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Islands Exploration:
Saving the Earth One Island At A Time!


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Title of the Project Unit:  Island Exploration

Subject Area of Focus: Science: Oceanography

Multidisciplinary Subject Areas: (All other integrated subject areas) Language Arts, Technology, Geography

Grade Level Range:4-6

General Rationale & Summary (Abstract) of Project:
Islands are the world's storehouses of biodiversity, with disproportionately high numbers of endemic and endangered species.  The Hawaiian Islands, dubbed "the endangered species capital of the world," are a case in point.  Seventy two percent of all the plant and animal extinctions ever recorded in the U.S. have occurred in Hawaii!  Indonesia's 10,000-plus islands have more species threatened with extinction than any other nation on the planet.  On a global basis, over 50 percent of all recent animal extinctions and 90 percent of all bird species extinctions have occurred on islands.
Due to the self-contained nature of island environments, their ecosystems are extremely vulnerable to damage caused by introduced species and inappropriate development.  Island coral reefs, mangrove forests and rainforests, which play host to an astounding array of marine and terrestrial life, are amongst the world's most threatened ecosystems.  Yet because individual islands are often small and distant, there has been very little philanthropic an non-profit resources devoted to preserving island biodiversity.
Islands Exploration is a way to get students engaged in studying and comprehending the complexity and critical importance of ecosystems as well as fostering personal responsibility and stewardship by making connections between student's own behavior and the health of the planet. Student's general interest in islands is natural way to teach students about cultures, government, trade, history and our world's interdependence and inter connectedness.

Content Standard(s): What specific standards will this project meet?

Learning Outcomes & Enduring Understanding:
Through the Seacology motto, Saving the Earth One Island At A Time, students in the Islands Exploration Unit will be able to understand that "No Island is an Island" by studying concepts such as:  interdependence, inter connectedness and ecosystems.

What students need to do:

Essential Questions: List the various formative and summative assessments you will use to measure whether or not your students meet the outcomes of this lesson. Some examples are: portfolios, surveys, tests, graphs, rubrics, self-assessment, etc.Ý Rubric (Aligned with the outcomes of the Standards)
  1. http://rubistar.4teachers.org/view_rubric.php3?id=332319
Additional Project Elements: Real World ? How does this Unit/Project relate to real world issues, problems, and information?
The Seacology Foundations is a Real Organization with ongoing Island Projects around the world.   Engaging students to study real places, people and problems, as well as exploring and investigating ways to make a difference, will awaken students to their own connectedness and inter-dependence to the earth.

Extended Time Frame (e.g., Timeline for Planning and Implementation)
Projects can take weeks or months depending on how many lessons and projects one wanted to use within this unit.  The full implementation with an Oceanography Unit will basically take 3 months, with an on-going element following up with correspondence & Earth Day fund-raising.

Student Decision-making: (e.g., choosing resources, design of their product, choice of delivery to demonstrate learning, how students allocate roles within their team),
Students teams (of two) will be able to choose which Seacology Island projects they want to study.  (If students wish to do a different island, that is open for discussion.)  Power Point Presentations will be up to the students and projects will be delivered to other students, parents and community members.  Rubrics will be developed by teacher and students.

How will you address the learning needs of all students (e.g. Multiple Intelligences, (learning styles, special needs)?
Lessons will include a variety of modalities to address the needs of all students.   Maps and drawings of islands around the world will include visual information.  Journals will include written notes as well as other linguist information such as investigations and outcomes.  Kinesthetic learners will have chances to perform in skits and those with a musical bent will enjoying singing songs from islands in village style. Power Point Presentations will incorporate a number of learning elements.

Collaboration: (e.g. student/student) teacher/teacher, student/teacher, classroom/classroom, collaboration with professionals in the field),

Technology Integration: (Internet and/or Multimedia) Target beginning date:Sept. 1st, 2002

Target ending date:Dec. 15th, 2002

Lessons and Activities / Steps of the Unit Project:

Collaborative Team: We, the undersigned, believe that our Project will make a positive contribution to student learning, and promise to fulfill our commitment to each other and implement this project by March 1, 2003. In addition, we will each present our Unit to our respective schools. We will also make every effort to submit our project to the Santa Clara County Office of Educationís Innovator Award, sponsored by National Semiconductor.Ý

Name SchoolGrade Level E-mail address:
Laura Mabbott Huff School   5th Grade Ljmabbott@sbcglobal.net