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Coral Reef Teacher’s Guide Benefits, Threats, and Solutions

How You Can Help Sending the direct action letters and artwork to
elected officials does have a tremendous impact. In
Reef Relief! California, it is estimated that for every person who
writes a letter to a Senator, there are 5,000 other
people who have not written letters but share the
same view. Here are some addresses to get you
Objective: Students learn that there are many started, along with the one on the sample letter.
things that they can do to help preserve life Name
on the coral reefs. They use their knowledge President of the United States
of anthropogenic threats to coral reefs to com- The White House
municate their concerns to elected officials.
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC 20500
Interdisciplinary Index: Science, Language
Arts,

Political Science Name
Vice President of the United States
Materials:
United States Senate Washington, DC 20510
For the Direct Action Letter:

• a copy of the Sample Direct Action Letter, Your Senator ______________
one per student
United States Senate Washington, DC20510
• pencils/pens

• paper
Your Representative _______________
For the Artwork for the Reefs: U.S. House of Representatives
• a copy of the artwork page, one per student
• crayons, color pencils, or markers Washington, DC 20515

Name
PRESENTATION: Administrator
1. Choose one or more of the current threats Environmental Protection Agency
to coral reefs and discuss with the students. 401 M Street, SW
Also, discuss the value of taking direct action
as a way to protect the reefs. Review the Sam- Washington, DC 30460
ple Direct Action Letter.

2. Based upon this information, ask the stu- For specific information about current coral reef
dents to write a direct action letter and/or col- threats and whom to write, contact REEF RELIEF
or the Artwork for the Reefs page. Students at tel: (305) 294-3100, fax: (305) 293-9515,
e-mail: reef@bellsouth.net, or go to our web site:
can also create their own page of coral reef art. http://www.reefrelief.org
Have them imagine that they are snorkeling or
diving on a coral reef and describe or draw the
scene around them. Is it beautiful? Is there
pollution or damage?
3. Send the finished letters and/or artwork to
elected officials. (Ask them to protect our coral
reefs.) Then, wait and see if they respond.

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