Massive Dolphin Stranding

Submitted by: Beverly Brown
School: Echo Lake Elementary School

Summary

This lesson has students experiencing a massive dolphin stranding at their school. One of the strongest parts of this lesson is the real world scenario the students are put in. During the lesson, students take on the role of stranding team members who go to the stranding site to collect samples & data from the dolphin. They are also tasked with coming up with conclusions on how the dolphin was stranded and what preventative measures can be taken in the future.

TIPC Ratings

Target: This lesson allows students to use the information and data collected to accomplish a real-world task. The data was collected and verified in a variety of ways with students taking responsibility for most of the work. This level could be raised by allowing students to select their own digital tools to use instead of the tools being given.

Target: This lesson was high in communication and collaboration. Students interacted with the “caller” who spots the dolphins using a video conferencing tool and collaborate solving a real-world problem and create original works.

Approaching: This lesson is high in critical thinking and problem solving. Students use technology to collaborate and analyze information from a variety of sources to solve the problem of how and why the dolphins were stranded. Additionally, they use higher order thinking skills to answer open-ended questions.

Approaching: This lesson allowed students to apply critical thinking and research methods to create original work. They analyze information from a variety of sources to determine the cause of the dolphin stranding. Although working within the framework established by the teacher, students have flexibility to address the problem in a number of creative ways.