Bass Data Over Time (Graph and Data Table)
• Black Sea Bass Sex Ratio (Graph and Data Table)

Materials for the activity:

• Black Sea Bass Encounter Quadrats
• Black Sea Bass Student Data Sheet

]]>

Join us for an exciting evening ocean science lecture and a curriculum session.

Dr. Olaf Jensen

The Jensen lab studies fisheries and aquatic ecosystems – including marine, estuarine, and freshwater environments. Their research ranges from field studies of endangered salmonids in Mongolia to meta-analysis of stock assessment data to better understand fish population dynamics. If you’re interested in learning more about what they do visit the Research page on the lab website.

Agenda-
6:00 – 6:15 pm: Check-in, Socialize, and Door Prizes
6:15 – 7:30 pm: Lecture and Q&A
7:30 – 8:30 pm: Lesson plan/demonstration and Discussion

** Please bring an example of a prop, educational material, or lesson plan that you use to teach your students about fish and fisheries. **

Registration-
Register by Friday, January 13, 2012 (click here to register).
If you are attending in person you will receive FREE materials, a light super, and a certificate of professional development hours.
However, if you are unable to attend in person we will be broadcasting the event over the internet. We ask that you register as well if you plan on watching the broadcast so we may ensure that it works well for you.

Background Materials & Lesson Plans-
Visit the Teacher Opportunities page on the MARE website to access background materials and lesson plans related to the event.

Parking-
Upon registration for the event, you will receive an email with the necessary parking pass to download, print, and display on your dashboard. Parking is available across from the Institute of Marine & Coastal Sciences (IMCS) building.

Maps-
Here are two maps to help you navigate to the event.

Zoomed out map of IMCS building on Rutgers University

Zoomed in map of IMCS building and parking

Workshop Time: 8am –5pm

Workshop Location: Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City

Workshop Participants – WHO should attend?
Early career scientists:

• Those holding a doctoral degree and who are employed in a post-doctoral or tenure-track (or tenure-track-equivalent) position as an assistant professor (or equivalent title)
• Advanced graduate student at an accredited U.S. institution

Workshop Purpose – WHY should I attend?
Scientists are increasingly being asked to communicate the “broader impacts” of their work. With the threat of a decline in both the scientific workforce and the public’s literacy on ocean and environmental science issues, the time is now for stepping up our efforts to promote ocean literacy.

Although there is no single approach for a successful integrated research and education plan, this workshop will build the foundation for attendees to think creatively about how their research will impact their education goals and, conversely, how their education activities will feed back into their research. When research and education are effectively interconnected, the process of discovery can help stimulate learning and the resulting research can be communicated to a broader audience.

Workshop Focus:
The Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) facilitates partnerships between scientists and education professionals (including formal and informal educators, learning scientists, psychologists, and media professionals) to collectively work toward the improvement of public literacy about our ocean. Please join us for a workshop series that will include both face-to-face and online sessions, featuring demonstrations and discussions to address skills that include:

• Deconstructing your science
• Understanding learning theories concerning how people learn that you can apply to your teaching and science presentations
• Building effective communication techniques
• Broaden the reach of your science

This face-to-face workshop will be followed up with a series of required online sessions.

Stipend:Participants attending the Professional Development workshop and the webinar series will receive a stipend of $500.

Unfortunately, this workshop is full. If you would like to be put on the waiting list, please contact Carrie at ferraro@marine.rutgers.edu. In addition, lunchtime workshops covering similar information will be held throughout the week at the Ocean Sciences meeting. Check the schedule for the “Ladder of Success” workshops being held from 12:30 to 2pm from Monday to Thursday.

For more information, please download the workshop agenda.

The scientists are especially curious to hear your questions.

• If you are a classroom teacher, and you’re just getting back to school, this cruise is a great way to engage your students in real-time ocean science research.
• Even if your school year don’t start for a few more weeks, the site can help you showcase recent research connected to important scientific concepts. Plus, the site will be available throughout the early fall for you to ask questions related to the research stories you see.
• We especially encourage leaders of 4-H or scout clubs and informal educators to use this cruise in your programs. It’s a great way to engage participants in conversations about cool science, as well as what it takes to be a science leader (aka “chief scientist”).

