Bering Sea Expedition WebQuest

Engage

20 minutes

Read the following information to the students:

Scientists have been researching the organisms in the Bering Sea on board a large ice-breaking ship called the Healy.
Show “Climate-driven Change in the Northern Bering Sea.” This video shows scientists aboard the icebreaker Healy talking about melting ice and how climate change is altering the food chains in the Bering Sea.

Have students reflect, and then write in their science notebooks the ways their lives might be affected by changes in sea ice. Share using this “Fish Bowl Think Aloud” strategy:

Explore

250+ minutes

Explain to students that they will be participating in a WebQuest. This WebQuest will take students to the Bering Sea and they will use the internet to find out information about some of the organisms that live there.

The links provided guide students through research on how climate patterns cause physical changes in the Bering Sea, and how those changes affect the conditions for life. Their task includes playing the role of a team of scientists who are planning projects for the next cruise of the icebreaker Healy. Each team will write a proposal to the North Pacific Research Board, convincing them that the research urgently requires data to be collected on the upcoming Healy cruise. Several other teams of scientists will also be attending this meeting and making a case for their study plans.

Students will follow these steps:

1. Find out about the Bering Sea, its physical conditions, and how they are changing.
2. Choose the Bering Sea organisms that each team member will research. Each team member will research at least two organisms.
3. Research.
4. Meet with team members and construct a concept map of the relationships among the organisms that each team member has collected information about.
5. Based on the information they have learned, decide what they plan to measure or observe, and the reasons that these studies are important to understanding the effects of a warming climate on the Bering Sea ecosystem. There should be no more than seven organisms that they plan to study on the Healy cruise.
6. Write the study plan proposal. (Be sure you approve the plans.)

7. Participate in a science symposium, using a PowerPoint presentation, animation, poster, or story to persuade the committee that their study plan is worthy.

To help students structure their time, you may choose to allow one class period to research the Bering Sea, one or two class periods to research their chosen species, one class period for teams to meet and construct a concept map, one class period to develop the study plan proposal, one or two class periods to develop the presentation, and one class period for the science symposium. During their research, you can formatively assess students using the “popcorn method” by asking students to quickly stand up and share one thing they have learned so far. Research materials may include terms and words that are new to students. Remind students to look up definitions if necessary. Share the WebQuest link with students and provide a time frame that works with your situation.

Explain

50 minutes

In step 7 of the WebQuest, students are asked to present their research plan for the next cruise of the icebreaker Healy during a science symposium. They will prepare a creative persuasive presentation. The WebQuest suggests that they may use a PowerPoint presentation, poster, story, or animation. Depending on the resources you have available and the capabilities of your students, you may want to limit or expand their choices. It may also be desirable to set a time limit for the presentations. You may also bring in some parents, community members, or other school personnel to be the “research board committee” from the research board that will approve their proposal.
The committee can use the WebQuest Presentation Rubric to score the presentations.

The students should listen critically to each presentation, reflecting on their own research to clarify and modify their understanding.

Elaborate

15 minutes

At the conclusion of the WebQuest, students are asked to reflect on their WebQuest and the symposium to identify 3-5 important effects of a changing climate in the Bering Sea. This reflection will be used for the unit’s Culminating Task in Investigation 5.

Evaluate

10 minutes

The WebQuest Presentation Rubric for the science symposium presentation can be used for summative assessment.

Extend

Invite local scientists to share their knowledge of changes and effects on organisms in your local environment.