Project: Saving Nemo

Evaluation Plan:  Project Saving Nemo

         Our first goal for this project is to inform students about the beauty, benefits, and endangerment of ocean coral reefs.  Our second goal is for students to participate in coral reef conservation and encourage other members of society to do so as well.  We will evaluate our success in achieving these goals in a number of ways.

         First, in the class after the trip to the Dallas World Aquarium, we will have students write a reflection including what species they saw live in coral reefs, how these species depend on each other, what species students found to be most interesting and why, and the different threats to coral reefs' survival.  If student responses reveal that they developed or deepened interest in coral reefs, then the trip was successful.

         Second, the fund-raisers will serve as a monetary measurement of student zeal for coral reef preservation.  If they can get people to donate money to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Reserve, we will know that students have come to believe in the value of coral reefs.  We will part of one class period to allow the students collect, calculate, and send off the money they raised.  We will then announce this over the school's intercom and/or in the school newspaper.

         Third, students will be required to gather a good deal of background knowledge in order to participate in the debate over coral reef conservation methods.  The different conservation methods debate groups (including both pro and con sides) will be graded on the quality of justified arguments as well as the interaction levels of their debates.  Both the students and teachers will vote on the best pro and con team and the best debate group.  Awards and A's will go to the winners.  We expect students to find this activity exciting.  They will work together to form good arguments while learning about the controversy and benefits of coral reef conservation methods.

         Finally, students and teachers will write letters to our Texas representative in Congress to support coral reef preservation.  This assessment will serve many good purposes.  First, pairs of students will revise each others' letters, teaching them the value of peer-revision.  Teachers will read over final drafts before sending them to Congress.  Second, this assessment will not only help students flesh out what they have learned about coral reefs, it will also give them experience in how to petition to the government about issues they feel are important.  Students will most likely be delighted by the letters of receipt that the secretary of the Texas representative will (hopefully) send each of them.  We believe that this activity will encourage students' and even the government's efforts for coral reef preservation.