Where should future oyster restoration take place?

Students learn about three habitat-creating species in NY estuaries (eastern oyster, eelgrass, cordgrass) and weigh the pros and cons of restoration projects involving each, considering whether one species is most important to restore.

• Discuss what 'restoration' means in the context of ecology
• Read about habitat-creating species in NY estuaries via a story map
• Determine the pros and cons of restoring habitat and consider which species is most important to restore
• Critically read adapted scientific literature to find central ideas and obtain scientific information
• Summarize complex evidence by paraphrasing in simpler but accurate terms

Students visit a shoreline to make and record observations, then return to the classroom to discuss whether the site is suitable for an estuarine habitat restoration — what makes it suitable, what would improve it, and what would make restoring each species challenging.

• Explore the shoreline, evaluating how well it suits a restoration project and which species it best fits
• Discuss field observations and opinions on the site's suitability for restoration
• Sketch a map of the shoreline including a proposed restoration or shoreline improvement project
• Evaluate competing solutions to a real-world problem using scientific ideas, observational evidence, and logical arguments
• Construct an argument based on evidence and scientific information

Students conduct background reading to identify the most important factors influencing oyster health and survival, then research, discuss, and rank the qualities of suitable oyster habitat to inform how they evaluate restoration-site suitability.

• Be introduced to their task: determining the best location for future oyster restoration
• Make predictions about which factors most influence oyster survival
• Read and evaluate multiple sources to determine characteristics of suitable oyster habitat
• Discuss the researched factors to grasp the variety of things affecting oyster and reef success
• Prioritize and rank the most important factors for evaluating a suitable restoration location

Students are introduced to GIS (ArcGIS Online) and the project goal, then evaluate real NY Harbor datasets to determine which are useful for identifying suitable future oyster restoration sites. The lesson also introduces collaborative 'Help Sessions'.

• Be introduced to the project goal and to GIS
• Be introduced to Help Sessions for working through GIS roadblocks collaboratively
• Evaluate data for usefulness in their analysis using ArcGIS Online
• Compare and contrast various types of data sets

Students use spatial analysis in ArcGIS Online to locate three potentially suitable sites for future oyster restoration, then begin building an ArcGIS story map proposal (Part 1) and share their work in progress.

• Conduct spatial analysis to determine possible suitable locations for future oyster restoration
• Narrow results to their top 3 candidate sites and reflect on the analysis process
• Create an ArcGIS story map (Part 1) to communicate their restoration proposal
• Share their story-map-in-progress and 3 sites with the class and exchange feedback

Students think about how various ecosystems offer different social, economic, and ecological services, then build a list of the ecosystem services of an oyster reef and determine which are most important in NY Harbor.

• Make inferences from images about the services or uses a particular ecosystem provides
• Categorize the various services provided by ecosystems
• List the services provided by an oyster reef
• Determine which services are most important in NY Harbor

Students identify the community they want their reef to impact and the services they want it to provide, then evaluate ArcGIS data sources to determine which are useful (or usable as proxies) for their analysis.

• Describe the community they want their reef to impact and how (Part 1)
• Evaluate data for usefulness in their analysis using ArcGIS Online (Part 2)
• Discuss data challenges, expectations, gaps, and proxy-data approaches as a class

Students use spatial analysis to assess how well each of their 3 candidate sites aligns with their desired reef impacts, rank the sites to pick a single best location, add Part 2 to their story map proposal, and present their work in progress.

• Conduct spatial analysis to find which site best aligns with their desired reef impacts
• Rank their 3 candidate sites and select their single top choice
• Add Part 2 to their ArcGIS story map proposal
• Communicate their work in progress with the class and exchange feedback

Students take a closer look at what already exists at their chosen restoration site (via a virtual visit) and determine the value of adding an oyster restoration project there.

• Virtually explore what already exists at their site
• Assess the potential of their site with an added oyster restoration
• Evaluate questions that challenge the premises of an argument and the suitability of a design
• Evaluate and refine a solution to a complex real-world problem based on scientific knowledge, observations, and tradeoffs

Students figure out what the shoreline at their site looks like and determine which restoration and education structures are best suited for it, then add to their ArcGIS story map proposal (Part 3).

• Determine what shoreline types exist at their restoration site
• Read about oyster restoration and education structures and the shoreline types they suit
• Determine which restoration and education structures are best for their site
• Add to their ArcGIS story map proposal (Part 3)
• Apply scientific ideas, principles, and evidence to solve design problems

Students create a data collection tool to gather data about people at the shoreline, use it on a field visit, then reflect on and revise the tool. An extension applies the tool at their own proposed restoration site.

• Create a data collection tool to understand shoreline visitors at the field site
• Visit the shoreline and attempt to use the social data collection tool
• Reflect on and revise the data collection tool
• Extension: use the tool at their own proposed oyster restoration site
• Plan an investigation in a safe and ethical manner, including environmental, social, and personal impacts

Students consider which community groups or individuals to involve in their oyster reef restoration proposal, research who should give input, and plan how to reach out. They add Part 4 to their ArcGIS story map proposal.

• Discuss the importance of engaging the local community in the restoration process
• Research who in the community should give input and feedback on the reef proposal
• Consider how to reach out to those community groups or individuals
• Add to their ArcGIS story map proposal (Part 4)
• Integrate multiple sources of information to make informed decisions and solve problems

Students finalize their ArcGIS story map to formalize their oyster restoration proposal (Part 5), present it formally, and share it with BOP or another community group via a drafted email.

• Evaluate pros and cons of various reef management scenarios to decide how their reef should be managed
• Create and finalize an ArcGIS story map proposal (Part 5)
• Share their proposal in a formal presentation
• Share their story map proposal with BOP or another community group
• Produce clear, coherent, discipline-specific argumentative writing appropriate to task, purpose, and audience