Educators' Corner

Students identify key functions that are present in healthy ocean ecosystems. Students will discuss how these functions are met by biotic and abiotic components in a model aquatic ecosystem.

Students learn what physiological, ecological, and behavioral strategies contribute to the success of reef-building corals.

Students describe and explain the two hypotheses for the frequent occurrence of deep-sea corals in the vicinity of hydrocarbon seeps. Students evaluate relevant experimental data and explain how this data may support or refute these hypotheses. Students define and contrast coincidence and causality, explain the relevance of these terms to hypotheses such as those related to deep-sea corals and hydrocarbon seeps.

Students define and describe methane hydrate ice worms and hydrate shrimp. Students infer how methane hydrate ice worms and hydrate shrimp obtain their food. Students infer how methane hydrate ice worms and hydrate shrimp may interact with other species in the biological communities of which they are part. Students build a methane hydrate molecule.

Learn how scientists collect field data by being a scientist yourself! By studying a specific ecosystem, students learn how different scientists work together, what kinds of data scientists record, and experience the scientific process through observation and data collection.

Students identify three chemicals that are pharmacologically active and are derived from marine invertebrates. Students describe disease-fighting action of these chemicals. Students infer why sessile marine invertebrates appear to be promising sources of new drugs.

Students describe human arm motion, design/construct mechanical arm model that biomimics human arms. Students describe simple machine aspects of their mechanical arm models. Students define mechanical advantage and discuss the importance of its use in robotic arm design. Students will describe four common robotic arm designs that biomimic human arm motion.

Through a case study and related activities, students learn where coral reefs are found and what conditions are necessary for their survival.

Students learn why coral reefs are important, and what possible explanations are for the phenomenon known as coral bleaching.

Students will use and describe how a variety of objects provide metaphors for why climate change is occurring and the impacts resulting from it. Students will demonstrate the ability to interpret metaphors, describe the factors contributing to climate change and make connections between human behavior and environmental changes.