This activity is designed to get students to "think outside of the box." The students will study the various tools used by scientists to collect data describing various factors in the Chesapeake Bay. Students visit the “Current Research” page of the web resource to study different research tools. This project may be conducted from home or done in the classroom depending on time and availability of materials. In pairs, groups of three, or individually, students will brainstorm an idea of a tool to collect data. They should think about what they want to learn about in the Bay and what kind of data they’ll need to make their assessment. Based on their ideas, they develop a model for their instrument and describe the kind of data can be collected utilizing the tool. 

Teacher Note: This is an optional activity and could be assigned as a home project at the start of the unit of study. It could also be utilized in class, designating a portion of the class period to work on the project. 

Objectives

• Students design instruments to study the marine environment
• Students hypothesize what kinds of data can be collected by various tools
• Students understand why data is important in science

Materials

• Student Project Rubric

Procedure

• Students view the tools used by scientists to collect data on physical and biological conditions in the Chesapeake Bay utilizing the “Current Research” page of the website.  
• Students brainstorm what kind of data would be useful to collect to understand the Chesapeake Bay further.
• Students design a model of their tool, indicating what kind of data the tool can collect.
• Students may work in pairs or groups of 3 to brainstorm the design of a new tool that will collect some specific data about the Bay or the organisms living in it.  

National Science Education Standards

9-12 A: Science as Inquiry

• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• Understandings about scientific inquiry

9-12 B: Physical Science

• Interactions of energy and matter

9-12 E: Science and Technology

• Abilities of technological design 
• Understandings about science and technology 

9-12 F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives

• Science and technology in local, national, and global challenges 

9-12 G: History and Nature of Science

• Science as a human endeavor 
• Nature of scientific knowledge 
• Historical perspectives 

Lesson Resources

Student Project Rubric

Fish and Physics Investigate Current Research module page