Respect the Tidepools, Save the Tidepools!

"The thousands of students, tourists, fishermen and hungry people who visit the Little Corona del Mar tide pools are loving the area to death. Some marine animals are disappearing from the craggy rocks of Orange County's most popular tide pools, and wildlife biologists are alarmed by the steady degradation of the spot at the south end of Corona del Mar State Beach......The students gathered crabs, urchins and limpets to show one another, then returned them where they were found. Although doing this is not illegal, biologists say it is not good for some organisms, especially the urchins, because prying them off rocks tears off feet, making them more vulnerable to predators." http://articles.latimes.com/1999/apr/12/news/mn-26692

Little Corona Del Mar Beach Information

Corona Del Mar: Little Corona Del Mar Beach:

Location: Poppy Ave across Ocean Blvd, Coronoa Del Mar CA

Parking: Free street parking.

Hours: 6 am to 10 pm.

Attractions: Surfing, Tidepools

Facilities: none

Contact: For information, call (949) 644-3151

Fieldtrip Photos & Insight About the Tidepools

The tidepools are a calm, serene place where one can sit for hours admiring the beauty of the array of life and vast ocean that dwell there.

What will you do to debrief students after you have attended the field trip?

After my students and I return from the fieldtrip, we will discuss as a class on what was the most fascinating thing/animal that they saw at the tidepools? Why? I will have students draw their most fascinating thing/animal in their science journals as well as write a few sentences on why they feel the way they do. We will also talk about the animals I showed them before we left and the animals they actually encountered. Are you disappointed with the amount of animals that we actually say versus all of the animals that call the tidepools home? If so, why do you think this is? (Think-Pair-Share with a partner) Finally, I will ask students to share what he/she and his/her partner discussed and ask any questions that he/she may have.

What resource materials (including online materials- provide links when possible) are available to assist my preparation, teaching?

Here are some sites that I found when I plugged ‘Corona Del Mar Tidepools’ into Google:

http://www.beachcalifornia.com/cdm.html

http://www.visitnewportbeach.com/member_details.cfm?id=637

http://articles.latimes.com/1999/apr/12/news/mn-26692

These sites provide daily information about the beach as well as what to watch out for at the tidepools so that the marine life is not endangered more than it already is.

What would I need to do to adequately prepare my students before the visit(consider adaptations for English learners and students with special needs)?

1. Before my students and I set off to the tidepools, I will go over what the safety rules are and why they need to follow them. I will have my class buddy up so that each student is responsible for his/herself and his/her buddy. This will ensure that no student will be left unwatched to be able to roam about freely along the beach.

2. Also, I will go over the pictorial images of the animals that students will see at the tidepools so that, when they come across them on the beach or in the water, the students will know what they are looking at.

3. Next, students need to make sure that they have the proper sun coverage as well as lunch and water supply. We will be spending an immense amount of time in the blazing sun so students need to make sure they are protected. After a couple of hours, we will be eating lunch on the beach. Students need to make sure they have enough water to keep them hydrated as well as have plenty of food to fuel their energy.

4. Finally, I will make sure that all students’ questions have been answered while we are in the classroom setting so that I can adequately address any questions, comments, or concerns they may have.

What special benefits could my students gain from visiting this fieldtrip site?

My students will obtain valuable knowledge when visiting the tidepools through a hands on approach to learning about the aquatic life that resides there. The students in my class are made up of multiple learning styles so this site will make sure that no student is left behind. At the entrance of the tidepools there is an information table which includes a poster of the animals that students will see as well as objects to not leave behind because the garbage will greatly effect the natural habitat of the marine life. They will also gain knowledge of the Pacific Ocean through 4 of their 5 senses. Students will be able to see the marine life in their natural habitat, smell the saltiness of the water, feel the wetness of the water between their fingertips, and listen to the sound of the waves as they crash along the rocks and shore.

Science Fieldtrip Blog Overview

This blog is about a fieldtrip taken to the Corona Del Mar Tidepools in Newport Beach, California. It is written through the perspective and thoughts of an elementary teacher as well as designed to give insight to an amazing place. I hope that my blog will give the tidepools the credit they deserve which will inturn appeal to other teachers and parents so that you may one day take your students/children there.