Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Culturally Relevant Approaches to Ocean Acidification Education to Activate Student Agency

Student art from ocean acidification curriculum. Provided by UC Irvine
  • Principal Investigator(s): Julie Ferguson, University of California, Irvine
  • Fiscal Year Funded: 2022, 2023

Why we care
Meeting students where they are
Teachers need learning programs designed with evidence-based approaches and research-informed pedagogical support to take on complex environmental topics such as ocean acidification (OA). Teaching a culturally relevant curriculum that uses local environmental phenomena and multimedia resources activates student agency. This approach empowers students  as drivers of their own learning, engaged in the process and nature of science as capable solution-oriented contributors for a problem that directly impacts them to support action. This project delivers educator workshops and creates culturally relevant curricula and multimedia online toolkits in collaboration with formal educators and partners.

What we are doing 
The key elements of this educational initiative are to develop ocean acidification teaching resources and toolkits and supporting teacher development by leveraging various researchers at University of California Irvine and collaborating with The Ocean Agency as educational partners. The products include K-12 science teaching modules (lesson plans, interactive student activities, etc.), multimedia online toolkits, and two online K-12 educator workshops. Integral to this effort is taking approaches centered on hope through culturally relevant solutions, local eco-action, and seeing potential opportunities to creatively tackle these complex and intersectional issues in a changing world through authentic science and engineering experiences.

The team will collaborate with formal educators of Title 1 schools in three counties (Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Orange County) to create interactive and inquiry-based teaching modules strongly aligned to the NGSS and Ocean Literacy Principles. This work will approach ocean acidification from a systems-thinking approach to support students’ sense-making using approaches that are cyclical (revisit key concepts across modules) and iterative (knowledge will build across many days that evolves in complexity). tudents will learn about ocean acidification as a symptom of a larger environmental phenomenon that impacts humans both directly and indirectly, and how humans can influence the level ocean acidification depending on collective actions. Teachers will receive pedagogical support grounded on culturally relevant and responsive teaching. The program will provide students and teachers with creative and tangible ways to use art to inspire school/community action to activate student agency.

Benefits of our work
Participating teachers and their students benefit from this project by building their understanding for various approaches to mitigating or adapting to environmental challenges, vital for the health of their local communities. This entails understanding how human activities may exacerbate existing environmental problems such as ocean acidification and related injustices. Another benefit involves developing solutions to these problems carried out in culturally relevant ways to ensure that solutions are informed and implemented effectively by communities who are disproportionately impacted. 

Project outcomes include teaching modules aligned with the NGSS and Ocean Literacy Principles that highlight broader impacts through culturally relevant systems thinking approaches. Also, K-12 science teachers and their educators build their understanding and implementation of ocean acidification content in ways to activate student agency. While the intended scope of work aims to reach 200 science educators and over 36,000 students in the first year across the targeted California counties, all components of the program will be shared through a dedicated Ocean Agency educators interactive webpage. 

Resources
Access lesson plans and view project website
Diving in to Ocean Acidification multimedia toolkit

Investigators
Julie Ferguson, University of California, Irvine
Jennifer Cao, University of California, Irvine
Kelley Le, University of California, Irvine

Image: Student art created as part of the study of ocean acidification and ocean change. Provided by U.C. Irvine

ADAPTING TO OCEAN ACIDIFICATION

The NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) works to prepare society to adapt to the consequences of ocean acidification and conserve marine ecosystems as acidification occurs. Learn more about the human connections and adaptation strategies from these efforts.

Adaptation approaches fostered by the OAP include:

FORECASTING

Using models and research to understand the sensitivity of organisms and ecosystems to ocean acidification to make predictions about the future, allowing communities and industries to prepare

MANAGEMENT

Using these models and predictions as tools to facilitate management strategies that will protect marine resources and communities from future changes

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

Developing innovative tools to help monitor ocean acidification and mitigate changing ocean chemistry locally

REDUCING OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

50 more ways to reduce your carbon footprint >

On the Road

Drive fuel-efficient vehicles or choose public transportation. Choose your bike or walk! Don't sit idle for more than 30 seconds. Keep your tires properly inflated.

With your Food Choices

Eat local- this helps cut down on production and transport! Reduce your meat and dairy. Compost to avoid food waste ending up in the landfill

With your Food Choices

Make energy-efficient choices for your appliances and lighting. Heat and cool efficiently! Change your air filters and program your thermostat, seal and insulate your home, and support clean energy sources

By Reducing Coastal Acidification

Reduce your use of fertilizers, Improve sewage treatment and run off, and Protect and restore coastal habitats

TAKE ACTION WITH YOUR COMMUNITY

You've taken the first step to learn more about ocean acidification - why not spread this knowledge to your community?

Every community has their unique culture, economy and ecology and what’s at stake from ocean acidification may be different depending on where you live.  As a community member, you can take a larger role in educating the public about ocean acidification. Creating awareness is the first step to taking action.  As communities gain traction, neighboring regions that share marine resources can build larger coalitions to address ocean acidification.  Here are some ideas to get started:

  1. Work with informal educators, such as aquarium outreach programs and local non-profits, to teach the public about ocean acidification. Visit our Education & Outreach page to find the newest tools!
  2. Participate in habitat restoration efforts to restore habitats that help mitigate the effects of coastal acidification
  3. Facilitate conversations with local businesses that might be affected by ocean acidification, building a plan for the future.
  4. Partner with local community efforts to mitigate the driver behind ocean acidification  – excess CO2 – such as community supported agriculture, bike & car shares and other public transportation options.
  5. Contact your regional Coastal Acidification Network (CAN) to learn how OA is affecting your region and more ideas about how you can get involved in your community
       More for Taking Community Action