We invite everyone to check out the daily updates, scientist, teacher and crew profiles, expedition technologies, and featured stories about some important elements in the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem.

The cruise will be at sea until August 19th, blogging constantly and answering your questions.

The winners, who participated in the Marine Activities Resources & Education (MARE) program at Rutgers, showed the event attendees their knowledge of the biology of clams by leading a dissection of some local bay clams.

This project was the result of NSF funded broader impact statement on grant# 0909484 with Drs. Bonnie McCay, Eric Powell, and Dale Haidvogel. COSEE NOW supported the outreach work with the teachers and students, the production of an Ocean Gazing podcast, and the project website.

Developed by: Katie Gardner, Kate Florio, Cathy Yehas, Aly Busse

Download the pdf of this lesson

Topic:

Introduce different species that depend on specific water conditions for survival. Participants take on the role of a species forced to migrate to stay in its favored water conditions over the course of one year.

Audience:

Age 9 and older

Length:

30 minutes

NJ State Standards:

• 5.3.4.C – Interdependence

Objectives:

• Compare and contrast how marine and terrestrial animals generally inhabit their environment
• Describe possible reactions to changes in an animals’ environment

Introduction:

This activity is intended to help students understand how marine organisms can react to changes in their environment through role-play. While this is by no-means entirely scientifically accurate, it is meant to model the behavior of animals in response to habitat changes.

Background:

Within the open ocean, habitat is often defined by the physical water conditions present, such as temperature and salinity. Species inhabiting the open ocean might have several different responses to changing temperatures. They could go dormant, have a wide range of conditions they live in, or they move with the favorable conditions. Many migrations in the ocean are triggered by changing conditions.

Materials:

• Playing tarp (See ConstructionGuide_Fish_Migration.pdf for instructions to make this.)
  Additional materials are listed in the construction guide to prepare the playing tarp.
• Color print out of fish cards (Fish_Cards.pdf)
• Paper cutter – fish cards are printed 2 per page
• Laminator (optional – to protect fish cards)
• Container of small tokens to use as Energy Points (paper clips, or beads for example)
• Small cups, one per student to hold their supply of Energy Points
• Powerpoint presentation (Fish_Migration_Game.ppt)
• Computer Projector
• Projection Screen
• Small binder clips (have 2 per student available)

Procedure:

I. Preparation

1. Print fish cards, and cut pages in half, so each card is only displaying information about one fish. (If desired, laminate the cards to protect and improve durability).
2. Lay out playing tarp
3. Set-up projector with PowerPoint Presentation in a way that students won’t block the projection while on the tarp.
4. Pass out the one Fish Card to each of the players in the game
5. Pass out 6 energy points to each player to start the game

II. Activity

This activity relies on the honesty of players. Students may decide to cheat to “win” by not paying enough for movement, or moving to “safe” squares while unobserved. This needs to be strongly discouraged, “dying” is not a failure, just a lesson learned.

Explain the rules:

1. There will be 12 rounds to this game- one for each month of the year.
2. The students (who are now playing the role of an animal, using information they get from the Fish Cards) will have to make decisions based on the information on their card.
3. The object is for each student to try to ‘survive’ the year by keeping their animal in the habitat that it likes to live in (information found on the Fish Cards) and to have enough food to keep moving on their migration/movement path.
4. The students have to move around the playing tarp trying to stay within their particular animals’ range of habitat requirements.
5. The colored areas on the slides represent different temperatures of ocean water, which will change each turn because they change each month; the salinity of the open ocean is relatively constant, and students will not have to worry about this during game play.
6. The yellow stars are food sources (energy points).
7. Each turn:
• The facilitator will announce the month that is that turn.
• A map will appear with the SST for that month (via PowerPoint)
• The facilitator will then hand out energy points to any animal standing on a food source at the beginning of the turn. (4 points) Note: No food is given at the being of the first month as students have just received 6 energy tokens to start the game.
• The students must decide if they are going to use energy to move towards their (end) goal location or if they should wait (end location information on Fish Cards).
• If they decide to move, the students must pay the energy amount to move (1 point per square moved, students may move in any direction, including diagonally).
• If at any time, the student does not have enough energy to move, they cannot move; they are stuck! Their fish survives as long as whatever changes in water temperature that occurs to that area is within their comfort range.
• Students can obtain more energy points by standing on a food-rich area at the beginning of the month. (4 points)
• Those animals that did not survive the month are out of the game and should sit on the side. This means that any student who is outside the temperature range of their fish species at the end of the month once they’ve had a chance to move, dies. (Alternate: students who are out of the game could choose an active player’s species to track for the rest of the game).
• Students will receive a binder clip when they reach their mid-point, and another when they reach their finish point.
• Students do not have to be on their Start/Finish Location at the end of turn 12 if they have both binder clips.
8. If an animal completes their migration without going outside of their comfort range of temperature, they win!

