Project Immersion: Design a Sanctuary

Grades 6-8: Design a Sanctuary

Objective Students will learn to integrate multiple issues and achieve a consensus among them.

Materials None.

Time Frame 1 hour

Teacher Background See Conservation in the Background Information Section
Marine sanctuaries are created by the Federal government to protect marine areas of unique or critical importance. They have been created to protect ecosystems, as in Monterey Bay Sanctuary, California, feeding areas for whales and fish as in Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary, Massachusetts, and other areas on the coasts of Texas, Florida and Washington states. There are 14 marine sanctuaries throughout the country. Sanctuaries are multiple use areas as well. This means that they serve a variety of purposes, from protecting fish and whales to serving as recreational areas for divers and boaters.

Dive In! How does the government decide what to include in a marine sanctuary? There are so many interest groups who seek different things in the creation of a sanctuary. How are these interests reconciled?

Process Present your students with an imaginary situation. A new marine sanctuary has been proposed and the government has asked its experts to help design it. The focus for this sanctuary is to protect humpback whales that are giving birth and breeding in their winter area.
Provide students with the list of interest groups. They must use this to create a set of guidelines for use in the sanctuary. Let them know that they are required to accommodate as many of the different groups as possible. They may choose not to accommodate all groups but must explain their rationale for their decisions. They must keep in mind the purpose for the sanctuary; protection of wintering humpback whales and their habitat.
Allow students about a half hour to draw up the guidelines that they would like to put in place. When finished, have students explain their decisions and reasons for those decisions. Discuss with students the need for compromise to make an effective set of guidelines.

Science Note The situation described above is taken from a real debate going on in Hawaii. Hawaii is a main wintering ground for Pacific Ocean humpback whales and there is an effort to designate much of the water surrounding the islands as a marine sanctuary. The focus would be on the protection of the wintering humpbacks. The groups are completely fictitious.

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Objective	Students will learn to integrate multiple issues and achieve a consensus among them.

Materials	None.

Time Frame	1 hour

Teacher Background	See Conservation in the Background Information Section Marine sanctuaries are created by the Federal government to protect marine areas of unique or critical importance. They have been created to protect ecosystems, as in Monterey Bay Sanctuary, California, feeding areas for whales and fish as in Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary, Massachusetts, and other areas on the coasts of Texas, Florida and Washington states. There are 14 marine sanctuaries throughout the country. Sanctuaries are multiple use areas as well. This means that they serve a variety of purposes, from protecting fish and whales to serving as recreational areas for divers and boaters.

Dive In!	How does the government decide what to include in a marine sanctuary? There are so many interest groups who seek different things in the creation of a sanctuary. How are these interests reconciled?

Process	Present your students with an imaginary situation. A new marine sanctuary has been proposed and the government has asked its experts to help design it. The focus for this sanctuary is to protect humpback whales that are giving birth and breeding in their winter area. Provide students with the list of interest groups. They must use this to create a set of guidelines for use in the sanctuary. Let them know that they are required to accommodate as many of the different groups as possible. They may choose not to accommodate all groups but must explain their rationale for their decisions. They must keep in mind the purpose for the sanctuary; protection of wintering humpback whales and their habitat. Allow students about a half hour to draw up the guidelines that they would like to put in place. When finished, have students explain their decisions and reasons for those decisions. Discuss with students the need for compromise to make an effective set of guidelines.

Science Note	The situation described above is taken from a real debate going on in Hawaii. Hawaii is a main wintering ground for Pacific Ocean humpback whales and there is an effort to designate much of the water surrounding the islands as a marine sanctuary. The focus would be on the protection of the wintering humpbacks. The groups are completely fictitious.