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An Historical Perspective of OysterRelated Environmental Issues – The 

Historic Oyster Wars of Chesapeake Bay

Summary

Module 1, An Historical Perspective of Oyster-Related Environmental 

Issues - The Oyster Wars of Chesapeake Bay, introduces students to the 

Eastern oyster, and sets the stage for researching oyster-related issues in 

Chesapeake Bay. Students are provided an historical glimpse of the 

oyster industry in Chesapeake Bay beginning in the mid-19th century. 

Effective resource management requires an understanding of how 

humans can affect the Earth’s resources. Social constructs, such as 

politics, technology, and the economy all impact the decisions we make -

even today. How did events affect the oyster industry - and the oyster 

population?

Resource management associated with the Eastern oyster in Chesapeake 

Bay is the focus in this Module, with particular emphasis on how human 

values may have contributed to the oyster’s decline beginning in the mid1800s. Students will compare the environmental issues that existed 150 

years ago, to the current issues that exist through readings and internet 

resources.

K-12 Oysters in the Chesapeake Bay

Module 1

Grade Level: High School

Teaching Time: 3 class 

periods with some homework

Materials:

 Reading resources

o Oyster Wars: The Historic 

Fight for the Bay’s Riches

o Sixteen decades of political 

management of the oyster 

fishery in Maryland’s 

Chesapeake Bay

o Investigating and 

Evaluating Environmental 

Issues and Actions: Skill 

Development Program 

(Hungerford, et al, 2003)

o The Oyster Wars of 

Chesapeake Bay

(Wennersten, 1983), 

Optional

 Computer internet access 

(optional)

 Projector and screen

(optional)

 Teacher pages 

 Student pages

 Dry erase board or flip chart, 

and markers (optional)

Teacher Note:

See Resources section for 

more detailed list of readings, 

Web links, and other activity 

resources, that are provided 

for this Module.
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Module 1 is where we begin the integration of the Investigating and Evaluating Environmental 

Issues and Actions (IEEIA) model, which is described in the High School Unit Introduction. In 

Module 1 of the Unit, students will analyze the article, Oyster Wars: The Historic Fight for the 

Bay’s Riches (http://www.dnr.state.md.us/naturalresource/winter2008/oyster_wars.pdf). The 

IEEIA skills students will develop in this exercise include:

 Identifying environmental events, problems, and issues

 Evaluating the beliefs and values of stakeholders involved in an environmental issue 

These skills are included in the MD Environmental Literacy Standard 1: Environmental Issues

(http://marylandpublicschools.org/programs/Documents/Environmental/MDEnvironmentalLitSta

ndards.pdf). Other activities and resources from the IEEIA model will be incorporated throughout 

the Unit. At the end of Module 1, students will identify current oyster-related environmental 

issues in the media, and practice these same skills using video, news articles, or other multimedia 

materials. Although some links to current oyster-related environmental issues are provided in the 

Resource section of the Module, the teacher should look for local resources to analyze and 

evaluate. Locally relevant issues spark student interest.

Background

The Chesapeake Bay region has long been considered one of the most productive estuaries in the 

world. Since the early 1970’s, there has been a noticeable decline in many Bay species once 

considered to be economically important. Poor water quality, disease, and overharvesting have 

adversely affected the Bay ecosystem, and the economic foundation of rural communities, where 

fishermen of all types make their livelihood. 

One such species is the native Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica), which has declined 

dramatically since the turn of the 19th century. Oysters were fought over for more than a 

century, even to the point of violence. During these early years, a combination of factors, 

including ineffective resource management, politics, and improved harvest technology led to the 

beginning of the decline in native Chesapeake oyster populations. 

How did human beliefs and values contribute to the oyster’s decline? How did the economic and 

political atmosphere and technological advances of the time influence the events of this historic 

struggle for oysters?

To this day, conflicts remain between different groups of people who disagree about how to 

manage the oyster population in Chesapeake Bay. Here, we will explore and compare historical 

and current management issues, and the factors that create environmental conflicts.

Learning Objectives

 Students will investigate conflicts over valuable natural resources that have led to violence

between individuals or larger stakeholder groups.

 Students will evaluate the differences between environmental events, problems, and issues.

 Students will analyze how a person’s beliefs and values influence where they stand on an 

issue

 Students will identify stakeholders, beliefs, and values from various written or multimedia 

sources.
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 Students will compare historical oyster management issues and current oyster restoration

management issues to demonstrate understanding of the complexity of environmental issues. 

Guiding Questions

 How does one differentiate between Environmental Events, Problems, and Issues?

 How does our personal (prior) knowledge and experience shape our beliefs and values, and 

how does this affect our stand on an environmental issue? (How did stakeholder beliefs and 

values affect oyster management?)

