Developing Ocean Literate Students Using Data from Flounder Research

Ocean literacy concepts can be woven into a variety of K-12 activities.  We will present activities coauthored by a Savannah State University scientist and local teachers.  One lesson focuses on flatfish shape and growth, as students act out the various life stages of a flounder.  Another empowers students to teach each other about the fish they have studied.  We explain how scientists sort their fish catches, which provides a framework for the appreciation of marine diversity and fish abundance.  Finally, we discuss how some species undergo migration, and when we put that in the context of movement relative to body lengths, the students can see that the comparative distance a fish travels is quite large.  Incorporating Ocean Literacy Principles into K-12 activities greatly enhanced the framework for each lesson (e.g., The ocean supports a great diversity of life).