Student Scientists Investigate Ocean Tide Pools

by Asha Bucklin, Communications Manager

In late May, fifth and sixth grade student scientists from Verde Elementary School in Richmond took their education outside to Muir Beach in Marin, where they explored everything from the sand to the sea! This beautiful ocean beach became an outdoor classroom where students learned about different types of seaweed, the components of sand, and how to explore the tide pools that were teeming with sea life!

For many Verde students, this was their first time visiting an ocean beach! For fifth grader Angel, who had just moved to the Bay Area from El Salvador, it was especially exciting because he had never seen seaweed or kelp before. After deciding that it was the coolest thing ever, he found the longest piece of seaweed on the beach and hung onto it all day! When the class was ready to leave the beach Angel put the seaweed back in the tide pool it came from because, as he and his fellow students learned, it is important to respect the beach and all surrounding nature; leave only footprints, take only memories.

During the ocean Field Trip another fifth grade student named Juan was enraptured by the variety of life in the tide pools and found some sea urchins, a sea anemone, and even several shore crabs! He loved the sea urchin so much that he decided to draw it during reflections time.

Teacher Miss Pierce explained that Juan was so fascinated by the hands-on lessons in the KIDS for the BAY Watershed Action Program that he has decided to go to college to become a marine biologist!