California Academy of Science
Coral Reef Habitat Match
Different animals live in different habitats, and each animal has specifically adaptive traits that make them tailor-made for their environments. This is true on land and in the ocean. Little ones examine how various marine animals have...
Curated OER
Fragile Reefs
Learners research how coral reefs form, where they are located, and what plant and animal species find shelter in reefs, build and display diorama to represent coral and animals that live in coral reef, and participate in discussion...
Curated OER
How do living and non-living structures affect coral reef habitats?
Students create model coral reefs showing surface area and including examples of communities. In this coral reef lesson, students research and explore the functions or benefits from a coral reef. Students design a benthic habitat....
Curated OER
Marine & Aquatic Habitats Activities - Creatures in the Coral
Students describe unique adaptations of organisms that live in the coral reef habitat, read various books pertaining to coral reefs and ocean life, and construct a wheel demonstrating the relationships between certain coral reef...
Curated OER
Who Has the Data? Monitoring Coral Reefs
High schoolers access data to characterize coral reefs. For this scientific research lesson, students access data and explain the need for such data when monitoring coral reefs. They will identify and explain three major threats to coral...
Curated OER
Coral Reefs
Students research coral reefs and identify their benefits to humans, threats to the reef, how to reduce and eliminate threats, and more. In this coral reef lesson plan, students research the reefs, and take a field trip to an aquarium.
Curated OER
Monitoring Coral Reefs
Students investigate data on coral reef monitoring in a marine protected area in the Florida keys. In this coral reef lesson plan, students use online data from a marine protected coral reef to complete a worksheet about coral...
Curated OER
Oceans-Coral Reefs
Second graders investigate coral reefs. In this oceanology lesson, 2nd graders discuss what constitutes a coral reef and the wildlife that lives there. Students watch a video about coral reefs and take an online quiz.
Curated OER
What's Down There?
Investigate the coral reefs around Mokolai Island, Hawaii by researching and writing about improving the reef ecosystem. High schoolers map threats to the ecosystem and use the list of key words to assist in their descriptions
NOAA
Deep-Sea Ecosystems – Cool Corals
Young oceanographers research deep sea corals that thrive on chemosynthesis. The lesson focuses on the biology of the animal, preferred habitat, associations, and interactions.
Curated OER
Design a Reef!
Students design a functional model of a coral reef ecosystem. In this coral reef lesson plan, students identify the energy sources and material cycles of a coral reef. They write an essay about their niche in their own ecosystem.
Curated OER
Coral Reefs
Students research an inhabitant of a Caribbean coral reef using a list of common organisms that live on or near it. Students then write a description of their organism and draw a picture or a 3-D model of it. Eventually they all work...
Curated OER
Comparing Habitats: Ocean and Rainforest
In this habitat worksheet, students will draw a Venn diagram and compare a rainforest habitat with a coral reef habitat. Students will follow step by step directions to complete the activity.
Curated OER
Easy as Pi
Students describe the importance of structural features that increase surface area in a coral reef habitat. In this investigative activity students quantify the impact of modifications on surface area in model habitats.
Curated OER
Blue Planet: Coral Seas
Young scholars create a poster about coral reefs. In this oceanography lesson, students teach the class about a given aspect of the coral reefs. Young scholars create posters with images and facts about this habitat.
Curated OER
What's Down There
Young scholars write an essay about the coral reefs. In this oceanography lesson, students investigate the reef of Bonaire and compare it to reefs that are not thriving. Young scholars then explore the differences that contribute to...
Curated OER
Rainforests of the Sea
In this ecology worksheet, students read and study about coral reefs using online resources to complete 8 short answer questions. They watch a video related to the topic.
American Museum of Natural History
Cuban Wildlife Matching Game
Young biologists match Cuban wildlife to their ecosystems by dragging images of the creatures to either a forest, coral reef, cave, or wetland habitat.
Curated OER
Into the Sea
Students display an awareness of the diversity of species in the coral reef, their habitat and adaptations. They conduct research to find and then color code the locations of coral reefs around the world.
Curated OER
Guess Who? Coral
Fourth graders identify and group coral formations. For this coral identification lesson, 4th graders examine coral pictures, discuss vocabulary, and provide similarities and differences in the growth formations.
Curated OER
Coral Reefs Endangered
Young scholars research where in the world coral reefs are located. In this ecology lesson, students create food chains and food web. They simulate growing coral reefs to understand their characteristics better.
Curated OER
Make an Edible Coral Reef
Students create an edible coral reef out of food and candy. In this Science lesson, students explore what a coral reef is and the coral reef's importance to the ecosystem. Additionally, students discover the different parts of a coral...
Curated OER
Exploring Life in the Coral Reef
Students study life forms in coral reefs. In this ocean life lesson plan, students study life in coral reefs as they create a coral reef sculpture.
Curated OER
Coral Bleaching
Students examine the relationship between corals and zooxanthellae, identify stresses to corals, and explain coral bleaching. In this sea life instructional activity students predict the effects of increased temperatures on coral reefs.