The Best of COSEE Hands-On Activities offers ocean scientists simple, engaging, and easily accessible hands-on activities that will make your presentations to K-12 students, the public, or other non-science audiences more effective. This collection was gathered from across the COSEE Network, with each Center submitting their best hands-on activities.
This page provides links to a series of websites that will help support the activities presented at COSEE Florida's Harmful Algal Bloom Educator Workshop in Jacksonville, Florida
Researchers at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI) are on the edge of scientific discovery. They are working to discover the mysteries of Karenia brevis (K. brevis), the dinoflagellate responsible for many of Florida’s red tides.
Students will be able to do the following:
Identify and describe an organism that causes Red Tide
Name three diseases caused by harmful algal blooms (HABs)
In this activity, students will investigate eight types of Harmful Algal Blooms, including an example of how scientific perspectives can change rapidly as a result of new research.
This activity was created by the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (an office of the National Ocean Service)through a partnership with the National Science Foundation, EPA, NASA, and the Office of Naval Research.
What are Cyanobacteria and how have they been important to life on Earth? Students will compare and contrast cyanobacteria with eukaryotic algae, discuss differences in photosynthesis by cyanobacteria and green algae, and discuss the role of cyanobacteria in the development of life on Earth through the findings of a scientific exploration investigating sinkholes found at the bottom of the Great Lakes.
This lesson plan was produced by Mel Goodwin, PhD, The Harmony Project, Charleston, SC for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For more information, visit http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov
Six pre-service middle school science teachers participated in COSEE Florida's Research Experience Pre-service Teachers (REPT) program. For six weeks, REPT interns conducted a variety of experiments alongside research scientists at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Ocean Research & Conservation Association, and the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce. As part of their research experience, they produced short videos addressing common misconceptions in science, including such topics as:
- Scientists are boring lab rats
- Science does not involve creativity
- Science experiments answer questions in clear, concrete ways
Florida Aquatic Science Heroes (FLASH) is a short video describing the work of a Florida-based ocean scientist, their research, and its relevance to a broader community.
In Making Water Pollution Visible, Dr. Edie Widder describes her passion to improve water quality in Florida's Indian River Lagoon and how the technology that she has developed can be applied to improve water quality throughout the world.
COSEE Ocean has started a Facebook page specifically for oceanography and marine graduate students interested in education and outreach-Graduate Students for Ocean Education (GrOE). They will find announcements about jobs, grants, workshops, meetings, and whatever else they would like - they just have to say so!! It's a place for oceanography grad students who are interested in education and outreach to network with each other.
The following page is meant to be a resource for middle and high school educators to incorporate ocean science into their classrooms. In it you will not only find links to hands-on activities, lesson plans, and accurate background information on scientific resources, you will also find information on Florida Science Standards and Principles of Ocean Literacy.
Frequently asked questions and answers about crude oil. Responses prepared by Dr. Sharon Walker, Director of Education and Outreach at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies and COSEE Central Gulf of Mexico PI.
This bibliography was compiled by the NSF-funded COSEE Diversity Working Group and provides an overview of resources (organizations, policy documents, research studies, intervention studies, etc.) that relate to broadening participation in the sciences.
