This research aims to develop an ocean wave energy converter kit from low-cost materials as a teaching tool. The kit is developed using the working principle of a wave energy converter that uses a buoy as a system drive and a weight balancer that is connected to a chain. The dimensions of the kit are 6.7 × 0.3 × 0.4 m (length × width × height)…

Undergraduate research experiences benefit students' scientific skills, and recent trends in undergraduate research and education include focusing on interdisciplinary projects and on place-based learning. Here we describe a semester-long pilot interdisciplinary undergraduate research program focused on local aquatic ecosystems, discuss perceived…

Invasive species outreach has long leaned on problematic and oversimplified messaging that narrowly frames the issue as binary: good-native vs. evil-invasive. Contemporary invasive species educational programming in the United States, as illustrated in this article, draw on this same approach that, while attention grabbing, both reinforces…

The vast extent to which quantitative prerequisites vary among post-secondary geoscience programs often presents a challenge for educators and students alike in courses for which math and physics are foundational. This study discusses the design of GEOAppS, a suite of educational numerical models, and its application toward lowering the…

"Minecraft" is a computer game that allows players to move around in a virtual world, building almost limitless creations with a vast array of cubic blocks with varying textures and properties. Its representative settings and processes link to the real world, making the game a valuable tool for both presenting scientific concepts to…

This article elucidates a participatory design process in which a prototype iBook was embedded within the context of secondary science classrooms through multiple interventions. The fundamental design intention of the iBook is to increase students' ocean literacy in a curriculum that lacks marine science. Two e-learning ecologies were identified…

Socioscientific issues have proved to be excellent tools for fostering the development of higher-order thinking skills that lead to superior socioscientific reasoning and decision making. This educational construct, with a focus on a local coastal environmental situation, was incorporated into a science class of high school biology students in…

Data-driven inquiry as a science practice and instructional approach can provide a powerful context for project-based learning (PBL). Students engage in data-driven inquiry when they explore a rich data set and observe patterns, ask questions suggested by the data, and pursue answers about underlying phenomena. Krajcik (2015) describes five…

The REAPS model is a teaching and learning model that places students in real-world problem solving, engaging students in active learning. The Ruamano Project was funded by the Teacher Led Innovation Fund, a New Zealand Ministry of Education initiative that supports teams of teachers to develop innovative practices for improving learning outcomes.…

This article describes a two-day lesson in which fifth-grade students took on the role of marine biology scientists, using their critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to explore human impact on the blue crab ecosystem. The purpose of "Crabby Interactions" was to help students understand the impact of human activities on the local…

Oceans are often considered mysterious, fascinating places filled with unique and scary animals. One of the most misunderstood and therefore scariest animals is the shark, yet the whale shark, the world's largest fish, is considered harmless to humans. This student-directed activity involves research, deductive reasoning, and students' own…

Presents a brine shrimp activity designed for students in grades 5-12 to foster authentic scientific inquiry in addition to providing an engaging and exciting avenue for student exploration. Emphasizes that inquiry should be a critical component in the science classroom. (KHR)

These activities are designed to teach about ocean exploration. Students are expected to research the development and implementation of a research vessel/vehicle used for deep ocean exploration, calculate the density of objects by determining the mass and volume, and construct a device that exhibits neutral buoyancy. The activity provides learning…

This book is an inquiry- and discovery-based teacher's guide. The interesting and fun activities in this teacher's guide meet the challenge of relating tiny, microscopic organisms to the lives of children. The inquiry-based activities range from designing and making a phytoplankter and collecting phytoplankton to designing an experiment for…

This resource guide was developed for elementary, middle, and high school teachers to teach about oceanography and coastal processes. This guide contains information on the program's history and names and contact information for all Operation Pathfinder participants since 1993. The body is divided into 6 topics. Topic 1 is on Physical Parameters,…