Our High School Education Program offers both one-time and multiple visit curriculum. Save Our Shores understands the added value of hands-on learning experiences and therefore encourages teachers to couple our in-class curriculum with field opportunities. Here is what we offer:

Students from Aptos High School remove debris from Aptos Creek.

Activities and Presentations

1. Introduction to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and local watersheds: This PowerPoint presentation covers many topics including: the basics of the MBNMS (size, reach, protections and resources); the ecosystems, animals and plants that inhabit the MBNMS; the basics of a watershed and the specifics of the watershed that your school is located within.
2. Plastic Pollution Plague Presentation: This PowerPoint presentation teaches students about the basics of the plastic pollution issue (what it is, where it comes from, and how long it persists in the marine environment); the impact of plastic pollution on marine animals and ecosystems; American consumer habits and how they relate to plastic pollution; US waste generation and recycling statistics; and alternatives that we can each do to help reduce our dependence on plastics. Supplemental materials from Algalita, Chris Jordan photography, and the Sea Studios Foundation provided. 
3. Introduction to Sustainable Fisheries and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): This PowerPoint presentation teaches students about fisheries worldwide, with social, environmental and economic content.  We discuss what seafood is best to eat to sustain fisheries for the future and keep pressure off of recovering fisheries.  The presentation also includes information on one tool for sustainable fisheries, marine protected areas or MPAs.  We discuss what they are, how they work, why they are important, and what the local MPAs along the California Central Coast encompass.
   
4. Living Downstream: This activity is great for middle school and high school students as it touches on the issues of non-point source pollution and management of shared resources. Students are assigned a piece of property along a river and asked to identify and draw activities they would like to do on their land. This is a fun way for students to learn the difference between point and non-point source pollution, as well as to recognize that everyone contributes to and is responsible for the water quality of our rivers and oceans. A follow-up discussion on best management practices will be provided in order to identify common pollution sources in our Bay and stress important actions each student can take to help prevent pollution.
5. Fishing for the Future: This activity is recommended for middle to high school students. Through a fun fishing simulation, students  model several consecutive seasons of a fishery and explore how technology, population growth, and sustainable practices impact fish catch and fisheries management. As the students progress through each fishing "season", they will begin to over-fish their "ocean". Students will gain first hand experience to the "Tragedy of the Commons" as it relates to fishing resources and will consider the social, environmental and economic impacts of overfishing.
   
6. Student waste audit and ocean stewardship pledge: This take home assignment asks students to use a journal to track everything that they dispose of (landfill, recycle or compost) for one week. At the end of the week, students must review their journal and write a reflection on their personal garbage audit. Students are asked to identify the most common items that they dispose of and briefly research reusable alternatives to those items. After the assignment is completed a class discussion of the waste audits is recommended and students are encouraged to visit the California Coastal Commission's website where they can create their own Ocean Stewardship Pledge. The audits help highlight an individual's contribution to our community waste stream and the ocean steward pledges encourage students to change their habits to reduce their "garbage footprint."

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High School students on a tour of the City of Santa Cruz landfill and recycling facility.

Field Components:

1. Landfill and recycling center fieldtrips: Marine debris is directly related to the amount of garbage that we create, both individually and as a community. Landfill and recycling center tours are a great way for students to understand how much garbage their community creates and what resources are needed to "dispose" of that garbage. Save Our Shores partners with the Public Works Departments of local jurisdictions to schedule these tours (at least one month lead time is recommended for scheduling these fieldtrips). We make every effort to take your students to the landfill and recycling center that serve their community.
2. Beach, river or campus cleanups: A beach or river cleanup is a great follow up to any of our in class presentations. Cleanups generally last about two hours and are located as close to the school grounds as possible. Students are required to collect data on the amounts and types of debris they collect during cleanups. SOS can recommend data analysis activities for follow up to beach cleanups. Read more about our beach cleanups.

Teacher Resources (Please also see our Teacher Resource Page):
1. Save Our Shores Education Manual: SOS offers over 20 various interactive activities each touching on aspects of marine conservation and ecology, including topics on food webs, decomposition times, and the impacts of plastic pollution. The Manual also includes a field component for conducting beach and river cleanups. Activities are broken down by grade level and include procedures, material lists, and general instructions. Teachers are welcome to borrrow SOS' material kits which include all needed materials for activities. To receive a copy of SOS' Education Manual please contact Emily at emily@saveourshores.org


2.  Sea Studios Foundation DVD "Strange Days on Planet Earth Season 2", appropriate for middle and high school students. This video, narrated by Edward Norton, details the consequences of our actions with a focus on the state of our oceans. This is a 2 hour series and includes "Dangerous Catch" and "Dirty Secrets". For more information visit the Sea Studios Foundation website.  "Plastic Plague" and "Dangers of Plastic" appropriate for middle and high school students also address the impacts of plastic pollution. Additionally, "Once Upon a Tide" DVD clip appropriate for elementary school students which allows younger students to make a connection to the ocean environment and its resources as well as introduces them to the plastic pollution problem. To receive a copy of on of these informational DVDs, please contact Emily at emily@saveourshores.org.

To schedule a classroom or field visit from SOS contact emily@saveourshores.org. Please schedule your visits at least one month in advance.