 Why has the Eastern oyster population declined since the mid-1800s, and how has improved 

technology contributed to that decline?

 How have politics and oyster resource management in Chesapeake Bay contributed to the 

decline of the resource, both historically and from a current perspective?

Photo Source:

NOAA Photo Library

Photo Source: NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service
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KEY WORDS for the reading,

Oyster Wars: The Historic Fight for the Bay’s Riches, Kimmel (2008)

Industrial Revolution - the period of time e from the 18th to 19th centuries during which 

rural agrarian society became more industrial and urban, marking a shift from manual labor 

and draft-animal-based economy to powered, special-purpose machinery, factories, and 

mass production.

Maryland Oyster Navy - a precursor to the Maryland Natural Resources Police.

Oyster - bivalve mollusk with a rough irregular shell, sometimes eaten as a delicacy; may be 

farmed for food or pearls. Native Chesapeake Bay oysters are the species, Crassostrea

virginica.

Oyster Dredge - an implement, with a heavy iron frame with strong teeth along its lower 

edge, pulled behind a boat to scrape oysters into nets in deep water.

Oyster Pirates - people who engaged in illegal oyster harvesting from the late-1800s to the 

mid-1900s.

Oyster Wars - a series of sometimes violent clashes between oyster pirates, and authorities

in the Chesapeake Bay from 1865 through the 1950s.

Sustainable Resource - a resource that can be harvested or used without depleting,

damaging, or destroying it; a resource that can be renewed at the same rate is being used, if 

managed responsibly (e.g., water, trees, game birds, soil).

Vigilante - one who seeks justice for a crime without help from legal authorities.

Kimmel, Ross M. (Winter, 2008). Oyster Wars: The Historic Fight for the Bay’s Riches. 

Natural Resources Newsletter. MD Department of Natural Resources. 

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/naturalresource/winter2008/oyster_wars.pdf

You can also find this reading in APPENDIX D: Readings.

TEACHERS NOTE: Definitions for the following IEEIA Issue Analysis: Definition of Terms can 

be found in APPENDIX C: IEEIA Resources

 Event

 Problem

 Issue

 Players/Stakeholders

 Positions

 Beliefs

 Values

 Alternative Solutions
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ACTIVITY I: Introduction – Resource Conflicts

ENGAGEMENT

Students will investigate conflicts over valuable natural resources that have led to violence 

between individuals or larger stakeholder groups.

To establish prior knowledge of your students, and to introduce the Eastern oyster as a subject of 

intense conflict, begin by sharing resources about what oysters are, and why they are valuable.

1. If you have live oysters or oyster shells available, pass them around to students, and ask them what 

they know about oysters. For more information about the ecosystem role of oysters in the 

Chesapeake Bay go to http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/oysters/oyster-reefs.

2. You can also show them photos of Eastern oysters or Eastern oyster reefs to elaborate 

further. Perform a Google search for Eastern oyster reefs.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Time lapse of oysters filtering water (4:44 minutes) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zm-yMpHsaQ

NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office: Oyster Reefs

http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/oysters/oyster-reefs

3. Ask the students why oysters are valuable to 

humans.

Oysters are an important natural resource in

Chesapeake Bay. They provide food and occupations

for people; habitat for many Bay species; and have 

the ability to filter/clean the water. In fact, oysters Photo Source: NOAA Photo Library

have been so valuable to society that violence and war have 

resulted over who could harvest the oysters and in what rivers. 

4. Throughout history, countries have battled over natural resources. Ask students to identify 

other local, national, and global natural resources that people have valued enough to fight for

the right to claim those resources (e.g., water, oil, land, etc.)? Perform an internet search 

using credible resource links that address conflicts and natural resources. This can be 

facilitated together in class, or as a homework assignment.

EXAMPLES:

Search War over Natural Resources, or Conflict over Natural Resources; some search 

results include:

PROCEDURE
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 The Environmental Literacy Council – Conflict and Natural Resources

http://enviroliteracy.org/land-use/conflict-natural-resources/

 Business Insider – Nine Wars Fought Over Commodities

http://www.businessinsider.com/nine-wars-that-were-fought-over-commodities-2012-8

 Water Wars: Who Controls the Flow?

http://www.npr.org/2013/06/15/192034094/rivers-run-through-controversies-over-whoowns-the-water

 The Fish That Nearly Caused a War

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35431070

6. After researching the topic of natural resources and conflict, continue the class discussion,

and ask the following questions:

a. What were some of the natural resources that people fought over, and why?

b. Why did individuals or groups feel they had more of a right to “own” the resource than 

another?

c. What is the value that people placed on these resources? Why?

d. What countries, states, or local communities were involved? 

