| LEARNING CONNECTIONS
Using Games to Teach Ocean Awareness
BOOM! Thunder rumbles over- head. Rain drops splatter on the ground, collect in a small
pool, then overflow, splashing down a
narrow ravine. Small streams tumble
down a hillside, merge into a swollen
creek, and pour into a broad, meandering river that swirls toward the
sea. Salt water surges into the river’s
channel, mixing with fresh water to
create a brackish, green-gray waterway. Welcome to an estuary—where
the river meets the sea.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
now offers two free online games for
middle school students in the Water-Life gaming series. Where the River
Meets the Sea and Sea Turtles and the
Quest to Nest are interactive science
education games that engage middle
school students in coastal and ocean
ecosystems. These two games are a
joint project with NOAA’s Ocean
Service Education, National Marine
Fisheries, National Estuarine Research Reserve System, and the Montgomery College’s Computer Game
and Simulation Program in Rockville,
Maryland.
Where the River Meets the Sea
Oscar the Otter is sad. His estuary
home is dying, and he needs help to
save it. Valerie and Ze Claminator,
two spunky game mates, join Oscar to
tackle actual problems affecting coastal estuaries. As students and teachers
explore the estuary, they learn about
habitat ecology and restoration, water pollution, and marine debris. The
game helps students build skills and
raise their awareness of the importance of estuaries, water quality, tides,
and local support to protect estuaries.
By Lisa Hill
