29 Pin the part on the dinoflagellate: a hands on learning activity

Abstract

Marine science education often uses animals with high student appeal, such as manatees, sea turtles, whales and dolphins, to introduce science concepts. The challenge in teaching microalgae concepts is to make the activity as equally appealing and engaging to students. The activity created used an enlarged diagram of a marine dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, to introduce anatomy and function concepts. The activity was simple in design requiring only a large color diagram of the organism, laminated for durability and hook and loop fastener for placement of parts in the appropriate area. Because of its simplicity in design, the activity is inexpensive can be easily reproduced. Key words were also created and laminated to reinforce vocabulary. This activity was found to reach a wide age range from elementary school students to high school. The facilitator could adjust the prompts to assist the students in the proper labeling based on age. At the elementary level, basic anatomy such as nucleus and flagella could be introduced. At the middle school level, labeling of the chloroplasts could lead the discussion to photosynthesis and the food web, and at the high school level the discussion could be focused toward primary productivity and harmful algal blooms. The concepts taught in this activity easily address many key points in the National Science Education standards such as structure and function of living systems and diversity and adaptation of organisms. This activity could easily be adapted to numerous algal organisms in both the marine and freshwater environments.