National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 1

Investigating Sustainable Resource 

Management Using the Fish Banks 

Simulation

 

Summary

Module 2, Investigating Sustainable Resource Management Using the Fish

Banks Simulation, allows students to understand the economic challenges of 

commercial fishing and sustainable harvesting of a resource. 

This game about marine fisheries is based on a computer model 

developed through application of a systems analysis technique called 

System Dynamics (SD), http://www.systemdynamics.org/what-is-s/. 

System Dynamics is a comprehensive approach to representation, 

diagnosis, and change of behavior patterns in complex dynamic 

systems. The SD method is based on concepts of information feedback, 

and it employs computer simulation of feedback models representing 

real world issues.1

Fish Banks is an interdisciplinary, multiplayer, role-playing program that 

simulates the commercial marine fishing industry, and illustrates how 

wise management of renewable natural resources can provide food (or 

other basic necessities) for human consumption now and for the future.

To clarify, the name of this simulation may be confusing. The original board game was 

referred to as Fish Banks, Ltd. MIT refers to its online simulation as Fishbanks. For the sake of 

consistency, we will refer to both versions in this Module as Fish Banks.

K-12 Oysters in the Chesapeake Bay

Module 2

Grade Level: High School

Teaching Time: 2-3 class 

periods with some homework

Materials:

(1) Computer and (1) 

printer – Fish Banks Game 

Kit*

OR

(1) Computer per team –

MIT Fish Banks simulation*

_____________________________________

 Projector and screen

 Teacher pages (available

through MIT Website or the 

Game Kit)

 Role Description for each 

student (available through 

MIT Website or the Game 

Kit)

 Student pages

 Dry erase board or flipchart, 

and markers (optional)

 Reading resources

Teacher Note:

*There are (2) different versions 

of this simulation. Depending on 

which method you choose, your 

Materials List will differ for this 

Module. Links to the System 

Dynamics Society and MIT Sloan 

School of Management provide

information about both simulation 

methods.
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In the simulation, students play the role of fishing companies. Their goal is to maximize 

their net worth as they compete against other players, and deal with variations in fish 

stocks and their catch. Participants buy, sell, and build ships; decide where to fish; and 

negotiate with one another. Policy options available to simulation instructors include 

auctions of new boats, permits, and quotas. (Sterman and King, 2013)

As the simulation proceeds, fishing companies often begin competing to maximize their assets. 

Although the term competition is never directly stated by the instructor, it is subtly implied. At 

various times during the simulation, the instructor may announce which teams are in 1st, 2nd

and 3rd places based on the value of total assets. As the competition increases, teams often 

forget to think of the fishery resource as an important component of the system. When the 

fishing pressure exceeds carrying capacity of the fish population, the resource eventually 

crashes. Unfortunately, by the time they realize that the fish population is at risk, it is often too 

late to change their company strategies, and fishing “behavior,” and the fishery is no longer a 

viable industry/resource.

The debriefing activity at the end of the game helps to explain what happens in a system when 

the carrying capacity of the system exceeds its limits. The debriefing will also include examples 

of Chesapeake Bay resources with similar challenges, a discussion of management issues facing 

the Eastern oyster, and how the simulation relates to oyster management. (You may also refer 

back to Module 1 that focused on problems associated with historic oyster management). 

Background

A renewable resource is a resource that can be harvested or used without completely 

depleting, damaging, or destroying it. If managed responsibly, it can be renewed at the same 

rate it is being used (e.g., water, timber, wild game, fish, soil). 

Teacher Note: Click on the link, https://fitz6.wordpress.com/2016/01/14/renewable-andnon-renewable-resources/. Here you will see a chart that identifies renewable and 

nonrenewable resources. The chart breaks down the different types of resources, and is 

detailed and clear. Check out more links on this page; the site offers a wealth of resources, 

and can provide you and your students more background information about this topic.

Nonrenewable resources are finite inorganic resources found within the Earth that are

extracted by various means of technology, such as mining or hydraulic fracturing. They are 

finite in that new sources of these types of resources (e.g., fossil fuels and minerals) will not be 

replaced with new sources within our lifetime. They originated as organic material (decaying 

plants and animals), and with heat and pressure over millions of years became valuable 

resources that we now use to create products (or components of products), heat homes, fuel 

vehicles, etc. 
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NOAA and Sustainable Fisheries

Chesapeake Bay fisheries play a critical role in the culture, economy, and ecology of the region. 

NOAA works to promote ecosystem-based management of fisheries and supports modeling, 

monitoring, and research to help identify the most important factors influencing the fisheries of 

the Chesapeake Bay.

NOAA science and research help decision makers manage several key species. These species 

are ecologically and economically important for the Chesapeake Bay, and include Atlantic 

menhaden, blue crabs, striped bass (rockfish), alosines (e.g., shad and herring), and oysters. 

The Chesapeake Bay Program, http://www.chesapeakebay.net/, provides more information 

about these species.

Sustainable fisheries are an important objective for many federal and state agencies. The 

Chesapeake Bay Program's Sustainable Fisheries Goal Implementation Team,

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/groups/group/sustainable_fisheries) is composed of the state 

fisheries managers from around the Bay drawing together a diverse group of managers and 

scientists to improve management and recovery of key fisheries species. The team is working 

to apply ecosystem-based management practices that encourage sustainable Chesapeake Bay 

fish populations, support viable recreational and commercial fisheries, and provide for natural 

ecosystem function.

The groups within the Fisheries Goal Implementation Team include the following teams:

• Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee

• Fish Habitat Action Team

• Forage Action Team

• Invasive Species Task Force

• Maryland and Virginia Oyster Restoration Interagency Teams

There is a need for connecting fishery stock assessments to habitat, climate, and multispecies 

factors that influence fish populations and sustainability. NOAA also works with the Fisheries 

GIT to develop and evaluate scientific tools such as ecological assessments, models, and 

forecasts to improve resource management decision making in the Bay.

Fish Banks, Education, and Real World Scenarios

Fish Banks offers an interdisciplinary learning experience for students with strong connections 

to environmental science, social science, technology, math, and English/language arts 

education standards.

