Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Monitoring Life In The Rocky Intertidal Ecosystem

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Climate Change Challenge

For Teachers 4th - 9th
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.
Lesson Plan
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NOAA

Technology II

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Visual Vocabulary

For Teachers 4th - 6th
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...
Lesson Plan
Polar Trec

Bering Sea Fabulous Food Chain Game

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fisheries

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Coral Reefs: Gardens Under the Sea

For Teachers 1st - 5th
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...
Lesson Plan
Michigan Sea Grant

Survival Game

For Teachers 4th - 8th
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...
Lesson Plan
Ocean Explorer

Architects of the Coral Reef

For Teachers 5th - 6th
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...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Academy Seafood Market and Fishery

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Coral Reef Community

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hawaii's Freshwater Animals - Species Report

For Teachers 4th - 5th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fish Fashion 101

For Teachers K - 2nd
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Group Foraging

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students explore co-operation by researching ocean life. In this fish science lesson, students identify many vocabulary terms associated with oceanography and discuss what group foraging means among fish. Students utilize paints and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

All Hands on Deck: A Harbor Education Program

For Teachers 5th - 12th
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sound Pictures

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Turning the Tide on Trash: Marine Debris Curriculum

For Teachers 5th - 8th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oil Slick Emergency

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine how to recover and remove oil from an oil spill.  In this oil spill clean-up instructional activity students use role play and act like a committee to determine how to clean up an oil spill.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Difficult Decisions: The Sakinaw Sockeye Case Study

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine Sakinaw Sockeye as species at risk, participate in role playing exercise to consider different perspectives of various interest groups, and try to come to consensus on how to deal with dwindling Sakinaw sockeye...