7. Begin developing a story board of the environmental problems presented using the following 

categories: local, state, national, or global. Students can bring in articles throughout the week

or semester, and organize them by topic or region. Discuss the similarities and differences 

among the categories.

This discussion can be referenced in Activity II.

ACTIVITY II: Resource Conflicts in Chesapeake Bay

EXPLORATION

Students will investigate conflicts over valuable natural resources that have led to violence 

between individuals or larger stakeholder groups.

1. Ask students to perform an internet search to answer the following questions:

 Are there currently conflicts over natural resources in the Chesapeake Bay? 

Why do these conflicts exist?

After a brief discussion, explain to your students that you will be looking at one specific 

historic era when conflicts arose about where oysters could be harvested in the Bay, and by 

whom. These conflicts led to social problems, physical confrontations, and loss of human life.

2. Ask students to read the article, Oyster Wars: The Historic Fight for the Bay’s Riches (Kimmel, 

2008). http://www.dnr.state.md.us/naturalresource/winter2008/oyster_wars.pdf. See also,

APPENDIX D: Readings.
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3. As a class, discuss what the students learned from the reading. What incidents led to the

sharp decline of oysters in Chesapeake Bay?

Consider specific incidents related to politics, technology, and economics. Questions to ask 

during the discussion:

 Why were people fighting over oysters?

 How was the oyster industry impacted?

 How were oyster populations affected?

 Were you aware of the violence that occurred over oysters in Chesapeake Bay? Can 

you think of any other times when a natural resource has been the center of a dispute, 

either currently or historically in Chesapeake Bay?

 What do they know now that they didn’t know before?

ACTIVITY III: Identifying Environmental Events, Problems, and Issues

EXPLANATION

Students will evaluate the differences between environmental events, problems, and issues.

1. Provide students with the How Do We Distinguish between Environmental Events, Problems, 

And Issues, Student Page, in APPENDIX B. Allow students to use this page to write the 

definitions for environmental events, problems, and issues, and examples of each as you 

continue the discussion, or have them write the definitions and notes in their science journal. 

TEACHER NOTE: Download the IEEIA Issue Analysis: Definition of Terms in APPENDIX C: IEEIA 

Resources.

2. Define an environmental event for your students. Examples are given below.

Examples of natural events include severe weather events, such as hurricanes, drought, a 

lightning strike or tornado, or geological events, such as an earthquake or volcanic eruption. 

Specific examples include Hurricane Sandy (2012), or the Tsunami in Japan (2011). You may 

want to share pictures of natural events with your students. The NOAA National Weather 

Service or NOAA Photo Library may be good sources. See, http://www.weather.gov, 

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov
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Photo Sources: (left to right): Tornado - NOAA Photo Library; Lightning and Hurricane Katrina - National Weather 

Service

Humans may also be responsible for environmental events. Examples of specific

human related events include the Deepwater Horizon oil spill or introduction of 

nonnative invasive species into an aquatic or terrestrial system (e.g. blue catfish, nutria,

mute swan, northern snakehead, etc.).

Photo Sources and Credits: Blue Catfish, NOAA; Nutria, USFWS, Credit, Steve Hillebrand; Mute Swan, MD DNR; 

Northern Snakehead, MD DNR.
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What other examples can students identify? Consider local, national, and global events.

Allow the students to research this, if time allows, and have them complete the questions on 

the How Do We Distinguish between Environmental Events, Problems, and Issues? in 

APPENDIX B: Student Pages, or complete the form using examples from the class discussion.

3. Define an environmental problem for your students. Refer to Issue Analysis: Definition of 

Terms in APPENDIX C: IEEIA Resources.

 Did the events discussed by your class create environmental problems? Examples are

given below.

 What are some of the environmental problems associated with the events your

students identified from the discussion above?

Examples of Environmental Problems

Invasive species crowd out native plant and animal species, resulting in a loss of 

habitat, food, etc.

o The “event” is the introduction of an invasive species. 

o The “problem” is the loss of habitat and food.

An oil spill pollutes the water, killing birds and other wildlife; causes decline in

fisheries harvests, which adversely affects the economy of the region.

o The “event” is the oil spill. This one event causes a host of environmental 

problems.

o The “problem(s)” could include:

 

 Oil Spill - Event Pollution Animals die Harvest declines 

 Environmental Problem Environmental Problem Environmental Problem

● How did these problems threaten something that humans’ value?

4. Define an environmental issue for your students. Refer to Issue Analysis: Definition of Terms

in APPENDIX C: IEEIA Resources.
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Examples of environmental issues are given below. What, if any, environmental issues are 

associated with the problems your students identified from the class discussion? Consider 

current issues or issues from the recent past, such as:

 1994 - Striped Bass – Should a moratorium be placed on striped bass in the 

Chesapeake Bay? 