Evaluation:

1. Once the students have finished- either reached their migration goal or didn’t succeed, talk about the factors that effected their travels:
1. What was the hardest part:
• Not knowing what the water temperatures would be?
• Trying to stay in the range of temperature?
• Having enough food to survive?
2. How do you think real marine organisms decide where and when they are going to migrate?

Safety Precautions:

Students must walk at all times during this game.

Extension:

Have students select a species on the tagging of Pacific predators website and observe it’s movements within the Pacific basin. Try comparing the movements of those species to ocean conditions at the same time, (view live data). Can students determine what factors influence the migration patterns of these predators?

Resources:

These files can be used if you have a colorblind student.

• Color print out of fish cards (Fish_Cards_Colorblind)
  The winter flounder should be used for a color blind student, this can be passed out without singling the student out in anyway.
• PowerPoint presentation with geometric pattern (Fish_Migration_Game_ColorBlind)

Additional Links:

• Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP): observe migration paths of satellite tagged species of predators.
• Near Real Time Data with TOPP: compare the movements of tagged species to water conditions.
]]> http://coseenow.net/blog/2011/04/move-it-or-lose-it/feed/ 3 http://coseenow.net/blog/2011/04/move-it-or-lose-it/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cosee-now/~3/z_eP0IxUySA/ http://coseenow.net/blog/2011/04/seasonality-in-the-ocean/#comments Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:37:49 +0000 Katie Gardner http://coseenow.net/?p=3302

Developed by: Katie Gardner, and Kate Florio

Download the pdf of this lesson



Topic:

Explore the concept of seasonality within the ocean. Compare and contrast differences between seasons on land and seasons in the ocean. Discuss the reasons for the similarities and differences. Students will be introduced to ocean data in the form of sea surface color (chlorophyll) and sea surface temperature (SST).

Audience:

Grades 8 – 12

Length:

30 to 45 minutes

NJ State Standards:

• 5.1.A – Understand Scientific Explanations
• 5.4.A – Objects in the Universe
• 5.4.E – Energy in Earth Systems
• 5.4.F – Weather and Climate
• 5.4.G – Biogeochemical Cycles

Objectives:

• Observe similarities and differences between seasons on land and seasons in the ocean.
• Explain scientifically why differences are observed, and why there are similarities.
• Use understanding of seasons to interpret ocean observing system data products.

Introduction:

This activity is meant to open discussion on the idea of seasonality within the ocean. How would students know what season it is if they didn’t have a calendar? What things do they think of in the spring, summer, fall, winter? Does the ocean have seasons? Do all places in the world have the same seasons?

Background:



The data products used for this activity are seven year monthly composites of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Ocean Color measured and compiled from the New York Bight region of the Atlantic Basin. Four months of the year (January, April, July, and October) were chosen as representative of a season.

SST data is measured using satellites, which record infrared radiation from the ocean surface in several different wavelengths. This can be a good real world application to discuss or review the electromagnetic spectrum. The temperature values measured are converted to a color in order to create a false color map. False color maps are created as a visual tool to observe patterns and differences within the data collected. These maps are not in true-life color nor are they photographs/pictures.

Ocean color is a satellite measure of how green the water appears. This measure is a proxy* for the amount of chlorophyll in the ocean. Chlorophyll is a chemical in plants that facilitates photosynthesis, allowing plants to convert sunlight and CO2 into organic compounds for energy and structure. Most varieties of this chemical are green, and this is why many plants are green. Chlorophyll is present in ocean plants too, the mostly microscopic forms of phytoplankton found in the surface ocean. More green means more chlorophyll, and hence more plants. This data is also presented as a false color map.

