Lessons and Standards

11th Grade Summary 

The theme of the Ocean Discovery Institute high school program is: I can be the Science Leader the world needs! Through hands-on science programming, data collection and analysis, and the opportunity to communicate their ideas about making a difference in the world, students learn that they are the science leaders of tomorrow.

During Community Building Day, students learn about the differences between synthetic and natural trash, and discover how plastic trash does not break down due to its chemical makeup. Using mathematical concepts, they consider the staggering amount of plastic in the world and how it enters the ocean through watersheds. At the end of the day, students reflect on how they have used the Science Discovery Process throughout the day and consider the idea they may be science leaders themselves.

On Explore Day at Imperial Beach, students conduct hands-on investigations of trash along the shore. They walk along the beach to collect trash and sift a quadrat of sand for hidden trash. As they sort the trash, they analyze the percentage of waste that is plastic, deepening their understanding of its prevalence in the environment. They discuss the implications of plastic pollution and the importance of keeping beaches clean. Students finish the day by reflecting on their experiences and considering how their actions can lead to positive changes.

On Make a Difference Day, students engage in an analysis of the data they collected during Explore Day and make connections to their own community.  They venture out to collect trash from their own watershed in the canyon, sorting and weighing the debris to determine how much is plastic and comparing it to the data collected at the beach. Students process a sample of sand that was collected on Explore Day and using microscopes learn that within the sand itself is a large amount of microplastics – tiny pieces of broken-down plastic that ocean animals may ingest.  Students meet with a Science Leader to learn about their journey to becoming a science leader and to discuss the importance of equity in science and how math is used by science leaders everywhere. Finally, students put their learning into action by decorating a paving stone that will become part of a pathway leading to a mural designed to educate others about the hazards of plastic trash and ways they can help.

Empowered by their insights, students take on the role of change-makers by using their voices to convey what they have learned – that they are the science leaders the world needs!

NGSS Alignment:

Performance Expectations

HS-LS2-7: Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity. 

HS-ESS3-4: Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.

DCI

LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience

LS4.C: Adaptation

LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans

Crosscutting Concepts
Systems and System Models – students understand that a system is a group of related parts that make up a whole and can carry out functions its individual parts cannot. They can also describe a system in terms of its components and their interactions.

Stability and Change – Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things change and how they remain stable.

Cause and Effect – Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects

Lesson Media: 

Schedules

Additional Resources