Introduction

Task

Process

Evaluation

Conclusion

Credits

Teacher Page

CORAL REEFS

Metropolis Under The Sea

A WebQuest designed for 7th grade science.

Julie Bond & Caroline Miller

bondj@shawnee.edu millerc6@shawnee.edu

Created May 17, 2003

Introduction

You are a member of a marine biology class which is going on a field trip to study coral reefs. Your underwater expedition will take you into the fascinating world of coral reefs and the marine organisms that make up this Metropolis Under The Sea.

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Task

Safe diving practice states that you should never dive alone- so pick a diving buddy. In teams of two divers, your assignment will be to complete a coral reef scavenger hunt. You will be responsible for collecting several interesting facts about the coral reef ecosystem. Your diving team will complete a scavenger list consisting of fourteen questions. After you arrive back on dry land, as an individual diver you will complete a one page essay choosing one topic from the three topics provided.

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Process

Choose a diving buddy.
Explore the websites provided.
Complete the coral reef scavenger hunt. Click here for the worksheet.
Individually complete a one page essay on coral reefs. Choose one from the three listed below.

A. How do the three main types of coral reefs form?

B. What five things are essential for coral growth and why?

C. What are the two most destructive diseases affecting corals

and briefly describe the affects of each.

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Evaluation

Name_________________

	Poor 1	Average 2	Good 3	Excellent 4	Total
Researched Topic	Very little research done. Nothing relates to topic	Small amount of research; very little relates to topic	Some research; most relate to topic	Well researched; all relates to topic.
Completed assignment	Assignments not completed	Assignments partially complete	Assignments completed but did very little of the shared work required	All assignments completed
Shared workload	Did not help with research or worksheet	Helped with research but expected partner to do most of the worksheet	Helped with worksheet and did a little of the research	Shared workload
Essay	Topic not researched; numerous mistakes	Topic researched; Some mistakes in grammar	Topic researched well; very few mistakes	Topic thoroughly researched; no mistakes. A well written essay

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Conclusion

Congratulations on the completion of your diving mission. By completing your mission, you have explored the complexity of coral reef ecosystems. While exploring the reefs you have seen the importance of ecosystems under the sea. I hope this WebQuest has helped you realize the diversity and beauty that exists in the marine environment, and that it has sparked your interest in marine biology. To further your knowledge of the important coral reef ecosystem there is an extra credit opportunity. Continue your research into why coral reefs need to be protected. Write a one page paper stating what steps you would take to protect the reefs.

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Credits

The following sites were used in the creation of this WebQuest:

www.ocean.com

www.google.com

www.noaa.gov

www.coralreefalliance.org

http://life.bio.sunysb.edu/marinebio/mbweb.html

The images within this webquest were found on www.google.com:

balaou11.jpg

image 7.jpg

science.jpg

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Teacher Page

This WebQuest was designed for seventh grade Science students. The lesson was designed following the Ohio Academic Content Standards for seventh grade. This complies with standards 2, 3, 4, and 8.

This WebQuest requires the student to work as an individual and as part of a team. The essay incorporates an integrated English lesson.

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