Operation: St*rfish

(A Webquest for Middle School Students)

By
Rod Barta
Washington School
Oconto, Wisconsin

Introduction / Task / Process / Resources / Evaluation / Conclusion

  Introduction

    Welcome to the Webquest Operation St*rfish. The famous oceanographer, Jock Koostoe, has requested your help. He suspects that the ocean is in deep peril and that only you and your team of experts can help. Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to explore some of this underwater realm, investigate some of its inhabitants, map its resources, and, hopefully, discover what is endangering this watery world. As always, my friend, you’ll need to report back to us with your findings and your solution. Good luck!

Task

    You must choose a team of  four experts. Your team will be composed of a marine biologist, an ocean resource researcher, and an environmental ecologist. You, as their leader, are responsible for coordinating their efforts, interpreting their data, and reporting your findings to the world. The two ocean environments that your team may explore in their quest are the coral reefs and the tidal pools. Your team goal is to find out as much information as you can about one of these habitats, specifically: what lives there, how it is influenced by people, how we have damaged the habitat, and what things have been done or can be done to change that so as to save this wonderful living ecosystem.There are some excellent experts out there. Get your team together and let’s get going. Time’s a’wasting!

Process

    Now that your team has been chosen, you need to brief them in their tasks. In addition to these tasks, each team member shall conduct their search through the Internet by using copy and paste procedures to a word processing program that can be used as a notebook for the storage of information to be incorporated into a final draft. This final draft should include the sources of information from the Internet as well as the sites. The final draft will serve as your report to be presented before the mission director and his/her staff.

Marine biologist: This expert, after deciding which environment you will explore (coral reef or tidal pool), must report on what kinds of living things exist there. A total of at least 10 plants and animals should be identified from the environment. In addition, the food chain of the environment should be researched and three should be listed in the report. He/she should be watchful of any natural intruders into the environment which may disrupt it or endanger it, if people may have in any way been responsible for these intruders, and inform the team of this if this is so.

Ocean Resource Researcher: This expert is responsible for reporting on at least five of the natural resources that exist within the chosen environment and the variety of ways that people utilize these resources, including those for recreational use as well as those for industrial or commercial use. Again, he/she needs to recognize when these conflict with the natural life that exists there and report them to the team.

Environmental Ecologist: This expert is in charge of recognizing how nature and people interact in the chosen environment. He/she should report several conflicts that result in damage to the ecosystem, how it results in damage to the food chain and to the reduction of the natural resources, and what efforts have been made to change the damage, if any. He/she should also be able to make recommendations on how to stop further damage and to restore the original ecosystem.

Team Leader: As the mastermind of the operation, the team leader shall coordinate the information gathered by his/her team, incorporate it into a final report format, and present it in an oral presentation. The object of this final report is to convince the mission director and his/her staff that the ocean is a wonderful and important resource but that people are abusing it, that the dangers of continued abuse are a danger to us all (both human or nonhuman), and to persuade the audience to not only stop this abuse but to encourage wiser management of the resources to insure their survival in the future.

   But remember, your most important task on this webquest is to have fun! The world’s oceans are vast and fascinating. Enjoy what you learn about them.

Resources

   Your mission director has chosen some tools to support you on your quest. The links that you find below will lead you in the proper direction and aid you in your search. But don't be afraid to look elsewhere too as you travel the worldwide web.

Evaluation/Assessment

Click on the shark to see the rubric:

Conclusion

    Well, what do you think of the world’s oceans now? Have you found that they are a pretty important part of our lives? In addition to all the fascinating kinds of life, the beauty to be found in their changing moods, and the power that they exude, the oceans are complex and even mysterious. They demand our respect and our concern if they are to survive as a pure part of nature.

    And how well did your team work together to complete your mission? If our world is to be a good place to live, we must all learn to work together to keep it that way. Your mission was a successful one if you and your team worked well together and were influenced by what you found to be more responsible protectors of all of our Earth’s environments.

    And now for your next mission...find a new Webquest to explore. Good luck, my friend, on your next great adventure!