National Wildlife Federation
Ghost Town
Around 93 percent of the reefs on Australia's Great Barrier Reef have been bleached, and almost one quarter of them are now dead. Scholars research the sea temperatures, especially around the areas with coral reefs, to make connections...
Discovery Education
Sonar & Echolocation
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...
Curated OER
9th Grade
Ninth graders discuss the principal source of energy entering the marine ecosystem. They name some of the autotrophs at the Maui Ocean Center. Students name some of the heterotrophs at Maui Ocean Center. They are taught that plants are...
Curated OER
Wildlife
The centerpiece of this lesson plan is a predator-prey simulation in which colored paperclips represent different species of animals camouflaged against a colored background. Relevant follow-up questions are provided. The activity is...
Curated OER
Top to Bottom
Marine science classes read about the 2005 North Atlantic Stepping Stones Expedition and review climate change. They use maps to locate the seamount chains. In collaborative groups, they research how climate change may be altering the...
Curated OER
Iron Fertilization - Pumping Iron
The theory that adding iron to ocean water may increase phytoplankton ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is examined. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute is monitoring conditions off the California coast to...
Curated OER
Friend, Foe, or . . .
As a result of this instructional activity, upper elementary ocean explorers will be able to describe several interrelationships: symbiosis, mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. They learn that the biological richness is increased...
Curated OER
What's That?
Meant to be a simulation of a deep-sea exploration, this requires that another instructional activity be completed first. In that instructional activity, titled "Animals of the Lost City," marine biology buffs construct murals of benthic...
Curated OER
Follow Your Dreams: Career Goals
It is so important for impending high school graduates to start thinking about their potential careers. Here, they discuss the persistence of Blondie Hasler and his impressive transatlantic trip. They follow various routes on a map and...
Curated OER
Entering The Twilight Zone
For this lesson sixth grade students get into groups and research a given ocean habitat. The major features of cold-seep communities are the objective but plenty information is given about other habitats which could be assigned to...
Curated OER
See Turtles Nest! See Turtles Hatch!
Young scholars graph data of sea turtles hatching rates from Watamu/Malindi Marine National Park and Reserve in Kenya. In this math lesson, students use real life science data to calculate mean and median values. Young...
Curated OER
Whale Migration - The Long Journey
Marine biology learners examine right whale sighting data from the WhaleNet website. They plot the data on a map and write down the number of adults and calves spotted. Questions accompany the data analysis activity, making this a...
Curated OER
The Eyes Have It!
Reading essays about deep-sea expeditions open this lesson on crustacean vision. Marine biology explorers study the compound eye and then complete a worksheet in response to all they have discovered. Although the lesson doesn't offer an...
Curated OER
It's Going to Blow Up!
Get your ocean explorers online, reading articles about submarine volcanoes. They answer a series of questions and take a geometery challenge in which they calculate how much of a volcano has been blown away. Make sure to explore several...
Curated OER
Tide Pool Discovery
First graders visit the Discovery Pool, where they use their senses to investigate the different tide pool species. They touch different species. Students describe how each one feels, and what they look like in words. They draw the...
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
March of the Polar Bears: Global Change, Sea Ice, and Wildlife Migration
Students study global change and how these changes impact wildlife. In this polar bears lesson plan students analyze maps and data to understand climate change.
Curated OER
The Coriolis Effect
Students will determine the direction of Earth's rotation as viewed from the north and south if they were suspended out in space. They will model how the rotation of the Earth causes currents to be deflected in different directions for...
Curated OER
Bycatch
Bycatch is the unwanted and discarded marine life caught during commercial fishing. Young marine scientists review bycatch litigation and analyze graphs of bycatch data and answer questions about it. This raises awareness while...
Curated OER
Galapagos - Discover the Diversity
Pretend you are exploring a newly discovered species of fish in the Galapagos. Your budding marine biologists access FishBase Database's list of marine/brackish fishes and choose one to research. The link through this website does not...
Curated OER
Strange Bugs
As individuals or in small groups, marine biologists research and discuss archaea and their unusual behavior as compared to bacteria. Teach them about the chemical makeup of the cell membrane of these strange organisms. This complex...
Curated OER
For the Fun of It
Students view pictures of Amelia Earhart and discuss the social and historical context of her life. They read excerpts of Earhart's autobiography "The Fun of It" and analyze her purpose in writing it.
National Geographic
Eat an Alien Invader
If you are looking for a lesson about invasive species to ocean habitats, you have arrived! Introduce the concept to learners and have them read an article about marine invasive species. Vocabulary, relevant web links, and a cute...
Curated OER
Mammals of the Deep Blue
Third graders study ocean mammals. They explore various websites and databases to answer questions and record answers about whales and dolphins. Finally they use the information obtained to write a report about them.