Expanding on the current scope of “Ecosystem Biodiversity” students will focus on human impacts on ocean biodiversity, centering on ocean acidification and how the change in pH level impacts the health of the lower level of the food web.
Students will explore various hands-on activities aimed at understanding the process of ocean acidification. Then, they will research an environmental impact related to ocean acidification.
To introduce students to ocean acidification students will engage in a two part lesson to explore the pH scale and see how lowering pH levels affect both individual organisms and entire ecosystems. This lesson will be part of my climate change unit.
Students will analyze data from ocean acidification and will then create educational posters sharing what they learned.
Students will use Ocean Acidification to generate data for graphing activities in math class. This math lesson will have students read, create, and compare information from box and whisker graphs.
Students will be learning about climate change, learning how carbon dioxide is being released into the atmosphere from fossil fuels, volcanos and livestock.
Data collection through a simulation of ocean acidification will demonstrate the effects on coral reefs. Statistical analysis of bivariate data and conclusions of human impact on the environment are central themes.
Human influences, explanations, and possible solutions to ocean acidification’s impact on coral reefs are explored and presented through an interactive poster where students program their tangible posters with a microcontroller/Scratch.
Hands-on molecular modeling of the chemical reaction between CO2 and H2O along with tangible evidence will enhance students' understanding of chemical reactions and carbonic acid’s effects on shelled organisms.