Length of Lesson: 2 or more days depending on teacher preference of activities.
Intended audience: This lesson can easily be adapted for use in grades 6-12.
Appropriateness for Middle and High School Students: As students mature in the middle and high school years, they are developing their awareness of issues on a more global scale. As they grow in their ability to reason and solve problems, it is important for students to be introduced to the idea that most of the problems we face as a society are complex. Conservation of marine turtles is the perfect platform to introduce the idea that for most solutions to be reached, cooperation among several different groups of people is essential.
This activity uses scientific data collected by marine turtle researchers as an engaging way to show students some of the ways endangered species are being studied and protected. Students are given the opportunity to do an authentic scientific investigation using data collected in real time to make discoveries alongside some of the world’s foremost sea turtle scientists. Using technology to display and interpret data, and conduct research related to this collected data gives students a sense of purpose context for the concepts to be taught.
Concepts: Conservation of endangered species is often more complicated than people realize. While it may be a challenge to raise public opinion and political will within a given country to pass legislation that will protect a species, in many cases, the species we aim to protect do not have any awareness of international boundaries. This is especially true with marine organisms. Sharks, whales, migratory fish and sea turtles all move around the globe, crossing national boundaries throughout their migrations. If we hope to protect these species, we need to be aware that no one country can work in isolation. There needs to be international cooperation to work towards a common set of conservation and management goals.
One important concept in this lesson is the idea of “international waters.” Management of marine organisms, as well as legal jurisdiction on sea-faring vessels is subject to laws defining the boundaries of a nation’s internal and territorial waters, as opposed to international waters (or “high seas”). This definition varies by nation, but is usually within six to twelve miles. For the sake of simplicity in this activity, the teacher will probably prefer to set an estimated boundary (say 12 miles), rather than asking students research the boundary of each country. In order for students to grow into productive citizens, it is increasingly important that they be able to interpret scientific data. Rather than rely on believing other’s interpretations, students must be able to draw their own conclusions based on their own interpretation of data and research findings. Students must also learn how to judge the validity of a data source, especially when using the internet as a tool for research.
