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Build Your Own Coral Reef

Difficulty:
Time: 45-60 min
Categories:

In this lesson, students will explore how coral reefs are affected by changes in their environment, especially warmer ocean temperatures. Then, using the Climate Action Kit, they will build their own coral reef model to simulate coral bleaching.

Get Started
What this lesson includes
Lesson Content
Ecosystems, Data Collection
Real-World Example

Great Barrier Reef

Coding Tutorial
Block-based
Assessment
Triangulated Assessment Options
Educator Resources
Finished Code Link
Quickstart Guide

Looking for more resources? Look  here.

Learning Goals

  • List at least three different components of a coral reef ecosystem
  • Identify the main parts of a coral polyp
  • Describe the process of coral bleaching and its impact on marine life
  • Explain why scientists use models to study and protect coral reefs
  • Build a coral reef model that simulates coral bleaching as the water temperature rises

Materials

  • Climate Action Kit
  • micro:bit V2
  • Computer with access to Microsoft MakeCode
  • White tissue paper (Keep this free of foil or glitter so it can be recycled or composted later!)

Get to Know the Content

  1. Make sure you've completed our 'Getting Started with the Climate Action Kit' course
  2. If it has been awhile, review the kit components featured in this lesson:
  3. Review the lesson, particularly the following thinking routines from Project Zero (Harvard Graduate School of Education):

Big Idea (15 minutes)

Learn about coral reefs and how warmer oceans can harm them by causing coral bleaching.

Students will:

  • Compare and contrast healthy vs. bleached coral reefs
  • Explain how coral bleaching affects coral reef ecosystems
  • List the ways scientists and communities are working together to protect coral reefs

Take Action (45 minutes)

In the Take Action section, students will use the Climate Action Kit to design and build their own coral reef model. The model will change colour to show how bleaching occurs when the water temperature rises.

We've provided 3 ways students may build the project to support scaffolding and differentiation in your classroom: 'Use', 'Modify', and 'Create'.*

Activity Description
Use

Students will follow a step-by-step tutorial to build and use their coral reef model.

Success Criteria

I can:

  • build a coral reef model using the Climate Action Kit
  • name and describe the main parts of my model
  • explain how to test what happens to coral at different ocean temperatures
  • talk about what my model does well and how it could be better

Resources

Tutorial
Final Code
Modify

Students will follow a step-by-step tutorial to build the coral reef model. They will improve upon the model by modifying the code and ensuring bleaching happens more gradually.

Success Criteria

I can:

  • build a coral reef model using the Climate Action Kit
  • modify the code to change the colour of my coral
  • write conditional statements to show coral bleaching happening more gradually
  • think of ways to make my coral reef model even better

Resources

Tutorial
Final Code
Create

Students will work in a small group to design, build, and code their own coral reef model.

Success Criteria

I can build a coral reef model with the Climate Action Kit that uses the LED ring to visually represent the coral's health at different temperatures.

Resources

Blank Project

*Irene Lee, Fred Martin, Jill Denner, Bob Coulter, Walter Allan, Jeri Erickson, Joyce Malyn-Smith, and Linda Werner. 2011. Computational thinking for youth in practice. Acm Inroads 2, 1 (2011), 32–37.

Use the following criteria to assess student learning. Students can:

Conversations

  • Discuss how temperature changes can lead to coral bleaching
  • Explain why coral is important for ocean animals
  • Explain how the coral reef model works to show bleaching
  • Describe how conditional statements in the code control the colour changes of the coral

Observations

  • Methodically test and debug their code to ensure the tumbler spins and rests as intended (Modify, Create)

Products

  • Add comments to the code to demonstrate their understanding of each block (Use, Modify, Create)
  • Write new conditional statements to show coral bleaching happen gradually (Modify, Create)
  • Design a coral reef model that meets the provided criteria (Create)

Next Generation Science Standards

Grade 3-5

3-LS2-1 Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.

3-LS3-2 Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.

3-LS4-3 Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.

4-LS1-1 Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

3-5-ETS1-3 Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

Computer Science Teachers Association Standards

Grade 3-5

1B-CS-01 Describe how internal and external parts of computing devices function to form a system.

1B-CS-02 Model how computer hardware and software work together as a system to accomplish tasks.

1B-CS-03 Determine potential solutions to solve simple hardware and software problems using common troubleshooting strategies.

1B-AP-10 Create programs that include sequences, events, loops, and conditionals.

1B-AP-12 Modify, remix, or incorporate portions of an existing program into one's own work, to develop something new or add more advanced features.

1B-AP-13 Use an iterative process to plan the development of a program by including others' perspectives and considering user preferences.

1B-AP-15 Test and debug (identify and fix errors) a program or algorithm to ensure it runs as intended.