*A proxy is measuring one thing, and directly relating it to another variable that we are interested in. Proxies are often used when direct measurement of a variable is not easily performed, or available.

Materials:

• Color printouts of the Chlorophyll and Temperature Data Sheets* (SeasonalDataSheets.pdf)
• One Plastic sheet protector for each print out sheet (optional)

* This data was provided by Rutgers University Coastal Ocean Observation Laboratory (RU COOL), specifically for this lesson. It is a 7 year composite from 2000-2006 of January, April, July, and October. Each data page represents one month. The use of composite data was chosen to focus students on patterns of temperature and chlorophyll.

Procedure:

I. Preparation

1. Print out one set of data sheets for each pair or group of students
2. Slide each sheet into a plastic sheet protector if desired

II. Activity

1. Hand out color copies of the chlorophyll/temperature data.
   There are 4 pages of data; each page is one month of the year.
2. Have students work in pairs or small groups of to decide which page is in each season, and order them winter, spring, summer, fall.
3. Some questions that would help guide students could include:
1. When is the most chlorophyll present? Why?
2. Does this data show seasons in the ocean the same way we think of seasons on land?
3. What other data could you look up that would show changes in seasons?
4. When viewing these data sheets, do not rely on the chlorophyll data directly along the coast. This coastal growth is seen year round. It grows on the nutrients entering the ocean in estuaries, as rivers bring their load in from the continent; there is also a lot of sediment and other particles that can color the water in these areas (remember we are using color as a proxy for chlorophyll). Connections can be made between this and health of watersheds. Ocean blooms will be seen further from the coast.
5. Data Sheet Key:
1. Fall – highest water temperatures, bloom in the ocean is fading to yellow and small in size.
2. Winter – low water temperatures, little to no phytoplankton in St. Georges Bank region.
3. Summer – warm temperatures, slightly smaller orange bloom in ocean.
4. Spring – cold water temperatures, large bright red bloom in the ocean.

Evaluation:

Have students share how they ordered the data sheets, and then explain whether they are correct or not. Students often need help understanding the discrepancies between what they think about seasons, and what is observed in the ocean. The temperature data can be misleading if you use your experience with air temperatures. Summer has the hottest months for air; however water has a much higher heat capacity than air. This means that it takes longer to heat up in the spring, and longer to cool down in the fall. The highest surface ocean temperatures are generally recorded in early September and slowly cool through the fall.

The growth of phytoplankton is related to two major factors: the availability of nutrients, and amount of sunlight. Focus on the bloom that occurs in the ocean off of Massachusetts’ Cape Cod, not along the coastline. This region is known as St. Georges Bank, a productive fishery. During the short days of winter, there is little primary productivity seen in the section of ocean shown on the data sheets. Storms are common in the region throughout the winter months, and this serves to mix the water column, bringing up nutrients from deeper water. As the days lengthen, phytoplankton use the nutrients in the water to reproduce quickly, leading to the spring bloom. As spring progresses, warming temperatures will start to stratify the surface ocean , forming layers which block continued upwelling of nutrients. The phytoplankton use up their nutrients and the bloom reduces in size. There is some recycling of nutrients within the surface through the summer, and also heavy grazing by zooplankton. As the days shorten in the fall, productivity drops off. The cooler surface water is less stratified, and storms aid in mixing; starting the seasonal cycle over.




The above composite data is a cross section of temperatures produced by Slocum gliders off the coast of New Jersey. It is shown to illustrate what is meant by temperature stratification in summer vs. winter. A similar temperature pattern is seen in the St. Georges Banks region. Winter temperatures are similar from surface to bottom due to mixing. Summer temperatures are stratified. In this image, a thermocline has developed at 15m depth. A thermocline is a horizontal boundary across which a sharp change in temperature is measured. A connection to water density and the relationship to temperature can be made here.

Extension:

Following the activity and explanation, can students explain why one location on the coast experiences different climate than a location at the same latitude on the interior of a continent? (New York City vs. Chicago) Can students relate the heat capacity of water in the ocean to having a local effect on nearby land masses? What climate differences would students expect to observe based on their reasoning? Have students find climate data to support their reasoning.