Since its creation, the Fish Banks simulation has been played by a very diverse audience. It has 

been used in colleges, universities, and 5th-12th grade classes worldwide. Additionally, 

Portugal’s Ministry of Natural Resources, agricultural officials in New England, and senior 

United Nations officials, have all participated in the Fish Banks simulation. 
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After the debriefing, the majority of these players have reported lessons they 

learned from the game greatly clarify the nature and longer term implications of 

the economic and biological forces that have led to steady deterioration of the 

globe’s fisheries and other renewable resources. (Meadows, Fish Banks Game 

Administrator’s Manual, 2004)

There are many real world implications to the systems thinking model that are employed by the 

Fish Banks simulation. Local examples of how successful management of a resource can change 

the direction of a declining population include the Atlantic Coast striped bass, also referred to 

as rockfish, and the Canada goose. From 1985-1990, a moratorium was placed on the rockfish

(https://www.fws.gov/Chesapeakebay/striper.html). This strict regulation was difficult for the 

commercial fishermen and businesses that support them, but the striped bass population 

rebounded after 5 years, and is considered a success story. Another example of how strict 

management was necessary for was for the Canada goose in the Mid-Atlantic Flyway. A 6-year 

moratorium was placed on the Mid-Atlantic Canada goose population where regulations did 

not allow hunting of the species from 1995 through the 2000-2001 hunting season. The Canada 

goose moratorium yielded similar results as the rockfish moratorium. (See Sun Paper Article, 

http://www.bayjournal.com/article/migratory_canada_goose_season_remains_closed_for_4th

_year).

What is important to note here, is that the Fish Banks simulation can be used to reflect many 

sustainable resource dilemmas, not just problems related to fisheries management issues.

Playing the game and analyzing the human impacts on the fishery is easily compared to other 

sustainable resource management problems, such as oyster management. Understanding the 

interaction of social and ecological systems is critical to understanding environmental issues, 

and developing solutions to solve or mediate environmental problems.

Summary of Fish Banks Game Play Steps

Fish Banks is played in three steps:

 Role Description – Introduction to the game in which participants learn about the goals 

of the game, the factors that affect team success and the initial conditions of the game, 

which includes the number of boats and the amount of money each team begins with.

 Game Play – This covers a number of “fishing seasons” or rounds of the game, where 

the teams must make decisions about increasing the number of ships in their fleet, and 

allocating what areas they wish to work their ships.

 Debriefing – Following completion of the game, participants are debriefed on what 

occurred during play. Fish Banks provides many examples of real world resource 

management scenarios, but you can find Chesapeake Bay debriefing slides in APPENDIX D.
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Learning Objectives 

 Students will be able to explain the difference between renewable and nonrenewable 

resources, the meaning of sustainable use of these resources, and discuss how these 

resources are used by society. 

 Students will use a computer simulation that models carrying capacity, and explores the 

concept of sustainable harvest of renewable resources. 

 Students will analyze data from the computer simulation (game behavior), and analyze

changes that could promote sustainable resource use.

 Students will examine how the simulation models carrying capacity of the fishery, and 

the interaction of environmental, economic, and social systems.

 Students will identify underlying causes of behavior and limiting factors that contributed 

to the decline in the fishery.

 Students will analyze the causes and effects of overexploitation of resources.

 Students will use literature to draw comparisons between the Fish Banks simulation, 

and the oyster management issues, both historic and current, using the principles of a 

Tragedy of the Commons to demonstrate understanding of the complexity of 

environmental issues. 

Essential Questions

 What is the distinction between renewable and nonrenewable resources? What does it 

mean to manage resources sustainably?

 How does human activity affect natural systems?

 How do management policies contribute to resource protection, restoration, or 

depletion?

 How do we manage natural resources, while maintaining economic and ecological 

viability?

 How does communication and the act of negotiation/collaboration benefit resource

management decisions?

Key Words

Carrying Capacity – the maximum number of individual organisms that a habitat or a region can 

support before environmental degradation or social stress takes place. 

Commons – a general term referring to the cultural and natural resources accessible to all 

members of a society, including natural materials such as air and water. The Chesapeake Bay is 

a commons.

Ecology – the study of interrelationships between living things and their environment. 

Non-Renewable Resource – a resource that is limited in quantity

Population Dynamics – how the number of individuals of the same species in a population 

changes over time.
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Recruitment – the addition of new individuals to a population by reproduction, commonly 

measured as the proportion of young in the population just before the breeding season. 

Renewable Resource – any natural resource that can replenish itself naturally over time; a 

resource that can be renewed at the same rate it is being used, if managed responsibly (e.g., 

water, trees, waterfowl, fish, shellfish, soil, etc.); a resource that can be harvested or used 

without completely depleting, damaging, or destroying the resource.

Sustainability – maintaining an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources. 

System Dynamics – a computer-aided approach to policy analysis and design that applies to 

dynamic problems arising in complex social, managerial, economic, or ecological systems.

Sustainability – maintaining an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources. 

System Dynamics – a computer-aided approach to policy analysis and design that applies to 

dynamic problems arising in complex social, managerial, economic, or ecological systems.

Systems Thinking – focuses on how things interact with other components in the system (a set 

of elements that interact to produce behavior) of which it is part. 

Vocabulary Sources:

Human Impacts on Ecosystems – Richmond School District, British Columbia, Canada

http://public.sd38.bc.ca/~cbebluk/humanimpactsonecosystemsprocess.html

How Do Humans Use Resources and What Are the Environmental Impacts?

http://slideplayer.com/slide/9821779/

KQED Science

https://ww2.kqed.org/quest/2014/02/13/nonrenewable-and-renewable-energy-resources-2/

NOAA Fisheries Glossary

https://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st4/documents/FishGlossary.pdf
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PROCEDURE

ACTIVITY I: Are These Resources Renewable?

ENGAGEMENT/EXPLANATION

Students will be able to explain the difference between renewable and nonrenewable 

resources, the meaning of sustainable use of these resources, and discuss how these resources 

are used by society.

1. Determine what your students know about renewable natural resources by having them 

complete, Are These Resources Renewable? Teacher Pages can be found in APPENDIX A, and 

Student Pages can be found in APPENDIX B.

2. Upon completion, review their work in a class discussion.

3. What does the term sustainable mean, and how does it apply to both renewable and 

nonrenewable resources? How are the resources that are listed used by humans? (e.g., 

food, building materials, energy sources, etc.)

