Student reflection activity:
- Prompt students to think about why coral reefs have
the value to life.
- Prompt students to understand that there is no single
solution in solving this complex problem.
- Prompt students to think about why different perspectives
are required to understand the coral reef problem.
- Prompt students to think that there are three main perspectives:
the economic, scientific, and cultural perspectives that are needed
in order to understand the importance of coral reefs.
Assessment:
- Check the students’ view of the importance of coral
reefs based on scientific perspective including biodiversity and the
geological record.
- Check the students' view of the imporatance of coral reefs based on
a cultural perspective including cultural significance to Native Hawaiians.
- Check the students’ view of the importance of coral
reefs based on an economic perspective including commercial fishing,
ocean-related tourism, and coastal development.
- Check the validity of the descriptions including: a given role, the
relationship between the given role and the coral reefs, the importance
of coral reefs according to a given role.
Ideas for math lesson connections
Related National Education Math Standards
Ideas for geography lesson connections
- Students identify the geographic location of the Hawaiian
Islands. For example, the students might create a report describing
the location and geography of the island.
- Students identify latitude and longitude of Hawaiian
Islands, and compare the two.
Related National Education Geography Standards
Ideas for technology lesson connections
- Students create their own electronic
journal for keeping notes on KaAMS project.
·
Students create a database of vocabulary words and terms
they will learn throughout KaAMS.
- Students learn to use presentation software while preparing
a presentation on their investigation results.
- Students begin to develop a web site to report their
progress and what they learn during the KaAMS project.
Related National Education Science Technology Standards
Group activity reference sites and instruction
(HCR-1)
Your goal is to identify the importance of coral reefs according to your
given role. You will need to complete
Activity sheet: Exploring the importance of coral reef from
your given perspective while working with your team.
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Group/problem
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Reference site
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Group 1 – Study perspective of coastal developers
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Group 2 –Study the perspective of ocean related
tourists
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Group 3 –Study the perspective of commercial fishers
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Group 4 – Study the perspective
of pharmaceutical researchers
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Group 5-Study the perspective of ecologists
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Group 6-Study the perspective of geologists
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Group 7- Study the perspective of native Hawaiian
with cultural activities in Hawaii Islands
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Activity sheet: Exploring the importance of coral reef
from your given perspective (HCR-2)
Team members:
Name:
1. Defining our role: What is our role?
2. Relating our role to coral reef: How is our role related
to the coral reef problem?
3.Why are coral reefs important to us as (fill in your role here):
Write two or three paragraphs about the importance of coral reefs
to us.
Activity sheet: an overall table with all different
perspectives (HCR-3)
Team member:
Names
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Defining Our Role
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Relationship between our role and coral reefs
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The importance of coral reefs to
us
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Coastal developers
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Developing luxury hotels, championship golf courses, tennis courts,
conference rooms, residential resort homes.
(from: http://www.castlecookehawaii.com/
corporatestory.htm and
http://www.oceanhammock.com/
developer.htm)
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“Unsound coastal development poses one of the greatest threats
to coral reefs.”
May lead to “loss of coastal water quality and increased nutrient
and sediment runoff into coral ecosystems.”
(from: http://www.state.gov/www/global/
global_issues/coral_reefs/
fs-coral_coast_981019.html)
“Dredging of harbors, extraction of coral for construction materials,
and building things such as airports atop coral reefs result in
their out right destruction. Sewage discharge from coastal communities
promotes growth of algae blocking sunlight, which corals need to
survive.”
(from: http://www.igc.org/wri/powerpoints/
reefswww/sld018.htm)
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“Coastal environments support many of the world's most naturally
productive and biologically diverse ecosystems, produce most of
the world's fish catch, and support innumerable water-dependent
and water-enhanced industries and activities.”
(from: http://www.state.gov/www/global/
global_issues/coral_reefs/
fs-coral_coast_981019.html )
“Important protection for coastal communities from storms, wave
damage and erosion.” Coastal developers would stand to lose a lot
of money on their investments if they disregard the health of the
reef.
(from: http://www.coralreef.noaa.gov/)
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Ocean related tourists
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To experience the beauty of the ocean environment, to engage in
recreational activities including diving, snorkeling, and boating.
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“Damage to corals by divers, snorkelers, and boat anchors; and
damage by cruise and recreational boat groundings; sedimentation
and pollution associated with coastal tourism development; waste
disposal from cruise ships and land-based hotels.”
(from: http://www.state.gov/www/global/
global_issues/coral_reefs/
fs-coral_tourism_981019.html)
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From an aesthetic viewpoint: coral reef contain some of the Earth's
most diverse living ecosystems, and the destruction of the reefs
would be a tremendous loss to this incredible natural beauty.
