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Deep Blue Sea
Elementary schoolers identify the ocean floor in a geological sense. They create a presentation that highlights the key features of the ocean floor. This terrific lesson plan has excellent streaming video segments embedded in it, and the...
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Ping!
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...
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Coasts and Reefs: Shallow Marine Processes
A more thorough presentation on coastal systems would be difficult to find! Detailed diagrams illuminate the offshore, shoreface, foreshore, and backshore zones of beach. The sources and movement of sediments along the coastline are...
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Glacier Bay Pacific Halibut
The National Park Service has produced a high-quality presentation on the halibut population of Glacier Bay, Alaska. It takes the viewpoint of the marine biologists or rather, ichthyologists, who have been studying the adaptations,...
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Oceanography Worksheet #1
If you are teaching physical oceanography to middle school earth scientists, here is a terrific multiple choice worksheet. Learners look at a diagram of a landscape created by glacial sediment deposition and the resulting ocean floor....
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Animals of the Lost City
Begin with a demonstration of exothermic reactions and discussion of chemosynthesis. Your aspiring oceanographers research vent communities and then craft a mural of a vent community. This is a terrific method of introducing learners to...
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Mystery of the Megaplume
Read through the extensive background information and then lead your geology or physical oceanography class through an investigation of actual temperature anomaly data from the Juan de Fuca ridge. They translate the data onto a plot,...
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Science Jeopardy
Water, currents, waves, salt marshes, and The Chesapeake Bay make up the categories for this Jeopardy-style game. In terms of functionality, it works well. However, it is unlikely that you focus on the Chesapeake Bay as part of your...
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The Ocean Floor
Practice reading comprehension by approaching oceanography through 2 pages of informational text. The text compares the ocean floor to the Grand Canyon to gives students perspective, and gives a brief coverage of the earth's crust and...
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Exploring The Depths!
Fifth graders make a model of the ocean floor. In this ocean characteristics lesson, 5th graders complete a KWL chart about the ocean floor, use the Ocean Depth Data Sheet to create a graph, and create a 3-D model of the ocean floor.
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Sunken Slave Ship
Students investigate shipwrecks. In this marine archaeology lesson, students create the site of a shipwreck by using a tub filled with sand and items from a "ship". Students excavate the site and analyze the findings.
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Modeling Sea-floor Spreading
In this ocean floor modeling worksheet, students answer 6 questions about structures on a model showing sea-floor spreading. Students describe sea-floor spreading after answering the questions in order demonstrate an understanding of...
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Seeing What You Cannot See--RADAR
Student imitate mapping the ocean floor using the basic concepts of radar. Then they explain what radar is and how it workds. All of their measurements are recorded on a data sheet. Then the data is entered into a spreadsheet program. A...
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Ocean Floor Model
Students construct a simulated model of the ocean floor in a shoe box. They determine that the floor of the ocean is composed of hills, plains, ridges, trenches, and sea mounts. They draw out a plan for their ocean floor which includes...
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The Galapagos Spreading Center
Students explore the basic concept of seafloor spreading. They describe the processes involved in creating new seafloor at a mid-ocean ridge. They investigate the Galapagos Spreading Center system.
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Ocean Observation
Students describe the different methods used by MBARI researchers to study the ocean. In this ocean lesson plan students research the Internet and use the information they find to write in their journal.
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Oceans Socratic Questioning
High schoolers participate in a whole class discussion of ocean-floor structures and plate tectonics. They respond to prompts in a structured sequence that lead them to conclusions about the role of plate tectonics in the creation of...
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The Ocean Floor
Fifth graders discuss the process of sedimentation and the continental drift theory. They locate major structures on the ocean floor and they identify life forms at each level of the ocean.
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The Ocean Floor - Science
Learners draw a quick plan of an ocean floor as seen from the side; including the edge of a continent, a continental shelf, a continental slope, a basin, a trench, and a range. They require their definitions to do this.
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Graphing: Ocean Floor
Students graph the ocean floor using given data. In this earth science lesson, students label different oceanic features on the map. They answer questions at the end of the lab.
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What's Left to Explore-Space and the Ocean Floor
Students describe unique exploration studies of the ocean floor and space. They utilize research skills and write summaries of research studies using the Internet. Students answer a variety of questions over their research findings.
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Yo-Yos, Tow-Yos and pH, Oh My!
Pupils explore how hydrothermal vents are formed and where they are located on the ocean floor. They study how scientists use CTDs to locate hydrothermal vents.