Project Based Learning Teacher Resources

Young scholars become marine biologists, and their goal is to characterize the biological communities that live on or near the seamount in the Monterey Bay area. There, they must identify a mystery mollusk.

Students measure water quality in the NY-NJ Estuary using simple tools. Scientists explain the importance of good water quality and talk about what causes water quality declines. [5:44]

A quick, by necessity, discussion of watersheds with a great demo using a very good watershed model (Enviroscape) plus a couple of student tips. [10:04]

A segment from the film Waters of Life takes a look at the role of plants in the estuary, and the cycle of life that depends on them. [3:27]

A young researcher studies how hermit crabs live and reproduce in the estuary. She also discusses the value of the Estuarine Research Reserve system. [4:57]

Come along on a night hike exploring the Rachel Carson Reserve in Beaufort, North Carolina. Duke University's Dan Rittshof, an expert on the estuarine environment, discusses the blue crab species. [4:22]

See an interview with a high school senior who wants to study to become a meteorologist. She is working with her local National Weather Service office to find out what she will need to do to realize her dream. [3:00]

A close-up look at the horseshoe crab, an ancient estuary animal. [10:14]

Collecting data on the much-prized Red Drum fish using standard data collection techniques. [10:12]

Take a tour of the research vessel, the RV Palmetto, and find out about life and work aboard a scientific research boat. [10:12]

Weather forecasting has advanced since this film was made (in about 1956). Compare forecasting methods shown in this film with modern techniques. Watch for a huge mistake in the way scientists thought about tornado safety fifty years...

Follow this group of students through their scavenger hunt in the estuary. Take a look at the living and nonliving things that make this ecosystem a special place. [9:38]

California's China Camp State Park is an important environmental and historic site which has a natural watershed along the shores of San Francisco Bay. Features in the estuary include an extensive intertidal salt marsh, meadow, and oak...

Take a look at the scientific efforts to reseed the valuable but shrinking eelgrass bed habitats in the estuarine ecosystem. [3:06]

Join a naturalist who studies the large animals and native birds found in the estuarine areas. Spend the day exploring the San Francisco Bay Estuary with this group of students. [7:46]

High School students perform a short skit describing the fragile nature of estuaries, while others demonstrate the value of wetlands using a water table. [3:10]

Dr. Alex Kolker shows high school students how a salt marsh can actually migrate across the landscape. He uses fresh core samples taken by students to demonstrate his points. [4:04]

We know many birds make their homes in the estuary. Some are familiar to us but here are three species that are more elusive. We get a close-up view of a Barred Owl, a Red-Tailed Hawk, and an American Oyster Catcher. [5:34]

Shellfish are not only important to the health of the estuary but are also a valuable food source and cash crop. Scientists from the Nature Conservancy explain how, with care, shellfish can be raised in special shellfish nurseries and...

Find out how progress and expansion displace native peoples who have lived in harmony with the estuary for generations. [6:43]

Urban areas often expand around estuaries. Industrial development often leaves a legacy of pollution in these areas. This video looks at what kind of long-term pollution is found in the Duwamish estuary in Seattle, and how estuary life...

Students and citizen groups seek to restore and reclaim damaged, changed, or polluted estuaries. [6:52]

Students use a seine net to count marine life in the NY-NJ Estuary. Scientists explain why some animals thrive and others decline, why some fish can be eaten and some cannot. [4:50]

A quick overview of how a combined sewer overflow system works, and why heavy rains can be bad for estuaries. [1:42]