Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Science & Environmental Policy
y goal for this capstone project was to introduce ocean awareness into the classroom. The problems that arise in this goal come from a number of challenges. I studied two for this project. The first challenge for Science Education in an increasingly diverse US school population is that only a limited number of students see themselves as scientists. For marine science education there is the further hurdle of connecting with students lives. This capstone addresses both of these challenges with a new model for marine science education. The questions below are the ones I developed to address these concerns: 1. How can ocean awareness and preservation be taught in a classroom? 2. How can we make this learning experience more relevant and accessible? 3. How does a teacher include community experiences in the classroom that are relevant to this topic? 4. Can you make community experiences more accessible to teachers? This capstone is a culmination of three years research. In this report is a presentation of the stages and lessons learned in this "work-in-progress." The following activities are reported: sought exposure to various community outreach organizations, drafted a "Bridge" model- theoretical pathway for communication of information and materials to be transferred between the classroom and community resources, tested this model in a Hawaiian elementary school, created a guide for introducing ocean awareness into the classroom, tested the guide in a Chualar school, used lessons from the guide in the RISE program, created a Web Site.
Thayer, Tyana Denali, "The sea around us : improving ocean awareness for students through education that links classrooms and the community" (2000). Capstone Projects and Master's Theses. 143.