1B-AP-17 Describe choices made during program development using code comments, presentations, and demonstrations.

Common Core State Standards for Mathematics

Grade 3-5

3.NF.A.1 Understand a fraction 1/b as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is partitioned into b equal parts; understand a fraction a/b as the quantity formed by a parts of size 1/b.

3.MD.B.3 Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. Solve one- and two-step “how many more” and “how many less” problems using information presented in scaled bar graphs. For example, draw a bar graph in which each square in the bar graph might represent 5 pets.

4.NF.B.3 Understand a fraction a/b with a > 1 as a sum of fractions 1/b.

a. Understand addition and subtraction of fractions as joining and separating parts referring to the same whole.

b. Decompose a fraction into a sum of fractions with the same denominator in more than one way, recording each decomposition by an equation. Justify decompositions, e.g., by using a visual fraction model. Examples: 3/8 = 1/8 + 1/8 + 1/8 ; 3/8 = 1/8 + 2/8 ; 2 1/8 = 1 + 1 + 1/8 = 8/8 + 8/8 + 1/8

d. Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions referring to the same whole and having like denominators, e.g., by using visual fraction models and equations to represent the problem.

5.NF.A.2 Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions referring to the same whole, including cases of unlike denominators, e.g., by using visual fraction models or equations to represent the problem. Use benchmark fractions and number sense of fractions to estimate mentally and assess the reasonableness of answers. For example, recognize an incorrect result 2/5 + 1/2 = 3/7, by observing that 3/7 < 1/2.

United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals

13 Climate Action

14 Life Below Water

Common Career Technical Core Standards

STEM Cluster: Engineering & Technology Career Pathway

ST-ET 1.3 Use computer applications to solve problems by creating and using algorithms, and through simulation and modeling techniques.

ST-ET 2.1 Select and use information technology tools to collect, analyze, synthesize and display data to solve problems.

ST-ET 3.1 Use knowledge, techniques, skills and modern tools necessary for engineering practice.

ST-ET 3.2 Describe the elements of good engineering practice (e.g., understanding customer needs, planning requirements analysis, using appropriate engineering tools, prototyping, testing, evaluating and verifying).

ST-ET 3.4 Illustrate the ability to characterize a plan and identify the necessary engineering tools that will produce a technical solution when given a problem statement.

ST-ET 4.1 Explain why and how the contributions of great innovators are important to society.

ST-ET 4.2 Explain the elements and steps of the design process and tools or techniques that can be used for each step.

ST-ET 4.3 Describe design constraints, criteria, and trade-offs in regard to variety of conditions (e.g., technology, cost, safety, society, environment, time, human resources, manufacturability).

ST-ET 5.1 Apply the design process using appropriate modeling and prototyping, testing, verification and implementation techniques.

ST-ET 5.2 Demonstrate the ability to evaluate a design or product and improve the design using testing, modeling and research.

ST-ET 5.3 Demonstrate the ability to record and organize information and test data during design evaluation.

ST-ET 6.1 Apply the use of algebraic, geometric, and trigonometric relationships, characteristics and properties to solve problems.

STEM Cluster: Science and Math Career Pathway

ST-SM 1.1 Apply science and mathematics concepts and principles to resolve plans, projects, processes, issues or problems through methods of inquiry.

ST-SM 1.2 Use the skills and abilities in science and mathematics to access, share, and use data to develop plans, processes, projects and solutions.

ST-SM 1.3 Use the skills and abilities in science and mathematics to integrate solutions related to technical or engineering activities using the content and concepts related to the situations.

ST-SM 1.4 Explain the role of modeling in science and engineering.

ST-SM 1.5 Explain the use of models and simulation in hypothesis testing (i.e., the scientific method).

ST-SM 1.6 Communicate with others on inquiry or resolution of issues/problems in the global community.

ST-SM 2.1 Demonstrate the ability to recognize cause and effect when faced with assigned projects or issues.

ST-SM 3.1 Evaluate the impact of science on society based on products and processes used in the real world.

ST-SM 3.2 Evaluate the impact of mathematics on society based on products and processes used in the real world.

ST-SM 3.3 Research how science and mathematics influence the professions and occupations supported by the STEM Career Cluster.

Information Technology Cluster: Programming & Software Development Career Pathway

IT-PRG 4.1 Employ tools in developing software applications.

IT-PRG 6.1 Explain programming language concepts.

IT-PRG 6.3 Demonstrate proficiency in developing an application using an appropriate programming language.

IT-PRG 6.4 Explain basic software systems implementation.

IT-PRG 7.1 Develop a software test plan.

IT-PRG 7.2 Perform testing and validation.

Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources Cluster: Natural Resources Systems Career Pathway

AG-NR 2.3 Examine natural cycles and related phenomena to describe ecologic concepts and principles.