Michigan Sea Grant
Survival Game
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...
Curated OER
How Cultures Differ-Two Different Perspectives on the Same Event
Young scholars examine the author's running race from two different cultural perspectives to see just how different the effects of culture can be. They practice thinking about an issue from different perspectives and create a script...
Curated OER
Ocean Zones
Students create a mural showing ocean zones and the diversity of ocean life. They use reference books to create a list of plants and animals that would live in each zone.
Curated OER
Ocean Currents
Fourth graders work in groups to research ocean currents and create posters with their findings. They locate the patterns and names of major ocean currents and identify them on a map. Students also use red pencil to show ocean currents...
Curated OER
The Salt Water Connection
Students explore the hydrological cycle and oceans. They determine the factors that influence the Pacific Ocean. Students research an organism found in Monterey Bay. They describe the organism's biome and ecological factors that...
Curated OER
The Ridge Exploring Robot
Young scholars study about an autonomous underwater vehicle and explain the strategies that it uses to locate and map hydrothermal vents. For this marine navigation lesson students design a program for an AUV survey.
Curated OER
Fish Collages
Young scholars discuss sea life and what lives in the ocean. They examine patterns, and create fish collages using ripped construction paper.
Curated OER
Ocean Life
Students examine the fossil remains of ancient sea creatures. They create casts of fossils and identify how sea fossils are formed and consider what type of information fossils can give to scientists.
Curated OER
Ecology And the Conservation of Natural Resources
Students study Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift and how the continents were connected in one large land mass called Pangaea. They examine plate tectonics and the theory that the earth's surface is composed of large moving...
Curated OER
Gray Whales on the Move
Students study whale migration and their natural history. In this migration lesson students plot whale migration on a map and describe their ecosystems.
Curated OER
The Inside Current
Eighth graders explore ocean currents and wind patterns. They discover the concept of systems to show how change in one component of a body of water, causes change in other components in that system. Students describe positive and...
Curated OER
Tracking Ocean Ecology
Students look at the data maps given to them about how chlorophyll affects the algae blooms and make predictions about the harm they will cause. In this data maps lesson plan, students manipulate data sets from the website.
Curated OER
Sharks ~ Taking a Bite Out of the Myth
The first thing to know about this lesson is that the commercial fisheries data for the activity no longer seems to be available. That being said, there are fascinating links to other websites, some about the comparative odds of being...
Bridge
Mercury - Mercury is Rising
Hold a discussion in your class about the increase in mercury being found in fish that are caught commercially as food for humans. Given a worksheet, learners then calculate how much fish a person can safely eat each month to remain...
Curated OER
Searching for Meanings Beneath the Surface of the Poem
Young scholars analyze poetry. In this cultural perspectives lesson, students read the poem "Soccer Until Dusk" by Mark Brazaitis. Young scholars analyze the poem and consider the cultural perspective it reveals.
Virginia Department of Education
Succession
The final instructional activity in a two-part series prompts scholars to create newspaper articles and succession events. Applying their knowledge of the ecosystem and the past examples of succession, they predict what will happen...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Can We Absorb Nanoparticle Pollutants?
Just because we can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there! A growing concern for environmental scientists is toxic nanoparticles in our air and water. Young scholars conduct an experiment to demonstrate how these particles can cross our...
Florida International University
Design Your Own
Apply scientific principles to designing an experiment to study organisms living on the coral reef in our oceans. Through reading, individuals learn about the coral reef ecosystem and important factors that affect its function....
Curated OER
Trash Traits: Marine Debris, Litter, Ecology, Oceans
Students perform experiments to examine whether trash can float, blow around, or wash away. The effects of these characteristics on the presence of marine debris in the environment are then discussed.
Curated OER
Sea Connections: Marine Ecosystems
Students identify producers and consumers from marine ecosystems and describe the balance among them in the environments. After constructing a food chain from a marine ecosystem, they examine human activities that can upset the balance...
Curated OER
Exploring the Beach
Students explore the beach. In this marine habitat lesson, students inspect sand grains, design beach profiles, classify marine life, and examine natural beach habitats. Students use spreadsheets to record data from their activities at a...
Curated OER
A World in a Grain of Sand
Young scholars go exploring Britain's beaches. In this geography lesson, students visit selected websites to learn about specific beach habitats and the history of cleaning those beaches.
Curated OER
Life in Extreme Environments
Students compare and contrast local environments with the extreme environment of the Dry Valleys, Antarctica. Students explore and gain knowledge of the adaptations organisms use to survive extreme conditions and the diverse conditions...
Curated OER
The Ocean: A Watery World
Pupils discuss the proper clothing for the season. They make wind chimes to use as an indicator of movement of the air and observe and identify the various cloud formations. They determine the basic rules of storm safety and discuss...