Save Our Shores’ Marine Education Program includes English and Spanish activities suitable for children and adults. Our marine education focuses upon the earth and life sciences component of the science content standards, adopted by the California State Board of Education.

Here at Save Our Shores, we believe that education should be fun and interactive! We offer both classroom and field educational opportunities. Below are some examples of our educational resources and activities:

Educational Activities:

1: Mistaking Plastic for Food and Getting Out of a Bind: These two activities are most appropriate for the younger elementary school students and both are a fun way to introduce students to the issues of marine debris.  Through a simulated activity, students are able to consider the effects of plastics in the ocean and on the beaches from an animal's perspective as they each act out a marine animal that has been hindered in some way by debris.

2: Perils of Plastic: Through a simulated activity where students are assigned a marine animal, students see first hand how difficult it is for animals to feed, especially when they are hindered by marine debris.  Through three rounds of play, students must collect colored beads, representing their food source and track them on a calorie chart. In the later rounds, some students will be told that they have become entangled in a piece of plastic and therefore must not use thier right hand to gather food. This is a fun activity that stresses the detrimental impact of debris on our marine animals.

3: Living Downstream: This activity is great for middle school and highschool students as it touches on the issues of non-point source pollution.  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 stress important actions each student can take to help prevent all pollution sources in our Bay.

4: Web of Life: This activity is fun to engage upper elementary and middle school students.  Each student is given a card with a picture of a marine animal and a desciription of what types of animals they feed on.  As students form a circle, a ball of yarn is introduced, as students are asked to pass it along to an animal in the circle that they feed on.  This is an effective way to help students understand the interconnectedness of organisms in the environment.  In addition, boobytrap cards will be introduced that simulate what happens when marine debris enters into the food web.

Educational Resources:

1: Synthetic Seas Video: Save Our Shores uses a very in-depth and visually stimulating video called 'Synthetic Seas' developed by the Algalita Marine Research Foundation.  Key video topics include: the parameters of plastics, the most recent Pacific gyre voyage, and the endocrine disruption problem in our marine ecoystems.  Supplemental interviews with key researchers and scientists, including  one with Dr. Anthony Andrady, the chief scientist investigating how plastics break down in our environment, are coupled with moving images of our ocean systems. This is a great resource that Save Our Shores uses to complement our classroom presentations on marine debris and the ways that we can each help prevent debris in our Bay.

2: EnviroScapes Watershed Model: This is a great tool designed to simulate a watershed and demonstrates in a visual manner what happens to all of the by-products we use in our everyday lives when rains come to the watershed.  Students are able to watch as all the materials are drained into the ocean.  A follow-up discussion on what a watershed encompasses, and how our actions on land still have a big impact on our oceans.  

Here at Save Our Shores we believe education plays a pivotal role in the protection of our marine environment.  Our activities and presentations have been developed in a way that makes them as fun and interactive as possible, while at the same time providing important education on the effects of marine debris.

We offer both classroom and field educational components, so that our classroom presentations can be followed by a cleanup down on the beach.  This is a great way for students to feel proactive! If you are interested in our educational opportunities please contact Emily at education@saveourshores.org!