Mangroves are a critical part of ecosystems in many Pacific island communities. PCEP has created a unit – a set of 5 connected lessons – on mangroves for students in grades 3-5. These lessons integrate hands-on experiences and PCEP resources to help students understand the importance of mangroves on our islands.
Lessons align with FSM National DOE science standards and offer focused language features for both English and vernacular languages.
1 class session, 45-60 minutes
Why are mangroves important? What do humans and other living things get from mangrove ecosystems? What kinds of things can harm mangrove ecosystems?
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
Students will create a poster of a favorite mangrove area with responses to questions about how we benefit from the mangroves and how people may be harming the mangroves.
Reading – Insack Lasr: Insack Fin Acn Kosrae (Our Mangroves: Mangroves of Kosrae) Interviews
Two class sessions, 90 minutes total
How do mangrove swamps connect to other environments / ecosystems on an island?
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
Students will create an illustration with labels showing mangrove in relation to other environments on an island.
Reading – Our High Island Home
3-5 class sessions (2-4 hours total); plus a one-day field trip to a mangrove swamp
What are the physical characteristics of mangroves? What types of mangrove trees are most commonly found in local mangrove swamps? What plants and animals are most commonly found in mangrove swamps? How are the plants and animals connected with each other?
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
Students will create a report based on observations and collected data of mangrove swamp.
Fact Sheet – What do Mangrove Trees Look Like?
Fact Sheet – Different Types of Mangrove Trees
Fact Sheet – Some Animals in the Mangrove Swamp
2 class sessions, 90 minutes total
What does a healthy mangrove environment/ecosystem look like? What can harm a healthy mangrove environment/ecosystem?
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
Students will create and perform a song.
Reading – Sea Level Rise, Extreme Weather, and Mangroves
Cause and Effect: Organizational Patterns in English and Flow Charts
4-5 class sessions (3-4 hours total)
How can we share the importance of healthy mangroves with the community?
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
Students will create a completed mural of a healthy mangrove.
Lesson Plan – All grades
Science Fair Presentation Outline (Grade 4)
Personification Chart: Living Things from a Mangrove (Grade 5)