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SAS x Parley Ocean School

SAS and Parley joined forces this July and invited 15 schools to join us at beaches across the South West

“People protect what they love. But they only love what they know”. Jacques Cousteau

SAS x Parley Ocean School invites pupils to the greatest classroom on earth. A place of constant inspiration. This July we (SAS x Parley Ocean School) took over 1383 pupils from across the South West to the coast. The aim of Ocean School is simple, we want to ignite a passion in pupils; a passion for creating positive environmental change in their communities, at their local beaches and beyond.

“Outdoor and environmental education research suggests that educational experiences in outdoor settings can be significant in developing environmental sensitivity and knowledge.” Dr. Alison Lugg (2007).

Ocean School was designed to raise student’s awareness of the plastic pollution problem in the places they love… and ask for their help! Ocean School provided students with the opportunity to explore, investigate and respond to the environment they live in. Empowering them to identify and embrace the vital part they play in protecting the places they love.

 

Ocean School – Step by Step

  • Welcome to Ocean School – Shoes and socks off, trousers rolled up. First things first, it’s time to feel the sand and sea between our toes as students take a tour of our ‘classroom’ for the day
  • Plastic Free Coastlines 101 – Down to business. Our first and most important task is to engage, enrage and inform the students on the impacts that ocean plastic pollution has. From the harm it causes to wildlife to the toxic threats of microplastics, this interactive lecture will arm the students with shocking stats and facts, equipping them for the campaign ahead and lighting the activist fire in their bellies!
  • Clean Wave Beach Clean – Hands on action. Time to learn about the problem first hand. Kitted out with beach clean gloves and buckets students will work together to sweep as much plastic pollution as they can from their beach
  • Ocean Plastic Surveying and Sorting – Understanding and evidencing the problem. Students will then enter our Ocean School Lab where they will work in research teams to separate, categorise, record, analyse, report on (and recycle!) the types and amounts of ocean plastic pollution that they find
  • Food Web Wars – Exploring food pyramids through noisy play. We’ll get everyone moving again with our giant interactive where students will challenge each other to ocean life themed ROCK – PAPER – SCISSOR duels to explore how our marine food chains function, all the way from plankton to our plates
  • Rock pool Investigation – Recognising human impact on our ecosystems. We’ll then head out on a rock pool adventure where students will connect what we’ve learnt about plastic pollution, ecosystems and food chains with the plants and animals such as; filter feeders and small fish
  • Creating a Circular Ocean Economy – Avoiding – Intercepting – Redesigning (A.I.R) throwaway plastics. It’s time to talk solutions! The students will enter our giant interactive, sandy ‘circular ocean economy diagram’ and, in their research teams, will utilise cradle to cradle thinking to discuss and noisily propose potential solutions to the plastic pollution problem
  • Ocean School Graduation – Official Ocean Guardians. After a quick fire, intense two and half hours we hope every student will be ready to pledge to help us create plastic free coastlines. They will receive a special ‘Ocean Guardian’ badge and certificate before ‘graduating’ with some fun with their friends on the beach

Ocean School – The next step

Ocean School does not stop when the session ends, every ocean school graduate will be kept up to date with the Ocean School programme and challenged to take part in the ‘SAS x Parley Ocean Schools’ Plastic Free Coastlines Awards.

  •  Ocean School Broadcasts – Making Ocean School available to all! As well as joining us on the beach schools, students and, well anybody really, will be able to tune into our four online programmes and explore all of the subjects in even more detail.
  • ‘SAS X Parley Ocean Schools’ Plastic Free Coastlines Awards 2017 – Celebrating solutions. All participating schools will be encouraged and supported to continue to develop their A.I.R solutions into real project proposals and submit them digitally to SAS HQ. They will then be entered into our annual Plastic free Coastlines Innovation Awards to be in with a chance of winning a project grant (and super cool trophy!).

 

Ocean School In Focus – Marazion School

On July 1st the pupils of Marazion School were the first to step into the SAS x Parley Ocean School classroom. The thirty pupils from year five spent the morning learning and exploring at their local beach before coming together to clean and survey the littered tide line.

Following their Ocean School session the pupils decided to take their Ocean Pledges one step further and challenge the whole of Marazion School to make a positive change and reduce the amount of single-use plastic in their school.

The pupils posted their plastic pledge in the school newsletter asking for every pupil to bring in a refillable water bottle and to join them in removing single-use plastic forks and cups from the school tuck shop with the introduction of a new washing station. How cool is that!?

Ocean School For Teachers

Not only is Ocean School fun and engaging for the students, we’ve also worked really hard to make sure that the programme fits with your curricular aims so that you can deliver an Ocean School session with your own class.

Focused on Key Stages 1 -2 but highly adaptable, Ocean School hits numerous attainment targets in Geography, Citizenship, PSHE, Science and more.

We have also created a suite of background resources such as; lesson plans, plenary activities, learning outcomes and supporting physical resources that, together, will mean that Ocean School enhances the awesome work that our schools are already doing.

Ocean School For All

One of the things that we love most about our oceans and beaches is that they are free for all to use and enjoy, there are no ‘cheap seats’ or VIP areas on the beach or in the line-up, everyone has an equal right to be there. This also means that we are all responsible for the protection of this awe inspiring environment and it is these two principles that Ocean School was founded upon.

So whether you’re a teacher, student, big wave surfer or champion sandcastle maker you are welcome to enrol at Ocean School anytime. Simply get in touch with our Education Team leader Ellie at [email protected] or give us a call on 01872 553001 and we can help you create your very own Ocean School classroom!

Ocean School Thank You

We are delighted to be collaborating with our friends at Parley for the Oceans, to bring you Ocean School.

Every Ocean School was made possible by the collaboration of great people and organisations, without them we couldn’t have done it so thank you: Parley for The Oceans, First Wave Adventures, Perranporth SLSC, Cornwall Council, The Watering Hole, Perranzabuloe Parish Council, Ruda Parkdean, Cornwall College, Mercator, St Aubyn Estates…

…and not to forget the fantastic input of our volunteer regional representatives and student interns.