4. Are things that we can do to ensure the sustainability of natural resources?
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Detailed procedures for this simulation are not found in this Module. Clear step by 

step procedures are provided in both Fish Banks game version Training Manuals.

Teacher Preparation

Teacher preparation is critical to successfully operating the simulation 

with your students. Review the Teacher Preparation pages that follow. 

Here you will find separate sections summarizing the Materials and 

Steps of Play for each version of the simulation. These sections are 

labeled as follows:

A. Fish Banks Game Kit

 Materials Summary

 Steps of Play Summary

B. Fish Banks – MIT Learning Edge (online)

 Materials Summary

 Steps of Play Summary

For a detailed side-by-side comparison of the Game Kit and Online Fish 

Banks Simulations, go to APPENDIX C. The Appendix also provides the 

Table of Contents for each simulation, which will afford you more 

details.

ACTIVITY II: Playing Fish Banks – Briefing and Game Play begins on page 16.
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Fish Banks Game Kit – Materials Summary

http://www.systemdynamics.org/products/fish-bank/

 A computer is required for the instructor.

 Fish Banks Game Board 

 85 Wooden Boats

 FishBanks Version 8.0 CD – Game Software and Electronic Files 

o Introductory Video by Dennis Meadows (Mac or Windows format, ~13:22 min). The 

presentation includes information about the following:

 Team Roles

 Team Goals

 Financial Information – income and costs

 Fishing Fleet

 Catch and Ship Effectiveness

 Fishing Areas

 Fish Population and Regeneration 

 

o Debriefing Presentation – video format 

o Various data files

o (2) PowerPoint slide sets – one for introducing the game (an alternative to the above 

video) and one for debriefing the game

o 48 page e-manual for download. The e-manual contains extensive information on 

setting up, introducing, conducting, and debriefing the game plus detailed 

instructions for operating the computer program.

Optional: Create your own Chesapeake Bay Game Board

Change the fishing locations from Deep Sea and Coastal areas to Coastal, and use 

Delaware Bay as your Harbor. On the Decision Sheet, you will have to change the Deep 

Sea to Chesapeake Bay/Tributaries; just be careful transcribing the numbers, or you 

could create a new Decision Sheet that reflects the changes. 

Teacher Note: The game administrator (teacher) should read the manual carefully, and pay 

close attention to the introductory video. One should also practice playing the game prior to 

playing with their students. The Fish Banks Game Kit Teacher Manual - Table of Contents

can be found in APPENDIX C.

A. FISH BANKS GAME KIT - Materials and Steps of Play
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Fish Banks Game Kit – Steps of Play Summary

The Steps of Play covers a number of “fishing seasons” or rounds of the game, where the teams 

must make the following decisions:

 Record data from computer printout

 Collect ships and money

 Bid for auctioned ships

 Buy or sell ships in trading session

 Place orders for new ship construction

 Calculate and record fleet size

 Allocate ships among fishing areas and harbor, and record on the decision sheet

 Place ships on the game board

 Give decision sheet to the computer operator

 Develop your strategy for ending the game with the maximum possible assets. (This will 

be performed every (3) years or fishing rounds).

The Simulation ends when there are little or no fish left to catch.

Photo Source: System Dynamics Society, http://www.systemdynamics.org/products/fish-bank/
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 Photo Source: System Dynamics Society, http://www.systemdynamics.org/products/fish-bank/

Teacher Note: The Creative Learning Exchange Newsletter provides a nice simple overview of Fish 

Banks for 5th- 12th grade educators, http://static.clexchange.org/ftp/newsletter/CLEx24.2.pdf. A

summary of the lesson contents can be found in APPENDIX C.

Optional: Another potential option for using the simulation would be to combine elements 

from both of the methods described above. By including the game board, boats, and money 

with the online simulation, you provide more hands-on elements for students and a varied 

learning experience. 
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Fish Banks Online Simulation (MIT) – Materials Summary 

 Computers for each team of 2-4 students; computer for instructor

 You must first REGISTER as an Educator before you can access the online materials, including 

a Teaching Video and Teaching Guide (PDF). 

 Go to the MIT Sloan Learning Edge site to begin.

https://mitsloan.mit.edu/LearningEdge/simulations/fishbanks/Pages/fish-banks.aspx

 Click on Educator Register at the top right portion of the screen in the screen capture

below. 

Photo Source: MIT LearningEdge, https://mitsloan.mit.edu/LearningEdge/simulations/fishbanks/Pages/fishbanks.aspx

B. FISH BANKS ONLINE SIMULATION (MIT) – Materials and 

Steps of Play
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 Once you receive a login and you set up your password, you can set up a class as an 

Administrator. http://forio.com/simulate/mit/fishbanks/simulation/login.html

Photo Source: MIT LearningEdge, https://mitsloan.mit.edu/LearningEdge/simulations/fishbanks/Pages/fish-banks.aspx

 When you are registered, you can access all of the Fish Banks Materials shown in the 

screen shot below:
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Teacher Note: Teachers may be interested in using the Fish Banks Simulation Teaching 

Guide for K-12 Education as seen on the screen shot above. The actual Teaching Guide and 

simulation are appropriate for 5th-12th grade.

This lesson targets different Learning Standards than the NOAA Oyster High School Unit, 

which has a special focus on Life Science, although there are Earth System Science 

applications throughout the NOAA K-12 Learning Sequence.

On page 1 of this Training Guide it indicates that the Team Goal is to, “Manage a fishing 

company, maximizing its total assets while competing with other companies that are 

working toward the same goal.” Remember not to tell your students this is a competition!

Student Screen

Fish Banks Online Simulation (MIT) – Steps of Play Summary 

The Steps of Play covers a number of “fishing seasons” or rounds of the game, where the teams 

must make the following decisions:

 Initial fishing company data is available online in the game simulation; students enter 

their decisions into the computer, rather than on a paper decision sheet. 

 Bid for auctioned ships – live or Web-based

 Buy or sell ships in trading session

 Place orders for new ship construction

 Allocate ships among fishing areas and harbor

 Update decisions
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End of Teacher Preparation Section

ACTIVITY II: Playing Fish Banks – Briefing and Game Play

EXPLORATION

Students will use a computer simulation that models carrying capacity, and explores the 

concept of sustainable harvest of a renewable resource. 

