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Goal

My goal in writing this grant is to be able to purchase a set of six stream tables and a bag of sand. This will allow me to teach students more effectively about the impacts of erosion and allow students the opportunity to develop possible solutions. Considering the recent hurricane, this topic is more important than ever for young Floridians as they will become the decision makers for policies that affect our local ecosystems in the future.  

 

What will be done with my students

There are multiple standards within the Marine Science 1 and Marine Science 2 curriculums that could be addressed with the use of stream tables. In Marine 1, students focus on ecosystem ecology, specifically beaches, estuaries and coral reefs. Beach erosion continues to be an issue in Florida. As part of this unit, students examine everything from waves and tides to the structure of a beach and impacts to that structure. Stream tables allow students to manipulate the sand by making waves, draw the resulting profiles, and then make inferences about how to solve the problem.

In Marine 2, one of the main focuses is on habitat restoration. My two classes are part of the Bay Grasses in Classes (BGIC) program with the local conservation organization, Tampa Bay Watch. We grow and maintain a marsh grass nursery here at school and use a portion of our plants each year for habitat restoration projects around the community. One of the main focuses in Marine 2 involves comparing living vs. hardened shorelines. Students would use the stream tables to create waves and ultimately test different types of shoreline materials to see visually which is more beneficial to an ecosystem when erosion is a factor.

All my classes would benefit from the use of steam tables. The hands-on activities I described would help students to understand the impacts of erosion and develop strategies for keeping the impacts minimal. I am a firm believer that real-world connections are an essential part of learning, and these new materials would be permanently integrated into the curriculums of both classes.
 

 

Benefits to my students

I currently have 126 students in grades 10-12. All students would have the opportunity to use the stream tables in class to learn more about the impacts of erosion. The expected outcome would be that students could define erosion, describe the causes both natural and anthropogenic, and make inferences about possible solutions. Students would also understand that while erosion cannot be prevented altogether, there are ways to make the impacts more minimal, particularly here in Florida where hurricanes are a constant summertime threat.


 

 

Describe the Students

Richard O. Jacobson Technical High School (Tech High) is a unique learning environment for 558 students in grades 9-12. Students spend two periods per day in their program class, which allows them the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience in their field, earn industry certifications and participate in internships. Our programs include the following: veterinary science, nursing, game and simulation, marine mechanics, construction, electrical and digital arts. Our population is approximately 50/50 in terms of male and female students, and I have a fairly even distribution of high and low performers in my classes. Marine Science 1 is considered a core science course at our school with Marine Science 2 serving as a subsequent elective. I currently have 86 Marine 1 students and 40 Marine 2 students. The majority are in 11th and 12th grades. Within our school, 14% of all students are considered students with disabilities and 19% have 504 accommodations. Additionally, about 37% of our students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. These percentages are higher at Tech High than any of the other 17 traditional high schools in our district.  

 

Budget Narrative

This is the current cost of the stream tables, sand and shipping as of 8/31/23 according to Carolina Biological Supply Co.  

 

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