Resources:

• Earth Exploration Toolbook explains in more detail some of the dynamics associated with ocean blooms.
• The CoolRoom is an ocean data source for public users.
• RUCOOL is a source for a wider array of both real time and older ocean data.
]]> http://coseenow.net/blog/2011/04/seasonality-in-the-ocean/feed/ 0 http://coseenow.net/blog/2011/04/seasonality-in-the-ocean/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cosee-now/~3/v5uZl92ZQI0/ http://coseenow.net/blog/2011/04/sea-3-d/#comments Fri, 22 Apr 2011 19:57:20 +0000 Kate Florio http://coseenow.net/?p=3251 Developed by: Kate Florio, Katie Gardner, Cathy Yehas, Aly Busse

Download the pdf of this lesson

Topic:

Establish the three-dimensional nature of ocean habitats, and expand to idea that there is not a uniform temperature and salinity throughout the ocean.



Audience:

Grades 5 – 8

Length:

45 minutes

NJ State Standards:

• 5.1.8.B – Generate Scientific Evidence through Active Investigations
• 5.1.8.D – Participate Productively in Science
• 5.4.8.E – Energy in Earth Systems
• 5.4.8.F – Climate and Weather

Objectives:

Students will be able to:

• Build an understanding of what a cross section is
• Experience an introduction to real time data
• Work with a visual aid when first learning about complex data
• Gain skills to interpret real time data and false color images

Introduction:

This lesson explores the properties of seawater with depth. The ocean is three-dimensional and physical properties can change with depth as well as horizontal distance. Students translate false color ocean data from a three-dimensional model into a two-dimensional image to help them contextualize the information, and then discuss the changes in ocean properties with depth and their effects on circulation and biology.

Background:

The density of seawater is affected by temperature, salinity, and depth. Differences in density result in layers of water masses in the ocean. Many layers have distinct characteristics that allow scientists to determine that water mass’ origin and track its movement over time. Salinity has a larger impact on water density than temperature but is less likely to fluctuate a lot over time in the open ocean. Density driven currents, known as thermohaline circulation are one of the major forces mixing seawater vertically in the ocean, and bringing nutrients from the deep sea to the photic zone in biologically productive upwelling zones. Water masses may also have characteristic nutrient concentrations, allowing scientists to study the links between circulation and biology. Real time data from autonomous underwater vehicles allows scientists to study current conditions and changing conditions in near surface water masses. Some of the features commonly studied include the thermocline, a layer where there is a sharp separation in water temperature, and the halocline, similarly the layer where there is a sudden change in salinity.

Materials:

• Student worksheet with bathymetric profile being studied
• Pencils
• Crayons or colored pencils
• Laptops for students to access real-time data (if available/desired)
• Foam Box with map and data columns (See related Construction Guide and Layout Guide .)

Procedure:

I. Preparation

A. Prepare the boxes as directed in the Construction Guide .

B. Look at real-time data ahead of time and choose some profiles you would like to highlight with students. Some ideas include:

Current local conditions

Interesting ongoing research

Concurrent profiles for temperature, salinity, and density

II. Activity

A. Students will work in groups using the model. Students are to create a cross section of a seawater property using the data available from the model blocks.

B. Review false color with students – what is false color, and what do the colors on the scale you will be using represent.



C. Have students select a block to lift. They will place it horizontally on their paper in the correct water column (lining up the bathymetry), and mark the colors on their paper based on the block. Be sure to have them note again what the colors they are using represent.

D. Students will replace the first block, and choose another to repeat the process.

The goal will be for students to create a cross section of ocean data on their paper by transferring the information from the 3-d blocks into a 2-d format.

E. Have students fill in the holes in their data as they color to create the full cross section.

Optional: you may have students choose only one or two of the blocks and predict what the full cross section will look like. Then they may use the remaining blocks to check their answers.

F. Define thermocline and halocline for students. Have them determine whether the data you have used for your model depicts a thermocline or halocline.

G. You may also give students composite data collected from gliders for each of the four seasons. Challenge them to locate the thermocline or halocline on each data set.