1. Before beginning with the rules and steps of play, the teacher should explain the purpose of 

the game. All of the information the teacher needs can be found in the materials provided 

by both versions of the simulation – the Fish Banks Game Kit or the online simulation on the 

MIT Learning Edge Website.

2. Explain to the students that they will be participating in a group computer simulation that 

has been played with different kinds of audiences from all over the world. (See the Fish 

Banks Game Materials for more information about the history of the game). It has been 

used to illustrate the complex interactions and overlap of systems. In this particular case, 

we are looking at the interactions between environmental, social, and economic systems.

The simulation applies cause-effect mechanisms that occur in renewable resource systems.

Students participate in a role (fishing company) that allows them to experience the 

economic challenges of commercial fishing and sustainable harvesting of a resource. While 

we focused on oysters in Module 1, this simulation could represent any renewable 

resource, including oysters; however, in this activity the focus is on commercial fisheries in 

general.

3. Introduction to Fish Banks 

 Game Kit – Divide your students into teams/fishing companies of 3-5 players per team. 

Seat each team together at one table; three (3) to six (6) teams is the optimal number of 

teams. Each team will need a Decision Sheet, Ships, and Money. 

 MIT Learning Edge – Divide your students into teams/fishing companies of 2-4 players 

per team. Seat each team together at one table. Each team will need a computer.

4. Ask them to read the 6-page Role Description, and/or watch the Introductory Video. Both 

the Role Description literature and video will describe how the game is played. After they 

have completed this step, use the Fish Banks Briefing Slides to go over the remaining steps 

of play with your class. 

Teacher Note: To save time, have students read the Role Description as a homework 

assignment, and go over with the class as a group before initiating play.
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5. Students will create a company name and logo for their fishing company, and share with 

their classmates. Display the company name and logo at each table.

6. Playing the Fish Banks Simulation – Follow the detailed Steps of Play in the Game 

Administrator Resources provided for either simulation.

Teacher Note: Beginning here, both game versions will follow the same procedure for 

the Debriefing. 

ACTIVITY III: Fish Banks Debriefing – Student Insights

EXPLANATION/ELABORATION

Students will evaluate their experience playing the simulation, including insights and challenges 

that they encountered in a class discussion. They will then analyze data from the computer 

simulation (game behavior), and analyze changes that could promote sustainable resource use.

Lastly, they will evaluate how the simulation models carrying capacity of the fishery, and how 

environmental, economic, and social systems interact.

Hold a class discussion where students share their experience playing the game. The following 

questions can be found in APPENDIX B: Student Pages.

1. How did the employees in your company work together? Did everyone on your team 

have an active role? 

2. Was there collaboration among companies developed over time, or was the game 

driven by competition? 

3. Did you notice declines in the catch over time? If so, did you negotiate with other 

companies to regulate the harvest at that time? 

4. How did weather affect your catch each year?

5. If the goal of the game was to maximize your assets, did you consider how the fishery 

was an important component of the system? 

6. Discuss your company’s strategies while playing the game for years 3, 6, and 9. 

a. How did your strategies/decisions affect the fish populations?

b. Did strategies change when, or if you noticed a decline in the fishery? Why?

c. Did other companies have similar or different strategies? Did one strategy seem 

more effective than another? Explain.
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7. How did your personal beliefs and values compare to that of the team as a whole during 

the game? Was there any internal struggle for you personally? 

8. Did any of the companies “win” the game? Why or why not? 

9. If you could play the simulation over again, what would you do differently?

ACTIVITY IV: Debriefing Fish Banks – Analyzing the Data

ELABORATION

Students will analyze Fish Banks “Game Behavior” by graphing the number of fishing boats, 

population of fish, and the number of fish caught using data derived by the computer program.

1. Watch the Debriefing video or PowerPoint presentation. Discuss as a class.

2. Using the data recorded from the game, students will graph the expansion of the fleet, and 

the catch over time.

3. What were the limiting factors affecting carrying capacity for this simulation? (Number of 

ships, ship effectiveness, and weather)

4. Identify other limiting factors that may not have been included in the Fish Banks simulation, 

but affect the fishery in a natural system. 

Teacher Note: See Limiting Factors Diagram at 

http://image.slidesharecdn.com/sci14bioeptx0502-140917092101-phpapp01/95/preap-bio-52-

3-638.jpg%3Fcb%3D1410945714

The Limiting Factors Student Page Template can be found In APPENDIX B. Have them work 

individually or with their team to identify limiting factors of the fishery in the simulation. Are 

there any real world limiting factors they can identify in addition to ones they identified in Fish 

Banks. 

 Competition, Predation, and Parasitism and Disease are Density Dependent Limiting 

Factors.

 Natural Disaster and Unusual Weather are Density Independent Limiting Factors

Weather was one of the variables that changed from year to year in the simulation. Note the 

Causal Loop Diagrams in the Game Administrators Guides. 
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4. Watch “What Happened to the Grand Banks Cod?” (YouTube Video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5wR8Iu2Q00, or “Who Killed Crassostrea virginica?

The Fall and Rise of Chesapeake Bay Oysters,” (YouTube Video Trailer, 3:19 min.) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SLCOG2IB9k&feature=youtu.be The movie is 

available for sale.

5. How does the Fish Banks game behavior compare to current fisheries management 

problems?

http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7662/urlt/0071787-limitsyourspecies.pdf

ACTIVITY V: Debriefing Fish Banks – Stakeholder Beliefs and Values

EVALUATION

Students will identify underlying causes of behavior and limiting factors that contributed to the 

decline in the fishery.

1. Ask students if any specific environmental events, problems, or issues could be identified 

during their Fish Banks role-playing experience. 

2. Ask students to share their strategies while playing the game. How did their 

strategies/decisions affect the fish populations? To what extent did they take into account 

the fishery while they were playing the game?

3. How did stakeholders, beliefs, and values play into the game, and how did it affect the 

decisions they made? (How did their beliefs and values as owners of a fishing company 

compare to articles they read regarding the oyster industry and the beliefs and values held 

by actual watermen?)

4. Systems Thinking: Using the causal loop diagram in the Fish Banks Debriefing Slides, explain 

the causal loop structure of the oyster system. How has technology altered this process?

