Ms. Flodeen’s PBI Field Trip Information
The following field trip is envisioned for a Marine Science Course composed of 11th and 12th grade students. The school that would be approving this field trip would be PK Yonge a UF research and development school. It is assumed that the students have been working on their research conservation projects on certain areas of Florida and along with the cooperation of the Florida Aquarium they will present their PBI projects to the public attending the Aquarium that day.
Theme of Project-Based Unit: Marine Ecosystems
Real World Application of these Experiences:
Location of the Field Trip: The Florida Aquarium, in Tampa, FL.
Educational Resources Provided at Field Trip Site:
Your Rationale For Choosing this Site to Support and Enhance Project Instruction:
Anticipated costs that would need to be paid (either by the school, student, or outside organization) that this trip will incur:
The Field Trip Protocol for the Classroom You Are Currently Observing:
2) After approval and respective revisions from the department chair have been addressed there is a required submission of the Field Trip Proposal to School Administration (Principal) to allocate funds. [PK Yonge requires its students to pay a $250 activity fee each year which helps fund extra events such as field trips, collectively as a K-12 school the budget for field trips for all the classes is $31,000]. The budget for field trips for each course is different every year but it is typically around $300-$600 dollars.
3) Once the field trip is approved and budget is allocated for the field trip the teacher must
a) Set a date and register for the field trip
b) Reserve the PK Yonge Transportation Bus Service
c) Draft and distribute to the students a Parental Permission Slip (Must be signed and turned in to front office for students to be eligible to attend the field trip)
d) Request Chaperones (1 per 10 students, so in this case myself/Ms. Andrews would be attending so there would still be a need of two more chaperones)
e) Inform all of the students other teachers that they will be absent from class during a certain time frame on that date.
2) Teacher needs to be aware of the cancellation policy for the field trip
The Potential Educational Resources Embedded at the Site that Support the Unit:
2) Abiotic/Biotic Components of an ecosystem
3) Niches of Marine Organisms
4) Energy and Nutrient Cycling through ecosystems
5) Interdependence of Life in ecosystems
6) Marine ecosystems: What are they? And what are some types?
7) Florida’s marine ecosystems
8) Florida marine ecosystem conservation project
9) Rough draft presentations of marine ecosystem conservation project products (power point presentations, speeches, posters, art, etc.)
· Additional opportunities for students to investigate their project in the real world: can be accessed at the Florida Aquarium website via these links (http://www.flaquarium.org/Get-Involved.aspx or http://www.flaquarium.org/conservation-research.aspx)
The following field trip is envisioned for a Marine Science Course composed of 11th and 12th grade students. The school that would be approving this field trip would be PK Yonge a UF research and development school. It is assumed that the students have been working on their research conservation projects on certain areas of Florida and along with the cooperation of the Florida Aquarium they will present their PBI projects to the public attending the Aquarium that day.
Theme of Project-Based Unit: Marine Ecosystems
Real World Application of these Experiences:
- Students will feel more comfortable with public speaking as well as feel accomplished in that they produced a meaningful product
- Students will obtain more knowledge on various FL marine animals, organisms, and conservation issues
- Students will be able to see real-world conservation efforts put forth by the FL aquarium via tide talks, sea turtle rescue, coral reef restoration, etc.
Location of the Field Trip: The Florida Aquarium, in Tampa, FL.
Educational Resources Provided at Field Trip Site:
- Onsite Ocean Chemistry Lab (Lab concerning the effects of ocean acidification on marine inhabitants and coastal inhabitants which include humans, as a result of the effects)
- Exhibit Scavenger Hunt (Packet of Questions for Each type of Ecosystem which are found among the Exhibits)
- Wide Range of Information in Exhibits (Exhibits include: Wetlands Trail, Journey to Madagascar, Bays and Beaches, Coral Reef, and Ocean Commotion)
- Conservation Talks/Events (Seasonal: Would need to look at the Event Calendar to Coordinate)
- Offsite Boat Field Programs such as Tampa Bayside Exploration
- Individual programs for interested students in either FL Aquarium internships or conservation/research programs
Your Rationale For Choosing this Site to Support and Enhance Project Instruction:
- The Florida Aquarium is one of the most highly praised aquariums in the United States and has a huge focus on research/conservation in the state of Florida.
