Marine Education Resources for South Carolina K-12 Educators

My Ocean Science Journal

Journals and weekly writing prompts for elementary, middle, and and high school students based on the seven Ocean Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts. Each journal has 10 weeks worth of information and writing prompts for your students to learn about the oceans.

Ocean Science Journal for Grades K-5
Ocean Science Journal for Grades 6-8
Ocean Science Journal for Grades 9-12

Coastal Heritage Curriculum Connection

Curriculum guides for state science standards have been written to accompany each issue of Coastal Heritage, a quarterly publication of the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium. Below each issue is a link to the curriculum guide.

The Educator’s Guide to Marine Debris

This guide is designed for educators in both formal and informal settings. The guide includes information about marine debris, lessons useful for middle-school levels, and regional and national marine debris resource listings.

Salt Marsh Activity Guide

This activity booklet provides information and printable activities about the salt marsh habitat for grades Pre-K – 5^th.

Sea Sampler (Elementary)
Sea Sampler (Secondary)

Written in 1985, this set of field and classroom based activities are designed to engage elementary and middle school students in learning about aquatic ecosystems. (Please note: the science standards referenced in the publication have since been revised. You can reference the current South Carolina Science Standards here).

Guide to the Salt Marshes and Tidal Creeks of the Southeastern United States

This comprehensive guide, produced in partnership by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, S.C. Sea Grant Consortium, and Clemson Extension, provides an overview of salt marsh and tidal creek ecosystems in the southeastern United States. The guide includes information on species identification and classification, ecosystem services and threats, cultural and historical highlights, and stewardship opportunities.

Of Sand and Sea: Teachings From the Southeastern Shoreline

This book answers questions about the ocean – how it was formed and what lives in it. The book contains a comprehensive explanation of ocean zones, plate tectonics, the hydrologic cycle, and the physical and chemical properties of the ocean.

NAAEE Environmental Education—Equity Resources

The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) has compiled this library of resources including articles, books, videos, and podcasts to help environmental educators to understand more about systemic racism and to help organizations address equity both internally and in the work they do in the field.

U.S. Department of Education’s Improving Outcomes for All Students Publication

In January 2017, the Federal Department of Education published “Improving Outcomes for All Students: Strategies and Considerations to Increase Student Diversity.” This report provides an action-oriented summary of considerations that can be taken to support school districts and stakeholders seeking to improve student diversity in their schools through voluntary, community-led programs.

Teaching Tolerance

The Southern Poverty Law Center established Teaching Tolerance in 1991 to promote and help teachers and schools educate children and youth to be active participants in a diverse democracy. Teaching Tolerance provides free resources including: a framework of social justice standards, classroom materials, professional development opportunities, and magazines and publications for K-12 educators.

South Carolina State Plan for Equitable Access to Excellent Educators

This plan from the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) outlines the SCDE’s approach to achieving the objective of improving access to excellent educators for the state’s most disadvantaged youth. The publication presents a comprehensive approach to strengthening and maintaining teacher and principal effectiveness across the state, with an emphasis on schools and classrooms with the greatest need.

American Association for the Advancement of Science—Equity and Inclusion

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is committed to providing tools that expand access to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education, strengthen and diversify the science and technology workforce, and amplify underrepresented and marginalized voices within STEM fields. This compilation of stories and articles presents the many contributions of researchers and educators from underrepresented communities.

Making the Next Generation Science Standards Accessible to All Students

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are research-based K-12 science standards that were developed as a multi-state effort to improve science education for all students by setting expectations of what students should know and be able to do. This appendix to the standards addresses what teachers can do to ensure that the NGSS are accessible to all students by presenting the learning opportunities and challenges to underserved students, describing effective strategies for implementation, and providing context to current student diversity.

University of Michigan Inclusive Teaching Resources

The University of Michigan’s Center for Research on Learning & Teaching has compiled a range of online, evidence-based resources that define inclusive teaching and provide specific strategies for implementation.

Five Strategies for Advancing Racial Equity in Public Education

This blog post from the nonprofit organization, Education Pioneers, outlines five strategies for advancing racial equity in public education. These strategies are accompanied by examples of school districts putting these strategies into practice.