DEEP-SEA MARINE PEDAGOGY: Teaching Methodology for Deep-Sea Ecology and Ocean Research Module

Abstract

Marine science and deep-sea ecology are branches of science that are often overlooked in K-12 education. Marine science offers pertinent information that ties into other branches of science, such as cycling of resources, food webs, engineering, and research-based projects, and early exposure to these topics might encourage more students to pursue research and careers in marine science. Teachers who want to incorporate ocean sciences into their curriculum should be provided with access to high quality, data-driven lessons that inspire students to think deeply and question new solutions and research methodologies. This thesis creates a lesson plan for a 1-2 day module on deep-sea ecosystems and research procedures that utilizes evidence-based teaching methods. It also provides an open access website to all the created materials: high-school, middle-school, and grade-school level teaching resources, slide decks, guided student notes resources, and pre-assessments and post-assessments (https://sites.google.com/princeton.edu/divingdeep/teacher-resources). The high-school level module was administered to a group of Bermudian students aged 14-16 who were attending the Marine Science Internship Program at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences research institute. My results show that the module significantly increased both understanding of deep-sea topics and research and interest in deep-sea topics. Ultimately, through the use of technology, novel research from Bermuda, and relevant pedagogical methods, this thesis creates an effective resource for teachers of multiple grade-levels to implement into their classrooms.