Curated OER
Animals of the Fire Ice
Students study ice worms and describe how they interact with other species. In this methane hydrate instructional activity students study ice worms and hydrate shrimp to learn their behavior and can participate in an optional activity.
Curated OER
What's the Big Deal?
Students explore and define methane hydrates and describe ways that it can impact their own lives. In this methane hydrate lesson students create a molecular model and research methane hydrate.
Curated OER
Giants of the Protozoa
Students describe and define xenophyophores. In this protozoa lesson students divide into groups and complete a lab activity.
NOAA
What's the Big Deal?
Who knew that a possible answer to Earth's energy resource problems was lurking deep beneath the ocean's surface? Part four of a six-part series introduces Earth Science pupils to methane hydrate, a waste product of methanogens. After...
NOAA
Methane Hydrates – What's the Big Deal?
Have you ever tried to light ice on fire? With methane hydrate, you can do exactly that. The ice forms with methane inside so it looks like ice, but is able to burn. The lesson uses group research and a hands-on activity to help scholars...
NOAA
Importance of Deep-Sea Ecosystems – How Diverse is That?
When judging diversity of an ecosystem, both species evenness and species richness must contribute. After a discussion of diversity and a guided example using the Shannon-Weaver function, scholars use the same function on two other...
NOAA
Animals of the Fire Ice
When the sun's rays can't reach the producers in a food web, where does all the energy come from? Extreme environments call for extreme food sources. Young scientists investigate creatures that appear to get their energy from methane...
Curated OER
How Diverse is That?
After reviewing biodiversity, learners work in small groups to analyze actual species distribution data. They learn to calculate the Shannon-Weaver diversity index for different communities. Though not particularly engaging, the content...
Curated OER
The Big Burp: Where's the Proof?
Students research the evidence for prehistorically formed methane hydrates contributing to global warming. In this climate change lesson plan, students work in groups to research methane hydrates, global warming, The Cambrian Explosion,...
Curated OER
Animals of the Fire Ice
Students examine ocean life by identifying methane hydrates. In this ocean life lesson, students research organisms that live in the coldest, deepest parts of the ocean and live off methane hydrates. Students create a group...
Curated OER
How Diverse is That?
Students discuss biological diversity in ocean communities. In this diversity activity, students examine the variety of organisms compared to relative abundance. They will write an analysis and discuss their findings with the class.
Curated OER
The Big Burp:A Bad Day in the Paleocene
Students describe the overall events that occurred during the Paleocene extinction event as well as the processes that are believed to result in global warming after group research. They infer how a global warming event could have...
Curated OER
How Diverse is That?
Students study the concepts of "variety" and "relative abundance" as they relate to biological diversity. In this life science lesson plan students calculate numbers that describe the biological diversity in certain communities.
Curated OER
The Big Burp: Where's the Proof.
Students explore the Cambrian explosion and Paleocene extinction events. In this climate change lesson, students read articles to link evidence they find to extinction and climate change. Links to the articles are included in the lesson.
Curated OER
What's the Big Deal?
Learners define terms and describe where they are found and formed. In this methane lesson plan students complete an activity and describe ways in which methane hydrates impact our lives.
Curated OER
This Life Stinks
Students study cold seeps and see how organisms obtain energy from methane. In this sinkholes activity students examine the relevance of chemosynthesis to communities.
Curated OER
This Life Stinks!
Students explore the process of chemosynthesis and contrast this process with photosynthesis. They consider the relevance of chemosynthesis to biological communities in the vicinity of cold seeps.