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/issues/issue/striped_bass#inline

 2001 - Should the mute swan population in Chesapeake Bay be eradicated?

http://dnr2.maryland.gov/wildlife/Documents/MuteSwan_TaskForceReport.pdf

 2010 - How should victims of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill be compensated?

https://www.britannica.com/event/Deepwater-Horizon-oil-spill-of-2010, See 

“Legal Action.”

5. Explain to your students that you will be looking more closely at the events that occurred 

during the Oyster Wars. Instruct them to answer the questions in How Do We Distinguish

Between Environmental Events, Problems, and Issues in APPENDIX B: Student Pages.

6. Provide an example by identifying an event from the Oyster Wars: The Historic Fight for the 

Bay’s Riches for your students. (This will bring them back to the historical significance that 

resulted in an environmental problem). See Events, Problems, and Issues in APPENDIX A: 

Teacher Pages.

What problems resulted from this event? Were there social, as well as environmental

problems that occurred?

TEACHER NOTE: Provide students with, Oyster Wars – Event-Problem-Issue Chart in APPENDIX

B: Student Pages. There are two examples provided on this page. Students can complete

portions of this during the discussion, or you could give it to them as an assessment of their

knowledge/understanding of the terminology.

Examples of Historical Problem(s) from Kimmel (2008) 

 Social problems, such as prostitution, drunkenness, and violence arose in towns

where support industries sprang up.

 Increasing demand for oysters and the rise of associated businesses (e.g., packing 

and selling houses) led to an increase in harvest.*

TEACHER NOTE: *Refer to the Historical Problems in the example above. Note that we may

infer that because fishing pressure was placed on the resource that there must have been a

decline in the oyster population. This potential problem was never actually identified at

this point in history. There was no research to support it. 

After you have completed filling out the table for the Events, Problems, and Issues identified 

in the Oyster Wars article, answer the following questions:

 What issues resulted from the historical event and problem you identified from the

reading?

 Why are issues, considered issues? Reflect on the definition once more.
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 Why were there no issues associated with this event - the Industrial Revolution – in

the reading?

 How did improved technology impact oyster populations?

EVALUATION

Students will evaluate their knowledge and comprehension of the reading(s) by identifying the 

environmental events, problems, and issues that occurred.

Ask students to list the environmental events, problems, issues (if they exist), and possible

solutions recommended or actions taken related to the issue of declining oyster populations that

occurred during the Oyster Wars in Chesapeake Bay. Students can then complete the 

Environmental Events, Problems, and Issues Student Page in APPENDIX B: Student Pages.

TEACHER NOTE: More information about Environmental Events, Problems, and Issues can be

found in Hungerford, et al, (2003).

H.R. Hungerford, T.L. Volk, J.M. Ramsey, R.A. Litherland, and R.B. Peyton, (2003).

Investigating and Evaluating Environmental Issues and Actions: Skill Development. Stipes

Publishing, LLC: Champaign, IL.

TEACHER NOTE: Teacher and Student Pages can be found on in Appendices A and B,

respectively.

 

ACTIVITY IV: Identifying Beliefs and Values – Where Do You Stand?

ENGAGEMENT

Students will identify stakeholders, and analyze how a person’s beliefs and values influence 

where they stand on an issue by analyzing various written or multimedia sources.

1. To demonstrate how personal beliefs are different for us all depending on our knowledge,

and experiences, students will share their opinions given a list of belief statements (Where Do

You Stand?) in APPENDIX C: IEEIA Resources.

2. Print the five Where Do You Stand signs in APPENDIX A: Teacher Pages that read: Strongly

Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, and Strongly Agree.

3. Place the Where Do You Stand signs around the room. Allow students to review the belief

statements prior to moving about the room.
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TEACHER NOTE: Where Do You Stand - Belief Statements can be found in APPENDIX C: IEEIA 

Resources. (You may create additional value statements that you think would help illustrate

current issues important to your students).

4. Read the belief statements aloud, and ask students to stand below the response that best

matches how they feel about the statement. Allow time for discussion. Why do students take

the stand that they do on the issue? (Ask that they are respectful of each other’s opinions).

Read through the various statements and record the responses for each question in a table.

You may draw the table on a board or flip chart paper.

5. After you have completed this exercise, continue with a class discussion. Did students notice

anything about this exercise that helped them to understand why their peers’ beliefs may have 

been different from their own? Did their life knowledge and experiences lead to different

beliefs about a potential issue? Did any of the students change their opinion based on the 

arguments presented by individuals in the group? How are an individual’s knowledge, 

experiences, and beliefs linked?

