Related subject area: Science, Geography. 

Overall problem: Which activities (if any) should be restricted around the coral reefs of Kailua Bay to insure their lasting protection?

Relationship of problem in this lesson to overall problem: This lesson provides students with a problem to investigate throughout the lessons.  The task for this lesson is for students to generate a list of questions about what they need to know and to create an action plan about what they should do to evaluate the coral reefs in Kailua Bay. During this lesson, students will participate in an authentic and motivating problem.  They will develop an understanding of key concepts to investigate, and build a framework for participating as airborne mission scientists who examine the problem from different roles and perspectives.

Estimated time required: 1 to 2 class periods

Student outcomes/objectives:

• Students will develop an understanding of the problem by generating who, what, where, when, why, and how questions that need to be answered in order to complete the KaAMS mission.

Prerequisite skills or knowledge:

• Basic internet skills
• Team work
• Basic understanding of problem solving
• Basic reading skills
• Basic presentation preparation
   

Teacher preparation:

• Print Student Journal /Activity sheets for these activities.
• Bookmark appropriate websites for students.
• It is highly recommended that teachers review the last lesson plan (Go Public: What Conclusions Can I Draw and How Do I Present my Results?) in the KaAMS series while preparing this lesson and share the final product assessment rubrics with their students. Time should be granted throughout the lessons for students to build components of their final projects.
  

Student reflection and assessment: Student reflection activities  |  Assessment

Education standards supported by this lesson:   

National Science Education Standards | Project 2061 Benchmarks

National Standards for School Mathematics | National Technology Standards | National Geography Standards

Cross-curricular connections to National Education Standards for this lesson:

math | technology | geography

FRAME ideas by introducing the problem scenario and the problem for the unit. 

Refer students to The Mission Request Letter (PS-1) in their journal.

Prompt students to read (or read to them) the mission request letter that defines the KaAMS mission.

Ask students to identify what problem needs to be investigated.

·        Ask students to define the main problem. To find the main problem, lead students to underline the major problem discussed in the letter.

Ask students to conjecture about the causations, effects, and possible resolutions of problem. 

·        Why do we need to know to investigate coral reef problem in Kailua Bay?

·        If there are no restrictions over activities around the coral reefs in Kailua Bay, what will happen?

·        What kind of activity occurs around beaches?

·        What type of restrictions can help solve this coral reef problem? What are your initial resolutions to this problem?

Student activity:

• Read The Mission Request Letter (PS-1)

Underline the words: the CRS has tried to collect a variety of information in order to reach an appropriate recommendation about which restrictions (if any) should be applied to activities around the coral reefs of Kailua Bay to insure their lasting protection.