Students at Morrison School are hard at work learning about Oceans and their many treasures.

Visit to the New Jersey State Aquarium

Wow, weird, and wonderful are words that best describe our trip to the New Jersey State Aquarium where grades 2-6 viewed many of the types of creatures they had studied. Close to 500 students, parents, teachers, and other staff persons enjoyed the wonderful experience. "Wow" were the expressions of students touching real live sharks and stingrays. "Weird" were the different and strange creatures we only read about in books; now we had the opportunity to see them face to face. "Wonderful" describes the total experience:

• riding a school bus from one state to another
• standing on the banks of the Delaware River
• viewing Philadelphia from afar
• meeting and talking to trainers and divers from the New Jersey State Aquarium
• eating lunch with the sea gulls
• Back at school, students did scientific observations of goldfish. Posters, dioramas, puppet shows, and 3D creatures were made out of clay, candy, paper, etc.

The middle school classes began their study of the oceans by considering the impact of hurricanes, since El Nino had created a very active season. Many of the students have relatives in areas like Puerto Rico, Haiti, Latin America, and the southern United States, which were areas influenced by the natural disasters. In one activity, students plotted the coordinates of two hurricanes to predict where they would strike land.

Later, students were asked to consider what they would take with them if they only had fifteen minutes to evacuate their homes, possibly never to return. They developed individual evacuation suitcases along with the reason they included each item. Students also wrote how they would feel if this were really to happen to them.

Visit to Cape May Nature Center

Fabulous, fun, and fantastic was the cycle field trip on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry followed by a visit to the Cape May Nature Center. The children were awed by the size of the ferry and the ability of our bus to board along with the other vehicles and passengers. We were on an exquisite new ferry. It was a glorious day and the teenagers just loved the crossing. The students were a "fabulous" sight with their hair blowing and their gleeful sounds. Of course, talk of the Titanic was heard all around, since the movie about the fated voyage was released this year. All of the girls were looking for Leonardo DiCaprio and everyone was spreading their arms out as he had done.

Although we did not see any dolphins or whales so late in the season, a great time was had by all. To offset the disappointment of not seeing any sea life (other than the ever-present sea gulls), the game room was a helpful diversion during lunch and added to the "fun".

Students were encouraged to sit quietly for fifteen minutes and write poetry or reflections. Some ambitious students were tactful and also gained entry to the captain's quarters to interview the crew.

On departing the ferry, we arrived at the Nature Center. After being divided into groups, the students were given four "fantastic" lessons by the Center's very capable naturalists. In one lesson, the students were to pretend that they had come across a beached whale. Through role- play, they were taught how to get help and the process of putting an animal that size on a stretcher using an inflatable pool whale.

In another lesson, groups walked along the salt marsh and saw the diversity of life forms there. They were allowed to take specimens that were not living for further study at school. We were overjoyed to find a jellyfish which our students were permitted to hold as long as they didn't touch the tentacles. It was difficult to tear these young explorers away from the scene.

Inside the building, further observations were made of sea squirts. The students delighted in making the sea grapes ooze. The last experience was a favorite for many. Two students were outfitted with chest waders and sent for a walk out into the bay with a huge net attached between two poles. They skimmed the water and brought many varieties of sea life back to shore. The rest of the students had to pick up a wiggling creature and rush it back to a wading pool. The naturalist then helped us sort out what was collected. We observed many forms of baby fish, shrimp, crabs, clams, and seaweed. It was difficult to board the bus for the trip home.

You can see our trip in these QuickTime movies.

• Part 1 (2100k)
• Part 2 (1300k)
• Part 3 (2000k)
• Part 4 (3600k)
• Part 5 (2200k)
• Part 6 (950k)

Back at school the next day, the students who had gone on the trip became teachers, telling of their experiences and sharing their finds. In lab, students had to examine their specimens. Grades 7 and 8 studied the classification of all organisms. They used research skills to find out the genus and species of their specimens. Both 7th and 8th grade students had to work in teams to complete a multidisciplinary presentation. Students who did not attend the trip were placed in teams with students who did, as most of the students on our first expedition were 8th graders and another trip may occur in the spring for the 7th grade.

The presentations were wonderful. Besides including the required scientific facts, students included lovely poetry and raps that they were happy to share. A couple of groups put on puppet shows that were also presented to the lower grades. A few teams developed games that incorporated oceanography facts. A tee-shirt-painting contest on oceanography and environmental issues was also held.

Further Studies and Additional Activities

Along with this field trip, grade 8 pursued their Earth Science investigations by plotting the sea floor from New Jersey to Portugal. This activity was of special interest to the Portuguese students of our multicultural school. We studied tides and watched the newspapers to see how patterns impacted us. Students also learned how to calculate distances using sonar readings.

The older students were also given an assignment to think about what it would be like to live under the sea. They were encouraged to develop dioramas to exemplify their thoughts, considering our human needs if we lived there as well as the interrelatedness of Earth's waters and all of its creatures.

In Technology Education class, students made boats with alternative energy sources, such as rubber bands and solar energy. Students also gained knowledge by the use of digital cameras, scanners, robot arms, and video editing equipment. In computer class, students were given the opportunity to do their research. The Home Economics students planned to make sea life cookies, as well as a banner.

Our studies of oceans have not ended. We are currently starting our chemistry unit, and although we have touched on the environmental impacts on water, the water cycle, salinity, density, and the relationships between water and life, we have not yet dealt with all of the possibilities.

Our Changing Earth gives us much to consider and learn. By studying the oceans and performing many hands-on activities, the topic has become more real for the students. We are hopeful that our students will appreciate their planet's water and become informed citizens of the coming millenium.

Click HERE to read poetry by Morrison students who attended the Cape May Nature Center field trip.

Submitted by Sheila Appel and Mabel Mitchell