Overview

The maritime industry, which is a global player, hugely impacts the environment, especially ocean ecosystems that we rely on worldwide.  Students will explore the history of this industry, its current impacts and test changes that can be made to benefit the evironment.

Project Initiation

Introduced in biology while exploring the biodiversity crisis students discussed the impacts of the maritime industry. We actively kicked off the project with a presentation from Jacob Keeton introducing the students to the client, the San Diego Maritime Museum. At the bay students worked in teams to create sand sculptures expressing impacts on oceans. Students got to connect with the ocean, build collaborative skills, express their thinking and become curious about this year long project.

Project Exploration and Development

Interdisciplinary - all students took biology and English and most were in two of the following: intro to design - engineering, computer animation and art. After visiting the maritime museum and meeting with professionals from the BlueEconomy Incubator students explored the impacts of the maritime industry in biology.  They designed proposals about changes to make to different types of vessels. Biology students presented their researched proposals to engineering. The engineers' job was to create and test a model for the biology team. In art and computer animation students explored the history of the maritime industry, creating graphic novels and interactive animations to tell these stories. Overall students worked to better the impact of the maritime industry on the planet.

Project Revision and Exhibition

Students met in groups across disciplines many times; getting clarifications, revising and re-presenting as they created their products: graphic novel pages, an animated interactive history of the Star of India and tested models for changes that could help different vessels better their impact on our oceans.  As ideas failed students learned to go back to their learning and try again.  Sadly just as we were reaching the point of getting final products COVID-19 sent us to distance learning.

Teachers and Subjects

Echo Jacoway - Biology
Lyndsay Sutterley - Biology
Alex Cannon - Intro to design (engineering)
Tony Corbin - Computer Animation
Heather Henkes - Art
Heather Nellis - History
Jessica Blanchard - English
John Keast - English
Joe McDonald - English

Graphic Novel (Art)

Engineering students presenting to biology clients (students).
Topic: Changes to vessels to lessen the impact of the
maritime industry on the environment.