H. Discuss the seasonal differences in thermo/halocline, if any, that students observed.

I. Have students discuss what impact their observations might have on organisms living in this region.

Resources:

You can access both current and archived Slocum glider data from Rutgers University’s Coastal Ocean Observation Lab (the COOL Room) here:

http://marine.rutgers.edu/cool/auvs/

]]> http://coseenow.net/blog/2011/04/sea-3-d/feed/ 0 http://coseenow.net/blog/2011/04/sea-3-d/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cosee-now/~3/MpMmBH5z9Dg/ http://coseenow.net/blog/2011/04/the-carbon-cycle-game/#comments Wed, 20 Apr 2011 22:09:19 +0000 Kate Florio http://coseenow.net/?p=3060 Developed by: Kate Florio, Katie Gardner

Download the pdf of this lesson

Topic:

Introduce students to the importance of carbon and its cycling between the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem and earth system.

Audience:

Grades 8 – 12

Length:

20 to 45 minutes

NJ State Standards:

• 5.4.G – Biogeochemical cycles

Objectives:

Students will be able to:

• Model the movement of carbon through different reservoirs.
• Compare and contrast fast and slow processes (short and long residence times) that move carbon.
• Understand that the path taken by an atom through a biogeochemical cycle is complex, not a circle, and provide an example of conservation of matter.
• Put processes such as photosynthesis and respiration in the larger context of biogeochemical cycling.

Introduction:

Students will take on the role of a carbon atom and record which reservoirs in the carbon cycle they visit. They will compare and contrast their trip with those of their classmates to discover information about sources and sinks, and residence times of the different reservoirs. Ocean processes are highlighted to allow the educator to define the biological pump and explain its importance to climate.



Background:

Understanding the sources and sinks of atmospheric carbon dioxide is necessary to understanding the causes and consequences of climate change. The carbon cycle is complex, with many reservoirs both living and nonliving, each with a number of sources and sinks. To put the carbon cycle in the context of understanding climate change and the issues scientists are concerned with, we focus on the sinks of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and the fate of the carbon after it is removed from the atmosphere. As people burn fossil fuels for energy, large amounts of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere. This introduces a large source of both carbon, and a greenhouse gas. Scientists interested in the long term effects and possible outcomes of this source of greenhouse gas are interested in sinks that not only remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but provide a source of carbon to a reservoir with a long residence time. Understanding the connections between reservoirs, and the interaction between long and short residence times, is very helpful in understanding ongoing scientific research and its importance to concerns about climate change.

Materials:

• Carbon Cycle Game Dice(Color or black and white)
• Scissors
• Scrap paper (optional but recommended)
• Tape
• String or lanyard (at least an 8” length per student)
• Pony beads (white, light blue, dark blue, light green, pink, dark green, orange, purple, grey, and brown; if not necessarily these, you will need 10 distinctly different colors)
• Cups (at least one for each station)
• Carbon reservoir Station Markers (Color or black and white)
• Carbon Cycle Game Worksheet (1 per student)
• Pencils or pens
• Unopened undisturbed bottle of seltzer or clear soda (optional)

Procedure:

I. Preparation

A. Print out the Carbon Cycle Game Dice (color or black and white, your choice):

It is helpful, but not necessary, to have more than one die for each station.

B. Cut out the dice and crease along the lines between the faces.

C. Tape the open edges together to make a cube.

It is helpful to weight the dice with a ball of scrap paper about the same size as the finished cube. Filled dice roll more easily than empty ones.

D. Print out the Station Markers (color or black and white).

E. Set up each station in a different location around the room. Each station should have:

1. At least one die. (Duplicates are especially helpful for the Atmosphere and Surface Ocean stations; students will visit these often, and not having to wait in line to roll dice will make gameplay faster.)

2. A station marker posted where students can easily see it once moving around the room.

3. A cup filled with the corresponding color of beads.

F. Cut lengths of string or lanyard for each student and knot one end.

II. Activity

A. Review with students why carbon is so important (to biology, and climate).

B. Tell students they are going to pretend to be a carbon atom moving through the carbon cycle. Review the water cycle as a familiar concept, and introduce terms such as reservoir, source, and sink using the water cycle as an example.

C. Go over what reservoirs will be included in the carbon cycle game.

Note for students that there are many other reservoirs we are not including, such as fossil fuels.

D. Review the rules of the game:

1. Students will keep track of their journey by adding a bead to their string to represent each reservoir they visit.

2. Students should add a bead first, so they don’t forget, then roll the dice.

3. Students should read the dice carefully for information about the process that is moving them from one reservoir to another, and then go to their next station as instructed by the dice.

