IntroductionandProjectOverview

Coralreefsandtheinhabitantsofthesereefsareconstantlybeingaffectedbytheeffects
ofoceanacidificationandwillcontinuetobethrashedbysuchharshconditionsuntilwe,the
people,takeastandandchangethesituation.Duetothisbeingtheonlyanswertothisproblem,
myseniorprojectwassettoinformandeducateindividualsaboutoceanacidificationwith
informationrangingfromwhatitistohowwecanworktoreduceitsimpacts.
Inordertoeffectivelyaccomplishthis,Iselectedtwomentorstohelpeducatemeand
guidemethroughthisprocess:MattCapps,myhighschoolchemistryteacher,andGary
McAuliffemyelectricalmentorwhoalsohasapassionformarineecosystems.Withthehelpof
mymentorsIhadgainedabasicunderstandingofthechemistrybehindtheissueandrealworld
accountsforthehorribleaffectthisproblemhasonenvironments.Coupledwithmyresearch
whichIdiscussedinmyresearchpaperpertainingtocurrenteffortsinthisfield,IfeltthatIhada
sturdyenoughbasistobegintoinformothers.Thisinformingprocesswouldthenbecomemy
seniorprojectandbedisplayedtowardmypresentation.
StartingonapproximatelyDecember17th,Ihadcreatedmyfirstproductsformyproject
intheformofapretest,presentation,andposttest.Thelastproduct,agame,wascreatedin
Januarywiththetotalamountoftimespentworkingonthisprojecthasbeenabout19hours.6
hourswithmyoutofschoolmentor,and15nonloggedhourswithmyinschoolmentor.The
remainderofthistimehadbeenindependentworkconductedwithoutamentor.
ThroughoutthetimethatIhadworkedonthisprojectIusedseveralkeysourcestogather
informationincluding:myworkatNOAAandresourcessuchasNOAAemployees,TEDtalks,
andarchivesfoundonline.Theseresourcesallowedmetogenerateappropriatequestionsto

formulatepreandposttests.Theseresourcesalsoallowedmetogenerateaproperpowerpoint
presentationwithcorrect,relevant,anduptodateinformation.
Thecomponentsthatmakemyprojectuniqueistheapproachtodisplayingmy
information.Typically,oceanacidification,iftaught,istaughtasastraightfactsandalmostin
theformofahistorylesson.WhatImeanbythisisthatusuallyitseemsasifeverythingbeing
saidcannotbechanged.Mypresentationhowever,approachesthetopicinawaythat
encouragestheaudiencetogooutandchangethecurrentsituationprimarilythroughvoting
(whichtheaudiencewillbeabletodoinayear)andselfledactions(whichtheaudienceshould
alsobeprimarilyresponsibleforsincetheyareabouttogoofftocollegeandstartleadingtheir
ownlifeandmakingtheirownchoices).

ResultsandAnalysis
Frommypretestof15students,anaveragescoreof58%ofthequestionswereanswered
correctly.Thiswasonarangefrom27questionsansweredcorrectly.However,animprovement
ofnearly20%(posttestscorebeing80%)forthestudentsscorewasthenrecordedfromthe
pretesttotheposttestwiththerangeofquestionsansweredcorrectlyimprovingfrom37(with
oneoutlierat9)to710.
Table1.Thescoresfromboththepretestandtheposttestfromeachofthe15students

Student

10

Pretest

Posttest

10 7

averagescore

11 12

13

14

15

58%

10

10

80%

Thistrendmaybearesultofthepresentationasitreviewedthetopicofthequestionsthat
wereaskedonthepretestbutmostnoticeablytheQ&Awastheportionoftheprojectthat
allowedstudentstodemonstratethemostsignificantamountofgrowth.DuringthisQ&A
session,manymisconceptionswereaskedandIwasabletoeffectivelyclearupthese
misconceptions.Theactivity/gamealsogreatlyhelped(ifImaysaysothroughobservation)as
studentsactivelyansweredandcollaboratedtoanswerthepresentedquestionscorrectly.
AkeymomentinthisprocesswasduringtheQ&Aandactivity/gamebecauseitwas
duringthesesessionsthatmisunderstandingsandmisconceptionsthatIhadnotthoughtofwere
broughtupandIsawwhatIshouldreallybefocusingon.Thishelpedmediscuss,moreindepth,
areasofcommonmisunderstandingwiththestudentsthatIotherwisewouldnothaveaddresses.
Thisalsogavemeanideaastowhysomepeoplemakethechoicestheymakeinlifeandmakes
itmoreunderstandableastowhyitiscommonpracticetodoactivitiesandrepeatmethodswhich
hurtourenvironmentallwithoutusknowingwhatweareactuallydoing.
Throughandthroughthoughmyprojectwasasuccessasithadincreasedindividuals
awarenessand,throughtesting,showedthatthepresentationandproductswhenusedin
conjunctionhelpedtoinformtheaudience.Thiscanmostreasonablybeinferredfromthenear
20%increaseininformationretainedfromtheproducts.
Myresultsmaynotimmediatelyimpactothersdirectlybutmyresultsshowthat,forthe
timebeingattheleast,thatawarenesshasbeenimprovedamongstthisonegroup.nowwhatthis
suggestsisthatIhavehelpedtoinformthisgroupandhavecreatedamoreawaregroupoffuture
voters.ThismeansthatImaycontinuetogivethispresentationtocontinually,successfully,
raiseawareness,theoverarchinggoalofthisprojectandthetrueimpactthatthisprojectmay

