Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sand Explorations

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students experiment with different samples of sand from Maui leeward and windward beaches. They create a sand map to suggest at least one contributing factor for the formation of each beach sample. They test the samples to determine...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding Oceans

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate how ocean currents affect our world. In this ocean currents lesson, students perform an experiment to show how cold water is near the poles and warm water is near the equator. Students use water, food coloring,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Nature Superfish

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars study the behavior or ocean animals called  billfish. In this life science lesson, students create their own documentary about a local animal. They share their videos with the entire school.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Longshore Current

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners are posted at the beginning and end of a 10-meter long line parallel to the ocean and are instructed to look straight ahead towards the water. The student at the beginning of the line uses a stopwatch, goes to the water's edge...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Online Information: Fact or Fiction

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Discuss ways to determine if the information middle and high schoolers gather online is accurate. Using the Internet, they cite two sources that show conflicting points of view on a subtopic of conservation. They summarize and analyze...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Designing an Underwater Habitat for Humans

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students consider the limitations of deep water oceanography and design an underwater habitat to support scientists while they complete long term studies under the ocean. In this engineering lesson, students are introduced to the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Salmon and the Non-Native Species

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students investigate the affect of non-native species on Pacific Salmon. In this non-native species and Pacific Salmon lesson, students participate in a competition and habitat loss game. They play the game in groups, while answering...
Lesson Plan
Discovery Education

Sonar & Echolocation

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
A well-designed, comprehensive, and attractive slide show supports direct instruction on how sonar and echolocation work. Contained within the slides are links to interactive websites and instructions for using apps on a mobile device to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ocean Market

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students research how: The ocean is the source of many materials, from ores mined from its depths to relaxing mineral salts for a bath. Exquisite mother-of-pearl inlay, decorative shells, and pearl jewelry are found in gift shops...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Survival in the Open Ocean

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students examine how scientists conduct pelagic research and identify pelagic predators as they study the open-ocean ecosystem. They discuss and conduct small group research of this environment in order to produce a presentation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

World Oceans

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
In this geography worksheet, young scholars list the five oceans and write the names of the different sea life found in each ocean. Students choose from a list of different ocean animals.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ocean Planet: Pollution Solution

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore the concept of environmental stewardship. In this science lesson, students investigate the impact of oil spills as they discuss historical spills. Students use problem solving skills to brainstorm clean-up methods.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where's the Oxygen?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers study seawater and how temperature and salinity influence it.  In this oxygen lesson students complete a lab activity on dissolved oxygen. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ocean Exploration: How Doea you Data Grow? (Grades 7-8)

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students explore fieldwork.  In this seventh or eighth grade mathematics lesson, students watch a video on data collection in the field.  Students use fieldwork to gather data about their school environment. ...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Species on the Edge

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students examine sea turtles. In this endangered species lesson plan, students analyze sea turtle habitats. Students hypothesize why sea turtles could go extinct.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring the National Marine Sanctuaries: A Lesson in Habitats and Human Impacts

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the marine sanctuaries in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. They discover the interdependence of all living things and work together in groups to create a poster about what they have discovered during the lesson. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Environments of Big Sur -- Which Do We Protect?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the geological, climatic, and biological features of Big Sur. They watch a video, conduct Internet research, and create a script and images in the form of an outline in a simulation of an environmental group.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Eyes on the Estuaries

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study estuaries and compare several ones in the U.S. In this estuary activity students interpret data and compare the distribution of different species. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oceans

For Teachers K
Students become aware of the differences between ocean water and lake water by smelling, tasting and seeing. They distinguish between land and bodies of water on a globe and gain increased awareness of oceans and life.
Lesson Plan
Michigan Sea Grant

Great Lakes, Great Careers

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Pupils play a question-asking game to investigate careers relating to marine and aquatic science, then conduct research to further investigate the career of their choice—examples range from marine veterinarian to underwater...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sunken Slave Ship

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oceans and Coasts

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Students explore the topic of marine pollution. They define key vocabulary words, list examples of marine pollution, complete a true/false handout, read an article, and participate in a class discussion.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Layering and Circulation

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students examine relationships and interactions between different types of water. They experiment with colored water of different temperature and salinity and discuss how the results relate to real ocean currents.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Monitoring Estuarine Water Quality

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars analyze water quality data from real data. In this environmental science lesson, students examine how salinity and dissolved oxygen affect the living organisms in the estuary. They interpret graphs to support or disprove a...