Aileen Zelinski

Anna Kingsbury
GEO 202, Final Lesson Plan
Coral Reefs
Grade: 7th
Time Required: 1 week

Day 1: Engage, Explore, and Explain - 50-60 minutes

Day 2: Elaborate 45-60 minutes
Day 3&4: Evaluate 60 minutes each day
Day 5: Gallery walk of Evaluate 30 minutes
NGSS Standards:

MS-LS2-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability
on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem. [Clarification Statement:
Emphasis is on cause and effect relationships between resources and growth of individual
organisms and the numbers of organisms in ecosystems during periods of abundant and scarce

resources.]
MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a
human impact on the environment.* [Clarification Statement: Examples of the design process
include examining human environmental impacts, assessing the kinds of solutions that are
feasible, and designing and evaluating solutions that could reduce that impact. Examples of
human impacts can include water usage (such as the withdrawal of water from streams and
aquifers or the construction of dams and levees), land usage (such as urban development,
agriculture, or the removal of wetlands), and pollution (such as of the air, water, or land).]
Objectives:

1. Students will be able to interpret data to explain the negative impacts humans can have on coral
reef ecosystems.
2. Students will be able to explain how those negative impacts can affect the resources, and
therefore growth, of coral itself.
3. Students will be able to describe ways in which the destruction of coral reefs have an impact on
the organisms living in that ecosystem.
4. Students will be able to design a plan to reduce the negative effects that humans can have on
reef systems.

Materials:

Engage
Projector

Great Barrier Reef Google Maps website: https://www.google.com/maps/@23.4416894,151.9046216,3a,75y,179.43h,76.43t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!

1ssXKOX3uh237egIfcpa4ziw!2e0!3e2!7i13312!8i6656
Explore
Cause and Effect worksheet, each square cut out to be used as a mix and match activity; one

for each table group

Explain
Same Cause and Effect activity used in Explore
Elaborate
Laptops for whole class
Coral Reef Destruction: Impact on Animals worksheet; one for each student
Evaluate
Plenty of materials for each student to construct a diorama: glue, scissors, tape, construction
paper, markers, colored pencils, etc (each student should find a box at home with which to

make the diorama out of)

Coral Reef Diorama instructions and rubric; one for each student
Safety:

Internet Safety: students should be aware of the dangers that come with working on the internet,
and should be advised not to visit any sites that are not deemed appropriate
Prior Knowledge:
Students must have a general knowledge of the water cycle, and what coral reefs are, and how
they are formed. Students should also be able to find credible web sources from which to
extract information while doing research.
Misconceptions:
Some students may think that coral itself is not living, and is a kind of stone or other formation
around which different creatures live. If students do harbor this misconception, it will be exposed
in the Engage section, and will be addressed in the Explore and Explain sections as they learn
about different pollutants that can stifle the growth of coral.

Engage: 15-20 minutes

Show class Great Barrier Reef via google maps at the front of the room on the projector
https://www.google.com/maps/@-23.4416894,151.9046216,3a,75y,179.43h,76.43t/data=!3m7!
1e1!3m5!1ssXKOX3uh237egIfcpa4ziw!2e0!3e2!7i13312!8i6656
Facilitate a whole class discussion to get students thinking about coral reefs and discover what
they might already know about coral reef ecosystems. This discussion is also used to expose
any misconceptions the students may have about coral reefs.
Questions to ask:
What do you notice?
What types of animals do you see here?
How do you think this environment can be negatively affected by humans?
What benefits might reefs have for humans?
What do you think coral is? Is it alive or not?
Explore: 10 minutes
Hand out Cause and Effect activity envelopes containing information cards about the pollution
that may affect coral reefs, one for each group.
Have students work in their table groups to match up the Causes (sedimentation,
runoff/chemical pollution, sewage, temperature stress) with the Effects that occur because of
them.
Make sure to walk among students and ask questions to stimulate their thinking, such as:
Why do you think that?
Could that cause match with a different effect?
How do you know these two dont match?
Explain: 15-20 minutes
Explain the Cause and Effect activity through a class discussion. Go through each Cause one
by one and have students volunteer to share what their group thought the matching Effect
was. Have students explain what they matched up and why.
Have a discussion about each one in turn, making sure to lead students to the correct Effect if
they do not reach it on their own through the class discussion and collaboration. If no one in
class reached the correct answer, share it with them using the answer key. (An uncut print out of
the activity can serve as an answer key).
Encourage students to take notes on this discussion for future reference.
Questions to ask during the discussion:
Will someone share the effect that their group matched with.?
Why did you think that is the effect of.?
Did anyone match it with something else? Why did you think that?
An example of an expected student answer could be:
At first I thought temperature stress can accelerate the growth of algae because algae thrives
in warm water temperature. I see now how temperature stress directly causes coral bleaching.
After the class has talked about and have been given the correct answers to the Cause and
Effect activity, begin another discussion to get students thinking more in depth about coral reef
ecosystem. The goal is to get them curious about how these destructive events could affect the
ecosystem as a whole, and what they can do to help stop it.
Ask students questions such as:

Is there anything you found surprising about this activity?

