Importance of Ocean Literacy for a Sustainable Future

1. The U.S. Ocean Literacy Campaign Eric Simms Scripps Institution of Oceanography – UCSD Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence of China Planning Workshop March 8, 2010

2. Why is Ocean Literacy Necessary? • The ocean covers over 70% of the planet and dominates nearly every natural system • Over half of the United States is underwater • A large percentage of the oxygen on Earth is produced in the ocean • Much of the carbon on Earth is absorbed in the ocean • The ocean dominates weather and climate systems • The ocean allows for life to exist • The ocean drives our economy ($43B in California alone) • And yet…

3. The Challenges • Ocean topics largely ignored in U.S. K-12 education • Ocean scientists were not involved in education • There was no consensus on what was important to include in the classroom • The American public is largely ignorant of the importance of the ocean in their lives • Communities of Color are disproportionately underrepresented in ocean sciences at all levels

4. Current State of Affairs • No systematic teaching about the Ocean in U.S. schools • “Marine/Ocean Education” marginalized, localized and idiosyncratic • Perceived lack of rigor and innovation – relatively recent U.S. science education reform did not include marine or ocean sciences

5. The Response • Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE): 12 Centers funded by National Science Foundation; • National Marine Educators Association: small but influential professional association; • National Geographic Society: large non-governmental organization; • National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): federal agency responsible for ocean policy;

6. The Response • College of Exploration: small non-profit organization focused on distance learning • Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California - Berkeley: university-based science center • A mechanism was developed to build consensus: • Inclusive, democratic, transparent process • Work mostly done online • Built on, and credited, past efforts • No institutional ownership • Institutions and scientists added authority and credibility

7. Time for Action • An online conference was sponsored to solicit input (Oct. 2004) • Face-to-face meeting with iterativefeedback online (Feb. 2005) • Special Scientific Review • Public Peer Review by Scientists and Educators • Agreement was reached in several key areas

8. The Definition of Ocean Literacy Ocean literacy is an understanding of the ocean’s influence on you and your influence on the ocean. An ocean-literate person: • Understands the Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts about the ocean; • Can communicate about the ocean in a meaningful way • Is able to make informed and responsible decisions regarding the ocean and its resources.

9. The Seven Essential Principles 1. Earth has one big ocean with many features. 2. The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth. 3. The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate. 4. The ocean makes Earth habitable. 5. The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems. 6. The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected. 7. The ocean is largely unexplored.

10. Ocean Literacy Scope and Sequence • If you want students to understand the Ocean Literacy principles and concepts by grade 12, what would you teach in K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12? • Shows a logical, coherent approach to building complex ideas • Aligned with learning theory, cognitive science • Addresses misconceptions

12. Conceptual Flow Diagram

13. Activities and Impacts • Presentations at dozens of science and education conferences and meetings • Several Federal education grants (NOAA, NSF COSEE) require the inclusion of Ocean Literacy Principles • Public Ocean Literacy (Long Beach, CA 2005); CoOL:Conference on Ocean Literacy (Washington,DC 2006); International Pacific Marine Educators Conference (2007 Hawaii and 2008 in Australia); New England Ocean Science Education Consortium Conference on Ocean Literacy (2007 and 2008); Japan Ocean Literacy Symposium (2008); Primera Feria Educativa del Océano en Chile (2008); Summit on Ocean Literacy (Oregon Coast Aquarium 2009) • NMEA has infused Ocean Literacy throughout its conferences and publications

14. Activities and Impacts • Smithsonian Sant Ocean Hall • High School Text Book: “Life on an Ocean Planet” • New NOAA-funded Ocean Sciences Curriculum Sequence for Grades 3-5 • Influencing state standards (Maryland, Michigan, South Carolina, Florida, California) • Communicating Ocean Sciences College Course now taught in over 20 Universities • Spawned Climate Literacy, Atmospheric Literacy, Earth Science Literacy

15. The ‘Real’ Impacts • Reinvigorated the ocean education community • We now have a place at the table (a little corner …) • Ocean Sciences is part of the mainstream conversation • We have changed the way we think …

16. New Thinking • The ocean has distinct, intrinsic, significant scientific importance that should be apparent to even the youngest students • The “essential principles” about the ocean really are essential, so • You can’t be culturally fluent or science literate unless you are ocean literate • You would be doing students a disservice not to teach them about the ocean

17. Some Examples • Can’t teach primary productivity without chemosynthesis • Can’t teach physics of sound without sound in the ocean • Can’t teach climate change without ocean processes • Can’t teach mollusks without cephalopods!

18. And finally … Remember Ocean Literacy Principle 1! Regardless of whether you are in China or the U.S. … There is Only One Ocean www.coexploration.org/oceanliteracy www.oceanliteracy.net

20. A Conceptual Flow from the Scope & Sequence