Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Marine Archaeology

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Learners examine marine archaeology. In this archaeological data lesson, students see how archaeologists use data to make inferences about shipwrecks. Learners read data and make their own inferences, write about marine life and...
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
Curated OER

Ping!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Using "mystery bathymetry" shoeboxes, young explorers simulate sonar action to map out the topography of an un-viewable landscape. This classic activity helps physical oceanography learners understand how sonar works. It would be...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

My Wet Robot

For Teachers 5th - 8th
After hearing about the 2006 PHAEDRA mission that explored the Aegean Sea, middle schoolers work in groups to create a robotic vehicle. They must consider power, propulsion, and other vital systems. Use the multitude of external...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Do You Have a Sinking Feeling

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students determine how marine archaeologists use historical and archaeological data to draw inferences about shipwrecks. Students plot the position of a shipwrecked vessel, and draw inferences about the shipwreck from artifacts that have...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Shipwreck Mystery

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Learners draw inferences about a shipwreck.  In this marine archaeologist lesson plan, students examine historical and archaeological data to draw inferences about the age and identity of shipwrecks.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wreck Detectives

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Junior archaeologists examine types of artifacts from the Bronze Age on the internet. In collaborative groups, they create a story about a ship from this period and then construct a model of the ocean floor after their ship has sunk....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wreck Detectives

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students investigate shipwrecks. In this marine archaeology lesson ,students collect data and make inferences about the causes of shipwrecks. Students work in groups to create their own model of a shipwreck using clay. Students then...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Looking for Clues

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students infer the cause of a shipwreck based upon information about artifacts found in the wreck. In this marine archeology lesson, students use an inventory list to infer the cause of a shipwreck. Students discuss the maritime...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Robot Archaeologist

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discover what is needed to program an underwater robot to complete a course of action.  In this robot archaeologist lesson students design an archaeological strategy of an underwater vehicle. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Do You Have a Sinking Feeling?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore how marine archaeologists use data to draw inferences about shipwrecks.  In this marine archeology lesson students plot the position of a vessel, draw inferences about a shipwreck and explain the possible...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Take Only Photos and Leave Only Bubbles: Learn About American History from a Sunken Spanish Galleon

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students simulate the research process of investigating a shipwreck. In small groups, they conduct Internet research, and develop and write a proposal for excavation of the archaeological site.
Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

Tools of the Trade

For Students 6th - 12th
Archaeologist David Hurst Thomas details his search for a lost Spanish Mission on St. Catherines Island, Georgia. A great way to introduce youngsters to the life of and the tools used by archaeologists.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ancient Hunters of the Great Lakes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students describe theories on how the first humans came to America and show the evidence that supports it.  In this investigative lesson students study given material and prepare written or oral reports in their groups. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sunken Slave Ship

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students investigate shipwrecks. For 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

Shipwreck Mystery

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students study web pages on a shipwreck then locate where this took place on a map.  In this marine archaeologist lesson students examine what clues archaeologists use to find the location of a shipwreck and  what they might find.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Titanic: Looking for Clues

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students make inferences about a shipwreck based on the location of artifacts. They role play as marine archaeologists and list three processes that contribute to the deterioration of the Titanic.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Treasure in the Trash

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners decode archaeological artifacts in order to recreate an event, using discarded objects as a model for real-life artifacts. They apply this model to reconstructing historical or literary events from artifacts they create.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Preservation Through Education: Activities and Programs

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners participate in different activities to help them discover the need for preservation. They pretend they are underwater archaeologists and create a sketch of a mock shipwreck in their classroom. They label the parts of the ship as...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Supermarkets, Sustenance and Sustainability

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students investigate jungles and the people who depend upon them.  In this sustainability instructional activity, students research wild life conservation and discover the importance of a jungle to Amazonian people.  Students...
Lesson Plan
Ocean Explorer

Looking for Clues

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Upper graders become "shipwreck detectives" by studying the debris field from a shipwreck in the Aegean Sea which took place in the 700s.  A website is accessed that gives specific information about the debris field, and pairs of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ping!

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders study side-scan sonar and discover how it can be used to locate objects underwater. They complete a sonar simulation activity in which they create and map mystery landscapes inside shoeboxes.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Do You Have A Sinking Feeling?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students plot the positions of vessels given bearings in the form of landmarks. They explain how the debris field can help solve the mystery in how the ship sunk.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oceans Away

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Young scholars explore oceans. In this science lesson plan, students locate oceans, seas and continents of the world, identify ocean-related occupations, and complete activities pertaining to food chains as well as pollution.