Blended Learning Example
Engage
Online Discussion: Natural Resources
Activity 1 A natural resource is any material found in nature that people use and
value.
1. Look around your home. What natural resources do you and your family use
every day?
2. List 5 natural resources that you eat or drink. Write a sentence to explain
where each resource comes from. Hint: You may need to do an Internet
search to help answer this question.
Example: I eat popcorn, which comes from the corn plant. Corn for popcorn is
grown in Nebraska, Indiana, and Texas.
Explore
Online Activity: Fish Populations
Activity 2 There are two types of natural resources. Renewable resources are
resources that the Earth replaces naturally. Nonrenewable resources are
resources that cannot be replaced. One natural resource that people all over the
world use for food is fish.
Question: Do you think fish is a renewable or nonrenewable resource? Explain your
answer.
Activity 3 Fish is a renewable resource because more fish can hatch to replace ones
that have been caught. However, fish populations around the world are declining
due to overfishing. Overfishing is when so many fish are caught that the population
cannot reproduce fast enough to replace them. Watch this video from the National
Geographic website titled “Declining Fish” to find out some of the reasons why. Use
the questions below to take notes about the video.
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environment/habitatsenvironment/habitats-oceans-env/declining-fish.html
1.
2.
3.
4.
What problem does the video describe?
What solution does Dr. Jackson propose?
Why does he think it will be difficult to accomplish?
Dr. Jackson states that protecting parts of the ocean from fishing will hurt
some people. What does he mean by that statement?
Activity 4 Declining fish populations disproportionately affect some of the world’s
poorest nations. Watch this clip from a Habitat Media film titled “Empty Oceans,
Empty Nets” and take notes using the questions below.
Teacher Note: The full length-video can be purchased at
http://www.habitatmedia.org/EOEN.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7t5gPgfcek&feature=player_embedded&nore
direct=1
1. How has fishing changed in Indonesia, Sicily, and Senegal in the last five
years?
2. What is one reason why fishermen in these places are not able to catch as
much fish as they did in the past?
3. How does the decline in fish affect people in these places?
4. Do you think the impact on their economies compares to the impact on
economies of European countries or the United States? Explain your answer.
Explain
Class Activity: Overfished Species
Teacher Note: Begin a whole-class discussion with students about sushi. Explain
that sushi is a traditional Japanese dish of rice topped with raw fish or other sea
products. Although Japan accounts for only 3% of the world’s population, it
consumes 16% of the world’s seafood. In recent years, sushi has become popular in
many countries, adding strain to an already declining fish supply.
Activity 5 Work in groups of 4 or 5 to interact with the Sushi Bar activity from
National Geographic.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/hall/index.html?node=45
Discuss the following questions with your group.
1. Where do some of the seafood products for sushi come from?
2. Which fishing practices contribute to the decline of the world’s fish
populations?
3. How is fishing in foreign waters similar to piracy? What are countries doing
to protect their fish resources?
4. How are the high prices the fish attract in the market contributing to the
problem?
5. What are the implications of sushi’s growing popularity around the world?
Activity 6 Working with your group, choose an overfished species in the United
States from this list:
 Bluefin tuna
 Atlantic cod
 Salmon
 Halibut
 Red Snapper
Create a short report or PowerPoint presentation about your chosen species. Use
Internet resources to research information for your report. Use charts and graphs to
help present information. Reports should include the following information:
 Where does fishing for this species take place? Where is the fish sold?
 What methods are used to catch this fish? What are some side effects of these
methods on the marine environment?
 How much of this species is caught annually? Has that amount changed in
recent years?
 What, if anything, is being done to protect this species?
Resources:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/domes_fish/StatusoFisheries/SOS8%20-05.htm
http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/images/main/nmsmap2.jpg
http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/about/faqs/welcome.html
Monterey Bay Aquarium
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/issues/default.aspx?c
=ln
KidSafe Seafood
http://www.maridahines.org/KidSafeSeafood/
Shifting Baselines
http://www.shiftingbaselines.org/videos/index2.html
World Resources Institute
http://www.wri.org/publication/content/8385
National Geographic
http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/take-action/impact-ofseafood/#/seafood-decision-guide/
Elaborate
Class Activity: Presentation
Teacher Note: In this section, students will be applying what they have learned in
previous sections to complete an extension activity.
Activity 7 Working with your group, choose and complete one of the activities
below. Present your results to the class.
1. Imagine that your team is opening a restaurant that features sustainable
seafood. Write a business plan that includes a background section and a
proposed menu. Make sure to explain how the fish on your menu comes from
sustainable sources.
2. Imagine that you are a team of scientists working for a conservation
organization. Create a presentation that you might give to government
leaders explaining why they should pass a law banning a harmful fishing
method.
Evaluate
Class Activity: Game
Teacher Note: To assess students’ grasp of the social, economic, and environmental
effects of overfishing, have students play the Net Results game from PBS’s Marine
Fisheries and Aquaculture Series. Students’ choices should reflect their
understanding of how decisions made by key players impact fish populations.
http://www.pbs.org/emptyoceans/educators/activities/net-results.html
Individual Activity (in class or online): Test
Directions: Write a short paragraph to answer each of the following questions.
1. Define Explain how fish and other marine life are natural resources. Are
they renewable or nonrenewable resources?
2. Cause and Effect What are the effects of overfishing on people around the
world?
3. Compare and Contrast Compare the effects on people in developing nations
to those in developed nations.
4. Recall Why are more fish being caught than ever before?
5. Analyze How are the methods used to catch fish today harmful to the
marine environment?
6. Draw Conclusions What can governments do to address the problem of
overfishing? What can citizens do to be responsible fish consumers?