University of California
Plankton
Plankton: so much more than just a SpongeBob character. Three different activities have kids looking at both phytoplankton and zooplankton in pictures, as well as collecting their own samples (depending on your access to a saltwater...
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Science Lesson #2
Fourth graders explore and experiment with objects that float to see if they float differently in salt water or fresh water. After the experiment, they write a paragraph in their science journal explaining how fresh water and ocean water...
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New Jersey Estuaries
Students experiment to discover that salt water is denser than fresh water by creating color coded solutions. They examine how heavy rainstorms and high tides develop layers of different degrees of density.
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Jeannette
Students develop hypothesis about what might happen when salt water is frozen. In groups, they freeze ice samples with different salt concentrations. They use the internet to research the situation of the Jeannette to discover their...
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Salt Water vs. Fresh Water
Students explore why the oceans do not freeze. They explain why they think the Atlantic Ocean does not freeze. Students are given background information about what they are doing. They create a hypothesis about what they believe...
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Earth Water Distribution and Water Consumption
Students explore the need for conserving fresh water and understand that it is a limited supply. In this water consumption lesson students participate in an activity and answer questions.
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Our Important Wetlands and Uplands
Students define wetlands. They list the benefits wetlans provide to man and nature. They compare types of wetlands that exist in northeast or east-central Florida. They list ways uplands affect wetlands and other water bodies.
Centers for Ocean Sciences
Ocean and Great Lakes Literacy: Principle 1
Is your current lesson plan for salt and freshwater literacy leaving you high and dry? If so, dive into part one of a seven-part series that explores the physical features of Earth's salt and freshwater sources. Junior hydrologists...
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Where's My Mummy: Preservation Techniques
To observe preservation techniques firsthand, learners dry a flower in sand and compare cucumber slices soaked in salt water for a week with slices left out to dry in the open air. Video resources (not attached) include one about mummies...
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What is an Estuary?
Students define the terms estuary and watershed. They conduct an experiment to determine the density differences between fresh and saltwater. They examine the salinity distribution of the Peconic Bay Estuary.
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Sink or Float?
Pupils predict and explore to discover which objects sink or float in fresh and salt water, predict how salt affect objects, write predictions on T chart, discuss difference between man-made and natural waters, and graph results.
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Aquatic Organisms
Students create a poster describing the five characteristics of a salt water organism compared to a fresh water organism.
Centers for Ocean Sciences
Ocean and Great Lakes Literacy: Principle 7
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to take your class on an underwater adventure. The final installment in a seven-part series involving salt and freshwater bodies takes junior oceanographers below the surface in...
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Aquatic Communities
Students watch a video about aquatic communities. They conduct an experiment that shows how movement of rivers change the landscape. They compare fresh and salt water communities and its wildlife.
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The Weight of Water
Students examine how salt water is more dense than fresh water through experimentation with eggs.
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A Fish Tale
Students investigate the lives of fish. In this biology lesson plan, students demonstrate how fish cells respond to fresh and salty water, determine the age of a fish and if temperature effects the movement of a fish's operculum (gill...
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A Fish Tale
Students conduct an experiment. In this fish instructional activity, students discover how fish cells respond to fresh and salty water and if temperature effect the movement of a fish's gills. Students also identify the characteristics...
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Out of the Deep
Students observe, describe, and record characteristics of ocean animals (mammals and fish) and sea shells. They conduct an experiment comparing and contrasting sugar water, salt water and fresh water and create a mural of coral reef...
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Modeling Estuaries
Students create a model estuary. In this modeling estuaries lesson plan, students identify characteristics and mix water of varying densities. Students form a hypothesis, conduct an experiment, and analyze the results.
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"Eggs-perimenting" Fun
Young scholars dissolve salt into water, place an egg into a glass of salt water, observe and record observations, make a scientific hypothesis, summarize what they studied from this hands-on experiment. They share their ideas and...
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Bodies of Water
In this writing descriptive sentences worksheet, students describe 13 different bodies of water using the words small, large, fresh, salt, deep, shallow, protected, still, and flowing. Students should include 2 adjectives per sentence.
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A Salty Experiment
Students study salty and fresh waters. In this harbor estuary lesson students complete a lab activity on salinity and describe what happened.
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Layering of Water
Students examine what happens when different types of water meet. In groups, they participate in an activity in which they combine different percentages of salt, fresh and brackish water and record their observations. They let the...
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The Intertidal Zone: Tides and How Creatures Survive
Students study the properties of ocean water and tides and learn about animals that live in intertidal zones. In this intertidal zone lesson, students participate in classroom stations to learn about fresh water and salt water, cold...