Introduction

Welcome to the teacher page! Before instructing your students to complete this WebQuest, you should familiarize yourself with corals, coral reefs, zooxanthellae, and the relationship between all three.  That task can be completed by either working on this WebQuest yourself or at least paging through it to get an understanding of what the students are being asked to do.  This is not a difficult subject, but it allows the students the chance to practice problem solving skills and teaches them a little about biodiversity and its importance in the process.

This can easily be incorporated into a unit or lesson on symbiosis, coral reefs, or even just human effects on biocommunities.  The students should begin with some sort of introduction into the unit/lesson plan, but do not go to deep into the coral reef subject due to the nature of this WebQuest.  Leave the research to the students.  Once the WebQuest is complete, make sure the students are aware of the general importance of symbiotic relationships, coral reefs as a marine habitat, and the widespread effects that even small actions can cause.  Although this WebQuest is meant to be fun, it is more importantly meant to be a learning tool for the students.