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