Island Explorers Marine Science Program

Overview

The Island Explorers program is a student-centered science curriculum for elementary and middle school, that is characterized by hands-on, real-life marine science activities that directly correlate with the California Science Framework. It uniquely focuses on Southern California and Catalina Island coastal environs. As part of the overall "Island Explorers" program, students participate on several field trips to local beaches and aquaria, participate in an Adopt-a-Beach cleanup, and at the end of the year, travel on a research vessel to the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies (WIES) marine laboratory on Santa Catalina Island.

 

Goals

The primary goals of Island Explorers are to promote science literacy and to encourage interest and life-long learning of the marine sciences, especially for minority students. Development of interpersonal skills through group projects and field trip experiences, and building a life-long awareness of environmental problems, science applications and community involvement are also key goals. In addition, we strive to instill in these students an understanding of marine science careers and requirements.

 

How is Island Explorers Unique?

Island Explorers is unique in several aspects: primarily, in offering stimulating hands-on science learning in a cohesive and exciting, well-planned curriculum. The curriculum is also unique in that it focuses on Catalina Island and the San Pedro Channel, Southern California's special resources. In addition, the Island Explorers curriculum is multidisciplinary and multi-faceted, introducing students not only to marine biology, but also to other science disciplines that contribute to the study of the ocean environment, such as geography and geology, physics, chemistry, and ecology. The enhancements that we envision will make the program truly groundbreaking, and will teach not only the basic science curriculum, but introduce students to 21st Century technology at the same time.

 

Curriculum Design

The curriculum is designed to conform to the California Science Standards and includes the following units:
1) What is the Ocean?
2) What Lives in the Ocean?
3) How Do Organisms Interact?
4) Community Structures
5) Human Impact on the Oceans
6) Catalina Island Focus
7) Science Symposium

 

Catalina Field Trip (PDF)

The Catalina Island Field trip is an overnight trip to the WIES marine laboratory on Catalina Island. Students travel to WIES on a research vessel and participate in on-board science experiments and activitites. Upon arrival at WIES learning continues through such activities as waterfront studies, laboratory experiments, and island biogeography excursions. Data is collected for individual and group research projects for which students have prepared during classroom time. The Science Symposium unit of this cuurriclum is intended as a follow-up to the research activities performed during this field trip. It serves to further students' understanding of the scientific process and reinforce concepts and ideas that they have learned.

 

Teacher Training

We are currently working with teachers to develop a teacher training component to the Island Explorers' program. The purpose of the teacher training will be to familiarize teachers with Island Explorers lesson plans and enhance their teaching skills for this curriculum.

 

Benefits to Students

Through the Island Explorers program, students:

• gain a better understanding of the many disciplines within science in general, and their applications;
  
• develop a more positive attitude toward science, especially traditionally unpopular science subjects such as physics and chemistry;
  
• become more aware of the academic requirements of science careers; and
  
• gain a sense of excitement and the spirit of discovery germane to any scientific discipline;
  
• develop interpersonal skills through group projects and field trip experiences.
  

   

  Computers and Telepresence Enhancements

  In collaboration with the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, a distance-learning component to Island Explorers will be used to enrich the classroom exercises, familiarize students with the Worldwide Web and enable them to "virtually" participate on the San Pedro Channel and Catalina Island field trips. Using computers, video cameras, real time data collection (i.e., current and temperature readings, wind direction, etc.), and interactive audio (teleconferencing), students will be able to participate "virtually" on shipboard research projects, fieldwork excursions and laboratory experiments. This offers a "real-time" opportunity for students to put into context the lessons in biology, geography, geology, and other disciplines that are incorporated into the curriculum materials. Students onboard the vessel and at the island will collect data that can be transmitted back to the classroom for individual experiments (i.e., water depth and clarity, temperature, and plankton sampling). Students in the classroom will help to "produce" the telepresence component, interact with their peers and with scientists in the field, and use the transmitted data for their own projects.

  See Online Activities NOW!

  

  Introduction to Island Explorers (USC Chronicle)

  Island Explorers ~ RESULTS! (USC Chronicle)

Island Explorers ~ RESULTS! (USC Chronicle)

 

Contact Information

Lynn Whitley, Education Program Coordinator
USC Sea Grant
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0373
213-740-1964
e-mail: lwhitley@usc.edu

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