What ways can YOU help the negative impacts on coral reefs?
How do you think these things affect the animals living around coral reefs?
Elaborate: 45-60 minutes
Have students work in pairs to research a given set of animals that live in a coral reef
environment. Their goal will be to investigate how the destruction of reef systems affects those
animals specifically.
Animals they will research: clownfish, sea turtles, sea snakes, sponge, starfish, octopus, crabs
Hand out Coral Reef Destruction: Impact on Animals worksheet, one for each student. They will
be recording the information they find during their research on these worksheets, and the
worksheets will be collected for a completion grade.
Students will be able to use laptops to search for credible websites through which to gather their
information. Make sure to walk around the class and aid students who need it.
After allowing students to conduct their own research for about 45 minutes, bring the class back
together to share the information they discovered. Pull up a blank copy of the Coral Reef
Destruction: Impact on Animals worksheet on the projector, and ask students to share what they
discovered about each animal. Go down the list of animals one by one, and as the students
share their information, type it directly into the document.
Continue this sharing with students until all of the groups information has been condensed into
one master copy of the Coral Reef Destruction: Impact on Animals worksheet.
This master copy can then be printed out so that each students receives a full write up of the
information that the class discovered to assist them in creating their diorama in the Elaborate
section.
Evaluate: 2 hours (over 3 days)
Students will complete a 3 part project to demonstrate their understanding of the effects of
destructive practices on coral reefs and their ecosystems. They will need to create:
A split diorama of a healthy vs unhealthy coral reef ecosystem, complete with creatures that live
there
A 2 paragraph scene explanation describing what makes each side of their diorama healthy and
unhealthy
A 1 paragraph action plan that the student has to reduce or minimize the destruction of the
worlds coral reefs
Hand out the Coral Reef Diorama instructions and rubric, one for each student. On it are the
instructions that the students will need to create their diorama, scene explanation, and action
plan.
Encourage students to refer to their notes from the Cause and Effect activity and the information
that they researched on the Coral Reef Destruction: Impact on Animals worksheet (the
condensed master copy). These will aid in constructing and describing a healthy and unhealthy
reef ecosystem, complete with creatures that depend on the reef and pollutants that affect them.
Students with have 2 in class days to work on their projects, 60 minutes each day. If additional
work needs to be done, students should be encouraged to complete it as homework.
After all students have completed their projects, hold a Gallery Walk so that students can view
each others finished works. This is done simply by placing everyones finished product

throughout the room, and having students walk around to all of the dioramas to check them out
for about 30 minutes.

Assessment Alignment Table

Section

Objective

Assessment

Engage

A discussion about coral reefs takes place

that serves as a diagnostic assessment so
that the teacher learns what information
students already know.

Explore

1 Students will be able to interpret Students will complete the Cause and
Effect activity in groups. This will also
data to explain the negative
serve as a form of diagnostic assessment
impacts humans can have on
to inform the teacher of what information
the students may already know about coral
coral reef ecosystems.
reef pollutants. .

Explain

1 Students will be able to interpret The Cause and Effect activity will be
reviewed as a class, with students sharing
data to explain the negative
their answers and the teacher explaining
impacts humans can have on
the correct matches. This will work as a
formative assessment to inform and correct
coral reef ecosystems.
students about the different factors that can
2 Students will be able to explain
destruct a coral reef.
how those negative impacts can
affect the resources, and
therefore growth, of coral itself.

Elaborate

3 Students will be able to

describe ways in which the
destruction of coral reefs have an
impact on the organisms living in
that ecosystem.

Evaluate

4 Students will be able to design

a plan to reduce the negative
effects that humans can have on
reef systems.

Cause and Effect Mix and Match

Students are asked to research the effects

that the destruction of reefs have on certain
creatures that live there. This also acts as a
formative assessments as students collect
and share information they have learned,
and the class has a discussion about it.

Here, the students must complete a 3 part

project to demonstrate their understanding
of the destruction of reef systems, how it
impacts the ecosystem as a whole, and
what can be done to stop it. This is a
summative assessment.

Students should be given these cards cut up and mixed up. They will then have to work in
groups to match each Cause to the Effect. An uncut version can be used as an answer key
during the class discussion that will ensure that all students have the correct information.

