PDF DOWNLOAD:  LESSON PLAN #10 BIG IDEA Students will reflect on why the health of phytoplankton is so vitally important to our planet and create a cause and effect chart that categorizes all of the human activities that are contributing to environmental problems for phytoplankton with possible solutions. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS Why are phytoplankton considered the…

PDF DOWNLOAD:  LESSON PLAN #9 BIG IDEA Students will understand that human choices greatly affect our natural waterways by observing what chemicals do to phytoplankton and other types of algae. BACKGROUND An algal bloom is a build up of usually microscopic algae growing out of control in a body of water. Algal blooms may occur…

PDF DOWNLOAD:  LESSON PLAN #8 BIG IDEA Students will understand how and why our pollution ends up in our natural waterways. BACKGROUND Wherever people live, there is a watershed. A watershed is an area where rain, snow and other water drains from the land into a common waterway. Drainage systems are part of every watershed…

PDF DOWNLOAD:  LESSON PLAN #7 BIG IDEA Students will gain an understanding towards the difference between non-renewable and renewable resources and why it’s important to shift our thinking to use more renewable resources. BACKGROUND Renewable energy are forms of power that do not become “used up”. For example, solar power from the sun and wind…

PDF DOWNLOAD:  LESSON PLAN #6 BIG IDEA Students will understand that the amount of CO2 absorbed by the ocean directly affects the PH balance of the water and the health of many marine species, especially those with a shell. BACKGROUND Ocean acidification happens when the pH (scale of acidity and alkalinity) changes and shows an…

PDF DOWNLOAD:  LESSON PLAN #5 BIG IDEA Students will understand how upwelling affects the ocean nutrient cycle, which therefore allows phytoplankton to utilize the nutrients into energy. ENGAGE Students will be introduced to the idea of conducting their own scientific experiment to teach themselves about the ocean’s nutrient cycle. DISCUSS/EXPLORE Students will break up into…

PDF DOWNLOAD:  LESSON PLAN #4 BIG IDEA Students will gain an understanding of how and why recycling helps our environment while recording and comparing conscious choices they are personally making while setting goals for the future. ENGAGE Students will begin by taking a short T/F quiz as a preview to the information they will be…

PDF DOWNLOAD:  LESSON PLAN #3 BIG IDEA Students will gain an understanding of the complex problem of micro plastics in the ocean and how it affects the marine food web. ENGAGE Students will begin by taking a short T/F quiz as a preview to the information they will be learning. It is highly encouraged for…

PDF DOWNLOAD:  LESSON PLAN #2 BIG IDEA Students will gain new understanding, appreciation and emotional connections to phytoplankton by making the invisible visible through a series of lesson plans and interactive puzzle game experiences. ENGAGE Allow students to share some phytoplankton facts they learned from the first lesson (or have students take T/F quiz if…

PDF DOWNLOAD:  LESSONPLAN #1 BIG IDEA Students will gain new understanding, appreciation and emotional connections to phytoplankton by making the invisible visible through a series of lesson plans and interactive puzzle game experiences. ENGAGE Students will begin by taking a short T/F quiz as a preview to the information they will be learning. It is…