 

ACTIVITY V: Identifying Stakeholders, Beliefs, and Values in Kimmel (2008), Oyster

Wars, The Fight for the Bay’s Riches

EXPLANATION/ELABORATION

Students will be able to identify the stakeholders, who are involved in an environmental issue, and 

the beliefs and values that form those stakeholders’ opinions, or their position on an issue.

1. Define stakeholders, beliefs, values, and positions with your students (Hungerford, et al, pp.

29-37). Refer to Issue Analysis: Definition of Terms in APPENDIX C: IEEIA Resources.

2. Download and provide students with Environmental Issues Value Descriptors in APPENDIX C: 

IEEIA Resources. Review this page with your students.

3. As a class, identify the Environmental Issues Value Descriptor for each statement - What Are

the Values? This Activity can be found in APPENDIX C: IEEIA Resources. Note that there is 

usually a word within each statement that calls out the Value Descriptor. There could be more 

than one value identified by your students for each statement. Allow them to justify why they 

have chosen a particular Value Descriptor if necessary. 

(Answers to this exercise: 1). Ethical/moral 2). Human health/safety 3). Religious 4). Economic 

5). Legal. 6). Scientific 7). Aesthetic 8). Social 9). Recreational 10). Egocentric 11). Ecological 

12). Environmental 13). Political 14). Ethnocentric 15). Educational)

4. Using the Historic Oyster Wars article (Kimmel, 2008), have students identify the following:

 Stakeholders and their position on the issue

 Belief statement 

 Value descriptor that best matches their belief statement
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Provide students with the Stakeholders, Beliefs, and Values Chart to complete this activity in

APPENDIX C: IEEIA Resources.

 

ACTIVITY VI: Comparing Historical and Current Oyster-Related Issues

EVALUATION

Students will compare historical oyster management issues with current oyster-related 

environmental issues to demonstrate understanding of the complexity of environmental issues. 

1. Below are links to two articles that focus on oyster sanctuaries in Maryland. Feel free to 

research other articles of local relevance to your students. Additional articles and links are 

listed in the Resources section of this module, but you may want to choose a more current 

article.

'Oyster wars:' Watermen aim to take back oyster bars as state panel reviews shellfish 

sanctuaries, The Baltimore Sun, by Scott Dance, September 1, 2016.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-oyster-restoration-20160723-

story.html

Changes loom for Maryland’s oyster management, The Bay Journal, by Timothy Wheeler, July 

23, 2016

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

This activity can either be a class discussion, or students may be assigned a writing exercise to

evaluate their understanding of the skills required to analyze an environmental issue.

2. Provide your students with an article or video that is current (or very recent) and have them

identify the Stakeholders, Beliefs, and Values of that story.

TEACHER NOTE: Use the Events, Problems, And Issues Chart can be found in APPENDIX C: IEEIA 

Resources (*** Pay attention to people the articles may identify by name. It is possible that 

your students could know or be related to these individuals! If you think that is a possibility, 

either change the names, or list them as Person A, Person B, etc.).

3. Review the article that the students analyzed, and compare the issues that currently exist to 

those in the historical article. 

a. Develop a Concept Map explaining the various environmental events, problems, and issues

reviewed thus far, OR

b. Create a Venn diagram to identify overlap of the historical and current issues. Include

additional information for clarification, if needed.

 
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EXTENSION

1. Differentiation - Have students read, Sixteen Decades of Political Management of the Oyster 

Fishery in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, (Kennedy and Breisch, 1983) a technical paper from 

Maryland Sea Grant providing more details related to the politics associated with the Oyster

Wars. You may use this reading to complete the activities in this unit in place of, or in 

addition to, Kimmel’s publication.

(http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/sites/default/files/files/16_Decades.pdf) 

(This paper was originally published in the Journal of Environmental Management, Vol. 164, 

1983, pp 153-171. You can obtain it from the link above).

Another excellent resource to consider is John Wennersten’s book, The Oyster Wars of 

Chesapeake Bay, if there is sufficient time. It thoroughly details the unrest in the Chesapeake 

Bay region during the mid-1800s to mid-1900s (1981, 147 pages).

2. Using the Kennedy-Breisch graph in APPENDIX B: Student Pages (MD Sea Grant), students will 

add technological advances to the graph to compare how policy, management, and 

technology impacted the oyster population from the pre-1700s to 1960. Also see APPENDIX 

A: Teacher Pages for a completed graph.

3. Ask students to write a one-page essay discussing the solutions that they believe could have

made a difference in creating a sustainable oyster population based on what they know from

historical and current readings.

4. Go to the NOAA National Marine Fisheries link below, and choose one or more fisheries species

by clicking on Species Locator. Using the harvest data available, graph the harvest data, and 

compare these species to the Kennedy-Breisch graph over time. What similarities or differences 

do you see between these species trends, and trends in oyster data?

