Hold the sea in the palm of your hand! Amateur oceanographers work together to create models of an ocean ecosystem in the sixth and final installment in a series. Raise awareness of global ocean health issues through guided research,...

Students investigate marine life by researching aquatic organisms on the Internet. In this oceanography lesson, students monitor algae and animals of the ocean by identifying their population and habitat on data sheet ID cards. Students...

Students participate in a demonstration in which they role-play polar bears and habitat components to demonstrate the impacts of climate change on the Arctic Ocean ecosystem.

Students interpret and name the vocabulary termed acted out by the mime. In this science/language arts/physical education activity, students are given a set of vocabulary terms to discuss within their group. Next, students place all...

Students explore the food chains in a variety of ecosystems and its relationship to the survival of threatened or endangered marine animals or fish in the ocean. The interdependence of the species is investigated in this lesson.

Young scholars research and report on the ocean's problems of disappearing or diminishing species around the world. students examine ecosystems and food chains and present their findings to a mock panel of science experts.

Musical chairs may be a classic game, but Ruffe Musical Chairs is a unique lesson on invasive species! Using the time-honored game, pupils role play the behaviors of the invasive fish called Eurasian ruffe. Learning about this aggressive...

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill directly impacted an area of the Gulf of Mexico the size of Oklahoma. A marine biology lesson looks at the impact of an oil spill on the deeper parts of the ocean. Scholars download actual data collected...

A benthic habitat hosts a vast collection of organisms and its structure influences the biodiversity. Middle-school marine biology explorers will discuss how corals impact structure, and therefore diversity, on the ocean floor. They draw...

What fishing method is the most sustainable? Find out through a fun, but meaningful game in which your little fishermen use different techniques to see what they catch. After the fishing activity is over, there are several discussion...

Students discover the wonders of coral reefs while listening to a book about them. In a Reading Rainbow video activity, they simulate a dive, check equipment and explore a reef. Role-playing as marine biologists, students uncover...

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...

In spring, the Bering Sea turns green due to phytoplankton, which live at the surface, experiencing a population explosion. Groups of scholars play a food chain game, writing down food chains as the game is played. After five to six...

Students play game simulating route turtle hatchlings take from clutch to ocean, and describe threats hatchlings face and how this affects the marine turtle population.

Students explore the coral reef. In this food chain lesson, students study the plants and animals of the coral reef and how they each play a role in that ecosystem. They participate in a class play to demonstrate the types of animals in...

Students explore biology by creating a report for the class. In this oceanography lesson, students research and identify the survival characteristics of a list of freshwater animals by utilizing the Internet and library. Students...

Learners explore fish anatomy. In this fish anatomy and adaptation instructional activity, students define and identify the location of fish body parts. Learners add these parts of a fish's anatomy to a life-sized fish costume worn by a...

Students build a model of an estuary. In this wetland lesson, students build a model estuary with a paint tray and modeling clay. They use the model to illustrate the impact of non-point pollution on the watershed.

Students examine the components of a sonar system. In this physical science lesson plan students explain how multibeam and sidescan sonar systems are useful to ocean explorers.  Students simulate sonar operations in an activity...

How can a robot measure the length of something when we don't know how far the camera is from the object? The lesson explains the concept of perspective and many others. Scholars apply this knowledge to judge the length of fish and the...

Six different lessons comprise this unit on marine debris. Science, language arts, social studies, and art projects make this an ideal interdisciplinary unit. The result will be well-informed future citizens who can help make a...

Coral Reefs are the focus of a life science lesson plan. Upper graders look at how coral reefs are formed, how the animals and plants reproduce, and the variety of ways that humans benefit from coral reefs around the world. Groups of...

Using photographs and a coral reef identification key, junior marine biologists compare changes in coral cover for a No-Take Area and the surrounding unprotected area. The data that is collected is then analyzed for richness,...

Students investigate the affect of non-native species on Pacific Salmon. In this non-native species and Pacific Salmon lesson, students participate in a competition and habitat loss game. They play the game in groups, while answering...