Brainstorming

Cal-Echoes Curriculum Brainstorm

(This is a first attempt to think about what gaps may exist within our curriculum, and what possibilities or focus we may want to pursue in developing curriculum and lesson ideas)

Curriculum Gaps- (that may be addressed by this opportunity)


 * Students don't have the opportunity to talk directly to scientists in their field
 * Students don't have the opportunity to develop appropriate questioning skills
 * Real-time data collection, usage, manipulation, and statistical analysis
 * Experimental design/ evaluation
 * Writing in the content area
 * Reading in the content area
 * Interpretation of data
 * Creating visual representations of data/ displaying data
 * Experiencing the non-static nature of science. For example, students don't understand how observation, experimentation, and analysis of data can change scientific understanding.
 * How is scientific knowledge shared in the 21st century
 * Why should I care about this........? (relevance of scientific research)

Possible Curriculum/ Lesson plans ideas-

1. Skype focused discussion about the purpose of the research. This would be conducted by the research team (scientists, researching grad students). Students would develop questions to ask the researchers. Teachers would prepare students on effective questioning skills and how to understand what they want to know and how to develop questioning strategies that are deep, and dynamic.

2. Development of lab activites that utilize the data collected on the cruise. Students could use the data collected from the research to analyze and compare to existing knowledge. Students could design their own research investigations. Analyze their data, write to discuss research process, and conclusions, and share research to other classes, schools, countries using an online medium such as wiki's, Ning, ....?

3.Development of inquiry based lessons focused on the content standards that would be addressed by this research cruise. Such as molecular biology (DNA), evolution, population ecology, climate change, water quality.....

4. Would love for students to watch in real-time research being conducted, and what techniques are being used to collect the data, what happens after the data is collected, how long does it take for the research to turn into scientific understanding. What are the steps to science?

5. Great opportunity for alumni to talk to current students about what her path into a career in science was like

6. Climate change lesson ideas: What effect is climate change having on a marine environment- water quality, animal populations...etc What effects is climate change having on local inland freshwater environments- water quality, animal populations...etc

7. Population genetics/evolution lesson ideas: What changes are occurring within marine mammal populations, how is population data collected, how can local population studies be conducted in an environment around our schools.

Just some ideas....

8. What similarities do all water systems/ bodies of water share? How are Coe Lake and Lake Erie similar to SBB? What outside forces affect all water systems, ie, oil spill in the Altantic, toxic events? How are humans affected by pollutants in the water source (food chain)- compare Coe Lake, Lake Erie- I STILL see people fishing these waters- is fish safe to eat?