During this staff-led program, students will explore biodiversity on a coral reef using the same methods as Smithsonian scientists. Students will practice science skills of observing, classifying, and quantifying organisms living on coral reefs using real data collected by field scientists with Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS). They will use their observations to understand how biodiversity is related to ecosystem resilience, and how humans are impacting these vital ocean habitats.
Formats
Designed to accommodate classes, grades, or groups with 15-1,000 students. Students will not be visible to the museum educator or other students, but they will be able to submit questions in writing through the Q&A, and interact through polls.
Designed to accommodate classes of 15 - 35 students. Students will be visible to the museum educator and their classmates, and will have the ability to raise their hand to ask questions. In order to participate in this format, those registering will need to provide proof of parental permissions to participate in onscreen programs. If you would like to register for more than 35 students you will need to book a second slot.
Designed to accommodate individual students or small groups with less than 15 students. Students will not be visible to the museum educator or other students, but they will be able submit questions in writing through the Q&A, and interact through polls. Homeschool Days available the first Monday of the month, October 4, November 1, and December 6, 2021.
Register
Registered programs, 10:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. ET from October 4, 2021, to December 17, 2021. DCPS teachers please contact us if classes need to be scheduled at alternate times.
Bring a Smithsonian scientist into your home and classroom with Smithsonian Science How, a series of live video webinars that connect Smithsonian science experts with students. These new webinars will connect your students with the core content of the Reefs Unleashed school programs and provide students with an opportunity to extend their learning in the content area.
There are no reef webinars scheduled at this time.
Extension Resources
Join Ocean Educator, Meaghan Cuddy, as she showcases highlights of the Sant Ocean Hall in these 2-5 minute videos.
This activity will guide students through a virtual exploration of the Sant Ocean Hall. By navigating through a variety of ocean exhibits, students will investigate some of our most fascinating specimens. At each of the eight tour stops, students will make observations and respond to questions in order to explore the themes of a global ocean, marine biodiversity, and human impacts on the natural world.
Corals and Coral Reefs: Coral reefs are an incredibly important part of the ocean ecosystem, but what exactly are they? What is a coral?
Ocean Acidification: Ocean acidification is one of the greatest threats faced by coral reefs today. What is ocean acidification? How is it harming the reefs and the creatures who live there?
Middle School:
Reef Protection in Cabo Pulmo, Mexico: Can legal protection help save coral reefs? Learn about some of the laws enacted by the citizens of Cabo Pulmo, Mexico, and if they have been successful in protecting their environment.
Reef Rescue: Protect Coral Reefs with Your Actions: Is there anything you can do at home to protect the coral reefs? Learn about responsible, reef-protecting behaviors whether you’re at the beach or far from it!
High School:
Massive Citizen Science Effort Seeks to Survey the Entire Great Barrier Reef: Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is 1,400 miles long! How can scientists possibly study all the organisms that live there? By harnessing the power of citizen scientists - ordinary people who help scientists collect data for their research.
Naturally Resilient: Why are some coral reefs particularly resilient - able to bounce back after major disasters - and others are not? Compare life at the Bikini Atoll, where nuclear tests blasted craters into the reef, with other reefs around the world. What does a reef need to be resilient?
Advanced:
On the Trail of DNA in the Ocean: The Reefs Unleashed program briefly mentions the use of eDNA to measure the biodiversity in the ocean. What is this cutting edge science, and how are researchers using it to learn more about the health of an ecosystem?
