[ FIELD TRIPS ] [ HOMESCHOOL PROGRAMS ] [ NATIONAL OCEAN SCIENCE BOWL ] [ SUMMER CAMPS ] [ SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS ] [ FACILITIES ] [ INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL ] K-12 PROGRAMS - SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS [ Lincoln Park Academy Harborside Program ] [ OCEANS - Organization for Curriculum Exploration and Advancement of Natural Sciences ] Lincoln Park Academy Harborside Program Our innovative and nationally recognized Harborside Program, created through a cooperative partnership between Harbor Branch and the St. Lucie County School Board, links high-achieving juniors and seniors from the International Baccalaureate curriculum at Lincoln Park Academy (LPA) with the scientific staff and resources at Harbor Branch. This program, which combines formal classes with hands-on research and field opportunities, provides a "school within a workplace" for its students and provides unparalleled access to the world-class scientists and resources at Harbor Branch. During their last two school periods, students and their teachers from LPA are brought by bus from Fort Pierce to their "real-world" classroom to perform their senior IB Chemistry, senior IB Biology, and non-IB junior Marine Environmental Studies course. Both Harbor Branch staff and the LPA faculty provide instruction. Harbor Branch scientists and graduate students also serve as resources and role models for the students. In addition to their "regular" class and laboratory time at Harbor Branch, LPA students are provided the opportunity for independent and group research as well as experience aboard an oceanographic research vessel. Three one-day cruises aboard the R/V Sea Diver are performed to investigate ocean dynamics, e.g., the effects of ocean temperature on nutrient levels and the subsequent assemblage of planktonic and benthic organisms. These cruises allow students to gain experience in near-shore and offshore water and biological sampling with the use of sophisticated collecting gear. To prepare students for "life at sea", a series of weekend team-building retreats are held at Harbor Branch to introduce students to the logistics and planning of a research cruise and to promote a cooperative atmosphere among the student researchers. The National Science Foundation and the National Research Council have stated that the development of effective scientist-student partnerships at the pre-college level is an essential element in improving science and literacy in the United States. As a "school within a workplace", LPA-Harborside represents an innovative "better way" model of how to build a partnership that works for both the scientific and school communities. Support for this award winning program has been provided by the Florida Department of Education Business Challenge Grant National Science Foundation, the Geosciences Education Initiatives program planning, evaluation, and dissemination grant, St. Lucie School District, and Harbor Branch. In 1998, the Harborside program received the Florida Department of Education Commissioner's Business Partners award, a Silver School to Work Zone Award, and a Gold School to Work Zone Award. In the same year, Harborside was named one of the five Best Gifted Education/School-to-Work Practices in the United States by the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Labor. OCEANS - Organization for Curriculum Exploration and Advancement of Natural Sciences OCEANS is a working group comprised of Florida teachers, scientists and administrators interested in promoting the use of marine science in K-12 science education through curriculum development and the establishment of a statewide network to support this goal. The group was formed as the result of two NSF-funded workshops (OCE 9809702, Planning for the Future of Lincoln Park Academy/ Harborside) held at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Inc. Mission Statement: To promote effective standards-based marine science education for Florida students through on-going collaboration of students, scientists and education professionals Position Statement: More than ever before, our world demands science skills and understanding of the complexity and interdependence of natural systems. Today's students and their teachers are searching for a meaningful vehicle to develop these skills. It is the belief of OCEANS that instruction in Marine Science can provide this mechanism. Marine Science education requires an integration of biological, physical, chemical, and earth sciences which mirrors the intellectual framework required for mastery of the Florida Sunshine State Standards. To this end, OCEANS seeks to support Florida educators in achieving this goal. Rationale: For the last three decades, the integrated instructional approach, known as Science-Technology-Society (STS) has been proposed as a way of improving science education and providing direction for achieving scientific and technological literacy for all. The STS movement provides a framework for inventing school science curricula relevant to the life of every student (Hurd, 1998). STS courses should help empower students so that as future citizens they realize they have the power to make changes and the responsibility to do so. In an STS course, there is a focus on the role of science in a specific community and career awareness. Science is also an experience students are encouraged to enjoy. Marine science is a course that can integrate science, technology, and society issues and address all of the Standards - Unifying Concepts and Processes in Science, Science as Inquiry, Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Science and Technology, and History and Nature of Science (Watkins, 1997). Yet the course is an elective in many secondary schools, and very few universities offer undergraduate majors in the field. The oceans are not only inherently interesting to many people of all ages, but are very relevant to societal needs, with half of the population living within the coastal zone, and one out of every 6 jobs in the U.S. being marine-related (Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education, CORE, 1996). Since there is a paucity of research on marine science education, a study was undertaken to initially analyze teaching and learning in several secondary marine science classes throughout Florida. Based the findings of this study, it is recommended that two levels of marine science be taught at high schools throughout Florida. At the honors level, marine science can be an integrated course that senior students take to review and apply their previous science knowledge to an ocean context. At a more general level, marine science may serve to improve students' understanding of a range of the content and attitudinal Standards and Benchmarks, but more importantly, capture students' interest in science and motivate them to continue to learn science and be informed and responsible citizens. In conclusion, marine science curricula and instruction can help all students become more scientifically literate and develop more positive attitudes toward science. The Florida Department of Education provides a Course Description for Marine Science with basic and honors requirements.           Marine Science Course Description and SSS for 9-12 Science - PDF document OCEANS proposes that the Marine Science Curriculum used by the State of Hawaii could be used as a model to develop a uniform marine science curriculum in Florida. This curriculum could be used as an integrated science starting in the ninth grade to aid in preparing students for Science FCATS scheduled to be given in the tenth grade. Several "holes" exist when comparing the Hawaii curriculum with Florida Sunshine State Standards. The "holes" (PDF document) have been identified and would need to be filled. Models using Marine Sciences in their Curriculum that meet Sunshine State Standards: • Lincoln Park Academy - Harborside (St. Lucie County Schools)           Marine Science I Syllabus - PDF document • Eau Gallie High School (Brevard County Schools)           Honors Integrated Marine Science III Syllabus - PDF document - Contact: Gary Wolfe • Maritime and Science Technology (MAST) Academy (Dade County Schools)           Contact: Mark Tohulka Links to programs for students and teachers that will provide an introduction to the marine sciences and contact with scientists who are actively participating in marine research. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Inc. (Treasure Coast Region) Summer Programs: Indian River Lagoon Nature and Art Camp • Everyday Ecology • Summer Science Florida State University (North Florida Region) Sea to See • Saturday @ the Sea • Saturday-at-the-Sea Summer Camp University of South Florida (West Coast Region) Oceanography Camp for Girls (summer) • In-TOW (In-service Teacher Oceanography Workshops)(summer) • Project Oceanography (distance learning) • Project Tampa Bay - Making Waves Mote Marine Laboratory Sea Trek Distance Learning/video conferencing • High School Intern Program • College Intern Program Contact: Ray Thacker, Ed.D Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami (South Florida Region) GLOBE: Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment INSTAR: Investigating Nature through Science Teacher Active Research IMPACT - (Integrated Marine Program and College Training) BioTRAC - BioTRAC (Biomedical Training, Research and College Prep) AMBIENT - Atmospheric and Marine-Based Interdisciplinary Environmental Health Training Contact: Lisa Pitman, Ph.D. National Ocean Science Bowl National Science Foundation for Funding Opportunities - COSEE