In February 2006, the GK-12 program visited Maui for a day of fun and learning. The fellows participated in a day-long workshop on Maui, hosted by the Digital Bus, the Pacific Whale Foundation, and the Maui Ocean Center. Twelve teachers and educators attended the workshop to experience a sampling of GK-12 activities developed through teacher-fellow partnerships, and emphasized facilitating inquiry-based science and investigation by students. Joanna Philippoff and Erin Cox lead a field trip to a reef flat at low tide during which teachers employed sampling techniques like transects and quadrats to determine the species composition of the intertidal environment.

At the Pacific Whale Foundation education center, Laura Dewan, Meaghan Parker, and Katie Howard shared a series of activities that engaged teachers in building coral polyps to learn about cnidarian biology and morphology, experimenting with water of different temperature and salinity to simulate ocean currents, and determining the sugar content of flower nectar using simple refractometers.

Following a shared lunch during which the educators were able to talk and network with one another, the group visited the Maui Ocean Center, where Toby Daly-Engel shared activities that engage students in exploring shark morphology and sensory biology. This session, held in the Ocean Center’s shark gallery, was enjoyed by the educators as well as many aquarium visitors.