Hidden Messages: Learning About Our Changing Ocean Through Coral Clues

• This multi-day hands-on lesson will teach students about ocean acidification and its impact on coral reefs, helping them understand why most coral reefs are in danger of going extinct.
• Students will create a model using egg shells and vinegar to illustrate the effects of ocean acidification, create graphics to inform others, and see an example of coral restoration in the Florida Keys.

Positives

• The lesson includes rich background information for the teacher, including a list of strategies to elicit student knowledge and deepen engagement.
• Students will feel a sense of agency by creating infographics to inform others and demonstrate their learning.

Additional Prerequisites

• The link to the student packet under Sequence and Flow doesn't work, but the link under Materials does. Similarly, the links to lesson materials in the presenter's notes may not work, but teachers can use the links under Materials.
• The link to the supplemental reading in Lesson 3 may not work.
• Some links to sources in the presenter's notes do not work.
• When adding to the model, students should add water to Model 2, not vinegar.
• The time-lapse on slides 27 and 28 does not play.

Differentiation

• If filling out the ecological footprint activity together, teachers can ask the questions to the class and fill out answers based on the majority rather than one student's responses.
• If students are not inclined to create visual art, encourage them to use their talents to produce their call to action in other ways, such as a poem, song, video, or other media.
• Language arts teachers can help students create poetry about coral and ocean acidification, encouraging them to use the osteoporosis or bone analogies mentioned in the lesson.

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.