Lesson Plan
Curated OER

National Marine Sanctuaries Shipwrecks

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Junior oceanographers access the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Shipwreck Database and plot the locations of several shipwrecks. Shipwrecks are always an enthralling subject and this activity allows your learners to act as...
Lesson Plan
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NOAA

The Biogeochemical Cycle

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The biogeochemical cycle ... no physics? The fourth installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program introduces the biogeochemical cycle by having pupils simulate movement between Earth's...
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

In My Opinion

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Young writers craft letters to the government stating their opinion on different topics. They pick an environmental or ocean issue, research it, and craft their formal persuasive letter. Ensure your learners include supporting facts and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Phytoplankton in the Gulf of Maine

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students use satellite data to see the correlation between sea temperature and sunlight in the Gulf of Maine.  In this phytoplankton instructional activity students use Excel to analyze data. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Coral Bleaching in the Caribbean

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students practice analyzing images, maps and graphs from Internet-based educational resources. They explore the correlation between sea surface temperature and coral bleaching. Students comprehend that coral reefs are collections of tiny...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ozone Hole - Changes in the Stratosphere

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Halting the depletion of the hole in the ozone layer has been one of humanity's happy recoveries from previous damage done to the environment. Meteorology masters muse the Montreal Protocol and examine data on changes in the ozone....
Lesson Plan
University of California

Plankton

For Teachers 4th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Microscopic Water Life

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students use a light microscope to observe the organisms living in a sample of ocean or fresh water. Students create a drawing of the organisms that they observe. Students then discuss the different body plans of the organisms and the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wildlife Variety Show: Biodiversity In Illinois

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders write a short report in first person about any plant or animal found on a list of Illinois species. They become the character of the plant or animal and give a short report describing the plant or animal.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Web of Life

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students participate in a game in which they discover the balance of life in the ocean. They identify different organisms that rely on different types of food. They answer questions to complete the instructional activity.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ocean Expedition with Jacques Cousteau

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students role play that they are on an ocean voyage with Jacques Cousteau as they study plant, and animal species and adaptation. They write a five page journal, create artwork of the expedition.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

In The Zone

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders identify ways that ocean animals grow, survive, reproduce, and adapt. They use computer Internet skills to acces and collect information. They create a PowerPoint presentation. They demonstrate writing skills throughthe...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ocean in a Bottle

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Students investigate pollution in water. In this pollution lesson, students participate in an experiment to simulate water pollution. Students observe how the water reacts to the "pollution."
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where In the World is the Dominican Republic?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students begin the lesson by discussing how where they live affects how they live. As a class, they add examples to each category such as home types, clothing, jobs and food. Using those categories, they write about their life in the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ocean Life

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students identify marine mammals according to specific characteristics. Students read about marine mammals and list their characteristics. Next, students play a Whale and Otter game on the playground to simulate whales swimming across...
Lesson Plan
Forest Foundation

The Web of Life

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Producers, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, decomposers. To begin a study of the forest ecosystem, learners examine the connections among the members of ecological communities.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to Ocean Grazers

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore biology by creating a poster with classmates. In this oceanography instructional activity, students identify the importance of coral reefs to the ocean's ecology and examine a food web of ocean animals. Students define a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Indian Ocean Explored

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine the rich array of marine wildlife that lives in waters surrounding the Indian subcontinent. They explore the relationships among organisms in coral reefs. They explore environmental dangers to coral reefs and research...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring National Marine Sanctuaries

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Young scholars research marine ecosystems by creating class presentations.  For this oceanography lesson, students research the different locations of marine sanctuaries by identifying them on a transparency map in class....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Properties of the Ocean: Change

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students research and create a visual presentation on the seasonal salinity of the Earth's oceans. They apply the research in a simulation of a lab disaster in which they must relabel ocean samples.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Under the Sea - Ocean Mammals/Fish

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore the similarities and differences between ocean mammals and fish. The characteristics of the life forms observed are placed onto a graph. The classroom becomes the botom of the sea and is explored to gain the required data.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Piece of Cake: Ocean Communities

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students explain habitats. In this model based lesson students create a model to help describe a habitat that is typical of deep-water. Students will describe how organisms such as coral and sponges add to their habitat.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Populations and Life Cycles

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students explore biology by researching ocean statistics. In this data analysis lesson, students conduct a snail examination experiment utilizing live pouch snails. Students collect data about the snails over the course of six weeks and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Marine & Aquatic Habitats Activities - Creatures in the Coral

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Young scholars describe unique adaptations of organisms that live in the coral reef habitat, read various books pertaining to coral reefs and ocean life, and construct a wheel demonstrating the relationships between certain coral reef...