FRAME

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: To encourage student’s participation in KaAMS, they need to know the basic characteristics of coral reefs.  The goal of this lesson is for students to develop background knowledge about coral reefs while they are participating in building different coral reef models. To attain this objective, students participate in four different activities about coral reefs:

·        drawing a picture of coral reefs,

·        discussing symbiosis and relating it to coral reefs,

·        constructing paper models of different types of island coral reefs, and

·        building different types of coral reefs with Plaster of Paris.

Based on the understanding of what coral reefs are, how they work, what features they have, and where they grow, students can determine what data they will need to collect to evaluate whether restrictions should be applied to tourism, recreation, or commercial enterprises around the coral reefs in Kailua Bay.

Estimated time required: 2 to 3 class periods

Student outcomes/objectives:

  • Students will be able to represent the structure and symbiotic relationship of a coral reef ecosystem.

·        Students will be able to identify the major conditions in which coral reefs can grow (light, temperature, sediments, salinity, depth of sea).

  • Students will be able to describe where coral reefs grow.

Prerequisite skills or knowledge:

  • Basic internet skills
  • Ability to work in teams
  • Basic understanding of problem solving
  • Basic reading skills

Teacher preparation:

  • Print Student Journal /Activity sheets for these activities
  • Bookmark appropriate websites for students

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
Teacher Activities
  
Student Activities

FRAME ideas: Involve students in the demonstration and initial discussion of a coral reef’s structure and location.

Show students a short movie that includes the motion of coral and other marine invertebrates and ask them what questions come to mind with the focus on the structure and locations of coral reefs.

·        Coral reefs: (Teacher Note: These movies are large files and may take a few minutes to download. To open these movies, you need Quick Time software. DOWNLOAD Quick Time here)  Select the fish eye view time-lapse movies on the various types of coral. 

Ask students

·        What is a coral reef?

·        How do they live?

·        Where do they live?

Prompt students to draw a picture of coral reef s on Activity Sheet 1: What Does a Coral Reef Look Like?

Teacher Resources

  

Student activity:

  • Students observe a short movie on various types of coal and participate in an initial discussion of coral reefs

Student activity:

Students draw a picture of a coral reef on the Activity Sheet 1: What Does a Coral Reef Look Like? (See Activity Sheet 1: What Does a Coral Reef Look Like? at http://www.higp.hawaii.edu/kaams/
lpreef/whatiscr/support.html.