CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

Kadagatan embraces a cultural-based environmental science education curriculum. It incorporates Filipino culture, the Cebuano language, and Filipino core values in teaching about tropical marine ecology. Its aim is to engage students in environmental stewardship and to inspire them to take action in sustaining the well-being of their environment.

This curriculum focuses on Filipinos and their intimate relationship with the sea, but the concepts covered in the lesson plans are universal. Through standards, inquiry-based lessons, and virtual activities, students will be taken on a journey into their past and into the present, beginning with the center-most region of the Philippines, the Visayas. From there, students will explore the country’s diverse and rich coastal communities and dive into the deep trenches of Philippine waters, all the while understanding the context and connections to our global environment.

Audience

Kadagatan targets upper elementary (Grades 4-6) and middle school (Grades 6-8), but the curriculum content and themes may apply to lower elementary or high school students. Teachers may spiral and adapt topics and concepts to their grade level and place.

Standards

The Kadagatan curriculum meets Hawaii’s Common Core Standards as well as the following professional standards in the field of science, social studies and environmental education focused on two age levels elementary (Grades 4-6) and middle (Grades 6-8):

• National Science Education Standards

• Benchmarks for Science Literacy, Project 2061

• North American Association of Environmental Education

• Hawaii Environmental Literacy Plan (HELP)

• National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Curriculum Standards

Modules-at-a-Glance

Kadagatan consists of three interactive learning modules. Within each of the module, teachers will be provided a background on Philippine history and culture, key concepts and pertinent terminology, lesson plans that connect students personally and globally to the topic, and resources. The first module lays out the geography of the land, coast, and sea as a vibrant eco-system community. Students learn about how everything is connected, especially the importance of coral reefs to the fish and ecosystem. The second module provides a historical and cultural context to understand the indigenous deep spiritual connection to the sea. In the final module, students are motivated to take action concerning stewardship of the tropical marine life, ocean, and the global environment.

Module	Lessons	Topics/ Concepts	Essential Questions	Standard	Values
Module 1 Atong Kadagatan, Our Ocean, Our Home	Lesson 1 Learning about our Oceans and its Resources Lesson 2 My Ecosystem Lesson 3 Investigating the Philippine Coastal Ecosystems Lesson 4 Is my Ecosystem Healthy? A Lesson on Biodiversity Lesson 5 Discovering Philippine Coral Reef Ecosystems Virtual Activites: (A) Tubbataha Reef Memory Game (B) Apo Island Reef Fishes: Say My Name in Cebuano Language (C) Jigsaw Puzzle Game Lesson 6 Sea Hunt: Corals and Kin in Philippine Waters Virtual Activity: Reef Fish Name Game	Lesson 1 Ocean, Sea, Environment Lesson 2 Ecosystems, Carrying Capacity, Habitat Lesson 3 Coral Reefs, Mangroves, Beach ecosystems, Estuaries, Lagoons, Seagrass beds Lesson 4 Biodiversity, Pollution, Mutation, Indicator Species Lesson 5 Corals, Coral Reefs, Polyps Lesson 6 Theories on the use of colors and patterns in coral reef fishes	How can we create a sustainable environment?	(A) National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) -Time, Continuity, Change -Culture -Individual Development, and Identity -Science, Technology, and Society (B) Hawaii Common Core State Standards (CCSS) -English Language Arts -Science and Technical Subjects Home	*Matinahuron* (To be respectful) of the Kadagatan (Seas/Ocean) *Bayanihan* (To work together as one community) *Paminaw* (To listen) Panag’ambit (To share)
Module 2 Atong Kinabuhi, Our Lives ,	Lesson 1 Valuing our Roots Lesson 2 Spiritual World Lesson 3 Connecting our Stories	History, Beliefs & Practices, Values	What can we learn from indigenous knowledge and practices?	(A) National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) -Time, Continuity, Change -Culture -Individual Development, and Identity -Science, Technology, and Society	*Matinahuron* (To be respectful) for our *katigulangan* (elders) *Paminaw* (To listen), Panag’ambit (To share), Kasilingan, (Community/ neighbors)
(3) Let’s take care of it! Atong Ampingan	Lesson 1. Valuing Our OceanLesson 2.Caring for the Environment: