Workshops

An initial step toward achieving the goal of using aquaculture as a "tool for teaching science" in Maryland was the development of a practical "hands-on" workshop held during the summer of 1998 at South Carroll High School in partnership with Carroll County Public Schools. The collaboration with Carroll County Public Schools master teachers who have used aquaculture successfully in the classroom partnered with education specialists from the Maryland Sea Grant Extension Program made the workshop a rich experience for the participants. The methods and content for the workshop were adapted from a model aquaculture program that is part of the Science Research curriculum in Carroll County Public Schools. Since the 1998 workshop three more have been completed (2000, 2002, 2004) serving more than 40 educators statewide. The partnership between the Maryland Sea Grant Extension Program, The Chesapeake Bay Trust, and Carroll County Public Schools provides participating educators in the Aquaculture in Action workshop with an up-close view of aquaculture research and the skills and materials needed to construct a 260-gallon recirculating aquaculture system for their school.

Workshops are designed to expose teachers to many aspects of aquaculture and how it can be used as a "tool for teaching science" including:

learning about how aquaculture is being used by research scientists to study and restore important species in Chesapeake Bay
using appropriate techniques for designing, building and setting up a successful aquaculture system for their school.
gaining experience with the tools and techniques for monitoring an aquaculture system including lab-based activities for students.
developing a network of raise and release programs that incorporate a variety of Chesapeake Bay species.
learning grant writing techniques to support further classroom expansion

The fifth Aquaculture in Action workshop is planned for July 24-28, 2006 (see below). The expansion of the workshop resources now includes partnerships with the UMCES Horn Point Laboratory (Cambridge, MD) and the UMBI Center of Marine Biotechnology (Baltimore, MD) and the National Aquarium in Baltimore to illustrate the applications of aquaculture in a variety research and education settings. The Aquaculture in Action network now includes 40 participating classroom teachers and environmental education center education specialists and will expand to 50 at the conclusion of the 2006 workshop.

For more information about the upcoming 2006 workshop, please contact Mr. J. Adam Frederick at (410) 234-8850 or frederic@mdsg.umd.edu or Ms. Jackie Takacs at (410) 326-7356 or takacs@cbl.umces.edu.

Workshops At A Glance

A Fish Story: Hooking Students on Science, Chesapeake Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 4, 2004
1998 Workshop Photogallery
Feature Article, Maryland Sea Grant Schools Network News, Vol 1. No. 1, 1998-99
Aquaculture in Action Workshop, Maryland Aquafarmer, Fall 1998

Workshop 2006

The workshop is open to teachers in grades 3-12 in Maryland and there are 2 MSDE credits available upon completion of the workshop.

An application for the 2006 workshop will be available in the Fall of 2005.