Classroom Lesson with Overtown Youth Center


Miami, Florida
May 1, 2024

Overview

On Wednesday, May 1st, 2024, The International SeaKeepers Society’s education team visited 25 elementary school students at Overtown Youth Center in Miami, Florida. This lesson was a follow-up on the three ecosystem murals that were installed at the center back in January in collaboration with Canvas of the Wild. Our Education Manager, Toni, gave a presentation on biodiversity and marine food webs. We discussed how scientists measure the biodiversity of an ecosystem, and looked at examples of marine ecosystems with low biodiversity compared to ecosystems with high biodiversity. Students then had the opportunity to analyze different marine food webs and determine the flow of energy throughout the ecosystem. They were also able to identify species local to South Florida and learn more about predator/prey relationships. We finished the lesson with a discussion on how humans impact biodiversity and what we can do to minimize our negative impact. Students came up with ideas including taking advantage of public transportation, turning off the lights when they leave a room, and respecting nature when spending time outside.

Outing Goal

We hope that the students who attended learned more about the featured South Florida Ecosystems and the animals and plants that call them home.

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