5. As a group, brainstorm a list of ideas that would result in changing the undesirable aspects 

of game behavior. How would these solutions be applied in real systems? What are the 

difficulties in developing and implementing these changes?

a. Analyze Fish Banks Game Behavior by graphing the number of fishing boats, population 

of fish, and the number of fish caught using data derived by the computer program.

b. Determine the extent to which the same problems and events also occur in the real 

system by comparing the simulation to the management of the Eastern oyster in 

Chesapeake Bay.

c. Decide what factors in the game were responsible for those problems, and determine 

the extent to which those factors are also present in real systems.

d. Indicate the corresponding changes that could be made in real systems.
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e. Ask students how they would commit to management solutions with competing fishing 

companies or other stakeholders to change the outcome. What actions would they 

take?

f. Identify possible solutions to reversing the declining trend of oysters, or other fisheries

in the Chesapeake Bay.

g. If time allows, play the game again to assess what students have learned. What changes 

in game behavior would avoid or solve the most serious problems?

h. Read Oyster Restoration Debate Rages on in Maryland in the Bay Journal, 

http://www.bayjournal.com/article/oyster_restoration_debate_rages_on_in_maryland. 

In the article, Matt Pluta, the Choptank Riverkeeper, spoke in favor of continuing oyster 

restoration in the Tred Avon River. (Construction had been suspended in the fall of 

2015,

http://www.bayjournal.com/article/corps_agrees_to_delay_md_oyster_restoration_wa

rns_of_funding_risk, after watermen argued that sanctuaries were failing to meet 

intended goals of restoration). 

Pluta stated, “Short-term economic gains should not overshadow long-term ecological 

benefits, which we are trying to achieve here.” 

How would this statement apply to the Fish Banks simulation?

Teacher Note: How does it apply to Activity VI: The Tragedy of the Commons, below? 

i. Review the diagram, Ecosystem Considerations, Measures, and Influences, at 

http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/publications/tm/tm184/tm186.pdf (Figure 32) from NOAA 

Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE-184

Source: Gable, Frank J. (August 2004). A Large Marine Ecosystem Approach to 

Fisheries Management and Sustainability: Linkages and Concepts towards Best 

Practices. NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries Science 

Center, p. 50.

What management policies for sustainability guide decision-making for fisheries 

resources?

ACTIVITY VI: Debriefing Fish Banks – Tragedy of the Commons

EVALUATION

Students will use literature to draw comparisons between computer models, real world 

resource sustainability issues, and the complexity of, and interaction between human and 

biological systems.
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 20

1. The Tragedy of the Commons, by Garrett Hardin, was published in the Journal, Science, in

1968, http://www.sciencemag.org/content/162/3859/1243.full. Hardin discusses how a 

Commons will ultimately fail if all of those using the commons do not recognize their

combined effects on the resource and the overall system, or on the integration of systems.

Have students read the essay, and engage in one of the following activities:

a. Write an essay comparing The Tragedy of the Commons to oyster management during 

the Oyster Wars from Module 1 or a current Chesapeake oyster management issue.

b. Divide students into groups, where they take a position on oyster management, and 

argue their position in class with their peers based on evidence from Hardin’s essay, 

news articles, and the Fish Banks simulation.

ACTIVITY VII: Comparing Both Sides of the Issue – The Lorax and Truax

EXTENSION

Students will use literature to evaluate both sides of an issue related to sustainable resource 

management.

1. Students will read The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, or watch The Lorax as a class on YouTube, 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSSrYnc1yQs. 

a. Write an essay that compares the environmental issue in the book to that of the game 

played today; or, compare The Lorax to the Eastern oyster.

b. Using the Causal Loop Diagram from the Debriefing, develop a causal loop depicting the 

behavior observed in The Lorax. (See the manual provided in the Debriefing Slides, or 

the Systems Thinking resources at the end of the Unit for more information). 

c. Ask students to read Truax, http://woodfloors.org/truax.pdf, the National Wood 

Flooring Association’s response to The Lorax. (It can be downloaded). Compare the 

beliefs and values in both stories.

d. What were the events, problems, and issues?

e. Who were the stakeholders, and what were their beliefs and values.

f. Ask students to write their own children’s story about over-harvesting of a resource 

they value.

2. Have students read, Rosenberg, et al (5 November 1993). Achieving Sustainable Use of 

Renewable Resources, Science, Volume 262, pp. 828-829.

http://www.sciencemag.org/site/feature/data/sust/pdf/262-5135-828.pdf
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 21

a. If sustainability is the goal of renewable resource management, what management 

practices have been used in the Chesapeake Bay region to maintain species 

populations? 

b. Choose a species to research, and investigate management practices for that species.

Write a brief summary of your investigation. Can you identify events, problems, and 

issues associated with species management?

Teacher Note: The Fish Banks materials provide some of the following suggestions to 

conserve and protect species from overharvesting:

 Limiting the season, technology/equipment, and catch limits

 Taxing effort

 Restricting fishing areas

 License fees

Other References

A Short History of Commercial Fishing in the Chesapeake Region

http://dnr2.maryland.gov/fisheries/Documents/history_of_comm_fishing.pdf

NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office – Fish Facts, Oysters

http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/fish-facts/oysters

Fish Banks Credits:

LaVigne, Anne. (2015). FishBanks Lesson Guide and Handouts for 5

th

-12th grade audience. 

Creative Learning Exchange, http://static.clexchange.org/ftp/newsletter/CLEx24.2.pdf

FishBanks, Ltd. game originally developed by Dennis Meadows, Emeritus Professor of Systems 

Management, University of New Hampshire.

Web version developed by Professor John Sterman (MIT Sloan School of Management), with 

help from Prof. Andrew King (Tuck School of Business), Dennis Meadows, Keith Eubanks, and 

Forio.com. Available from 

https://mitsloan.mit.edu/LearningEdge/simulations/fishbanks/Pages/fish-banks.aspx

Game Kit screen shots from System Dynamics Society.

Simulation screen shots from web version of FishBanks.
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 22

EDUCATION STANDARDS

NGSS -

Disciplinary 

Core Ideas

HS-LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in 

Ecosystems

Ecosystems have carrying capacities, which are 

limits to the numbers of organisms and 

populations they can support. These limits 

result from such factors as the availability of 

living and nonliving resources and from such 

challenges as predation, competition, and 

disease. Organisms would have the capacity to 

produce populations of great size were it not 

for the fact that environments and resources 

are finite. This fundamental tension affects the 

abundance (number of individuals) of species in 

any given ecosystem. 

