Last week in Ocean Discovery, students investigated a new area of the ocean - kelp forests! We kicked off the day by engaging in a fun mystery photo protocol. When we do mystery photos, we are practicing the art of asking good questions. Students were presented with a close-up view of kelp. First, they came up with a theory (hypothesis) and what the mystery photo could be. Next, students think of yes/no questions they can ask to test their theory. We always discuss the strategy of beginning with big, broad questions to eliminate as many possibilities as possible, then moving towards more narrow, specific questions as we learn about the photo. After a few rounds of questions, students were able to correctly determine that the photo was kelp. After the mystery photo, we began learning about what sets kelp forests apart from other areas of the ocean that we've already learned about in class, like the coral reef. We learned that kelp is found in colder waters than that of coral reefs, so they would be located in different parts of the world (even off the coast of California!). Students also learned the various parts of a frond of kelp, such as the holdfast - which are root-like and allow the kelp to grow on rocky structures, the stipe - which is similar to the trunk of a tree, the blades, and the float - which are air-filled bubble that help it to reach up towards the sunlight. Using this new knowledge, students completed an Encounter activity, where they were asked to imagine they were a piece of kelp in a kelp forest and think about what the life of kelp would be like.
What impact do humans and oceans have on each other?
Today, young oceanographers started a unit-ending project, which will span over our last few classes. We explored the various ways in which humans interact with the ocean in both a positive and negative way. Using our skills of creative problem-solving, we will be working in collaborative groups to create unique solutions to one of the challenges facing oceans.
