Document Type
Report
Department/Program
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Publication Date
2020
Series
VA Sea 2020 Lesson Plans
Abstract
Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Biology | Environmental Science | Oceanography
This lesson plan helps students make the connection between the amount of nutrients present in an ecosystem and the resulting growth of phytoplankton in our coastal waters. This lesson takes this concept a step deeper, by exploring how the proportions of nitrogen and phosphorus in the environment create the ideal conditions for phytoplankton growth. Students will explore the concept of limiting factors and will work on both their graphing skills and their ability to compare ratios.
DOI
doi: 10.25773/9cry-w959
Keywords
Secondary Education, Lesson Plans, phytoplankton, marine biology
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Funding
The 2019/2020 VA SEA project was made possible through funding from the National Estuarine Research Reserve System Margaret Davidson Fellowship Program which supports graduate students in partnership with research reserves where fieldwork, research, and community engagement come together. VA SEA is currently supported by the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Virginia Sea Grant, and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Marine Advisory Program.
Recommended Citation
Stanley, B. (2020) Feeding Time: How Nutrients Drive Phytoplankton Growth. VA Sea 2020 Lesson Plans. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary. doi: 10.25773/9cry-w959
Powerpoint with data
Stanley-VASEA-vaseafeedingtimelessonpptwithoutdata.pptx (3385 kB)
Powerpoint without data
