Fresh and Salt Curriculum: 2009 Update
Fresh and Salt, a collection of activities connecting Great Lakes and ocean science topics to enhance teacher capabilities for accessing science information in Great Lakes/ocean sciences, was pilot tested this spring by 15 teachers from 7 states in the Great Lakes region. Reviewers completed eighteen questions related to the activity, including appropriateness of the grade level, reliability, accessibility, functionality, and relevance to Ocean Literacy Principles.
Teachers were asked to determine whether sound educational methods were used. Overall, the majority of the reviewers responded with positive comments, which is reflected in the following quotes. "The activity engaged student’s right from the beginning and held their attention throughout. It allowed students to build their understanding through the thoughts and knowledge of others, rather than expecting individuals to learn independently of others." "I think computer investigation of accessing and researching material on the Internet is a great educational method and also provides my students with skills needed for 21st Century jobs in the future." "Science is all about making predictions and looking for data. This activity nicely did both."
Designed to be used by teachers in grades 5-10, Fresh and Salt encourages integration of Ocean Literacy Principles into educators’ instruction. A comprehensive range of instructional modes are represented including, data interpretation; experimentation; simulation; interactive mapping; and investigation/decision-making. The 14 activities that will compose the final Fresh and Salt collection will be selected based on a distinct set of criteria, providing highly relevant and timely lessons for the classroom.
The culmination of the COSEE Great Lakes curriculum project will involve dissemination of the Fresh and Salt curriculum, nationally, which project staff can reproduce for use in their own state programs. For more information, contact Terri Hallesy at thallesy@illinois.edu.
2008 Progress on Fresh and Salt Curriculum Development
During conference calls with the COSEE Great Lakes Curriculum Committee and exploration of many exemplary activities throughout 2007-2008, the development phase of the Fresh and Salt curriculum has begun. The collection will include 14 activities, two per Ocean Literacy principle and be relevant for grades 5-8.
A multitude of concepts and instruction modes will be represented, ranging from data interpretation, simulation, and decision making to board games, and problem solving. We plan to teach students how to make informed and responsible decisions regarding the ocean and its resources. Numerous sources for selected activities are represented including USC, Sea Grant Island Explorers, Smithsonian Institute, National Aquarium in Baltimore, and a Great Lakes tides activity submitted by an Ohio teacher.
Director Fortner team taught a one-week graduate credit course for 7 teachers at Stone Laboratory on Lake Erie, June 22-28. Teachers worked with Dr. David Hart to learn and apply Google Earth to curriculum materials. They also reviewed the draft set of Saltwater lessons selected for the COSEE Fresh and Salt collection, and provided feedback to IL-IN for incorporation into curriculum planning.
Upcoming plans will include incorporating the information gleaned from the review process into the final selection followed by evaluation by COSEE partners in marine coastal states, as well as pilot testing in Great Lakes and marine classrooms. In 2010, we will disseminate the curriculum nationally as a COSEE Great Lakes product.
A Tribute to the Great Lakes