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

 
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EDUCATION STANDARDS

NGSS –

Disciplinary Core

Idea(s)

HS-LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics,

Functioning, and Resilience

If a biological or physical disturbance

to an ecosystem occurs, including one

induced by human activity, the

ecosystem may return to its more or

less original state, or become a very

different ecosystem, depending on the

complex set of interactions within the

ecosystem.

How Standard is Addressed 

HS-LS2.C: In Module 1,

students learn how human

events (economic, political,

and social in nature) have

affected the oyster

population, which is a critically

important ecosystem in

Chesapeake Bay.

Identifying the differences

between environmental

events, problems, and issues

is integral to developing an

understanding of locally

relevant and complex

environmental issues. They

investigate and compare both

historical and current events

related to the oyster industry

and management. They also

explore how human beliefs

and values determine how a

person stands on a particular

issue. (NOTE: See Oyster

Harvest Simulation in the

Middle School Oyster Unit for 

a refresher on how humans

affect oyster populations

through technology).
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NGSS -

Disciplinary Core

Idea(s)

HS-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 supporting and enhancing life on

Earth. (secondary to HS-LS2-7), (HSLS4-6)

HS-LS4.D: Historical accounts

illustrate how important

oysters are to humans as a

food source, and as an

economic driver in the region.

The oyster industry

experienced a boom, due to

faster transportation, better

storage of perishable foods,

and improved harvest

technology.

The numbers of oysters

removed from the ecosystem

could not keep up with oyster

reproduction, and the

population was decimated.

NGSS -

Science/Engineering

Practice(s)

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 a 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 Students have

gathered evidence about

oyster management and its

impact on the population

through various readings,

graphs, data, or internet

resources. They must

integrate all of this

information into writing that

indicates their understanding

of how and why humans make

certain decisions about the

environment.

NGSS – CrossCutting ConceptsCause and Effect

Students suggest cause and effect

relationships to explain and predict

behaviors in complex natural and

designed systems.

Cause and Effect

Students consider how 

management decisions and 

technology led to the decline in 

the oyster population.
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Ties to MD

Environmental

Literacy Standards

Standard 1.0: Environmental

Issues Topic A:

Environmental Issue

Investigation

Indicator 1: Identify an

environmental issue.

Standard 1.0: Environmental

Issues Students differentiate

between environmental

events, problems, and issues.

They are also able to identify

the stakeholders involved in

an issue, and what beliefs and 

values are reflected by the

stand they take on the issue.

Both historical and current

oyster-related issues are

analyzed.

Standard 7: Environment & Society

The student will analyze how the

interactions of experience, learning,

and culture influence social decisions 

and social change.

Topic F: Technology and Environment

Indicator 1: Investigate and examine

the social and environmental impacts

of various technologies and

technological systems on the

environment.

Standard 7: Environment &

Society Students assess the

beliefs and values of

stakeholders, and how this

influencesthe decisionsthey

make regarding an issue. They

evaluate how improved

technology affected oyster

populations, and how

historical events and politics

affect the management of the

Eastern oyster.

Ties to MD State

STEM Standards

of Practice (Draft)

5. Engage in Logical Reasoning

A. Engage in critical thinking.

5. Engage in Logical Reasoning

Students engage in critical 

thinking to evaluate complex 

environmental issues.

Ties to C3 

Framework for 

Social Studies

Dimension 2: History

D2.His.14.9-12. Analyze multiple and 

complex causes and effects of events in 

the past.

Dimension 2: History Students 

analyze an in-depth 

investigation of how complex 

historical events (e.g., politics, 

management, economics, 

technology, etc.) affected both 

human and biological systems.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 18

Ties to Common

Core

ELA/Literacy

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-LS2-7)

WHST.9-12.2: Write 

informative/explanatory texts, including 

narration of historical events. (HS-LS2-1, 

HS-LS2-2)

MP.2: Reason abstractly and 

quantitatively.

MP.4: Model with Mathematics.

RST.11-12.7: Students learn 

about a local environmental 

issue from an historic point of 

view, focusing on the 

complexity of oyster 

management in the 

Chesapeake Bay from the mid1800s through the late-1950s.

WHST.9-12.2: Students will 

draw comparisons between 

historical oyster management 

issues and current 

management issues related to 

oyster restoration to demonstrate understanding of the 

complexity of environmental 

issues.

MP.2 & MP.4: Students 

analyze data/ graphs to 

compare if what the author(s) 

claim is true.

MODULE REFERENCES

Gillis, Anna Marie. (May/June 2011) Oyster Wars, Humanities, Volume 32, Number 3.

Hungerford, H.R., Volk, T.L., Ramsey, John M., Litherland, Ralph A., & Peyton, R. Ben. (2003).

