Center For Ocean Sciences Education Excellence COSEE Ocean Systems
Follow this link to skip to the main content
HOME ABOUT US PROGRAMS EVENTS TOOLS NEWS CLIMB RESOURCES DIRECTORY CONTACT US
SEARCH NEWS

Tools for Learning about Ecosystem Diversity: Concept Mapping Interdisciplinary Science Topics - 11.30.2010

NEOSEC participants discuss a science-based concept map
On November 12, 2010 Carla Companion and Christy Herren from COSEE-OS presented a session at the New England Ocean Science Education Collaborative (NEOSEC) Ocean Literacy summit, an event for formal and informal educators, scientists, and policymakers to share ideas and tools for promoting ocean literacy. This year's theme was centered around Ocean Literacy Principle #5: The Ocean Supports a Diversity of Life and Ecosystems and featured a keynote speaker and panel from the Census of Marine Life to highlight the findings of the recent census. COSEE-OS ran a session entitled Tools for Learning about Ecosystem Diversity: Concept Mapping Interdisciplinary Science Topics.

In this hour-long session, small groups of educators and scientists chose a concept map created by a workshop or webinar scientist and brainstormed ways to connect the map to the content they currently address in their programs, or modify the map to make it suit their needs. The purpose of the session was to get the participants familiar with science-based concept maps created by scientists and to make them comfortable discussing how to tie-in ocean science content that has already been created. The concept maps chosen centered around biodiversity in the oceans - including maps made by Dr. Peter Girguis (Harvard) on hydrothermal vent ecosystems, one by Deb Goodwin (UNH) on Seasons of the Sea and a third created by Karen Orcutt & Kjell Gundersen (University of Mississippi) on the role of microbes in the recent Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Educators and scientists worked to adapt the concept maps and then shared with the large group. An overview/tour of the COSEE-OS website resources (including links to archived webinars) was also given. 

Return to News Archive