From an economic standpoint: “more than 100 countries could benefit
economically from the recreational value provided by reefs.” Billions
of tourism dollars will be lost if we don’t protect the coral reefs.
(from: http://www.state.gov/www/global/
global_issues/coral_reefs/
fs-coral_tourism_981019.html)
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Commercial fishers
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To catch ocean fish and other marine life using nets, cages, and
other devices.
(from: http://icpac.indiana.edu/careers/
career_profiles/100042.xml)
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Coral reefs are a home and nursery for almost a million fish and
other species, many that we rely on for food;
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“The value of the U.S. reef fisheries off the Florida Keys and
Hawaii is estimated at $48.4 and $20 million, respectively. The
rich biodiversity of the reefs also holds promise of future food
resources that may be exploited through aquaculture or biotechnology.”
(from: http://www.state.gov/www/global/
global_issues/coral_reefs/
fs-coral_overfish_981019.html)
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Pharmaceutical researchers
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“Using sources such as sponges, corals, snails, and algae in order
to find treatments for ailments such as AIDS, prostate, lung and
breast cancer.”
(from: http://www.greenreefbelize.com/
reefbriefs/briefs34.html)
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“Corals use enzymes called secosteroids as a chemical defense mechanism
against disease. Researchers have found that secosteriods can also
be used in a similar way in humans, controlling tumor growth. These
steroids are already being used to treat asthma, arthritis, and
inflammatory disorders.”
(from: http://www.greenreefbelize.com/
reefbriefs/briefs34.html)
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Coral reefs have thousands of species that have yet to be identified.
And some species contain significant sources of pharmaceutical knowledge
that can never be duplicated. Conserving and protecting these areas
is extremely important."
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Ecologists
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Ecologists study the relationship between organisms and their environments.
Coral reefs are very closely tied to their surrounding environment.
(from: http://www.career.edu.my/
path/desc.asp?career_id=165)
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Coral reef ecologists study the complex interactions that go on
within a coral reef ecosystem. Coral reefs are a treasure trove
to ecologists because they are one the most biodiverse regions in
the world. “This means that the variety of species living on a
coral reef is greater than almost anywhere else in the world.”
Teeming
with biodiversity
from:
http://www.coralreefalliance.org/
professorpolyp2002/march.html
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Despite the fact that coral reefs only cover less than 0.2% of
the ocean floor, they contain 25% or more of all marine species.
This enables ecologists to study a wide range of marine species
within such a localized environment.
Biodiversity
on coral reefs
(http://www.environmentaldefense.org/
pubs/FactSheets/f_FEEFFact.html)
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Geologists
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Geologists study how the earth's surface and interior are formed
and what they are made of.
http://icpac.indiana.edu/
career_profiles/100104.xml
http://www.career.edu.my/
path/desc.asp?career_id=165
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Just like tree rings reveal the age of trees and the past environmental
conditions, coral rings show us the relative periods of growth and
decline in the reef. This tells geologists something about what
the past climate (paleoclimate) was like.
Coral
provides clues to climate change
http://www.enn.com/enn-news-archive/2000/02/
02062000/coralkey_9702.asp
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Information can be obtained from coral cores, such as which times
the Earth experienced changes in sea level, atmospheric conditions
and also interruptive events such as ice ages, huge volcanic eruptions
and meteors falling to Earth causing mass (widespread) extinctions.
Coral
provides clues to climate change
http://www.enn.com/enn-news-archive/2000/02/
02062000/coralkey_9702.asp
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Native Hawaiian
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The Native Hawaiians are the earliest settlers who sailed to Hawai'i
on their canoes from the Marquesas Islands of Eastern Polynesia,
arriving between 500 and 800 A.D.
They recognized the value of coral reefs and incorporated a respect
for the ecosystem into their collection practices.
http://www.hawaiiguide.com/
hawai1.htm
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Coral was used extensively throughout Hawaiian culture. They were
presented as offerings during religious ceremonies and used as a
medicinal powder. Today, we value black coral in jewelry and, in
l987, black coral was designated as Hawaii's state gem.
http://library.thinkquest.org/J002237/
splash/page.htm
Black
coral
http://waquarium.mic.hawaii.edu/MLP/
root/html/MarineLife/Invertebrates/
Cnidarians/BlackCoral.html
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Coral reefs are especially important to the Hawaiian tradition
because the coral polyp was the first creature to emerge during
the creation story in Hawaiian mythology.
http://www.hawaiiguide.com/hawai1.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/
J002237/splash/page.htm
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