Middle School Projects

Grade 6 - Soft Sediment and Rocky Shore Ecosystem Surveys: To prepare students for field surveys FHLSOP invites FHL graduate students and scientists to participate in "Expert Day" where they share their expertise on marine organisms. When in the field, students survey and contrast rocky versus soft sediment intertidal habitats. While in soft sediment ecosystem students work with FHL scientists to dig and sieve sediment samples, and identify organisms from the low and high tide zone. At the rocky shore students do counts and measurements of animals within a quadrat at three different tidal heights with the help of FHL scientists.  For both habitats the students complete a scavenger hunt worksheet with questions, observations, descriptions and drawings.

Grade 7 - DNA Extraction Lab and Grey Whale Project: In conjunction with the 7th grade human body curriculum, FHLSOP designed a set of complimentary activites. In the first activity, students extract DNA from their own cheek cells, helping them gain a greater understanding cell components and the structure of DNA. In the second activity, students take part in the San Juan Island Whale Museum's Grey Whale Project, where they assemble a real grey whale skeleton. They engage in a discussion about the forms and functions of skeletons and try to slove mystery of the whale's death.

Grade 8 - Student Designed Marine Biology Inquiry Projects: The project begins with an in depth review of local marine invertabrates in the classroom. Students then focus on a particular set of organisms and design and perform an in-class inquiry experiment to prepare them for field projects. In the field, small groups of students participate in 1 of 10 projects that compare marine invertebrate distribution patterns, species diversity and/or species abundance in nearshore marine habitats. Students gather and analyze data to produce a concluding marine biology unit report.

Check out the projects we are doing at the Elementary School level and High School level.