4. If a die tells them to stay in place for a turn, they should add another bead of that color before re-rolling.

5. As students represent carbon, an element, they don’t “want” to go to any particular place. There is no “goal” they are trying to get to and they should go where the dice take them. Each turn they should roll the appropriate die ONCE, and whatever it says is what they do.

(Monitor students during game play to make sure they are not cheating, i.e. “I wanted a ____ bead!”)

6. Students should continue moving through the cycle until they have fifteen beads on their string.

E. Give students their starting location. The carbon cycle is a large and complex topic, so how you distribute them is up to whatever connections you would like to make during the discussion portion.

1. If you would primarily like to discuss residence time, start a couple groups of students in the atmosphere and surface ocean, and a couple in the sediments and deep ocean dissolved reservoirs.

This is where it is helpful to have duplicate dice for some stations – if you would like eight students to start in the atmosphere, you may want to make at least eight atmosphere dice.

2. For the biological pump, start all students in the atmosphere and surface ocean. Be sure you don’t let any students begin in deep ocean particles or ocean sediments.

3. Once students get the hang of it, the game goes quickly, so if you have enough materials you can certainly run the game more than once, with a slightly different focus each time.

F. Monitor students as they move through the cycle and remind them of the rules if needed.

G. When students have finished their cycle, pass out worksheets and have them decode their string of beads back to which reservoirs they represent.

H. Have students compare their cycle to their neighbors’.

I. Use the diagram to represent the journey through the cycle as a series of arrows. Is a cycle a circle?

J. Discuss the journeys students took. Possible discussion topics include:

1. Overall, which reservoirs did students visit the most?

2. Which reservoirs have long residence times? Which have short residence times?

3. What are the processes that move carbon from one reservoir to another? (Choose a few to highlight.)

Use the seltzer or soda to discuss carbon dioxide moving between air and water. Initially many students will use the terms “evaporation” and “condensation” when you ask them how carbon moves from one to the other; remind them that those are terms for the water cycle and for changes in state of matter.

The soda is helpful both to show that air and gas dissolves in water in the same way that solutes such as salt do, and to help them connect to the short residence time of gas in liquid (“If I open this and leave it here overnight, will it still be fizzy tomorrow?).

4. What processes move carbon from the atmosphere to the ocean sediments?

Define the biological pump for students. The biological pump is the set of processes in the ocean that sequester carbon (make it unavailable to be recycled back into the atmosphere for a long period of time).

Identify if any students were sequestered (Atmosphere – Surface Ocean – Ocean Plants – Deep Particles – Ocean Sediments. Can also stop at Ocean Consumers between plants and particles). Scientists are interested in areas of the ocean with a very efficient biological pump, as well as areas of the ocean where the biological pump is either less efficient than expected, or decreasing in efficiency.

Higher level students can research iron fertilization experiments and make connections back to these concepts.

5. Have students brainstorm what reservoirs and processes have not been included in the game (soils, fossil fuels, sedimentary rocks; burning of fossil fuels, subduction of sediment and volcanic eruptions for a few examples). As an extension, have students make sample dice to try and represent the sources and sinks for these reservoirs, and their fluxes and residence times.

This requires students to understand that a) each face of a die represents a sink from that reservoir, b) the larger the flux for a particular sink, the more faces of the die are assigned to it, and c) the longer the residence time the more “roll this station again” faces a die needs.

Extension:

For upper level students who are spending more time studying biogeochemical cycles, challenge students to adapt the game for another element, such as nitrogen. Students can decide which reservoirs to include and how to represent the sources, sinks, fluxes, and residence times by varying the dice. They can play their created game to see how well they represented the cycle.

Optional: If you don’t have the materials to have the students use beads/make bracelets to record their journey, you may use a simple worksheet to have them keep track of their journey as they go.

Reference:

Helping students understand conservation of matter (in this case, carbon) in processes like photosynthesis and the carbon cycle as a whole is essential to their understanding of environmental issues surrounding clean energy and climate change.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110107094904.htm

The inspiration for this game comes from Project WET’s activity “The Incredible Journey.” Find Project WET resources at: http://projectwet.org/.

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