Designing Boats for Aquatic Science

The spring term has started and students have just completed their boat design project. I love this project.  The designs are very interesting but what is really cool is how the students work together and even help other teams.



 Some students really go beyond when building boats.   I wore my sailboat shirt and they dressed like sailors.   Very cute.



Our aquatic science classes have been doing this several years.  It really gets students involved and keeps them engaged.  You know you have hooked the students when they show up before class to work on their project

Teaching strategies: 

• First we have students pick a partner - they can work individually or in pairs
• Then we show a short power point on the project that gives includes directions and suggestions for design and building
• Key requirements:  must have sail, mast, keel, rudder, hold twenty small marbles and  sail down a stream table without touching the side
• I have students complete three successful trial then average their time and calculate the speed.   Distance down the stream table - 100 cm. The times are added in the teacher log book.
• Grade is based on the fastest time
• Each student has to fill in an evaluation form

Blogging:   This is something I have just started this year.   It has been a work in progress.   Students are asked to take pictures of their building/design and working model.  The pictures are then added to their daily blog.   It takes awhile to get everyone set up with a valid blog and may require parent phone calls to make sure participation is 100 %.  Some students love it and some think it is more like pulling teeth.  However, once they get use to doing it most will complete them.  They do like sharing it with their friends.  This year we are going to give a prize (not decided yet) for the student with the most followers. 


Here are some more pictures of students working:

PLANKTON

PLANKTON

Students work in groups of four

Today we are starting our Plankton Unit.  The information for this unit came from a book called  "The Seaside Naturalist".  Pages 11 - 22

ISBN # 0-671-76503-5

This is really a nice little book and has some really good information.  It gives a brief description on a variety of marine animals. 




Variety of marine organisms



Students start with  a worksheet and packet then work on classify organisms.  Since the animals are not species specific I explain that this classification is a very simpler version of  a real food web.  The idea  for this activity was developed when I was still tutoring for TAKS.  I had a lot of juniors that needed review on biology concepts such as food webs, food chains, and food pyramids . Also it reinforces the concepts of what is a phytoplankton, zooplankton, nekton and benthic organism.

Diagram for placing marine organisms

Key for coloring the marine organisms

Since these students are going on to college (most of them) I think they need to realize that there are almost always exceptions in nature.  The text books and often lecture  simplify systems so that it is easier to test.  We do that when talking about types of oceanographers.  (Example: Geological and Geophysicist overlap when using tools and areas of study).  So when testing, we narrow the definition.  It is fine to do this but I think that students need to be aware of it.. 

Why study plankton?  First, plankton is the bottom of the food chain and without it the food webs in the oceans would fail.  Second it provides oxygen  for the planet and  third it is a carbon sink. 

Plankton also can have a detrimental affect on marine organisms through harmful algae blooms (HAB)



Boat Engineering for Aquatics

                           Sail Boat Project

One of the project grades in Oceanography is to design and build a sailboat.  Students work in groups of two. They are required to bring in their own supplies.

Requirements:

• Must fit inside half a sheet of folded notebook paper
• Must have a sail, a keel, a rudder and carry twenty marbles as cargo.
• Has to sail 100 cm without touching the side of the stream table
• Students average the time for three different trials
• They must calculate the speed of the boat using   S = D/T
• The fastest time sets the 100 for the class

Girl Power - this boat is fast!

 You know you have hooked students when they come in early to work on their boats or stay late.  Yesterday I had two girls from Ms. Winds Aquatic class ask if they could continue to work on their boats with my 4th period class (They had senior out). ENGAGEMENT!

Here are some videos of boats that worked, Our best time was 1.73 cm/sec.

It is interesting to see the different designs.  Student watch each other and even make suggestions that helpful.

This was a fast boat but it always veered off at the end.  We were not sure why? 

 This group was absent the day before and had to come up with a quick design.  Wouldn't you know it would be the fast boat of the day. 

 

This boat started out backwards and then turned around and shot for the finish line.

This groups boat just sort of wandered its way down the stream table.

This project is messy but the students can't wait to work on their boats.  Next year when we finish the student boats I will challenge the other Aquatic Science teacher to a race.   We will see which teach can design the fastest boat.!

Happy Friday and Pep Rally Day

Friday and Pep Rally Days are so much fun.  No matter what you do the students are hyper.  It is hard to get them under control.  I am now using the word "Avast"  Stop what you are doing! when I want them to get quiet. 

FLIP Deployed at Sea

Yesterday I used a short video on FLIP: Floating Instrument Platform.  This is a really cool tool used to study currents, sound waves, how storm waves are formed,  and  heat exchange in the ocean. This is only a few of the ways this platform is used to study the ocean.  http://sio.ucsd.edu/voyager/flip/index.html

This ship (buoy) has to towed out to sea.  It has a crew of around 16 scientists and they have to be really good at working in crowed conditions.  The interior of the ship is really interesting.  It is set up so that the crew can work on it when it is being towed out to sea (horizontal) and live and work on it when it is vertical. 

Two Sinks

Door in the Wall

Not Much Room to Sleep!

There are a number of video clips on YouTube you can use though I wish they would update it with more information on how this ship is used.  However, it is very interesting and does capture the student's imagination.

