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The University of Southern California’s (USC) Joint Educational Project’s STEM Education Programs hosted a three-day summer workshop focused on marine microbiology and coastal deoxygenation for high school educators. To increase ocean literacy in high school students from Title I schools, topical marine science research was translated into four lesson plans appropriate for classrooms that teach biology and environmental science. The lesson plans focus on how marine microbes affect and are affected by the dissolved oxygen content of seawater but covered diverse oceanography topics including microbial ecology, nutrient cycling, physical ocean dynamics, and climate change. This education framework was designed to promote and facilitate hands on discovery-based learning and making observations about the natural world. The workshop and lesson plan development were executed in partnership with faculty and graduate students researching marine microbes and oceanography from USC’s Marine and Environmental Biology department to provide scientific expertise on the subject matter. At the workshop, educators were guided through each lesson plan and given classroom sets of materials to complete each of the experiments in their own classrooms. Educators also had the opportunity to experience the academic research process at both USC and the Wrigley Institute of Environmental Studies on Catalina Island, California. Teachers valued this interactive experience to learn from professional scientists and STEM educators. They left the workshop equipped with the knowledge and confidence to teach these marine microbiology and biogeochemistry concepts in their classrooms.
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This content will become publicly available on December 1, 2025
Mycology in the agriscience classroom: A curriculum based on wild foraged mushroom certification
Abstract The overarching goal of this impact project is to make mycology accessible to more agriscience educators and students. Lesson plans were prepared to link core competencies and science standards to the Wild‐Foraged Mushroom certification. Incorporating mycology into the classroom has many benefits, including discussions on food safety and regulation, the role of ecology in agroecosystems, and taxonomic identification skills. Fungi also play many different roles in the ecosystem, including decomposers, mutualists, and parasites. Lesson plans in three topic areas were produced: mushroom identification and fungal ecology, mushroom growth and food safety, and mushrooms as a renewable resource. Examples of hands‐on learning and connections to the Wild‐Foraged Mushroom certification are provided. This certification is available in the state of Michigan; however, lessons could be adapted for use in other regions of the United States. Looking at taxonomy, ecology, food science, and economics through the lens of mycology is an engaging way to motivate students while potentially helping them earn a certification.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1946445
- PAR ID:
- 10585093
- Publisher / Repository:
- Natural Sciences Education
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Natural sciences education
- Volume:
- 53
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 2168-8273
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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