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Seafood Education Kit

Secondary

Description

Did you know the seafood industry is an expansive business that touches upon many corners of human life? In this resource, you will find seven lessons. Each of the lessons includes discussions and activities, all having one ultimate objective; to educate, equip and empower students to be stewards for sustainable seafood choices.

Lesson 1- Students will be able to:

  • Recognize the local and global value of the seafood industry
  • Acknowledge that the ocean provides a valuable resource for humanity
  • Identify how we are connected globally via the seafood industry
  • Discuss how the ocean contributes to sustaining human life

Lesson 2- Students will be able to:

  • Understand and evaluate aquaculture practices
  • Recognize the goal of aquaculture in regard to food stability
  • Assess the differing methods/techniques of aquaculture
  • Critically analyze the impacts of aquaculture

Lesson 3- Students will be able to:

  • Collaborate to create criteria to determine sustainable seafood choices
  • Define sustainability in connection to ocean health
  • Explore how aquaculture can be sustainable and unsustainable
  • Collaboratively identify solutions to further sustainable aquaculture

Lesson 4- Students will be able to:

  • Prepare an organized and informed debate to address an environmental dilemma
  • Identify key methods of wild fishing
  • Evaluate the impact of wild fishing and aquaculture
  • Analyze the relationship between wild fishing and aquaculture

Lesson 5 – Students will be able to:

  • Confidently discuss the impacts of climate change upon the seafood industry
  • Compare and contrast different environmental phenomena
  • Assess the short term and long-term environmental impacts of aquaculture
  • Learn how climate change relates to aquaculture

Lesson 6 – Students will be able to:

  • Identify components of multi-trophic aquaculture systems
  • Observe the interconnected nature of ecosystems
  • Understand the dynamics of multi trophic aquaculture
  • Question and create a sustainable fish farm

Lesson 7 – Students will be able to:

  • Assess aquaculture from a variety of perspectives.
  • Analyze the social, environmental, and economical impact of aquaculture
  • Innovate new ways to improve seafood sustainability through collaboration

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

Students will learn to

  • analyze and compare data
  • identify and organise ideas/findings
  • debate

Strengths

  • Each lesson comes with an extensive lesson plan for teachers that is easy to follow
  • Lessons are equipped with background information
  • The objectives of each lessons are clearly stated
  • All documents needed by students and the teacher are provided in this resource
  • Optional extensions are provided in the lessons

Recommendation of how and where to use it

This resource would be excellent to

  • introduce the idea of the effect of human behaviour on the marine environment and its ecosystem. 
  • serve as a case study in sustainable development
  • support curriculum units such as, geography, environmental science, social studies, economics, that have students examine issues related to resource management and human environmental interactions

Relevant Curriculum Units

The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.

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        • Social Studiees 20:World Issues - Environment
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        • Environmental Science 11: Changing ecosystems are maintained by natural processes.
        • Environmental Science 11: Human practices affect the sustainability of ecosystems
        • Environmental Science 11:Humans can play a role in stewardship and restoration of ecosystems
    • Grade 12
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      • Environmental Science
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        • Environmental Science 12: Human actions affect the quality of water and its ability to sustain life.
        • Environmental Science 12: Human activities cause changes in the global climate system
        • Environmental Science 12: Sustainable land use is essential to meet the needs of a growing population
      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Specialized Science 12: Climate change impacts biodiversity and ecosystem health
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Human Geography 12: Human activities alter landscapes in a variety of ways.

Themes Addressed

Air, Atmosphere & Climate (1)

  • Climate Change

Citizenship (1)

  • Sustainable Consumption

Food & Agriculture (2)

  • Aquaculture
  • Food Security

Land Use & Natural Resources (1)

  • Fisheries

Waste Management (1)

  • Source Reduction

Water (1)

  • Marine Environments

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Good

The lesson plans help students appreciate and understand the process involved in making decisions that determine what constitutes an allowable catch in maintaining a sustainable seafood industry. All by allowing them a chance to debate and voice their opinion.

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Very Good

Multiple environmental factors such as: fish biology/ life cycle /population size and ocean ecosystems; economic factors supply/demand/ scarcity/profit; and social factors jobs/food supply/cultural traditions/waste management. 

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Very Good

The seafood industry is an expansive business that touches upon many corners of human life; ranging from supplying protein in our diets to providing employment for communities to being a tool of creativity and history for seafood chefs. With the many avenues seafood shapes, it is significant to highlight how the growing demand for it is contributing to declining fish populations. Especially as the planet faces environmental challenges such as climate change, ocean acidification and habitat destruction, conversations about resource extraction have become particularly relevant. 

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Satisfactory

The resource makes some suggestions of action opportunities but no action plan details are provided.

Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Very Good

During the lesson plan, students will explore through video, case studies or data a variety of reasons seafood is such an important factor to our society. That will make students consider what weight or value they attach to the well being of the seafood industry, to the importance of a healthy marine economy, to the communities that dependent on it, and to government's responsibility in regulating the fishery industry.

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Satisfactory

The lessons help students develop empathy for the people depending on the seafood industry.

Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Good

There is enhancement on understanding the marine ecosystems and their sustainable use.

Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Good

The resource activities encourage students to be aware that their local seafood choices have a global impact. 

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Good

Students realize the factors of our changing society and understanding their effects on the seafood industry. In doing so, they identify the factors that determine changes in fish populations, waste management and climate change.

Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Very Good

Multiple opportunities are presented for students to express their opinions. 

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Very Good

Students work within a number of disciplines, and multiple opportunities for extended learning is presented. 

Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Good

Students are provided with critical questions to process to arrive at solutions to the growing demand of seafood within declining fish populations.

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Good

The lesson has multiple teaching strategies and tools presented. 

Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Good
Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Very Good

Many group and cooperative learning opportunities are suggested in the resource.

Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Very Good

Ideas of different assessments and rubrics are included.  

Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Good

The lesson plan includes many simulations and cooperative learning activities that allow students to benefit from classmates' perspectives in carrying out the roles assigned and from the presentations made. 

Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Very Good

The lessons presents a variety of case studies.

Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Good

The individual lessons strike a good balance between teacher-directed discussion and assignment and student responsibility and autonomy to ensure that students understand the complexity of the issue. 

Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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