Students dive into a sea of knowledge
Lauren Vane
Children who grow up in Huntington Beach are lucky enough to live in
a seaside community with access to miles of coastline. Yet for some,
the opportunity to view marine life up close is still a rarity.
On Thursday morning, students from Golden View Elementary embarked
on a field trip to Dana Point’s Ocean Institute and dove into a sea
of knowledge.
Second-graders were led into the institute’s lab, where they took
in a hands-on lesson from a team of institute employees and
volunteers. From touching sea stars to identifying fish teeth, the
students got a close look at life under the sea.
“Anytime you can get the kids hands-on science, it’s great,”
teacher Anne Rosselli said.
Students broke up into small groups and rotated around the room,
getting the chance to experience four different learning stations.
In the corner of the room, students gathered around a large
salt-water tank filled with marine life.
“We’re gonna get to touch them?” shrieked 8-year-old Autumn
Buchanan.
The students were allowed to touch, but gently with only two
fingers, sinstructed volunteer John Mrak.
“This one feels kinda spiky,” said Sabrina Schneider, 7.
“It feels gooey,” added Autumn.
Mrak scooped a piece of kelp out of the tank and provided students
with some shocking facts about the green, slimy substance.
“Who likes ice cream? This is in your ice cream,” Mrak said. “Did
you brush your teeth today? This is in your toothpaste.”
The students let out a resounding “Ewwww!”
Across the room, students were tasked with finding the mouth, eyes
and tentacles of marine life such as sea cucumbers and sea stars.
Standing over individual tanks, the children cranked the microscopes
and looked up as the microscope’s vision was projected onto a
television monitor.
“They’re certainly very excited and it’s very educational,” said
Ocean View School District trustee Debbie Cotton, also a second-grade
parent.
Although the second-graders have spent class time learning about
habitats and different animal lifestyles, the immersion into marine
life education was a new experience outside the classroom.
And it was an experience made possible by someone the children
have never met. Sue Schafer, the mother-in- law of a Golden View
teacher, donated the money for two grades to spend time at the Ocean
Institute.
Many of the children wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to visit
the Ocean Institute without the donated field trip, Rosselli said.
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