Franceska and the Venice Lagoon

For centuries, Venice, a city in northern Italy has captivated the hearts of millions of visitors. Franceska, a young American girl, plucked from the comforts of her American life, is about to captivated as well. Set in the historic city of Venice, Italy, Franceska, our protagonist is embroiled in the conflict between the fishers and the environmentalists. Can a city that has not changed in over a thousand years change her? Can she bring the fishers to justice in time to avert a public health crisis? In Franceska, the content and adventure are developed around a story line about sustainability, illegal fishing, and relative sea level rise. Share her journey and adventure as she stumbles upon illegal fishing in the Venice Lagoon.

Franceska and the Venice Lagoon chronicles the journey of a young American girl as she accidentally stumbles upon illegal activity at the Rialto Fish Market. The setting is Venice Italy. Franceska and the Venice Lagoon is an alternative learning experience that integrates drama and science content. In Franceska, you can read the story, while picking and choosing what experiments to try, and what new knowledge to explore. Experiments enhance the content that emerges from the narrative. The overarching theme is sustainability, with lesser themes of illegal fishing and sea level rise. The story is in two parts. Part one is the adventure itself; Franceska's journey, while part two is a series of experiments, readings, and investigations that support the science content that emerges from the narrative. Links are provided that support the science content and the experiments. They can be found in MyGoogleDrive. Franceska, like many girls her age are at a turning point in their development. From a limited life view and experience to embracing the broader world and social responsibility.

Lovelle Ruggiero is a retired educator from the City School District of New Rochelle, NY. During her tenure of more than four decades in both elementary and middle schools, certain themes have emerged that represent her teaching environment: creating a culturally sensitive teaching and learning environment, broadening the participation of women and girls into the engineering technologies, fisheries, and recirculating aquaculture. And of course, active learning. Lovelle has a PhD from Capella University. Her dissertation explored the gender balance that was occurring in one of the 12 engineering schools at Cornell University. Franceska is her first novella.