CAUSE

EFFECT

Sedimentation:
The excess dumping or runoff of sediments

The decrease in available light levels can

into an area of ocean in which a reef is

coral larvae. In addition, the chemicals that

growing.

may be present can have varying affects on

interfere with corals nutrition and settling of

the growth of the coral, not to mention the

other organisms that live in and around it.

CAUSE

EFFECT

Sewage:
The infiltration of sewage waste into the

Can accelerate in the growth of algae that

ocean that creates a sudden increase in

be detrimental for the coral, which is designed

nutrients, and could also be toxic.

to live in nutrient poor environments, and are

competes with the coral for sunlight. This can

very slow growing. Its toxicity may have long

term negative effects on coral reefs.

CAUSE

EFFECT

Runoff & Chemical Pollution:

Human processes like construction, road

Can change the salinity of ocean water,

building, oil spills, or other pollution next to

algal species that block sunlight. Reduction of

the coast can seep into the groundwater near

water quality above reefs during spawning

the coastline and end up in the ocean.

causes reproductive failure and can affect the

reduce the water quality, and cause growth of

chemical cues for synchronization of that

spawning.
CAUSE

EFFECT

Destructive Fishing Practices:

Simply overfishing an area can be destructive

Can destroy coral reefs and leads to the

to the ecosystem. Sometimes, dynamite and

be detrimental to reef ecosystems.

overexploitation of reef resources, which can

poisons are used to catch fish in mass

quantities.

CAUSE

EFFECT

Temperature Stress:
High water temperatures can affect reefs at

Coral bleaching (when corals lose their

natural color) may happen from exposure to
this. Prolonged exposure to this can even
lead to the death of some coral.

regional and global scale. Corals cannot grow

properly in water that is too warm.

Name: ______________________________________

Coral Reef Destruction: Impact on Animals

Work in pairs and use your laptops to research the below animals that depend on coral reefs.
Your goal is to discover how these creatures are specifically impacted by the destruction of
coral reefs. Record the information you find below each animal, and we will go over this as a
class to share information when everyone is finished.
Some questions to think about:
What type of pollution affects this animal the most?
Is this animal even affected by the destruction of reefs?
To what extent is this animal affected?

Clownfish

Sea turtles

Sponge

Starfish

Octopus

Crabs

Sea snakes

Name: _________________________________

Coral Reef Diorama

You will be creating a split diorama of a healthy vs unhealthy coral reef ecosystem, complete
with creatures that live there! You can use any materials from around the house or materials I
bring in to complete your diorama (let me know if you need anything special). You will need to
write a two paragraph scene explanation describing what makes each side of your diorama
healthy vs. unhealthy. You will also need to write a one paragraph action plan to reduce or
minimize destruction of the worlds coral reefs. Remember that creativity, effort, and neatness
count!

Totals
Diorama
15 points
possible

Scene
explanation
10 points
possible

Action plan
5 points

15
Diorama is split so
that it shows what a
healthy reef
ecosystem looks
like vs an unhealthy
one.
There are at least
two animals
included on each
side, and the
unhealthy side
includes a pollutant.

10
Diorama only shows
either a healthy reef
system or an
unhealthy one, but
not both.
There are at least
three animals
included, and a
pollutant is included.

5
It is unclear whether
diorama shows an
unhealthy or healthy
reef system.
There are only two
animals included, and
there is no pollutant.

10
Two paragraphs are
included, one to
explain each side of
the diorama.
It has been clearly
explained what the
student has done to
exemplify a healthy
and unhealthy coral
reef system in the
diorama.

7
Two paragraphs are
included, one to
explain each side of
the diorama.
The explanation is
clear, but does not
describe a few
components of the
diorama.

4
There are whole
elements missing.
The explanation is not
very clear and
contains many errors.

5
One paragraph is
included to explain

3
One paragraph is
included to explain

1
There is a lot of
information missing in

possible

the students plan

to reduce
destruction with no
errors.
The plan is
plausible in saving
the coral reefs.

the students plan to

reduce destruction
with few errors.
The plan is plausible,
but could use more
planning.

the paragraph to
explain the students
plan to reduce
destruction.
The plan is not
plausible and requires
much more thought.

Creativity
and Effort

3
Diorama is original,
organized and it is
is clear the creator
put time into their
product.

2
Diorama is creative,
but has a few parts
the creator could
have spent more time
on.

1
Diorama is not very
original and it is clear
the creator did not
spend much time on
the product.

3 points
possible

Final Grade:
Comments:

Scientific Background:
Importance and destruction of coral reefs
Coral reefs are greatly impacted by human activity, and their destruction affects reef
communities, species diversity, and evolution of the reefs. These anthropogenic disturbances
are usually chronic, and can lead to long term effects that can be combated by diverting the

stresses on coral reefs.