Today, I had students pick a partner for the ship design project.  The have to build a ship with a sail, keel, and rudder that can hold 20 marbles as cargo and sail down  a stream table without touching the sides.  I use a hair dryer on a tripod as the wind.  We give them time to design, build, test, adjust and then run.  This is project that works on trial and error.  This is frustrating for students in the beginning but once they get into it they really enjoy the activity.  I find that they start talking to each other, check out what others are doing, help each other and I am there to answer questions.  (Pictures coming next week)

I also showed a video from TED: Ideas Worth Knowing on the plastic in the ocean.  It was very good. One of my students said he just couldn't believe that birds could have all that plastic in their stomachs.   Unfortunately, the video was true.  Hopefully it will make students think about what they do with their plastic water bottles.


Capt. Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation first discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch -- an endless floating waste of plastic trash. Now he's drawing attention to the growing, choking problem of plastic debris in our seas.

http://www.ted.com/talks/capt_charles_moore_on_the_seas_of_plastic.html

Blogging and Mapping: Oh My!

Johnson Sea Link submersible

Today we are focusing on different types of oceanographers and the instruments they use.  This will be used to design and build a career mobile.

I also like using video clips as a warm up.  Today, we watched a video clip I got from an online course on the ocean.  It was only 9 minutes but talked about different types of instruments used by biological  oceanographers to study  benthic communities.  It allowed students to see the instruments and listen to a real scientist talk about underwater research.

  If you are a new teacher that are lots of great videos on TED: Ideas Worth Knowing or on YouTube.

Our activity for today was to make a bathymetric map. I used an activity from NOAA's "Ocean Explorer"  Phaedra 2006 Expedition  - Aegean Submarine Volcano Bathymetric Data.  The grade level is for 7-8 but it works just fine for my seniors. You can have each student do it OR you can have them work in groups of two.  I prefer groups of two because it is much faster. One person calls out depths and color while the other graphs the information.

Graphing ocean depth

Group day with "Cookie Monster"

Completed Bathymetric Map

I really like the idea of blogging but I am finding the hardest part is getting students to copy their blog address correctly.   While it is time consuming to set up once it is done it is easy.

We are now using Skyward for grades and attendance.  While I am not a big fan of Skyward I do like the fact that is really easy to email parents.  Right now I am emailing parents letting them their child has not set up his blog.  Blogging is an important grade so I am keeping on top of students and parents to make sure it gets done.

Oceanography 1st day activities

Monday, 10/29

Today we are officially starting oceanography.  I started the period with a short video by Eyewitness on the ocean.  Students had to write down 25 interesting facts about the ocean.  The Eyewitness video's are really good about providing a quick overview on science topics.

Bob Ballard

After the video, I introduce the TED: Ideas Worth Knowing video clip by Bob Ballard.  He discusses why we should explore the ocean.  Bob Ballard is a geophysical oceanographer and was responsible for re-discovering the Titanic.  He is also the founder of the Jason Project.   I was a teacher argonaut in the 1990's.  I went to Belize with five students from around the country and the Bahamas.  It was a great experience and helped me develop marine curriculum that our district is still using today.  The Jason project online has some really good resources if your district is  willing to buy the rights to use their curriculum. 

If you have never heard Bob Ballard speak, you have missed something.  He is very passionate about the ocean and never fails to give an interesting talk.

I have asked students do discuss what they have learned and then give the their opinion on where we should put our money - in to studying the  ocean or space.  I have asked them to research the benefits of going into space so they can give me an informed opinion.

It will be interesting to read their blogs.

Introduction to Oceanography

Research Vessel for studying the Ocean

What is oceanography? 

 It is a study of the ocean and  the environments surrounding the ocean.  It covers both biotic and abiotic components. (Biotic - living, Abiotic - nonliving).  I think of it as an overview of the ocean.  Oceanography is then divided in a number of different disciplines.  Most of my students want to study marine animals.   There is a lot more to understanding our oceans that just studying animals. My goal in teaching oceanography is to open up the ocean world to students and then explore  topics that they would never have considered interesting.  Examples would be hydrothermal vents, underwater volcanoes, brine lakes, and the midocean ridge.  I want them to understand that we have better pictures of the moon than we do of the ocean bottom.  Everyday, scientists are making new discoveries and we have barely touched the surface of this amazing habitat that makes up almost 72% of the earths surface.

Ocean from Space

Oceanographers I would love comments on why you think studying the ocean is important!

Why should students study the ocean?

If you think of our planet as a living thing then you have to consider that everything is connected.  The oceans affect the land and the land affects the ocean.   What man does to one habitat can have far reaching consequences on another. 



Plastic  Debris floating in the Ocean

 Example:
Plastic is a major problem in our oceans. We have developed a throw away lifestyle and the plastic we use often finds its way into the ocean.  Many animals die from eating plastic.  Even if we wanted to it is almost impossible to clean this plastic debris floating in our oceans.  What we can do is prevent today's plastic from entering the ocean.

Help Prevent a Sea of Plastic Pollution

The ocean provides us with food, recreation, transportation of goods, minerals, a history of our planet, medicines, new and amazing animals, a better understanding of the geology of our planet and how life evolved. This is NOT a complete list.

Goods transported at sea

I am absolutely awed by the video of scientists  studying the ocean from small submersibles. Students often ask me would I be willing to go down to the ocean floor in one.  I answer - in a heartbeat!  To view first hand life beneath the sea would be a gift of a lifetime. 

In our limited nine week term we will touch on a number of current issues facing the ocean. If anyone has some suggestions for topics I would love to hear some.  I want to stay as current as possible as well as inform my students.

Marine science is fun to teach because there are so many interesting things you can learn.   You can introduce new topics to students, offer them the opportunity to research topics that interest them, and in the process learn more yourself. Certainly there are numerous sites that offer curriculum and activities that help make your class interesting and engaging.