Nā Iʻa Kapu: A Pre-Visit Online Lesson for Hanauma Bay

Abstract

Natural areas like Hanauma Bay provide a captivating setting for place-based and culture-based science lessons. When students visit Hanauma Bay, they have limited time to learn about the bay during their field visit. To enhance the field experiences of students, an online pre-fieldtrip lesson was developed for teachers to use to prepare their 3rd-5th grade students for a Hanauma Bay field visit. The lesson was designed to teach concepts of Hawaiian kapu (prohibitions or laws) as they relate to conservation and to Hawaiian reef fish biology. The lesson was developed using learning standards for the relevant grade levels and the ADDIE method of instructional design. 3rd-5th grade teachers and informal educators who have used Hanauma Bay as an educational site evaluated the instructional design via an anonymous online survey. Responses were received from 12 participants. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the responses and themes were derived from open-ended comments. Results indicated teachers perceived the lesson was engaging, aligned with class learning objectives, grade level appropriate, and would help to prepare students for a visit to Hanauma Bay. The teachers particularly valued the integration of science and Hawaiian culture and the connections made between kapu and fish life cycles.