CLASSROOM
RESOURCES
The Dead Zone
Education on the Halfshell
Estuary-Live Louisiana Lesson Plans
Manatee Activities
OhNO! Hannah's Swamp is Changing!
SeaScope Activity Folios
Classroom Resources
Education on the Half-Shell
Education on the Halfshell lessons use oysters to teach biological concepts. Topics include: Understanding a Dichotomous Key, Creating a Dichotomous Key, Writing a Descriptive Essay, Oyster Culture Cycle. Lessons include background information, blackline masters, alternative assessments, answer keys, extension ideas, resources and web links, correlations to the Louisiana and the National Science Education Standards. The lessons are free and available to download in a pdf. format.Estuary-Live Louisiana Lesson Plans
Estuary Live! is an interactive virtual field trip accessible via the internet for classrooms and individuals around the country. Students and individuals have the opportunity to participate by submitting online questions for scientists and other experts.
Magnificent Manatees of the Gulf Coast
Did you know that manatees have been spotted in Louisiana? Manatees have been found in many waterways in south Louisiana including the Amite River and Lake Calcasieu. Get information about these animals, instructions on how to construct a life-size manatee, and a classroom activity on manatee sightings in Louisiana.
Oh NO! Hannah’s Swamp is Changing!
Oh NO! Hannah’s Habitat is Changing is an illustrated children’s book targeted at an elementary grade level audience. Content of this book focus on the non-indigenous species problem in the United States. Its goal is to develop a basic understanding of what non-indigenous species are, their effects on our environment and what can be done to stem the tide. Marilyn Barrett-O’Leary (LA Sea Grant) is the author and Catherine Kiffe, a local artist and teacher, is the illustrator. A second Hannah’s book is under discussion, this edition will target climate-change issues.On Again, Off Again – The Dead Zone
The Dead Zone Project offers educational activities for students at the middle/high school level that will explore the science behind the phenomenon. Activities will focus on the concepts such as nutrient enrichment, dissolved oxygen, mechanisms of oxygen depletion, and use data (real or simulated) to plot anoxic zones.
SeaScope Folios
SeaScope Folios are lesson plans on aquatic topics that incorporate the use of Scope-On-A-Rope technology, a video microscope. Lessons include: Looking for Ol' Crusty (crawfish), Trailing the Snail, Secrets of Sand, and Mosquitoes: Their Place on the Planet. Additional lessons are in preparation. This project is a collaborative project of the Undergraduate Biological Sciences Education Program Grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the LSU Department of Biological Sciences - Socolofsky Microscopy Center, and LA Sea Grant.