Disturbances that affect the levels of nutrients and light that the reef receives can impact its

growth and then create a ripple effect through many species that would not be directly affected.
Reefs help shoreline communities by dissipating waves and preventing coastal erosion,

especially during coastal storms.

Reefs provide many economic values to humans, including fishing, tourism, recreation, and

other biomedical importances.

Many organisms living around corals have a very small tolerance range when it comes to
changing conditions. Small changes can impact less sturdy organisms substantially, and we can
see these impacts in their reproduction and recruitment patterns. Monitoring this can be an

effective and quantifiable way of studying the effects of environmental changes on coral reefs.
Stress of a coral reef is defined as physiological condition resulting from adverse or excessive
environmental factors, measured by decreased growth rates, metabolic differences, biochemical
changes. Disturbance is defined as ecological phenomenon which include departures from a

routine set of conditions

Sedimentation
Sedimentation is the excess dumping or runoff of sediments into an area of ocean in which a
reef is growing. It can affect corals photosynthetically, physically, and chemically. Sedimentation
decreases available light levels, can interfere with its nutrition and settling of coral larvae. In
addition, the chemicals present in the sediment (such as pesticides or fertilizers) can have
varying affects on the growth of the coral, not to mention the other organisms that live in and

around it.
Runoff/chemical pollution/water quality
Much of what is used on land today ends up in aquifers, and may quickly travel to coastal zones
and end up in the ocean. Human processes like construction, road building, oil spills, or other
pollution next to the coast can have detrimental effects on coral. Runoff can change the salinity
of ocean water, reduce the water quality, and cause growth of algal species that block sunlight.
Reduction of water quality above reefs during spawning causes reproductive failure and can
affect the chemical cues for synchronization of that spawning. Reproductive failure in one place

can have impacts on recruitment elsewhere.

Sewage
The impact of sewage on coral reefs depends upon the volume of sewage, level of treatment,
presence of toxic materials, and the characteristics of the receiving water. The sudden increase
of nutrients by a sewage spill can spur the growth of algae that competes with the coral for
sunlight. This can be detrimental for the coral, which is designed to live in nutrient poor

environments, and are very slow growing. Sewage runoff can also have a toxic component due
to its organic nature. In addition, the dumping of other toxic wastes may have long term negative

effects on coral reefs.

Temperature stress and Coral Bleaching
Increased temperature can cause coral bleaching, which is widespread in the Atlantic and

Pacific.
Coral bleaching is when corals lose their natural color as a result of high water temperatures or

other environmental stressors.

Temperature increases of only one degree celsius for only four weeks can trigger bleaching

events.
If these temperatures continue (eight weeks or more) corals begin to die. High water

temperatures can affect reefs at regional and global scale

In 2002, there was a global mass bleaching event where 60 per cent of the reefs on the Great
Barrier Reef suffered bleaching. Sea temperatures on the Great Barrier Reef were the highest

ever recorded.
Other coral diseases
Other coral diseases related to stress may include white band disease, black band disease,

bacterial infection, and shut down reactions.

Natural Predators
Crown of Thorns Seastar-the role that the sea star plays by eating coral polyps forms a

population control, making more room for new coral reefs to form.
Great Barrier Reefs
There are approximately 3400 individual reefs that make up the Barrier Reef.
The Great Barrier Reef is the only living thing on earth that can be seen from outer space.
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900

individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres
Destructive fishing practices
In some regions, dynamite and poisons are used to fish, which can destroy coral reefs. These
means of fishing are often used by those living in poverty who need to find mass means of
fishing. Overfishing by these means or by nets can lead to the overexploitation of reef

resources, which can be detrimental to reef ecosystems.

Things to help
Some efforts to help reverse and avoid the destruction of the worlds coral reefs can include
better erosion control standards, increased retention of freshwater on land, the diversion of

sewage away from reefs, and other anti pollutant efforts.

Little ways to help
Conserve Water
Walk, bike, ride the bus or carpool
Use only ecological or organic fertilizers
Dispose of your trash properly
Support reef-friendly businesses
Plant a tree (help reduce runoff)
Volunteer for a coral reef clean up
Do not touch coral reefs
Spread the word!

Resources:
Richmond, R. H. (1993). Present Problems and Future Concerns Resulting from
Anthropogenic Disturbance. Coral Reefs. Retrieved 2016.
Houghes, T. P., & Conner, J. H. (1999). Multiple stressors on coral reefs: A long-term
perspective. 44(3), 2nd ser., 932-940.
Google Earth (2016)