The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NSTA have recently unveiled the Coral Ecosystem SciGuide, a new web-based “science toolbox” for teachers and other educators. The SciGuide was developed collaboratively by NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) and NSTA, as part of a cooperative agreement between NSTA and NOAA’s National Ocean Service.
“NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program is proud to partner with NSTA to create this innovative, peer-reviewed education resource for teachers,” said David Kennedy, the program manager. “The Coral Ecosystem SciGuide will help educators understand and teach about the coral animal; the complexity and fragility of coral reef ecosystems; and the vital importance of protecting these valuable ecosystems for future generations.”
The Coral Ecosystem SciGuide pulls together internet resources on coral science and organizes them into three major theme areas for the classroom: coral reef biology, coral ecosystems, and coral conservation. Every web-based resource included in the SciGuide is aligned with national science education standards for a range of grade levels, and was reviewed and approved by a team of NSTA “master teachers” and NOAA scientists.
In addition to these web-based resources, the SciGuide also provides access to field-tested lesson plans, classroom activities, computer simulations, and teaching aids, including samples of student work and lessons learned from pilot teachers. The SciGuide also includes many of NOAA’s online coral reef educational resources.
Three major sections form the outline: coral reef biology, coral reef ecosystems, and conservation. Each section contains several themes. Coral reef biology involves the coral organism, types of coral, and their distribution. Ecosystems break down into studies of populations, habitats, and dynamics. Conservation includes natural threats, human disturbances, benefits from coral, and protection and monitoring.
Suggested lesson plans center on “A Reef of One’s Own,” “Who Has the Data?”, and “Caution: Do Not Bleach.” Audio clips present the voices of actual teachers who relate how they are using the SciGuide.
Next to each suggested website, one or more icons help users quickly determine if the website content meets their needs. The baker’s dozen of symbols indicate relevance to: In the News, Online Activity, Hands-on Investigation, Ask an Expert, Inquiry, Misconceptions, Assessment, Data Source, Core Content, History, Graphics/Multimedia, Lesson Idea, and Career.
The new SciGuide coincides with a major international effort to understand the diversity of life in the ocean, and especially in coral reefs, “the rainforests of the sea.” The Census of Marine Life is conducting 17 projects over the next ten years to better understand the biological diversity, ecosystems, and conservation needs of oceans. One of the projects, in partnership with NOAA, began earlier this year to examine coral reefs.
What is a SciGuide?
A SciGuide is a classroom resource for science teachers interested in integrating the web into their teaching. Each guide consists of approximately 100 web-accessible resources that have been aligned to the National Science Education Standards (NSES) and vetted across eight educational rubrics, such as Inquiry, Interactivity, Communication/ Collaboration, and How Scientists Learn. These web resources have been assembled in a thematic drill-down structure with linked lesson plans, vignettes, samples of student work, and MP3 files that demonstrate how the SciGuide’s web resources can be used in a classroom. For a complete list of the SciGuides currently offered by NSTA, visit http://sciguides.nsta.org.
“A SciGuide is the teachers’ pathway to top quality online resources that can be counted on to be effective, up-to-date, accurate and appropriate for their students,” said Gerry Wheeler, NSTA executive director. “The Coral Ecosystems SciGuide will be especially useful for early career teachers who need practical ideas, lesson plans, and high-quality curriculum resources to help them teach science.”
The SciGuide, online at http://sciguides.nsta.org, is part of a larger suite of coral reef resources created by NOAA and NSTA for teachers who want to explore coral reef ecosystem science in their classrooms. Additional teaching and professional development resources include a half-day coral reef science symposium at NSTA’s 2006 annual conference, and a series of online seminars for teachers.
The Coral Ecosystems SciGuide is the first in a series of ocean- and atmospheric-themed SciGuides that NSTA will develop in collaboration with NOAA. Future topics include “Estuary Ecosystems” and “The Ocean Effect of Weather on Climate.”
NOAA’s CRCP supports effective management and sound science to preserve, sustain, and restore valuable coral reef ecosystems. The CRCP is a partnership between the NOAA offices working on coral reef issues, including the National Ocean Service (NOS), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) and the National Environmental Satellites, Data and Information Service (NESDIS). l