We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat!

Peter Benchley was known for being the author of Jaws and a renowned ocean conservationist. But did you know that he was also a speechwriter for President Lyndon Johnson? At We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat! Water Ecology in the Classroom, participants took a deep dive into the great blue to explore the history of ocean science, the pivotal role sharks played in our ecosystem, and the ecology of water systems.

In this 2-day educator workshop, the LBJ Library welcomed K–12 educators and ocean enthusiasts who impacted student learning to submerge themselves in the study of ocean exploration, focusing on what Benchley called “slimy, savage things” and “an impossibly perfect piece of machinery,” and how these fascinating facts could be used to engage students in their curriculum—perhaps even sparking the curiosity of the next biologist.