- Because of its praise it incurs much traffic from the general public which happens to be the audience of my students’ final projects for their PBI unit.
- The resources will allow students to be able to reinforce their knowledge of ecosystems by completing the Exhibit scavenger hunt
- The onsite lab program will allow students to be able to reinforce and compare/contrast their knowledge of tank ocean chemistry with the information presented in the Florida Aquariums Ocean Chemistry Lab
- Using what they have learned about what the Florida Aquarium does for research/conservation when they go back to the classroom they will be able to look for other programs that focus on research and conservation efforts for their marine ecosystem of interest.
Anticipated costs that would need to be paid (either by the school, student, or outside organization) that this trip will incur:
- Aquarium General Admission Ticket + Lab Program Fee= $9 per student, with 40 students between the two Marine Science courses which would be a total of $360 [Paid mostly by school with help from Marine Science Club Fundraisers/Field Trip Grant Funding]
- Transportation= PK Yonge has their own mode of transportation, a designated school bus which is free of charge and available for reservation upon request
- Lunch and Snacks= Free or Reduced Lunch is available for students who qualify via PK Cafeteria but must be ordered 1 week prior to field trip and picked up by the student the morning of the field trip. All other lunch or food items must be brought in by the students
- Handouts must be printed at school to reduce cost of requesting materials from the Florida Aquarium which would be an additional charge
The Field Trip Protocol for the Classroom You Are Currently Observing:
- Alachua County requirements: Similar to PK Yonge’s requirements however does not apply for PK Yonge.
- School requirements:
2) After approval and respective revisions from the department chair have been addressed there is a required submission of the Field Trip Proposal to School Administration (Principal) to allocate funds. [PK Yonge requires its students to pay a $250 activity fee each year which helps fund extra events such as field trips, collectively as a K-12 school the budget for field trips for all the classes is $31,000]. The budget for field trips for each course is different every year but it is typically around $300-$600 dollars.
3) Once the field trip is approved and budget is allocated for the field trip the teacher must
a) Set a date and register for the field trip
b) Reserve the PK Yonge Transportation Bus Service
c) Draft and distribute to the students a Parental Permission Slip (Must be signed and turned in to front office for students to be eligible to attend the field trip)
d) Request Chaperones (1 per 10 students, so in this case myself/Ms. Andrews would be attending so there would still be a need of two more chaperones)
e) Inform all of the students other teachers that they will be absent from class during a certain time frame on that date.
- Teacher/Classroom requirements:
2) Teacher needs to be aware of the cancellation policy for the field trip
- Florida Aquarium requirements:
- There must be 1 chaperone for every 10 students (teacher is considered a chaperone)
- Must register at LEAST two weeks in advance via their website steps at http://www.flaquarium.org/education-camps/school-programs/field-trips-on-site-programs.aspx#0
- Ocean Chemistry Lab has a 30 student maximum and is only available from August to December
The Potential Educational Resources Embedded at the Site that Support the Unit:
- Classroom lessons that need to be completed prior to the field trip:
2) Abiotic/Biotic Components of an ecosystem
3) Niches of Marine Organisms
4) Energy and Nutrient Cycling through ecosystems
5) Interdependence of Life in ecosystems
6) Marine ecosystems: What are they? And what are some types?
7) Florida’s marine ecosystems
8) Florida marine ecosystem conservation project
9) Rough draft presentations of marine ecosystem conservation project products (power point presentations, speeches, posters, art, etc.)
- Classroom lessons that need to be completed after field trip: 1) Field Trip Reflection+ marine ecosystem conservation project extension with an established resource conservation center in Florida 2) Review for Unit Test
· Additional opportunities for students to investigate their project in the real world: can be accessed at the Florida Aquarium website via these links (http://www.flaquarium.org/Get-Involved.aspx or http://www.flaquarium.org/conservation-research.aspx)
- Internships with the Aquarium
- Research/Volunteer with coral propagation/resource conservation
- Research/Volunteer with sea turtle rescue
- Research/Volunteer with otter rescue