Investigating and Evaluating Environmental Issues and Actions: Skill Development Program.

Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing, L.L.C. http://www.stipes.com/catalog/environmental-education

Kennedy, Victor S. and Breisch, L.L. (1983). Sixteen decades of political management of the

oyster fishery in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay. Journal of Environmental Management (16) (153-

157). Retrieved from http://mdsg.umd.edu/sites/default/files/files/16_Decades.pdf.

A History of Oyster Harvests and Laws Graph from Sixteen decades of political management of the

oyster fishery in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay. (1983). Data: Kennedy and Breisch; Graph: MD Sea 

Grant from http://mdsg.umd.edu/sites/default/files/files/16_Decades.pdf.

Kimmel, Ross. (Winter, 2008). Oyster Wars: The Historic Fight for the Bay’s Riches. Natural 

Resource Magazine. Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved from the Maryland 

Department of Natural Resources; however, this resource is no longer available on the MDDNR 

website.

Maryland Environmental Literacy Curricular Infusion by Grade-band

http://marylandpublicschools.org/programs/Pages/Environmental-Education/elci_gb.aspxMD
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 19

Maryland Environmental Literacy Standards

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

ndards.pdf

Maryland Sea Grant, http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/

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.

NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office, Oyster Reefs, http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/oysters/oyster-reefs

NOAA's Historic Fisheries Collection, NOAA Photo Library, http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/

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

Wennersten, John R. (1981). The Oyster Wars of Chesapeake Bay. Centerville, MD: Tidewater

Publishing, 1981.

OTHER RESOURCES

MD Department of Natural Resources. (August 19, 2010). Maryland Oyster Restoration and

Aquaculture Development Plan Public Hearing Comments. Department of Natural Resources.

Retrieved May 8, 2014 from

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/oysters/pdfs/080510dnroysterhearing%20.pdf.

MDHSLIBRARYDEPT. (May 8, 2014). Maryland on a Half Shell.MD Historical Society Library. Retrieved 

November 23, 2016 from

http://www.mdhs.org/underbelly/2014/05/08/maryland-on-a-half-shell/

Polus, Sarah. (January 3, 2014). Maryland cracks down on oyster poaching. Southern Maryland

Newspapers Online. Retrieved January 8, 2014 from

http://www.somdnews.com/article/20140103/NEWS/140109720/1056/maryland-cracks-downon-oyster-poaching&template=southernMaryland

Wieland, Robert. (February 20, 2007). Managing Oyster Harvests in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay.

NOAA Chesapeake Bay Program. Prepared by Main Street Economics, 54 pages. Retrieved March 

22, 2017, from http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/oysters/mtgs/111907/manageharvests.pdf
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 20

HISTORICAL: Oyster Articles, Books, Multimedia, and Internet Sources

Newspapers, Periodicals, and Journals

The Life and Times of Chesapeake Oysters

Volume VI Number 17, April 30 - May 6, 1998 New Bay Times 

http://bayweekly.com/old-site/year98/lead6_17.html

Kit Waskom Pollard. (June 03, 2014). A brief history of Oystersin Chesapeake Bay, The Baltimore

Sun.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2014-06-03/entertainment/bal-a-brief-history-of-oysters-inthe-chesapeake-bay-20140603_1_crassostrea-oysters-aquaculture-development-plan

Graham, Karen. (July 5, 2012). The Chesapeake Bay oyster wars, and the loss of a treasure, 

Richmond History Examiner.

http://www.examiner.com/article/the-chesapeake-bay-oyster-wars-and-the-loss-of-a-treasure

Multi-Media

Stuff You Missed in History Class: Chesapeake Bay Oyster Wars – Podcast (28:04 

minutes)

http://podbay.fm/show/283605519/e/1376925816?autostart=1

MD Sea Grant: Restoring Oyster Reefs in Chesapeake Bay (18:50 minutes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4pKoDPdmzM&list=PLai6hg8rng4QnwQTK5tz

-jA2V4JBGpz8i&nohtml5=False

NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office: Oyster Restoration

http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/oysters/oyster-restoration

InternetResources

Commercial Fishers: Chesapeake Oysters

http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthewater/exhibition/3_5.html

Oyster Company of Virginia, http://www.oysterva.com/oyster-history.html

Oyster Wars of the Lower Chesapeake Bay

The Mariner’s Museum

https://www.marinersmuseum.org/sites/micro/cbhf/oyster/mod001.html

Oyster History

Oyster Company of Virginia

http://www.oysterva.com/oyster-history.html

Chesapeake Bay oyster depletion

Encyclopedia of Earth

http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/155099/

Federal, State, and Non-Governmental Environmental Organizations

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, http://allianceforthebay.org/

