Lesson Plan
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Pleistocene Mammals

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students research the causes of the extinction of Pleistocene mammals.  In this Pleistocene mammals lesson, students read essays to understand the Pleistocene epoch. Students write an essay about the personal impact of this...
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How can deep-water corals be used to determine long-term patterns of climate change?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars explore the concept of paleoclimatological proxies.  In this paleoclimatological proxies lesson, students explain isotope ratios in deep water coral samples.  Young scholars write a paragraph about global climate...
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How do living and non-living structures affect coral reef habitats?

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students create model coral reefs showing surface area and including examples of communities.  In this coral reef activity, students research and explore the functions or benefits from a coral reef.  Students design a benthic...
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What's Down There

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners write an essay about the coral reefs. In this oceanography instructional activity, students investigate the reef of Bonaire and compare it to reefs that are not thriving. Learners then explore the differences that contribute...
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A Tale of a Whale: And Why It Can Be Told

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners examine the characteristics of particular whales. In this whale characteristics lesson, students discover the methods scientists use to track whales and attempt to match the unique pattern of callosities themselves. A role...
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Tale of a Tuna

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Junior marine biologists access the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas' data on Atlantic Bluefin Tuna catches. As they analyze the data, they answer three questions. Background information and links to...
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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. 
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Drawing Fish

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Young scholars practice creating art by imitating the camouflage of fish. In this animal characteristic lesson, students identify certain fish and their ability to change colors in order to survive in the wild. Young scholars utilize...
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Pollution Solution

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students, after discussing oil pollution, generate solutions to an oil spill.
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Sunken Slave Ship

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners imagine they are archaeologists who are looking for treasure under the sand or sea. They work in teams to create the story and site of a shipwreck in a tub or aquarium filled with sand and water.
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Sink or Float

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students explore water properties by conducting a class experiment. In this buoyancy lesson, students make predictions as to whether or not specific objects will sink or float in water. Students conduct the experiment and record their...
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Toilet Paper Geologic Time Scale

For Teachers K - 6th
Students examine and demonstrate the extent of geologic time compared to recent time. They develop a demonstration of geologic time using an unrolled roll of toilet paper, with each sheet of toilet paper representing 20 million years.
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Discovery Science Center Activities

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders complete a variety of experiments to meet science goals.  In this life sciences lesson, 4th graders make yogurt, discover the attraction of opposite charges in electricity, learn the effects of glaciers, and explore...
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Dino Detectives

For Teachers 4th
As students examine maps of Utah, 4th graders search for clues about what prehistoric life was like in Utah.
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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.
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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.
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Hudson Canyon Expedition; Fishy Deep Sea Designs!

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students explore the physical location of deep water habitats along the Hudson Shelf Valley and in Hudson Canyon. They study the basic characteristics of the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones with regard to depth, temperature, pres
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Oil Spill Dangers

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners analyze the effects of oil spills on our environment and develop action plans to protect animals and habitats.
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Plate Patterns

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students review the patterns they discovered from a previous activity.  In this investigative lesson students plot data as a class and color a map. 
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Animals: Dolphins

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students use the internet to discover information about dolphins. They examine their behavior, appearance and distribution of dolphins.
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Is Climate Change Really Happening?

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students explore the impact of global warming. In this oceanography lesson, students investigate global climate change and write reaction papers about their research findings.
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Estuaries, Estuarine Habitats, and Adaptations

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars conduct research on estuaries. They design and construct an estuary, describe the physical characteristics of an estuary, and create a diagram illustrating an estuarine food web.
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Waves : An Alternative Energy Source

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers evaluate the feasibility of wave energy as an alternative source of energy.  In this alternative energy source lesson plan students are introduced to renewable and nonrenewable energy and study energy production.
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SOS!

For Teachers K - 4th
Students examine natural and man-made threats to sea turtles. They create sea turtle mobiles while studying the range, environment, predators of and threats to sea turtles.