“The Secret Life of Dolphins” is a high-school-level curriculum developed by the Chicago Zoological Society in collaboration with Mote Marine Laboratory which focuses on high-interest dolphin research ongoing at the two institutions. The formal curriculum models a set of technology-based educational components, enabling students and teachers to work with real dolphin data from Sarasota Bay and Brookfield Zoo dolphins, using interactive data analysis software. It has been designed to offer teachers and students a dynamic array of experiences and scientific inquiry tools that, used together or independently, center on an overall theme of understanding the nature of science and the role of research in conservation. The curriculum immerses students in scientific investigation. They can manipulate and analyze real dolphin data, while gaining an appreciation for the uncertainty of science. The downloadable curriculum unit (approximately 4 weeks long) includes background information for the teachers and classroom-based activities and lesson plans related to: 1) basic content on dolphin research, 2) computer software, and 3) a field trip to either Mote Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida or the Chicago Zoological Society’s Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, IL.

Downloads:
Table of Contents and Overview
Introduction
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5
Resources
Software (compressed zip file)