Young Scientist - Where are the Whales?

"Ocean Encounters - Young Scientist Program: Where are the Whales?"

Lincoln Public Schools, May 2003

This Ocean Alliance program is intended to work with the Lincoln Public School system in order to integrate the use of computer technology, the internet, live video/telephone links to researchers in the field as well as class lectures by Ocean Alliance personnel.

This program is designed to occur over 5 weeks, as one-hour sessions, once a week.

The goal of the pilot program ("Where are the Whales?") is to establish a common working foundation whereby the Ocean Alliance and educators can capitalize on content generated by scientists and educators in the field.

This program will allow students to participate in real scientific research in the classroom, while Ocean Alliance researchers are in Sri Lanka onboard the whale research vessel, Odyssey.

Over the 5-week period, Ocean Alliance educator Cynde Bierman will be presenting classes in May 2003 as well as help conduct and evaluate the program with teachers from the Lincoln School system. Cydne will be co-ordinating the program with R/V Odyssey Education Director Genevieve Johnson from the vessel in Sri Lanka.

The program is based on the Ocean Encounters Principle, which has three components: web-based exploration, authenticity, and creativity. Through authentic experiences facilitated to students by the Internet, learners are given the opportunity to engage in creative scientific exploration.

Students will become part of the Odyssey's "Young Scientist" research team through worksheets, assignments, team-work and role playing exercises. They will learn about sperm whales, their habitat, and what it is like to be part of a real life scientific research expedition, while facing the challenges and experiencing the rewards of working as a member of a scientific team. The students will work together in small groups in an attempt to figure out where the whales are in Sri Lanka (the current location of the Odyssey). The idea of "where are the whales", is for students to ask questions, engage in peer discussions and make suggestions directly to Odyssey scientists and crew, based on their own research.

This program will include a minimum of two live video/telephone conferences between the students and the scientists and crew members onboard the R/V Odyssey as well as frequent email and question sessions. Special video and audio reports created by the Ocean Alliance will be presented to students via a DVD in the classroom. Furthermore, students will be able to access information posted from the ship while in Sri Lanka to our PBS -Voyage of the Odyssey website, called Odyssey logs. Students will also complete a number of tasks that will engage them in the Voyage during their time away from class.

Evaluation of the program will be done through questionnaires given to all participants. We want to evaluate how enthusiastic all involved were, how effective it was in helping students learn to explore by using the Internet.

Introduction -



Program concept talk to teachers by Iain Kerr & Cynde Bierman at Lincoln Public Schools

Application -

Session 1: Introduction to Program

• Video/telephone conference with R/V Odyssey.
• Class presentation
  • Hand outs
  • In-class activities
  • Homework (Research)
• Tools
  • Log Links: Sperm whales: Deep divers - Socialization - Food Web Echolocation
  • Worksheet : The life of a sperm whale

Session 2: Sperm Whale - Ecology & Distribution

• Students e-mail the R/V Odyssey
• Class presentation - Diving cycles
  • In-class activities
  • Homework (Research)
• Tools
  • Log Links: Food web, Crewmember logs
  • Worksheets: Captain, Research Scientist, and Chief Scientist
  • Other Links to NASA and NOAA websites

Session 3: Planning an expedition

• Emails to and from the R/V Odyssey
• In-class activities
  • Homework (Research)
• Tools
  • Log Links: A Day in the Life of Odyssey Crewmembers

Session 4: Where are the whales?

• Emails from the R/V odyssey and telephone conference
• In-class activities
  • Homework (Research)
• Tools
  • Log Links: Kids Around the World, Whale Conservation, What You Can Do, and Regions of the World

Session 5: Live Video conference

• Video/telephone conference with R/V Odyssey
• Hand outs
  • In-class activities

Program Evaluation