HS-LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, 

and Resilience

Anthropogenic changes (induced by human 

activity) in the environment – including habitat 

destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive 

species, overexploitation, and climate change –

can disrupt an ecosystem and threaten the 

survival of some species. (HS-LS2-7)

LS4.D Biodiversity and Humans

Humans depend on the living world for the 

resources and other benefits provided by 

biodiversity. But human activity is also having 

adverse impacts on biodiversity through 

overpopulation, overexploitation, habitat 

destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive 

species, and climate change. Thus, sustaining 

biodiversity so that ecosystem functioning and 

productivity are maintained is essential to 

How Standard is 

Addressed -

HS-LS2.A: Interdependent 

Relationships in 

Ecosystems

In this activity, students are 

able to differentiate 

between renewable and 

finite resources, and 

experience, through a 

computer simulation, how 

wise management of 

natural resources helps 

maintain a balanced 

population, and that over 

harvesting can exceed the 

carrying capacity of the 

population.

HS-LS2.C: Ecosystem 

Dynamics, Functioning, and 

Resilience

Building on Module 1, 

where students read about 

historic overharvesting of 

oysters, here students 

participate in a simulation 

and role playing activity to 

illustrate how 

overharvesting can deplete 

the resource, and threaten 

its survival.

LS4.D Biodiversity and 

Humans

Through the Debriefing of 

the Fish Banks simulation, 

students learn how social 

systems can adversely 

affect biological systems. 

Oysters are important 

economically as a source of 

food for humans. Loss of 
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 23

NGSS -

Disciplinary 

Core Ideas

supporting and enhancing life on Earth. 

(secondary to LS2.C) 

HS-ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions

Both physical models and computers can be 

used in various ways to aid in the engineering 

design process. Computers are useful for a 

variety of purposes, such as running 

simulations to test different ways of solving a 

problem or to see which one is most efficient or 

economical; and in making a persuasive 

presentation to a client about how a given 

design will meet his or her needs. (secondary 

to HS-LS4-6)

the oyster industry would 

adversely affect those who 

make their living harvesting 

oysters.

HS-ETS1.B: Developing 

Possible Solutions

After the Debriefing, and 

additional readings 

(Tragedy of the Commons

and The Lorax), students 

play the simulation again to 

maintain the population 

and succeed as an industry, 

if managed responsibly.

NGSS - Science 

and 

Engineering 

Practices

Using Mathematics and Computational 

Thinking

Mathematical and computational thinking in 9-

12 builds on K-8 experiences and progresses to 

using algebraic thinking and analysis, a range of 

linear and nonlinear functions including 

trigonometric functions, exponentials and 

logarithms, and computational tools for 

statistical analysis to analyze, represent, and 

model data. Simple computational simulations 

are created and used based on mathematical 

models of basic assumptions. 

- Use mathematical and/or computational 

representations of phenomena or design 

solutions to support explanations. (HS-LS2-1) 

- Use mathematical representations of 

phenomena or design solutions to support and 

revise explanations. (HS-LS2-2) 

- Create or revise a simulation of a 

phenomenon, designed device, process, or 

system. (HS-LS4-6) 

Constructing Explanations and Designing 

Solutions 

Constructing explanations and designing 

solutions in 9–12 builds on K–8 experiences and 

progresses to explanations and designs that are 

supported by multiple and independent 

student-generated sources of evidence 

consistent with scientific ideas, principles, and 

theories. 

Using Mathematics and 

Computational Thinking

The Fish Banks computer 

simulation represents the 

fishery (biological system) 

and how the impacts of the 

economic pressures (social 

system) interact.

During the Debriefing, 

students analyze the “game 

behavior” represented by:

 # of fish in the population

 # of ships

 # of fish caught

Students can change the 

outcome of the simulation 

by applying what they have 

learned through the 

Debriefing process.

Constructing Explanations 

and Designing Solutions

Students can change their 

strategies to regulate how 

the fishery is managed.
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 24

NGSS - Science 

and 

Engineering 

Practices

- Design, evaluate, and refine a solution to a 

complex real-world problem, based on scientific 

knowledge, student-generated sources of 

evidence, prioritized criteria, and tradeoff 

considerations. (HS-LS2-7)

Engaging in Argument from 

Evidence

Engaging in argument from evidence in 9–12 

builds on K–8 experiences and progresses to 

using appropriate and sufficient evidence and 

scientific reasoning to defend and critique 

claims and explanations about the natural and 

designed world(s). Arguments may also come 

from current scientific or historical episodes in 

Science.

- Compare, integrate, and evaluate sources 

of information presented in different media 

formats, as well as in words in order to 

address a scientific question or solve 

problem.

- Gather, read, and evaluate scientific and/or 

technical information from multiple 

authoritative sources, assessing the 

evidence and usefulness of each source.

Engaging in Argument from 

Evidence

Building on Module 1, and 

historic oyster harvests, 

students can argue that the 

Fish Banks simulation 

closely represents what 

happens in the real world. 

In addition to the computer 

role-playing simulation, 

these comparisons can be 

drawn from different 

sources and media formats, 

including scientific and 

technical papers, a 

children’s book (The Lorax), 

a scientific essay (The 

Tragedy of the Commons), 

video and newspaper and 

articles, and presentations. 

These sources help 

students build on their 

existing knowledge and 

understanding of issues 

related to oyster populations in Chesapeake Bay.

NGSS -

Crosscutting 

Concepts

Cause and Effect

Empirical evidence is required to differentiate 

between cause and correlation and make 

claims about specific causes and effects. (HSLS2-8)

Systems and System Models

Models can be used to simulate systems and 

interactions – including energy, matter, and 

information flows – within and between 

systems at different scales. (HS-LS2-5)

Stability and Change 

Students understand much of science deals 

with constructing explanations of how things 

change and how they remain stable. They 

Cause and Effect

Cause and effect is 

represented when 

analyzing the game 

behavior. The number of 

fish caught increases with 

the number of ships fishing, 

which affects the fish 

population.