Bay Journal, http://www.bayjournal.com/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 21

Chesapeake Bay Foundation, http://www.savethebay.org/

MD Department of Natural Resources, http://www.dnr.state.md.us/

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

MD Sea Grant Education Programs, http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/our-education-programs

MD Sea Grant (search Publications), http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/

Oyster Recovery Partnership, http://oysterrecovery.org/about/

University of MD Center for Environmental Science, Horn Point Oyster Hatchery, 

http://hatchery.hpl.umces.edu/

Virginia Institute of Marine Science, http://www.vims.edu/research/topics/oysters/

Existing Curriculum

Annapolis Maritime Museum, http://www.amaritime.org/images/OysterHarvestGame.doc.pdf

Oyster Wars!! Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum - Curriculum, Grades 6-10

http://www.cbmm.org/pdf/Oystering%20Curriculum6-10.pdf

______________________________________________________________________________

CURRENT: Oyster Articles, Books, Multimedia, and Internet Sources

Newspapers, Periodicals, and Journals

Oyster poachers are stealing taxpayers’ money

Baltimore Sun, May 5, 2011

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-05-15/news/bs-ed-oysters20110515_1_reef-balls-sour-oyster-stew-oyster-beds

Wheeler, Timothy B. (December 13, 2013 ) Florida shells to help revive MD's oysters

Baltimore Sun. www.baltimoresun.com/features/green/blog/bal-bmg-floridashells-to-help-revive-mds-oysters-20131213,0,1996499.story

Dean, Gail. (April 16, 2014). Watermen, Council to challenge oyster restoration project, Star

Democrat.

http://www.stardem.com/news/local_news/article_f4f912cc-46ff-594a-b1e6-

c23e23e773f7.html

Rentz, Catherine and Wheeler, Timothy B. (April 4, 2015). Oyster poaching continues on bay

despite enforcement efforts, Baltimore Sun. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bsmd-oyster-enforcement-20150404-story.html#page=1

Wheeler, Timothy B. (May 28, 2015). Watermen win changes to oyster reef restoration. Baltimore

Sun. http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/green/blog/bs-md-oyster-restoration-20150523-

story.html#page=1
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 22

Multi-Media

UPDATE: Watermen Protest Md. Oyster Project in Dorchester County, WBOC TV, Channel 16, May

1, 2014, http://www.wboc.com/story/26051954/md-dnr-oyster-project-brings-in-stone-to-littlechoptank

MD DNR Oyster Project Brings in Stone to Little Choptank, WBOC TV, Channel 16, May 27, 2015. 

http://www.wboc.com/story/26051954/md-dnr-oyster-project-brings-in-stone-to-little-choptank

InternetResources

Chesapeake Bay Program Newsletters, http://www.chesapeakebay.net/news/newsletters/

Work continues with fossil shell, MyEasternShoreMD, May 3, 2014

http://www.myeasternshoremd.com/stardem/news/local_news/article_0c33bd2c-b69d-52ec9dbb-ad37a2251626.html

Blockading Watermen claim Maryland is screwing up Choptank with mud-coated shells from

Florida in chancy planting project,

The Chesapeake Today, May 3, 2014

http://www.the-chesapeake.com/2014/05/03/blockading-watermen-claim-maryland-screwingchoptank-mud-coated-shells-florida-chancey-planting-project/

Dorchester County Council Meeting Minutes - May 6, 2014 

http://docogonet.com/uploads/File/Regular%20Meeting%20Minutes%20May%206%202014.pdf

Lessner, Rebecca. New law aims to protect oyster farms from poachers, The Maryland Reporter, 

May 26, 2015. 

http://marylandreporter.com/2015/05/26/new-law-aims-to-protect-oyster-farms-from-poachers/

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

Speakers

Local watermen – State Waterman’s Associations

Local historian – Museums

State or federal resource management agency scientists

Field Trip Suggestions

Chesapeake Bay Foundation, http://www.cbf.org/join-us/education-program/student-fieldprograms

Maritime Museums in Maryland and Virginia

Annapolis Maritime Museum, http://www.amaritime.org

Calvert Marine Museum, www.calvertmarinemuseum.com/

Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, http://cbmm.org

Maryland Maritime Museums, http://www.maritimemuseums.net/MD.html

Virginia Maritime Museums, http://www.maritimemuseums.net/VA.html

Waterman’s Museum, http://www.watermens.org/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 23

Oyster Recovery Partnership, http://www.oysterrecovery.org/

Phillip’s Wharf Environmental Center, http://phillipswharf.org/

Sultana Education Foundation, http://sultanaeducation.org/ 

NOTE: For more field trip suggestions, visit Bay Backpack at http://baybackpack.com/field_studies/

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/MDEnvironmentalLitSta

ndards.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