Engaging Students in the Pacific and Beyond Using an Inquiry-Based Lesson in Ocean Acidification

We present a hands-on, inquiry-based activity exploring how CO 2 input to seawater affects the skeletons of several species of reef-building corals and other marine organisms by testing for changes in pH and calcium ion concentrations. Originally developed to inspire and recruit high school students...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of geoscience education 2013-11, Vol.61 (4), p.396-404
Main Authors: Gorospe, Kelvin D., Fox, Bradley K., Haverkort-Yeh, Roxanne D., Tamaru, Clyde S., Rivera, Malia Ana J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acidification
Active Learning
Animals
calcium carbonate
climate change
Concept Formation
coral
Data Analysis
Ecology
Experiential Learning
High School Students
Inquiry
Inquiry method
Laboratory Experiments
Learning Activities
Lesson Plans
Marine Biology
ocean chemistry
Oceanography
Oceans
Science activities
Science education
Science Experiments
Science Instruction
Science Laboratories
Science Tests
Scientific Concepts
Secondary School Science
Secondary school students
Student Interests
Water
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:We present a hands-on, inquiry-based activity exploring how CO 2 input to seawater affects the skeletons of several species of reef-building corals and other marine organisms by testing for changes in pH and calcium ion concentrations. Originally developed to inspire and recruit high school students in the state of Hawai'i into the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, we assessed the effectiveness of the activity through the responses of 380 high school students to a series of questions about ocean acidification both before and after guiding them through the inquiry-based activity. Our results show that students gain a better understanding of ocean acidification and the relevance of the geosciences to their daily lives after their participation in the activity.
ISSN:1089-9995
2158-1428
DOI:10.5408/12-390.1