Surfing the Wave to Online Learning with the Sea Earth Atmosphere Curriculum

Abstract

The ocean is vital to the health of the planet and plays a critical role in understanding climate change. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Ocean Literacy Principles (OLP) establish a baseline to help incorporate ocean science into K-12 curriculum. And with the recent adoption of NGSS in many states, there is an increased need for updated material, aligned with standards, that address ocean and environmental concepts. It is also essential for students to understand ocean concepts in order to build their overall scientific literacy. The Sea Earth Atmosphere (SEA) curriculum is framed around both the NGSS and the OLP to aid teachers in including hands-on, aquatic-based content in their classrooms. The SEA website is an online platform for grades 3–5, with activities designed for both student and teacher use, including background content and instructional guides. This article describes our process in structuring the curriculum around the NGSS framework; aligning selected ocean and environmental concepts to NGSS performance expectations; and developing a user-friendly online platform with activities that facilitate educator feedback and interaction in addition to employing readily available and earth-conscious materials.

Keywords

• ocean literacy
• ngss
• stem education
• online learning
• elementary education
• curriculum