New Rainy Day Kits - Sailors for the Sea

New Rainy Day Kits

 April 10, 2012  | By: Oceana

Sailors for the Sea staff teaching marine science with Rainy Day Kits lesson plan the Dirty Water Challenge.

We are excited to announce two new marine science lesson plans have been published, expanding the Rainy Day Kits for Environmental Education library. These lesson plans have been contributed by Birch Aquarium/The Scripps Institute of Oceanography and encourage young sailors to develop a passion for protecting and preserving the ocean and local waters.

The Rainy Day Kits lesson plan library now totals eight complete plans:

  • A Story of Sand, (new) contributed by Birch Aquarium/The Scripps Institute of Oceanography – students learn about beaches and the different geologic and physical processes that form sand.
  • Beach Bucket Scavenger Hunt, (new) contributed by Birch Aquarium/The Scripps Institute of Oceanography – a fun hands-on activity that introduces students to beach ecology and the role manmade objects can play in the ecosystem.
  • Bio-Magnification Game, contributed by the Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean – tag-inspired game that demonstrates the concept of bio-magnification as it relates to plastics and how chemicals and plastics can make it onto our dinner plates.
  • Clam Jigsaw, contributed by Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies – students create a cutout model of a clam to investigate the anatomy and physiology of these animals.
  • Density Currents, contributed by the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science – demonstrates the Thermohaline Circulation throughout the world’s oceans and the relative density between cold and warm ocean water.
  • Dirty Water Challenge, contributed by the New England Aquarium – teaches students about their environment in an engaging and practical way. Inquiry and discussion is embedded within the practical-students have to design, plan and then build their own design of water filter. Students are exposed to important concepts from a variety of scientific disciplines, including how the water cycle works, and the principles behind water filtering.
  • Oyster Tag, contributed by Sailors for the Sea – tag-inspired game that demonstrates the effects of pollution on oyster reefs, as well as the effect of oyster reefs on pollution.
  • Who Dirtied the Water?, contributed by the New England Aquarium – interactive story asks students to take on the roles of different historical and modern characters who have had a role in the pollution of a body of water. As the story is read, each character in turn adds a film container full of pollutants to a jar of clean water representing the body of water.

The Sailors for the Sea Rainy Day Kits for Environmental Education are still in development. By summer 2012, this online resource will grow to at least 15 lessons as new plans are added monthly.