1. SEA LION DEBATE LESSON PLAN FOR 3RD TO 5TH GRADERS
JEWELL PEOPLES AND TERI BRAVATA
FOR
CRYSTAL COVE ALLIANCE
AND
DR. MARIA GRANT
CSUF — PRISE INTERNSHIP
MATERIALS/RESOURCES
In order to create the lesson plan, we needed intensive re-
search. Observing a 3-5 grade field trip at the Bern’s Environ-
mental Loop gave us an idea of the age range and capabilities
of the students we would be creating a lesson plan for. Once
given the assignment, we needed to experience the Enhanced
Whale Watching Expedition in order deepen our understanding
of what knowledge the students have before the lesson. As the
lesson plan brainstorming came together, we needed to work
with the fantastic team at the Crystal Cove Historic District to
bounce ideas around. For the following month, working on the
lesson plan at Crystal Cove allowed the research and outlines
to come together and produce our final product.
INTRODUDTION
The Crystal Cove Alliance (CCA) is a non-profit organization that manages
the facilities at Crystal Cove State Park and has been tasked with the
broader function of making the state park self-sustaining. With that in
mind, CCA is using the state park as a tool for the education community by
creating learning experiences where students work as “citizen scientists.”
All of the learning experiences CCA is developing are based on NGSS Sci-
ence Standards.
The lesson plan we have developed is based on a portion of an Enhanced
Whale Watching trip available to educators through Davey’s Locker out of
Newport Beach. CCA is working this organization on a roll out for the same
type of program. CCA is hoping that what they are doing here in Southern
California will become a model for all state parks.
OUTCOMES
Our work created a lesson plan that will be used in the classrooms of the
schools that attend the Enhanced Whale Watching Expedition field trip.
The students will be able to act as scientists and experience a current
event that indicates human effects on the environment. The lesson plan
will be used and sustained by Davey’s Locker and Crystal Cove Alliance
for all future expeditions.
ACKNOWLEDMENTS
There are three people from the Crystal Cove Alliance that
were instrumental in our success. They are Sara Ludovise,
Education Manager; Holly Fletcher, Education Coordina-
tor, and Danny Feliciano, Education Specialist. In addition,
we would like to thank Jessica from Davey’s Locker and
the fishermen aboard the Western Pride for providing the
material for our lesson plan.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Jewell Peoples
Undergraduate PRISE Intern
California State University, Fullerton
(714)837-9020
jewellpeoples@csu.fullerton.edu
Teri Bravata
terilynn2436@csu.fullerton.edu
ABSTRACT
Jewell and I collaborated to create a lesson plan for 3rd to
5th graders that expands on the sea lion debate heard aboard
The Western Pride. The Western Pride is the boat used for an En-
hanced Whale Watching trip that students can go on as a field
trip. The plan is for this lesson to be used after the field trip, but it
can also be used before the trip to prepare the students for a
more rewarding experience on the boat.
The lesson provides the students with multiple documents and
media that they must analyze to come up with their own argu-
ments for the debate. The lesson requires that the students be
placed on one side or the other without choice, but then they
have the freedom to form small groups of their own to come up
with an argument from the documents.
The lesson culminates with the students being required to come
up with some possible solutions to the problem.
CONCLUSIONS
Teri Bravata
This internship has given me the opportunity to see how NGSS can be im-
plemented in the classroom using real world experiences. It has also giv-
en me the opportunity to learn how to use the standards for a desired out-
come, and how to develop activities using the Disciplinary Core Ideas and
the Science and Engineering Practices.
Jewell Peoples
Science has the capabilities of being a very active and engaging subject
through NGSS. Applying NGSS, and even informal education, creates an
environment where students will reach the higher levels of thinking. As a
mathematics educator, I learned that applying real world situations and
more open ended questions can have students not only more engaged but
learning on a much deeper level. Allow the students to be scientists and
let them discover knowledge.