Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Deep Gardens

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students compare and contrast deep-sea coral reefs with shallow-water coral reefs. In this underwater ecology lesson, students describe three types of coral and explain why scientists are concerned about the future of deep-sea coral.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Habitats and Deep Sea Environments

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students examine and identify the characteristics of the four zones of the ocean. They discover the amount of diversity in marine habitats. They also explore the adaptations organisms have that have allowed them to survive.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Can We Help?

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore ocean animals and their environments. In this environmental stewardship instructional activity, students read a story and discuss the environmental needs of animals. Students think of ways to help clean up the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Food Web Mystery

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students describe typical marine food webs, and explain why food is generally scarce in the deep-ocean environment. They discuss reasons that seamounts may support a higher density of biological organisms than would appear to be possible.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Was for Dinner?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine energy obtaining strategies that are used by organisms in deep reef communities.  In this ocean lesson students complete an isotope activity. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

To See or Not to See

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars identify and discuss key factors that determine how effective color camouflage is in certain habitats.  For this investigative lesson students divide into groups and study light. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fish Are Animals Too

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students create posters that show how a shark is a major predator in kelp forests and coral reefs after studying the food webs for these ecosystems. They determine that fish are important animals in the ocean's web of life.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mazes

For Teachers 7th - 8th
In this mazes worksheet, learners configure the most efficient way to help a marine iguana through a maze find some rock weed to browse on.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fisheries And Songs

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students view examples of songs that have the ocean and its life as their themes. After hearing and reading them, students write their own, having done research on the social and political issues of the ocean's environment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oceanography

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders define new vocabulary associated with oceanography. They locate and label the four oceans. They also identify features of the ocean floor.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecosystem Interactions Web

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students pick an ecosystem (forest, desert, coral reef, open ocean, grassland, mountain, savanna, etc.) and design an interaction web for their chosen ecosystem. Each group shares their ecosystem's web of life with the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Big Fleas Have Little Fleas!

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Young scholars study seamounts and learn the importance of structures to species. In this ocean explorer lesson, students participate in an activity that teaches them how to modify a seamount so that they are more suitable for...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spineless - YES... Helpless - NO!

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students distinguish between invertebrate and vertebrate organisms while examining the zoological classes of a number of invertebrates. They illustrate a food web of these organisms and investigate the impact of humans on the oceanic...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Starfish Project

For Teachers 1st - 8th
Students discuss ocean waters, tides, tide pools and the animals which live in the tide pools. They practice the push and pull method with a chink of clay to create a starfish from clay. They apply texture and decorate the starfish...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Awareness OF Self And Others

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students engage in a lesson plan that attempts to convey information about self and others. The lesson plan teaches them about diversity and attempts to heighten the awareness of respecting it. They become engaged in the lesson plan with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Winds Go Spinning Around

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students simulate the Coriolis Effect to comprehend why winds in the Westerlies are prone to cyclonic and anti-cyclonic motion. They arrive at an explanation of processes that drive world wind patterns
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wildlife

For Teachers 5th - 7th
First, biology pupils research land and marine habitats along the route of skipper Rich Wilson's Great American II. Then, using colored paper clips scattered across a colored paper background, they play the predator-prey game to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cut-off Genes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Investigate the relationships between different deep-sea organisms by DNA sequencing. A worksheet provides instructions for DNA sequencing and space to work. They simulate gel electrophoresis by cutting out paper "DNA strands."...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fish and zooplankton habitat through remote sensing

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers are exposed to the variety of ways in which scientist use remote sensing and it used in everyday life. They investigate about zooplankton and fish. Students list the two important groups of organisms in both aquatic and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where's Dinner?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Upcoming marine biologists consider a list of organisms residing near the Lost City hydrothermal vents and construct a food web. They compare the food web to that of a cold seep community, of which they should have previous knowledge....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Liquid Rainbow

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students develop their own techniques for drawing a small sample of solutions into a straw. They hypothesize ways to increase the density of water, and discuss how salt-free rainwater tends to float on top of salty seawater.
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Banishing Bycatch

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Bycatch is a sad reality for many sea turtles, dolphins, and sharks; it occurs when they get unintentionally caught in commercial fishing nets. The class plays a game using popcorn and crackers, each child will attempt to catch the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fish and Zooplankton Through Remote Sensing

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Ecology aces examine sea surface temperature maps and relate temperatures to concentration in fish and zooplankton populations. Take your class to a computer lab and provide experience with actual remote sensing data. Some of the links...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sinking Races

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students build plankton models and compete to see which sinks most slowly. They write, or orally present ,the adaptations they incorporated to slow the sinking rate of their organisms. Race results can be grounds for some prizes!