How we learn activity
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Knowledge building
Integrating multiple methods and knowledge types, we broaden our understanding of Canada’s oceans.
Read How We Learn independently.
In a class knowledge building circle, discuss the following questions.
- Why are long-term monitoring programs important? What can we learn through monitoring programs that last several years, that we can’t learn from monitoring projects that only last one year?
- How can Indigenous knowledge contribute to Canada’s understanding of ocean science?
- How are you connected to Canada’s oceans? Why is it important for all Canadians to learn about our marine environments, even if they don’t live next to Canada’s oceans?
- What types of technology did you recognize from the Ocean Sampling Technologies figure? What other types of technologies could be used to study Canada’s oceans?
Activity
Educator overview:
In this activity, students will develop a monitoring and research plan for a marine species. Students can work independently or in small groups. Refer to How We Learn during the activity.
Student worksheet
Congratulations! You have been chosen to lead a team of researchers who will study a marine species over the course of one year.
Choose one of the following Canadian marine species to research:
- Leatherback turtle
- Atlantic walrus
- Pacific hake
Using the Building Knowledge template for monitoring and research, create a research question and develop a plan to both answer your question and share your results.
1. Research question
Read Monitoring and Research in How We Learn. Develop a question you would like to answer about your marine species.
Examples:
- How far do leatherback turtles travel over a year?
- Where do Atlantic walrus go to give birth?
- What marine species eat Pacific hake?
Write your research question: ___________________________________________
2. Make a plan
Examine the Ocean Sampling Technologies figure in How We Learn. What technology can you use to answer your research question? Explain why you chose this technology.
Read Collaborative Science in How We Learn. Who can you work with to answer your research question? Explain why you want to work with them.
3. Sharing results
You have completed your research and answered your question. You now want to share your results with other Canadians.
Read All Canadians are Connected to the Oceans in Canada’s Connected Oceans.
Who do you want to share your results with? Who would benefit from learning from your research? Explain who you want to share your results with and why.
How will you share your results? Be creative! Ideas can include traditional media like newspapers and magazines, social media, and meeting and talking to people face-to-face. Explain your plan for sharing your results and why you have chosen these strategies.
Canada’s Connected Oceans
- Building Links within Canada’s Oceans Now 2020
- Read Ocean Climate in Canada’s Oceans Now 2020. Describe three ways that researchers and traditional knowledge holders monitor long-term effects from climate change in Canada’s oceans.
- Exploring Beyond Canada’s Oceans Now 2020
- Discover careers in marine science. Watch and learn about Canadian students using new technology and research methods at Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
- How do scientists prepare for a research mission at sea? Watch Science at Sea by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Related links
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