Syllabus

Short Course Description

Course goal
The purpose of "Discovering the Sea" course is to expose undergraduate students at Tel Aviv University to the field of marine research, combining social involvement and activities outside the boundaries of the university. The students will study a variety of leading topics in marine biology, with an emphasis on public education for the values of nature conservation, decreasing marine pollution and promoting the protection of flora and fauna along Israel's coasts.
The students participating in the course will be actively engaged in educational activities in schools, by utilizing the natural curiosity found in every student regarding the marine environment near us, in order to learn and internalize basic values in the field of natural sciences in Israel. By being exposed to the academic culture, the research laboratories and the people working in these places, a window of opportunities will be opened for academic studies among the schools who participate in the course.

The meetings with the students of the school will take place on several Fridays during the semester (more details in the detailed syllabus).
Course description
"Discovering the Sea" course is a unique course conducted as part of the social engagement of the Faculty of Life Sciences in collaboration with the Social Engagement Unit of the Student Dean's Office. The course is given during the second semester and is an elective course that awards 2 credits, and 2 additional credits are conditional on the submission of a written seminar as part of the commitment to the degree. In addition, you can choose to submit an oral seminar that grants an additional credit. The course is suitable for students who are motivated and have a desire to do something meaningful for the purpose of bringing the university closer to a population of students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.
As part of the course, the students will go through a training workshop on science communication and study related content of marine biology. They will guide 7 enrichment sessions of 2 hours per week in a regular educational framework, for students in elementary schools.
Accompanying the students throughout the year in academic matters will be done by Prof. Noa Shankar, and in pedagogical matters by TAU Social Engagement Unit.