Marine Biology

A. INQUIRY SKILLS

Students will design and conduct scientific investigations Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations Use appropriate tools, technology, and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data Organize and maintain a journal showing all phases of investigations Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence and logic Use mathematics to explain, interpret, and improve investigations and communications Construct logical relationships between evidence and explanations Identify and analyze alternative explanations, models, and predictions Demonstrate understanding about scientific inquiry
Students will communicate scientific procedures and explanations Demonstrate effective methods to organize and display scientific concepts Present investigative procedures and results to others verbally, graphically, and in writing Communicate science concepts accurately and clearly, using scientific vocabulary

B. MARINE BIOLOGY CONTENT

Students will understand the Earth's structures lying beneath the oceans Explain the theory of plate tectonics Describe hydrothermal circulation Compare active and passive margins Model and describe the major ocean basins (examples: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian) Identify major trenches and volcanoes beneath the oceans
Students will analyze the physical properties of the ocean Evaluate theories explaining the origin and formation of oceans Describe the characteristics of seawater Explain the carbon dioxide and carbonate cycles
Students will understand atmospheric conditions that influence the oceans Analyze factors that determine weather Describe the Coriolis Effect Explain heat budget Describe the formation and effects of El Ninos and Southern Oscillations
Students will determine the role of currents on the marine environment Describe upwelling Explain estuarine circulation Describe how ocean currents interact with coast lines and beaches
Students will understand the role of plant life in a marine environment Compare monerans and protists (bacteria and plankton) Describe special characteristics of marine plant life
Students will compare invertebrate and vertebrate organisms in the oceans Distinguish between invertebrates (examples: sponges, cnidarians, mollusks, cephalopods, and others) Explain the characteristics of vertebrates in ocean habitat (examples: fishes, reptiles, and mammals)
Students will describe interactions between physical and biological events in marine environments Describe types of food chains and food webs
Student will analyze ecological issues related to marine organisms Determine costs of oil spills Distinguish the major characteristics of the marine biozones Analyze the ecological factors within the marine environment Compare and contrast the adaptations of various marine organisms to their environments Evaluate man's influence on the marine environment

C. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Students will demonstrate abilities in technological design Design and construct a new solution to an identified problem Determine the effectiveness of the solution Design and conduct an investigation to determine the quality of commercial products
Students will understand about science and technology Determine how technology has affected research in marine biology Determine how current projects involving marine science and technology could impact on humans and the oceans in the future and explain possible constraints of these projects

D. PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES

Students will practice safety Demonstrate personal and group safety when engaged in science activities Describe safety and health problems related to the oceans and marine organisms
Students will evaluate the factors affecting environmental quality Establish criteria for environmental quality related to ocean resources Analyze pollution factors that impact on marine life
Students will understand the availability and consumption of natural resources Determine the availability of nonrenewable versus renewable natural resources related to oceans Determine past and future efforts to control or harvest natural resources from the oceans

E. HISTORY AND NATURE OF SCIENCE

Students will describe science as a human endeavor Provide examples of how scientific endeavors to study marine organisms involve teamwork Examine the ethical traditions of scientists Describe the contributions of scientists, representing different cultures and genders, who have significantly contributed to knowledge about the oceans Research a selected scientific career (examples: costs, required professional preparation, job opportunities)
Students will explain the nature of scientific knowledge Explain how science distinguishes itself from other ways of knowing Analyze criteria used by scientists in their research and publications
Students will know important historical events of science Describe past efforts of scientists to study the oceans and marine life Evaluate the importance of current day research in deep sea oceanography and marine biology