Systems and System 

Models

Fish Banks represents the 

interaction of two separate 

systems: biological and 

social/economic.
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 25

NGSS -

Crosscutting 

Concepts

quantify and model changes in systems over 

very short or very long periods of time. They 

see some changes are irreversible, and 

negative feedback can stabilize a system, 

while positive feedback can destabilize it. 

They recognize systems can be designed for 

greater or lesser stability.

Stability and Change 

In analyzing game behavior, 

students can also argue 

that fishing pressure 

changed the stability of the 

fish population over time if 

not recognized early 

enough during game play. 

At some point it may be too 

late to make management 

changes for the population 

to return to its previous 

numbers and stabilize.

Ties to 

Common Core

ELA/Literacy

RST.9-10.8: Assess the extent to which the 

reasoning and evidence in a text support the 

author’s claim or a recommendation for 

solving a scientific or technical problem. (HSLS2-6),(HS-LS2-7),(HS-LS2-8)

RST.11-12.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple 

sources of information presented in diverse 

formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, 

video, multimedia) in order to address a 

question or solve a problem. (HS-LS2-6),(HSLS2-7),(HS-LS2-8)

WHST.9-12.2: Write informative/explanatory 

texts, including narration of historical events. 

(HS-LS2-1, HS-LS2-2)

Mathematics

MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively

MP.4: Model with mathematics

Use mathematical and/or computational 

representations to support explanations of 

factors that affect carrying capacity of 

ecosystems at different scales. Emphasis is on 

quantitative analysis and comparison of the 

relationships among interdependent factors, 

including boundaries, resources, climate, and 

competition. Examples of mathematical 

comparisons could include graphs, charts, 

histograms, and population changes gathered 

from simulations or historical data sets.

ELA/Literacy

The Tragedy of the 

Commons from the 

Journal, Science, The 

Lorax (Video-original; 

fiction), and the 

Chesapeake Bay oyster 

industry, both historic 

and current, are 

compared. Students will 

then develop solutions to 

address current oysterrelated management 

issues.

Mathematics

Students are given data 

to create graphs 

depicting local fisheries 

resource harvests over 

time (NMFS NOAA), as 

well as game behavior 

data, which include the 

number of ships fished, 

ship effectiveness, and 

the number of fish 

caught.
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 26

MD 

Environmental 

Literacy 

Standards

Standard 5: Humans and Natural Resources

The student will use concepts from chemistry, 

physics, biology, and ecology to analyze and 

interpret both positive and negative impacts 

of human activities on earth’s natural 

systems and resources. 

Topic B. Human Impact on Natural Resources

Indicator 1. Analyze, from local to global 

levels, the relationship between human 

activities and the earth’s resources

Standard 8: Sustainability 

The student will make decisions that 

demonstrate understanding of natural 

communities and the ecological, economic, 

political, and social systems of human 

communities, and examine how their personal 

and collective actions affect the sustainability of 

these interrelated systems. 

Topic B. Interconnectedness of Systems 

Indicator 1. Recognize the concept of 

sustainability as a dynamic condition 

characterized by the interdependency 

among ecological, economic, and social 

systems and how these interconnected 

systems affect individual and societal wellbeing.

Standard 5: Humans and 

Natural Resources

Students investigate how 

human activity 

(harvesting) of a local 

natural resource (Eastern 

oyster in Chesapeake Bay) 

affects the overall 

population using system 

dynamics as a tool that 

simulates this interaction.

Standard 8: Sustainability

Using a computer 

simulated method that 

reflects how economic/ 

social systems interact;

students make decisions 

about how their individual 

actions impact a natural 

community that is highly 

valued by humans. In the 

debriefing section of the 

activity, students analyze 

the game behavior 

(interactions between 

number of boats fishing, 

effects on catch, and the 

value of their assets as 

they strategized throughout the simulation). They 

make recommendations 

on what, if any, changes 

they would make in their 

strategies. They also look 

at real world examples of 

overharvesting of local 

natural resources, and 

compare it to their game 

experience.
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 27

MODULE REFERENCES

Anne Lavigne, Creative Learning Exchange, FishBanks Lesson Guide and Handouts for 5

th

-12th

grade audience. http://static.clexchange.org/ftp/newsletter/CLEx24.2.pdf

Chesapeake Bay Program, http://chesapeakebay.net

Dennis Meadows by email and phone; Fish Banks, Ltd. Teacher Manual

Dr. Seuss. (1971). The Lorax. Random House: New York, NY.

John Sterman by email and phone; Fish Banks Simulation Guide

MD Department of Natural Resources, Maryland’s Commercial Fisheries Annual Landings Data 

Set

MIT Sloan School of Management,

https://mitsloan.mit.edu/LearningEdge/simulations/fishbanks/Pages/fish-banks.aspx

NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office – Fisheries, http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/fisheries/fisheries

NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Commercial Fish Landings

System Dynamics Society - Fish Banks Game Kit,

http://www.systemdynamics.org/products/fish-bank/

The Tragedy of the Commons - Garrett Hardin,

http://www.garretthardinsociety.org/articles/art_tragedy_of_the_commons.html

Truax, http://woodfloors.org/truax.pdf

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Curriculum

Global Systems Science, http://www.globalsystemsscience.org/ 

Systems Thinking in Schools, http://www.watersfoundation.org/webed/mod1/index.html

Data and Graphs

NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Commercial Fish Landings,

http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/commercial-fisheries/commercial-landings/annuallandings/index

Essays & Articles

An Assessment of the Educational Potential of a Fisheries Management Simulation Game for 

Environmental Sciences Students (23020_Ruiz et al_Educational potential of 

fishbanks_Proceedings Edulearn.pdf),

https://repositorio.uam.es/bitstream/handle/10486/3188/23020_Ruiz%20et%20al_Educationa

l%20potential%20of%20fishbanks_Proceedings%20Edulearn.pdf?sequence=1

Earth Resources: The Little Engine That Could Brake Sustainability,

http://bcn.boulder.co.us/basin/local/sustain_update.html
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 28

They’re back: The incredible resurgence of striped bass,

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/programs/nr/rockfish.html

The Tragedy of the Commons - Garrett Hardin,

http://www.garretthardinsociety.org/articles/art_tragedy_of_the_commons.html

Fisheries Resources

Chesapeake Bay Program – Sustainable Fisheries Goal Implementation Team,

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/groups/group/sustainable_fisheries

