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.