We would be lost without maps! How are they made? Introduce junior topographers to LIDAR technology with a fascinating activity. Set up a mock city, then have learners operate a laser measure to determine the shape of the landscape using...

A well-designed, comprehensive, and attractive slide show supports direct instruction on how sonar and echolocation work. Contained within the slides are links to interactive websites and instructions for using apps on a mobile device to...

Using "mystery bathymetry" shoeboxes, young explorers simulate sonar action to map out the topography of an un-viewable landscape. This classic activity helps physical oceanography learners understand how sonar works. It would be...

It's time to get technical! Technical doesn't have to be tricky, though—even in the lower grades. A short video discussing standard PS4C, Information Technologies and Instrumentation, leads you through the surprisingly simple side of...

Bring the ocean floor to life! Earth science scholars discover the process of deep sea mapping in the third installment in a series of five lessons about ocean exploration. The teacher's guide includes helpful resources, worksheets, and...

How do you create a map of the ocean floor without getting wet? Middle school oceanographers discover the process of bathymetric mapping in the third installment in a five-part series of lessons designed for seventh and eighth graders....

Are there more fish in the ocean or stars in the galaxy? The video begins with explaining the old method for estimating the number of fish in the ocean. Then it details the new method using SONAR. The differences in estimates lead to...

An interactive that teaches about sonar sure sounds like fun! Junior oceanographers study the uses of sonar, past and present, in an engaging interactive. The content demonstrates how sonar works, why sound waves are a great tool for...

Find the location of enemy submarines with a sonar display that doubles as a polar coordinate system. Pupils find polar coordinates that would be the same location of plotted submarines. They then determine multiple polar coordinates...

Beautiful music doesn't just write itself, but if you ever feel bad about procrastinating, remember that Mozart wrote the overture to Don Giovanni the morning it premiered. Introduce young scientists to the elements of sound including...

Ping, ping, ping. The last installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program explores technology use in marine studies, such as sonar. Activity involves simulating sonar techniques to identify a...

Students build ocean floor structures, then map and model an unfamiliar ocean floor. They are introduced to bathymetry and sea floor features, and discover one of the most widely usd methods for studying the ocean.

How to oceanographers measure the sea's depth? Your scientists will step into their shoes in this application worksheet, first reading about how the speed of sound and a simple formula give scientists a depth estimation. Students...

Students make inferences based on different sounds that they hear. In this inferences lesson plan, students will hear sounds of different objects and describe the sounds based on what they hear. They will answer various questions about...

Students examine the current technologies used in mapping resources in the marine environment. They look at remote sensing, sounding, and underwater vehicles. They examine image from the benthic habitat produced by the GIS in order to...

Eighth graders participate in an experiment that emulates a sonar signal bouncing off the ocean floor. They determine how the ocean floor is measured by the length of time it takes for the sonar signal to return. They work with a wooden...

Seventh graders study side-scan sonar and discover how it can be used to locate objects underwater. They complete a sonar simulation activity in which they create and map mystery landscapes inside shoeboxes.

Students identify and research navigational tools used in deep sea explorations. They are introduced to a compass, the Global Positioning System and sonar technology and then describe their uses in underwater exploration.

Here is a collection of 22 multiple-choice questions on topics from the physical and life sciences. Apparently they came from an 8th grade comprehensive science exam and have been released for public use. They may serve as a sufficient...

Young scholars study sonar and will explain the concept of it and its major components.  In this design lesson students build a low-cost sonar system. 

Young scholars explore how a side-scan sonar can help locate underwater objects.  In this hands- on lesson students compare side-scan sonar and other methods used to search for underwater objects by creating their own "simulation" of a...

Students experiment with sound. In this sound lesson, student tape blocks inside a shoe box and then roll a marble inside. They use the sound of the marble hitting the blocks to discover where they are much like the use of sonar...

Students use a shoe box to create a seafloor model and use cardboard for layering inside of the shoe box to simulate the ocean floor. They probe the ocean floor to simulate sonar echoes. Finally, students graph their data to get a...