Chesapeake Stat, http://www.chesapeakestat.com/

MD Sea Grant http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/

 Ecosystems-Based Fishery Management, 

http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/topics/ecosystem-based-fisheries-management/ecosystembased-fisheries-management

 Blue Crabs, http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/topics/blue-crabs/blue-crabs

 Eastern Oyster, http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/topics/oysters/oysters

 Striped Bass, http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/topics/striped-bass/striped-bass

 Menhaden, http://mrc.virginia.gov/commercial.shtm

NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office

 Fish Facts - Oysters http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/fish-facts/oysters

 2012 Blue Crab Advisory Report 

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/documents/CBSAC2012_Report_Figures.pdf

 Fisheries Science http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/fisheries/fisheries-science

NOAA Fisheries - Office of Science and Technology, NOAA Fisheries - Human Dimensions and 

Fisheries, http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/humandimensions/index

Virginia Marine Fisheries Commission, http://mrc.virginia.gov/commercial.shtm

 Virginia’s Oyster Management Today,

http://mrc.virginia.gov/VIRGINIAS_OYSTER_MANAGEMENT_AND%20_INDUSTRY_T

ODAY.pdf

 Virginia Watermen’s Associations, http://mrc.virginia.gov/watermanassoc.shtm

Systems Thinking Resources

MIT Sloan School of Management Simulations and Tools

https://mitsloan.mit.edu/LearningEdge/simulations/Pages/Overview.aspx

 Climate Interactive – Tools, https://www.climateinteractive.org/tools/

 Clean Start: Simulating a Clean Energy Startup,

https://mitsloan.mit.edu/LearningEdge/simulations/cleanstart/Pages/default.aspx
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 29

 Eclipsing the Competition: The Solar PV Industry Simulation,

https://mitsloan.mit.edu/LearningEdge/simulations/solar/Pages/default.aspx

MIT Open Course (Self Study)

 System Dynamics Course Readings, http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/sloan-school-ofmanagement/15-988-system-dynamics-self-study-fall-1998-spring-1999/readings/

 System Dynamics Assignments and Solutions,

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/sloan-school-of-management/15-988-system-dynamicsself-study-fall-1998-spring-1999/assignments/

Creative Learning Exchange, http://www.clexchange.org/

Creative Learning Exchange Resource List,

http://static.clexchange.org/ftp/CLE%20Resource%20List%202015.pdf

Donella Meadows Institute, http://www.donellameadows.org/

Finding and Resolving the Root Causes of the Sustainability Program,

http://www.thwink.org/sustain/glossary/SystemsThinking.htm

Fish Banks Game Blog Spot, http://fishbanksgame.blogspot.com/

Maryland Virtual High School of Science and Mathematics, http://mvhs1.mbhs.edu/

Mental Modeler, http://www.mentalmodeler.org/

Population Dynamics - Connecting Past, Present, and Future,

http://www.clexchange.org/curriculum/complexsystems/populationdynamics/

System Dynamics Society, http://www.systemdynamics.org/products/fish-bank/

Systems Thinking - A Cautionary Tale (Cats in Borneo - A True Story),

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17BP9n6g1F0

Systems Thinking in Schools - The Waters Foundation,

http://watersfoundation.org/our-resources/

Multi-Media (YouTube Videos)

Cod: The Fish that Made New England | Pew, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLE56imBjJs

For Cod's Sake, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zni6Iy5Q-Ko

The Lorax, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSSrYnc1yQs

Serious Science: Biological Carrying Capacity, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI2ixJeIxEU

State of the Planet's Oceans: Decimation of the Atlantic Cod Fishery

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fCX6XKzbUY

What Happened to the Grand Banks Cod? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5wR8Iu2Q00

Who Killed Crassostrea virginica? The Fall and Rise of Chesapeake Bay Oysters,

https://youtu.be/6SLCOG2IB9k
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 30

Newspapers, Periodicals, and Journals

Baker, Peter. (September 19, 1993). After successful five-year moratorium, it appears rockfish

will be ready to roll, The Baltimore Sun. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1993-09-

19/sports/1993262169_1_fishery-striped-bass-spawning

Bay Journal, http://www.bayjournal.com/ 

Blue Crab population rebounds, http://ian.umces.edu/pdfs/ian_newsletter_286.pdf

Sustainability Resources

EPA - Learning About Sustainability,

http://www2.epa.gov/sustainability/learn-about-sustainability#what

Research, Sustainability, and Learning,

http://www.scoop.it/t/research-sustainability-and-learning

Sustainable Use of Renewable Resources,

http://www.sciencemag.org/site/feature/data/sust/pdf/262-5135-828.pdf

Speakers 

Aquaculture facilities

Hooper’s Island Oyster Aquaculture Company, http://www.hioac.com/

Local watermen

 Maryland Watermen’s Association, https://marylandwatermen.com/index.html

 Maryland County Associations,

https://marylandwatermen.com/county-associations.html

 Virginia Watermen’s Association, http://www.mrc.virginia.gov/watermanassoc.shtm

Natural Resource Agencies

Field Trip Suggestions

Environmental Education Centers

 Phillips Wharf Environmental Center

o Fisheries Management Curriculum,

http://pwec.org/programs/educational/fisheries-management-details/ 

o Aquaculture Education, http://pwec.org/programs/educational/aquacultureeducation/

Hooper’s Island Oyster Aquaculture Company, http://www.hioac.com/

Local Fish Markets or Seafood Houses

NOTE: For more field trip suggestions, visit Bay Backpack at http://baybackpack.com/field_studies/
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 31

Curriculum References

Maryland Environmental Literacy Curricular Infusion by Grade-band

http://marylandpublicschools.org/programs/Pages/Environmental-Education/elci_gb.aspx

Maryland Environmental Literacy Standards

http://marylandpublicschools.org/programs/Documents/Environmental/MDEnvironmentalLitSt

andards.pdf

National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) 

Framework for Social Studies State Standards: Guidance for Enhancing the Rigor of K-12 Civics, 

Economics, Geography, and History (Silver Spring, MD: NCSS, 2013).

Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States

http://www.nextgenscience.org/

NGSS Lead States. (2013). Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. 

Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards,

http://www.socialstudies.org/sites/default/files/c3/C3-Framework-for-Social-Studies.pdf