This Oceanography course takes students on an experience of what it is like to work on an oceanographic research vessel. The first half of the semester, students will spend time exploring the geological, chemical and physical properties of the ocean, while also learning about ship navigation and oceanographic tools. “How did the oceans form?”, “How do we know what the bottom of the ocean looks like?”, and “Why is the ocean salty?” are some of the key question’s students will answer on their expedition. In addition, they will examine the different signs and markings of ocean navigation, while learning what life at sea is all about. Students will analyze and graph data to examine how the ocean’s properties change based on GPS location and depth and will end the first term discovering what causes the different types of tides, and how climate and density impact ocean circulation patterns.
In the second term, students will embark on a 7-week adventure out to sea aboard the R/V VHS Cyber! Leaving the shores of Cape Cod, students will apply their knowledge of the geological, chemical and physical properties to their investigation of marine life throughout their journey. They will use the oceanographic tools on board such as plankton tow, CTD, microscopes, and refractometer to collect and analyze water and specimen samples. The expedition will take students to a variety of different ocean biomes, including the Intertidal zone, the open ocean, the Polar seas, and estuaries, where they are able to compare the ocean’s properties of each location, and observe how those properties impact marine life. Finally, students will investigate the ways in which humans have impacted our oceans as well as evaluate and propose possible conservation efforts.
This semester-long oceanography course that will engage students through hands-on lab work, videos, group activities and virtual simulations. Each week, students will use their scientific investigation skills to collect, organize, graph and analyze oceanographic data. Students will create and analyze models of the ocean throughout the course and will reflect upon and demonstrate their understanding of concepts through weekly “Mission Logs” that employ key science practices. Students will leave the course with an awareness of the importance of ocean health to life on earth.
