Keep Off the Reef!
Examining the Endangerment of Coral Reefs as a Byproduct of Global
Warming
Overview of Lesson Plan:In this lesson, students conduct research to prepare proposals for an aquarium exhibit that highlights the significance of coral reefs. Students will focus their study on global warming and its impact on coral reefs around the world.
Objectives:
Students will:
1. Discuss what they know about coral reefs and how human activities impact
them.
2. Consider how global warming is impacting coral reefs by reading and
discussing the article “Corals Take Double Punch in
3. Research how coral reefs impact society in four main areas: human health,
ecological systems, sea levels, and water and food supply; synthesize research
and present scientific findings to class.
4. Create proposals for educational aquarium exhibits that illustrate the
significance of coral reefs in the environment as related to their research
topics.
Activities / Procedures:
1. WARM-UP: Click on the link and look at the photographs of various coral
reefs found at http://tools.coralreef.org/objects/view.acs?object_id=545)
. Respond to the following questions: “What
do you see in these pictures? Where do you think these photographs were taken?
How might daily human activities affect the life seen in these
photographs?" Be prepared to share your response.
2. Read and discuss the article “Corals Take Double Punch in
a. What two reasons does the author give for the recent decline of coral reefs
in the
b. What happened at a monitoring site in the U.S. Virgin Islands?
c. Who is Jeff Miller, and what comparison did he draw to
d. What are individual corals?
e. How do corals form a colony?
f. What are scientists referring to when they use the term “bleaching”?
g. Who is C. Mark Eakin, and what does he say about
the conditions of coral in 2005?
h. What happened to corals in October, 2005?
i. What is white plague, and how did it impact the
corals?
j. What is expected to happen as the earth warms?
k. What does Dennis Hubbard say about the impact that people are having on
environmental systems?
l. What happens to the dead skeletons of corals?
m. How much do coral reefs typically grow in a year?
Vocabulary:
sizable, decline, substantial, mortality, symbiotically, microscopic, algae, zooxanthellae, genetically, colony, calcium, carbonate,
evict, extensive, oceanic, atmospheric, carbon dioxide Locate the term in the
article and define the term as it
is used in the article.
Further Questions for Discussion: use at least five vocabulary terms in
your response
-What effects of global warming have you personally experienced?
-How important did you think coral reefs were before gathering information for
this lesson?
-What can you do to help slow the processs of global warming?
3. You will be working as a scientific researcher with an end goal of developing a proposal to create an educational aquarium exhibit focusing on coral reefs. Using all available resources, you will be asked to consider ways that coral reefs are connected to larger environmental issues.
RESEARCH one of the four areas:
The Sea World Web site (http://www.seaworld.org/animal%2Dinfo/animal%2Dbytes/animalia/eumetazoa/radiata/cnidaria/corals.html)
provides easy-to-follow information, be sure to include your resources in your
publication
HUMAN HEALTH
-What are the key issues regarding coral reefs and human health?
-How are coral reefs utilized for medicinnal purposes?
-What scientific evidence or reasons are available to explain how coral reefs
impact human health?
-What are the long-term or future ramificcations of global warming on human
health as connected to the preservation of coral reefs?
-What alternative remedies or suggestionss might help alleviate the problem
created by global warming?
ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
-What are the key issues in relation to ccoral reefs and ecological systems in
many communities?
-What scientific evidence is available too explain how coral reefs are an important
part of the ecological system?
-How does the destruction of coral reefs impact the business of tourism?
-What are the long-term or future ramificcations of global warming on ecological
systems as connected to the preservation of coral reefs?
-What alternative remedies or suggestionss did you discover that might help
alleviate the problem created by global warming?
RISING SEA LEVELS
-What are the key issues regarding coral reefs and rising sea levels in many
communities?
-How do coral reefs protect against erosiion and flooding?
-What scientific evidence is available too explain this phenomenon?
-What are the long-term or future ramificcations of global warming on the sea levelsrising as connected to the preservation of coral
reefs?
-What alternative remedies or suggestionss did you discover that might help
alleviate the problem created by global warming?
WATER AND FOOD SUPPLY
-What are the key issues regarding coral reefs as connected to water and food
supplies in some communities?
-What scientific evidence is available too explain how coral reefs are
beneficial to current food and water supplies?
-What are the long-term or future ramificcations of global warming on crops and
the food supply as connected to the preservation of coral reefs?
-What alternative remedies or suggestionss did you discover that might help
alleviate the problem created by global warming?
Evaluation:
|
Warm-up |
Short response |
10 Points |
|
Questions |
Complete sentences a-m and short answers |
20 Points |
|
Vocabulary |
Selection of sentence in article, appropriate definition |
20 Points |
|
Newsletter |
Answer questions, include at least three pictures with editing from Photoshop, and a map. |
40 Points |