1
2
3
4
5
6
Next
Native Americans called the Chesapeake “Great
Shellfish Bay”. For centuries, oysters and other shellfish have been harvested from the bay providing food and livelihood for many. A variety of threats have affected the oyster population.
A complex ecosystem, restoring and protecting the
Chesapeake Bay requires a wide range of solutions.
One of the key strategies in “bringing back the Bay” is to restore oyster populations using many different of techniques.
What are the best strategies for restoring the oyster population?
Click the picture to play the video.
Image from www.chesapeakebay.net

1
2
3
4
5
6
Next




Use the resources below about oyster restoration and the importance of oysters to the overall health of the
Chesapeake Bay to complete the activities on the next slide.
Oyster Information from CBF
Oyster Information from The Chesapeake Bay Program
Heart of the Chesapeake from the SIRS Database
On the Brink: Chesapeake's Native Oysters
Access oyster restoration and background videos at the
BCPS Canoe-Based Ecology wiki .
Image Source: Chesapeake Bay Foundation by permission

1
2
3
4
5
6
Next
Refer to the resources on the previous slide as you complete the following activities.
 Create an infographic that summarizes the ways that oysters improve the health of the
Chesapeake Bay. Use this example of a Bay infographic as an idea. For other examples of infographics visit visual.ly
You can create your infographic on poster paper or using
Microsoft Publisher.
Image Source: Chesapeake Bay Program by permission
 Compare any two possible strategies that can be used to restore oysters in the Chesapeake
Bay, such as oyster gardening, introduction of nonnative oysters, or the use of oyster reef balls. Use this graphic organizer for your comparison.
After viewing the infographics and sharing the information on your graphic organizers, the class will create a list of strategies for restoring the oyster population. You will be broken into groups based on the strategies.

1
2
3
4
5
6
Next
Each group will create a multimedia presentation
(PowerPoint, Prezi ) about their strategy and how this method will improve the overall health of the
Bay.
Be sure to include the following information in your presentation:
 An explanation of why oysters are important to the health of the Bay.
 A description of the oyster restoration strategy that you chose.
 A summary of at least three reasons why this strategy will work.
 A summary of at least two limitations or drawbacks of one other restoration strategy that was not selected.
Image Source: Chesapeake Bay Foundation by permission
Scoring Tools
Infographic Rubric
PowerPoint (Multimedia)
Prezi

1
2
3
4
5
6 Next
Learn about NOAA’s Oyster
Restoration Project .
Find out how you can get involved with Oyster Restoration .
Image Source: "NOAA 200th Feature Stories: It Takes an Ecosystem to Sustain
Fisheries: Oysters." NOAA Celebrates 200 Years of Science, Service and
Stewardship . N.p., n.d. Web. 26 July 2013.
Complete the activity “Oyster
Gardens: No Soil Required” from the
Virginia Sea Grant Marine Advisory
Program’s Bridge website. The activity can be found by clicking
HERE!

1
2
3
4
5
6
BCPS Curriculum – High School Biology/Environmental Science
Next Generation Science Standards
A complex set of interactions within an ecosystem can keep its numbers and types of organisms relatively constant over long periods of time under stable conditions. If a modest biological or physical disturbance to an ecosystem occurs, it may return to its more or less original status (i.e., the ecosystem is resilient), as opposed to becoming a very different ecosystem. Extreme fluctuations in conditions or the size of any population, however, can challenge the functioning of ecosystems in terms of resources and habitat availability. (HS-LS2-2),(HS-LS2-6)
Time Frame:
This project will take 2 class periods
Differentiation:
 Direct students to use comprehension tools included in databases, such as: audio read-aloud, labeled reading levels, and embedded dictionaries.
Common Core State Standards
Reading: 1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Writing: 7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Standards for the 21 st Century Learner
1.1.6 Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (e.g. textual, visual, media, digital) in order to make inferences and gather meaning.
2.1.3 Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas, real-world situations, and further investigations.
Maryland Technology Literacy Standards for Students
3.0: Use a variety of technologies for learning and collaboration.
Learning Styles:
Visual, Auditory, Tactile, Reflective, Global, Analytical,
Field Dependent, Field Independent
AVID Strategies:
Inquiry based learning.
Notes to the teacher:
Consider using this YouTube video from the Chesapeake Bay
Foundation as an additional resource: Common Ground,
Saving the Chesapeake’s Oysters
Please consult your library media specialist for assistance with implementing this research lesson.
Last updated: July 2015
Created by Joseph Davis , Science Resource Teacher Updated by Donna Anderson Library Media Specialist and Amy L. Samay, Library Media Specialist Intern
BCPS Slam Dunk Research Model, Copyright 2013, Baltimore County Public Schools, MD, all rights reserved. The models may be used for educational, non-profit school use only.
All other uses, transmissions, and duplications are prohibited unless permission is granted expressly. This lesson is based on Jamie McKenzie’s Slam Dunk Lesson module .