A Deep Dive into Ocean Zones

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my mentors, who continue to believe in me and push me to be my best self in assisting me to create and pilot this lesson, especially Margarita, Dawn, and Karen. I am forever grateful for my students, who have been patient with me as I’ve grown as an educator and person. They have taught me as much as I’ve taught them. Also, thank you to my nephew and adventure buddy, Tyson, for always being there to inspire me at the world’s small wonders and make me laugh.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

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Notes on contributors

Ashley Rose Coughlin

I love to scuba dive. It is one of my favorite things that I have ever done. I will never forget my first dive, walking into the water and taking the first deep breath from the tank as fish swarmed like birds above my head. That wonder has never ceased to amaze me, even after several years of diving. I look forward to every opportunity to be in or near the ocean and enjoy sharing those experiences with others. I also love seeing the curiosity and creativity of young students as they learn about the vastness of the oceans. As a teacher of emergent bi-/multilingual learners in Arizona, there were few resources available and little guidance in terms of exactly how to meet the various standards for language and content acquisition. I seized the opportunity to share something wonderful and curious with my students. In sharing my own experiences, I also learned about my students, their interests, and how their questions could guide our exploration. Our deep dive into the ocean also provided us with the chance to delve more deeply into learning about each other, our ideas, and the ways that we have adapted to survive, just as the creatures under the ocean have done.

This lesson blends structure with creativity and reduces the fear of taking academic risks with new language. By creating structured and open opportunities for vocabulary introduction and repeated exposures to concepts and ideas over various lessons, students have multiple chances to see and use the targeted language in authentic contexts. I wanted my students to use the new vocabulary in natural ways. I also wanted to reduce the fear around using new vocabulary and sharing experiences with each other and to learn about each other’s experiences. Additionally, the stigma around not knowing what to say or how to contribute is addressed by providing shared experiences that students can build from to always have something to add or connect to each lesson. This provides all students with a way to connect their background and experiences with ongoing learning in the classroom. Although the rest of the school rotated for classes, my students were only with me all day due to Arizona’s Structured English Immersion (SEI) model at the time. They deserved more diversity in content and activities than I felt like they were getting. In developing this lesson, I asked students for their feedback and input before creating the final versions of note sheets and vocabulary. They were instrumental in creating the end product and letting me know which strategies were helpful and which ones were confusing, were not useful, or otherwise needed to be adapted. The guidance from other educators and the grant staff was instrumental in helping to identify the gaps in my own thinking and ways in which I could better support my students. I also wanted them to have a greater amount of science content in their day. The students in my classroom were curious and excited to learn, but Arizona’s SEI model did not particularly encourage or provide support for incorporating content into the language learning block.

Sharing my own excitement and ideas with students, students learning from each other, and being creative together all create trust. This trust is further built between students as they provide each other with feedback. I wanted my students to create a community with each other. To learn that everyone has something valuable to offer and that different perspectives help us learn more deeply. This is why there are ample opportunities for students to discuss and share feedback with one another. In sharing their ideas openly, the teacher and students all learn that they have something valuable to offer others in the classroom. With full tanks, plenty of scaffolding, and an open mind, it’s time to dive deep!