January 1st, 2019 - January 1st, 2019 | PROJECT
Something Very Fishy Musical Theatre STEAM Exhibit is a collaborative project pairing a ocean-themed musical theatre production with a hands-on marine science exhibit in an informal community setting. The program is designed to increase the awareness of ocean conservation issues in children grades K-5. The storyline of the musical follows the lives of Sandy Carson (marine biologist), Mr. Stu Pidder (fishermen) and a cast of marine animal puppets (Sunny, Boss and Octavia) as they navigate one disaster after another in the ocean that comes to impact their lives and livelihoods. The story is told as a bedtime story between two narrators, mother and child, home sick with a fever. As the story unfolds the rising ocean temperatures and rising fever in the child tell the story of our how the health of the ocean is inextricably linked to our own health. The theatrical production ends when the characters hatch a community-based solution to work together to save the ocean by starting an eco-tourism venture. Then the audience members then begin a imaginary eco-tour of the Florida Keys around the performing arts center where they meet artists, fishermen, park rangers, scientists, engineers, and veterinarians working to save our oceans and the marine life within. To assess the impact of our program, the children complete a pre-post survey in the form of a personal meaning map drawing of what it looks like under the ocean along with a STEM, arts, non-STEM career survey including professions they met in the show and on the virtual eco-tour. Children who participate in the program demonstrate a significant increase in understanding how humans both impact and help solve the issues facing the oceans and their connection to our changing climate and show an increased interest in STEM careers related to ocean conservation.
Project Website(s)
(no project website provided)
Project Products
Clemson World Article - Something Very Fishy
Something Very Fishy Webpage
Something Very Fishy Online Newsletter
Clemson World Video - Something Very Fishy
Something Very Fishy: An Informal STEAM Project Making a Case for Ocean Conservation and Climate Change
Team Members
Michael Childress, Co-Principal Investigator, Clemson University - Department of Biological SciencesMeghnaa Tallapragada, Co-Principal Investigator, Temple University - Klein College of Media and Communication
Kathy Prosser, Contributor, Educational Entertainment, LLC
Funders
Funding Source: NOAA
Funding Program: SC Sea Grant FY20-22 R/ED 1
Award Number: NA18OAR4170091
Funding Amount: $125,000
Tags
Audience: Educators | Teachers | Elementary School Children (6-10) | Museum | ISE Professionals
Discipline: Art | music | theater | Climate | Ecology | forestry | agriculture | General STEM
Resource Type: Project Descriptions | Projects
Environment Type: Exhibitions | Museum and Science Center Exhibits