By Fred Garth
After a successful teacher training session in Polk County, Florida, by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation professional development team, the schools are now utilizing the GHOF Marine Science 101 curriculum within its high school classrooms. Around 25 marine science teachers and 2,500 students are currently accessing the engaging and relevant GHOF resources through its single sign-on.
The district’s secondary science curriculum specialist reports that Marine Science 101 provides a real-world context that provides relevancy and, subsequently, student engagement. Additionally, the Marine Science 101 curriculum appeals to diverse learners, as tasks are achieved through multiple modalities.
From analysis of timely GHOF research articles to studies of Dr. Guy Harvey’s brilliant artwork, an understanding of the connectedness of living things, including humans, is manifested. Marine science teachers within the district appreciate the GHOF resources for these reasons but state that the greatest importance of the curriculum is that Marine Science 101 provides the cohesiveness and purpose for learning science: conservation of Earth’s biodiversity. Future goals within the district include aligning the elementary school resources with grade-level learning-map units.
