Mobile Education > SEAMOBILE
The Seamobile is a truck-based,
hands-on science outreach program provided by the Natural
History
Museum
for middle
school students of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
This ocean-themed program is typically scheduled for multiple
classrooms over a two-week period.
In the Seamobile, students
become marine scientists with the help of Museum instructors,
and are taken on a simulated dive beneath the ocean off
the coast of Southern California. Research stations housed
on
the trailer provide hands-on and computer-based activities
related to marine biology and oceanography, allowing
the students to collect and analyze data about different
ocean
habitats.
Activities include determining the submersible’s
location through a process of triangulation, as well
as identifying species through the use of a computer-driven
dichotomous
key. Recommended pre- and post-visit activities help
prepare
the students for the tasks of their underwater "mission." Participating
teachers are provided with an on-site inservice, as
well as teaching kits filled with related materials
for use
in their classroom.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
- to capture and cultivate student interest in
science, specifically marine biology/oceanography
- to introduce students to the diversity of organisms
that live in our local ocean ecosystem
- to help students understand the interrelationships
between marine organisms within a habitat
- to sharpen student inquiry skills, including
measurement, observation and making a hypothesis
For further information
Please contact the Outreach Office at the Natural History Museum at (213) 763-3344.
SEAMOBILE WEBSITE
The Seamobile
website recreates the investigation experienced
by students on board the Seamobile. Through this program,
students become marine scientists and dive beneath the
southern California coast, observing
different habitats and collecting data on the different
species that live there. Before entering this presentation,
please make sure that the following software is installed
on your computer:
* Adobe Acrobat
Reader (v3.0 or higher). This allows you to access handouts and
other printed material.
* Quick Time (v4.0
or higher). This allows you to see the video portions of the program.
* Shockwave Plug-in. This allows you to use the animated/interactive components
of the program. A plug-in is a special accessory needed to help a program
run with a particular application.
Begin your exploration of the underwater habitats of Southern California! |