haveonthecommunityasawarenesswillleadtobehavioralchangesandimprovementsonthe
individualspartandtheindividualwillthenbeabletovoteandhaveaevenbiggervoiceinthe
communitywiththeaidofpolitiesandrepresentatives.

ProjectChallenges&Modifications
Initially,Ihadplannedtopresentmyprojecttoelementaryschoolers.Thisplanfell
throughthoughasIhadfinishedmyproductstoolatefortheelementaryteacherstoapprove,get
approvalfromtheschool,andsendoutapprovalformstothestudentsparents.Ihadalsofinished
myprojectsfartoonearthesetdeadlinebytheseniorprojectcommittee.Inordertosolvethis
problem,IspoketooneofmyteachersandaskedifImaypresentmyprojecttotheirclass.Due
totheunderstandingnatureofthisteachertheyagreedtoallowmetopresenttotheirclassand
thisallowedmetocollecttheappropriatedatatoanalyze.Noothermajorproblemswere
encounteredopposedfinishingtheactualprojectbutthatissomethingthateachstudentmust
overcome.
MyprojectdidturnoutthewayIhadexpectedittoforthemostpart.Pretestsshowed
thatstudentsknewsomethingaboutthetopichowever,italsoshowedtypicalmisunderstandings
andmisconceptionsfoundinthepublicsunderstandingofthetopic.Throughthepowerpoint
presentationandgamehowever,posttestsrevealedasignificantlygreaterunderstandingofthe
topicatleastforthetimebeing.
HadImoretimeavailabletometoconductthisproject,Iwouldgiveanadditionaltestto
thestudentswhowerepresentduringmypresentationandtesttheirrecollectionofwhatI,
hopefully,taughtthem.Thisrecollectiontestwouldbegivenatapproximately24weeksafter

theposttest.AnotherthingthatIwouldaddtotheprojectiswhatIinitiallyplannedtoto:
presentingtoelementaryschoolchildren.Thiswouldallowmetogettheinformationouttoa
youngeraudienceANDcomparetheirunderstandingtothatofmyhighschoolseniors.This
wouldbebothinterestinginseeingwhichagegroup/generationknewmoreinitiallyanditwould
alsobeinterestingtoseewhichagegroup/generationlearnedmoreand,recalledmoreafter24
weeks.

PersonalSatisfaction
OnepartoftheprojectthatIenjoyedthemostwasdoingmyresearchandpreparingthe
physicalproducts.ThispartoftheprojectwasthemostsatisfyingtomebecauseIhadgotto
dedicatealargeportionofmytimetoresearchingsomethingthatIhavebeeninterestedinsince
thesummerof2014.IalsolearnedalotmoreabouteffortsinotherstatessuchasCaliforniaand
Washington(twostateswhereIamlookingatattendingUniversity)andseeingtheseefforts
madeitclearthatIcouldcontinueworkingwiththispassioninthosestatesandthattheywould
beveryprogressiveinthisarea.
PreparingproductswasalsosatisfyingbecauseIwasabletoapplywhatIhadlearned
throughresearchtocreateaneducationplatformto,attemptto,quicklyteachothersandinform
othersaboutwhatIamsopassionateabout.

LearningStretch
Whiletherewasmuchtolearnthroughoutthisprojectsduration,seeingashowsome
individualsinpoliticsassumedthatthisproblemhadbeensolvedshowsignoranceinanarea

whereignoranceshouldnotbetoleratedwhatsoever.Forexample,BrianBairdaU.S.
RepresentativelocatedinWashingtonassumedthatwehad[dealt]withthat20yearsagowhen
askedaboutallocatingmoremoneytooceanacidificationresearch.Thistaughtmethatthereis
muchtodointhisfieldanditfurthermotivatedmetopursuethisproject.Primarilywithafocus
ininformingthenextvotinggroupsothatwe,thepeople,canworktoputmoreinformedand
environmentallyconsciousindividualsinoffice.

Conclusion
Learningmoreabouttheprocessofcreatingapresentationthatismeanttobe
informative,conductingresearchonatopicthatIgreatlyenjoy,andsuccessfullyeducating
individualsaboutOceanAcidificationhasbeenquitetheexperience.Quitetheexperience
leadingtotheunderstandingthatthistopicisimportantandnowwiththebasicknowledgein
settingupafairlylargescale,serious,informativepresentationIwillhopefullybeableto
continuetopresentingandraisingawarenessevenifIamonlyabletoraiseawarenesstoa
smallamountofindividuals.