We had just finished a hands-on activity looking at the effects of melting land ice (ice located on land) and sea ice (ice floating in the water) on sea level rise, and this young man looked dumbstruck. Prior to the start of the experiment, we have students hypothesize which (or both, or none) will change sea level in the small mini-oceans we set up for the experiment. He had hypothesized that both melting land and sea ice would result in rising sea level. (Quick – stop –what do you think would happen?)
But that was not what he saw nor measured in the experiment. What he actually observed was that only melting land ice changed the level of water in the bowl. I could almost see the wheels turning in his mind as he worked to integrate this new information into his prior understanding. This young man was not alone – many students have this misconception, and it is one of the reasons we do this hands-on activity. There is an enlightening video done by the Annenberg Foundation titled "A Private Universe" that illustrates how hard it can be to correct misconceptions. And yet, this is the power of hands-on learning, or experiential education.
Now in its 50th year, the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium is a long-time supporter of experiential education about the coastal environment. Their three educational partners – the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Discovery Hall Programs, the Mobile County Public School System Environmental Studies Center and the University of Southern Mississippi’s Marine Education Center – provide a myriad of experiential education programs for many audiences – PreK-12 students, classroom teachers, non-formal educators, the public and others.
Over the years, I have spoken with many students and teachers who have participated in our coastal education programming. Almost every one of them recalls something about their time on the coast. For many, they mention the boat trip. They say thinks like “I remember how many brown pelicans were following the boat.” “I remember how the net was just packed with jellies that day.” “I didn’t know you could measure how much oxygen is in the water for fish to live.”
Our Sea Grant educators point out the differences between immature and mature brown pelicans and talk about how they were once an endangered species but how populations recovered after humans stopped using DDT for pest control. Educators talk about the role of jellyfish in ocean food webs, how they use stinging cells to catch their prey, what species we have in this area and how scientists have come to learn more about jellyfish when we studied them with techniques that did not involve dragging nets and converting their fragile bodies to “sea snot.”
We let students use equipment that scientists use in their research, explain why measuring water quality characteristics like oxygen concentration are important and try to relate this to what they already know.
Yet with increasing constraints on field trips in schools, ever increasing costs, health concerns with COVID-19, liability concerns and other logistical challenges, providing hands-on learning about the coast for all learners is becoming more challenging. The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium recognizes this challenge and has continued to support general coastal education programming for all learners. Whether it is correcting misconceptions about sea level rise or seeing a part of their watershed firsthand, these trips engage, excite and help to establish that feeling of agency we all need in today’s world.
For more information about coastal education opportunities including vessel-based programs supported by Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant, please go to our webpage.
Meet the author
Tina Miller-Way, Ph.D.
Assistant Director for Education
Tina Miller-Way serves as the assistant director for education for the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium (MASGC) and is a former chair of the national Sea Grant Education Network. She has... Read more
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