Lessons and Standards

12th Grade Summary 

The 12th Grade Ocean Discovery Institute program marks the culmination of thirteen years of ocean science programming. Through hands-on science, data collection and analysis, and the opportunity to explore a question of their own that can make a difference in the world, students discover their potential to be the science leaders of tomorrow.

During Community Building Day, students spend time breaking down the Science Discovery Process and use it to do a simple investigation.  Students begin to prepare for their upcoming field trip by learning about several of the most common animal phyla found at the rocky intertidal. At the end of the day, students reflect on how they have used the Science Discovery Process throughout the

During Explore Day at La Jolla, students explore the tidepools of the rocky intertidal, using the Science Discovery Process to conduct an investigation from start to finish. They also discuss the factors that might be negatively impacting this fragile ecosystem.

On Make a Difference Day at the Living Lab, students investigate animals from the intertidal zone up close and select a question they want to explore further, designing an investigation aimed at making a positive impact. They meet with a Science Leader to hear about their own journey and discuss the importance of equity in science. The day culminates with students writing letters to 3rd grade students, sharing their knowledge and preparing them for their upcoming visit to the rocky seashore.

The program concludes with a graduation ceremony, where students are celebrated for their commitment to the program and recognized as the science leaders of tomorrow.

NGSS Alignment:

Performance Expectations

HS-LS2-6: Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.

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

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