Explore a Marine Protected Area!

Type of Activity	information research, publication, project, exhibition
Title	Explore a Marine Protected Area!
Thematic	Biodiversity
Discipline	Geography, Mother tongue, Computer science, Foreign language
Pedagogic content Key concept of relevant disciplines	Ecosystem, Biodiversity, biotic factor, Abiotic factors, oxygen,nutrients, temperature, salinity, solar energy, substrate, aerial exposure, depth, food webs. Environmental sustainability , Natural Heritage and Cultural Heritage
Target Audience	From 12 years old
Pre-requisites	Good skills on computer tools. Educator should introduce a vocabulary including items like :ecosystems, abiotic factors, biotic factors, food chain, food web, MPAs, endemic species, etc. for discussion with students.
New competencies targeted	Students will be able to : Describe and identify 4 examples of MPAs in Mediterranean Sea Explore some Marine Protected Areas and perceive the importance of Marine Protected Areas Explain how the MPAs contribute to natural, economic, or cultural resources List ways that humans interact with and impact MPAs
Preparation Description of Activity
Description of Implementation	STEP 1: Students will divide in small groups and they will use Google Earth to explore Marine Protected Areas in Mediterranean Sea. STEP 2: Educator should demonstrate for students how to download the Marine Protected Areas layer as a .kml file. After downloading, he/she should select the Marine Protected Areas layer, and demonstrates how to locate and explore MPAs around the world. He/she should show students the icon they are looking for and how to examine the photos, videos, and stories that accompany each location. STEP 3: Students will keep information in a worksheet about their MPAs. More specific they should note the name and the location of the MPA the ecosystem type, and the purpose of the MPA. STEP 4: Students, will create a poster or a ppt to present their examples to the rest of the class and share with them the information. STEP 5: Students and educators discuss with an expert (e.g. marine researcher from HCMR, through skype) about their conclusions for the importance of MPAs and the humans interaction and impact to marine ecosystems STEP 6: Students write a brief article about a MPA in their region. They refer to the environmental issues the area faces, the natural and cultural resources that are in need of protection, and any stories of local environmental stewardship projects or other human actions that have helped or are currently helping the area. STEP 7: Alternative, students exhibit their posters, or present their ppt to the rest of the school community and their parents and inform them about the importance of MPAs in Mediterranean Basin and the value provided to the society.
Place	Classroom, ICT laboratory
Material need	Computer, access to internet, access to google earth images, skype connection, printer, tablets, worksheets
Duration of Preparation Duration of Activity	1 hour
Duration of Implementation Duration of activity	2 -4 hours
Authorship and ressources conditions to use	HCMR (Education Unit) No authorization required
Links Links to website	https://www.iucn.org/content/marine-protected-areas-sharing-mediterranean-experience https://medpan.org/marine-protected-areas/mediterranean-mpas/
Additionnal ressources
Topic of this Experiences
Country	Italy

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