[SEMCO] OPAK Introduces High School Workshops for 2018/9 School Year

[Jeffrey Morgan]

OPAK Introduces High School Workshops for 2018/9 School Year

Ocean Protection Advocacy Kids, Inc. (OPAK) has two new workshops for
students in grades 9-12 across Southeastern Massachusetts. The first is
called "Flounderville:  Create a Marine Protected Area" and the second is
called "Plankton & Plastics:  What's Drifting in Our Oceans?"

1. Flounderville:

Our planet is more than 70% ocean and for generations we have been
exploiting our marine resources and destroying pristine oceanic habitats.
Together we can bring back healthy oceans, but we must first learn how to
work together. In this workshop students will experience how local
stakeholders play a part in defending our oceans by creating a mock marine
protected area in small teams for the fictional city of Flounderville.

Students will be able to:

   - Define Marine Protected Area (MPA)
   - Describe the various types of MPA's found in the USA
   - Understand how a MPA is formed
   - Recognize the difficulties in creating marine policy
   - Identify key stakeholders in local, state and federal marine policy
   and evaluate their relevance
   - Brainstorm ways for stakeholders to work together, determine next
   steps and take informed action, as appropriate
   - Discover avenues to protect local marine habitats
   - Create a mock Marine Protected Area

Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework
(2016):  HS-ESS2-2; HS-ESS3-1; HS-ESS3-2; HS-ESS3-3; HS-LS2-7

Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Framework (2018):
Standards 1-7 for History and Social Science Practice, Pre-K-12

2. Plankton & Plastics:

Plastic's permanent and abundant presence in our oceans has become a major
research topic across many fields. However, not everyone realizes that
plastic is harmful across the entire marine food web. This workshop will
illustrate how plastic has infiltrated the planktonic marine environment,
introduce what plankton are and show students easy ways they can protect
the ocean.

Students will be able to:

   - Describe and define the difference between phytoplankton and
   zooplankton
   - Describe phytoplankton's role in photosynthesis and the global carbon
   cycle
   - Identify common plankton under a microscope
   - Understand the importance of plankton in the marine food web (as
   biomass, detritus, etc.)
   - Discuss how plastic and humans have impacted the marine food web
   - Brainstorm ways to refuse plastic in everyday living
   - Define advocacy
   - Create a unique art project that demonstrates environmental advocacy

Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework
(2016):  HS-ESS2-6; HS-LS1-5; HS-LS2-4; HS-LS2-5; HS-LS2-7

Please contact Jeffrey Morgan (OPAK's Executive Director) to register your
class, after school program or community group for a workshop.

More information about OPAK can be found at www.opakedu.org

Jeffrey Morgan

OPAK *| *Executive Director
jmorgan at opakedu.org
(203) 521-9537

*Become Curious *

*[image: www.opakedu.org] <http://www.opakedu.org>*
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