This book is designed for middle school earth science or general science teachers to help their students learn scientific literacy through event-based science. Unlike traditional curricula, the event- based earth science module is a student-centered, interdisciplinary, inquiry-oriented program that emphasizes cooperative learning, teamwork, independent research, hands-on investigations, and exploration of authentic tasks. Students use this book to work in cooperative teams and play the roles of physical oceanographer, harbormaster, marine biologist, risk planner, and economist. They also study the effects of an oil spill on a local ecosystem. The module in this book can be used to build a whole curriculum or fit into current lesson plans to add interest. (KHR)