Curated OER
Waves and Currents
Students are introduced to the forces that are responsible for generating waves in the ocean and how these forcesf differ from those that cause currents. They are able to explain how water molecules in a wave do not move in the direction...
Curated OER
Catch a Wave
Students study low tides and how to calculate for fresh water. In this ocean science lesson, students pretend they are stranded on an island and must calculate low tide in order to source the fresh water aquifer. Students calculate how...
Curated OER
Wonderful Waves - Ocean Waves and Erosion
Pupils examine how waves are generated by wind, create a model that uses wind to create waves and conduct an experiment that demonstrates the effect that waves have on the coastline.
Curated OER
Conditions at Sea Introductory Activity, Making Waves
Students explore waves and wind. In this physical and earth science wave instructional activity, students participate in a wave making activity with an aquarium and a hair dryer. Students complete a data chart recording wave height and...
Curated OER
Wave Erosion Lesson
Fourth graders examine the effects of waves as they erode coastal land. They discover how the power of water can change the appearance of land formations.
Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX)
Sonar Mapping of the Ocean Floor
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...
Curated OER
Rhythmic Movement
Explore how waves move in the ocean with your young learners. Fill a two-liter bottle half full with colored water, and have the youngsters move the bottle to make waves inside of it. Then have them listen to the song "Wipe Out"....
Curated OER
Roots of the Mariana Arc
Plumb the depths of the Submarine Ring of Fire and explore seismic waves with this lesson. Junior geologists simulate s-waves and p-waves, calculate their speeds, and then apply the data to discover the material that makes up inner...
NOAA
Journey to the Unknown
What's it like to be a deep-sea explorer? Tap into the imaginations of your fifth and sixth graders with a vivid lesson, the second part of a six-part adventure. Learners close their eyes and submerge themselves in an expedition aboard...
Curated OER
Making Waves: A Study of Earthquakes and Tsunami
Students examine plate tectonics and the causative effect of earthquakes. In this tectonics lesson students differentiate between the types of energy waves that cause earthquakes and tsunamis and how waves travel at different...
Curated OER
Name That Tune
Students complete a fingerprint oil lab in order to simulate how geologists use the oil and natural gas in rocks to hear sound waves that signify there are oil in those rocks. In this rocks lesson plan, students learn that the rock...
Florida International University
Pipeline to the Coral Reefs
Discover firsthand the effects of internal waves on coral reefs. Through a series of experiments, learners simulate internal waves and upwelling events as they make observations on the movement of water and other debris. They then...
Curated OER
How Do Waves Change a Beach?
Students conduct an experiment on beach erosion. In this earth science lesson plan, students create a beach model and use tongue depressor to produce waves. They write a journal about their observations.
Curated OER
Science and the Ocean Ranger Disaster
Young scholars investigate the scientific theories behind various elements of the Ocean Ranger disaster. They present their information in a format of their choosing.
Curated OER
Salt Marsh in a Pan
Students create a model of a salt marsh to discover the impact of pollution and human activities on water-based habitats including bays and the ocean. They recognize the relationship between natural and developed areas. Students impact...
Curated OER
Longshore Current
Learners are posted at the beginning and end of a 10-meter long line parallel to the ocean and are instructed to look straight ahead towards the water. The student at the beginning of the line uses a stopwatch, goes to the water's edge...
Curated OER
The Great Ocean Conveyor
Students investigate water density. In this water density lesson plan, students conduct an experiment with food coloring, water and salt to see how the salt effects bodies of water.
Curated OER
The Magic School Bus Goes to Mussel Beach
Students investigate tides and create a model of an intertidal zone. In this hands-on marine science lesson based on a Magic School Bus book, the teacher leads students in a discussion about tides, then helps students model a tide and...
Curated OER
What Are The Properties of Sea Water?
Ninth graders conduct research on the subject of sea water. They use a variety of resources to obtain information. There are helpful resource links listed in the lesson. In conjunction with the research students make inquiry of the...
Curated OER
Secrets in a Grain of Sand
Students working in small groups examine beach sand to discover signs of erosion, weathering, ocean currents and waves. They present their findings to the class.
Curated OER
Sea State
Students explain the process of wave formation and analyze the relationship between the ocean and the atmosphere. In this oceans lesson students use buoys to cast real time sea state conditions.
Curated OER
Tsunami Simulation Experiment
Pupils examine an article about tsunami warning systems and discuss why they are important. They conduct an experiment that shows how the velocity of a wave in water changes with the depth.
Curated OER
Coral Bleaching
High schoolers examine the relationship between corals and zooxanthellae, identify stresses to corals, and explain coral bleaching. In this sea life lesson students predict the effects of increased temperatures on coral reefs.