-Global Education Guide-
CINDA MURRAY
Sea Turtle Unit
Overview:
In the summer of 2014 I traveled with Penn State CHANCE, Connecting Humans and Nature through Conservation Experience, for a short term study abroad course. The first-hand experience from placed-based education included midnight turtle patrol, egg relocation, and nest excavation. Spending time on a beach in Panama, next to a nesting leatherback sea turtle invigorated my environmental science lessons and added a personal account that was shared with my high school students. Students were engaged because the stories were real, passionate, and first hand. The motives for teaching conservation in my classroom have broadened from satisfying content standards to a real world deep-rooted understanding of the importance to teach biodiversity and sustainability. Classroom lessons were redesigned to include two online Penn State CHANCE interactive computer modules, books by and about turtle conservationist Archie Carr, Sea Turtle Conservancy resources including distance learning, personal photos and anecdotes, and student designed conservation projects. Getting there was half the fun, but nothing can compare to the passion instilled from participating in the conservation work at San San Beach.
2014 Panama and Costa Rica CHANCE Short-term Study Abroad
In the summer of 2014 I traveled with Penn State CHANCE for a short term study abroad course. The group was transported via Cayucos to the remote AAMVECONA facilities along the San San Beach in Panama. At the station we learned about sea turtle biology and conservation practices through lectures and authentic activities that included baby turtlemeasurement and release, night beach patrol to locate nesting turtles, egg collection and relocation, sea turtle nursery duty, and post hatch nest excavations. Throughout the experience we worked alongside local conservationists pictured with the CHANCE participants in the photo to the right taken by Simone Stratman.
Transfer of Global Education to the Classroom:
Changing the World:
Students completed CHANCE online learning modules Plight of the Leatherback Turtles and Sea Turtle Hatchling Orientation from Nest to Ocean. The interactive learning experience allowed students to travel virtually to the turtle beaches of Latin America.
Students used web resources to further gain global perspectives from international sea turtle nesting sites. Reading news articles from Tico Times & Panama News as well as literary works of Archie Carr provided insight to cultural connections. Conservation sites and online video game evaluations helped students to learn how digital resources can assist with conservation efforts.
Students presented their perspectives on sea turtle conservation. 21st Century skills were utilized and Common Core Literacy Standards were addressed through active research and communication.
Students made a difference by designing service learning projects that assisted sea turtle conservation. Students pictured to the right collected discarded glass bottles during a Sea Grant International Coastal Zone clean up. The glass was broken, tumbled, and cleaned. The glass pieces will be used to create a mosaic of a sea turtle, which will then be raffled off with the proceeds donated to a turtle conservation group.
Other projects included educational outreach to younger students within our school district and a first grade classroom in Tulsa Oklahoma. To address sustainability, students planned to design and maintain a Wiki page with student created educational resources.
