Curated OER
Ghostbusting in the Chesapeake
Ghost pots, fishing gear lost during crabbing expeditions, continue to trap crabs that are never collected. Increase your budding ecologists' awareness of human impact on the environment as well as conservation efforts using this...
Curated OER
A Monument for Marine Conservation
Pupils explore the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to discover what's there and pick up clues as to how people have both harmed and helped the native habitats. They study another protected area and see how to balance conservation efforts...
National Wildlife Federation
Plastic in the Sea
How much plastic do people use? Class members identify how plastic is involved in their daily lives by looking at food packaging either at a grocery store or at home. Learners view statistics for the amount of plastics found on a beach...
Curated OER
Marine & Aquatic Habitats Activities - Estuaries Are for the Birds!
Students recognize that birds act as indicators of pollution because of their sensitivity to environmental change, and role play the manner in which marine debris can be hazardous to waterfowl.
Curated OER
Human Impacts to the Sandy Shore
Students investigate human impact on coastal environments. In this coastal environment lesson, students observe human impact on coastal environments. Students sort, classify, and chart marine debris collected on a local beach.
Curated OER
Collect Data Using a Transect Line
Students learn about transect lines through a study of marine debris. In this marine debris lesson plan, students calculate the items on a transect line and graph them. Students complete a category worksheet.
Curated OER
Kure Waste Chase Game Lesson
Students work together to identify marine debris. They explain the effect of the debris on various ecosystems. They draw different types of ocean currents as well.
Curated OER
Debris Dilemmas
Students examine debris, what it is, where it comes from and where they go. In this debris lesson students view a video, answer questions and discuss what they learned.
Curated OER
Turtle Hospital
Students explore techniques to rescue and rehabilitation of stranded and injured sea turtles. They examine the turtle's impact on the environment. Students discuss ideas to reduce the number of stranded marine turtles.
Curated OER
Rubber Duckies and Ocean Currents
Students explore marine life by conducting a rubber duck experiment. In this water currents lesson plan, students practice identifying latitude and longitude coordinates on a map and define the currents of major oceans. Students discuss...
Curated OER
Research Question, Hypothesis and Experimental Design
Students discuss steps of the scientific process, as well as, observe a picture of the beach that they will visit. Students create a testable hypothesis about marine debris at the beach. In this science instructional activity, students...
Curated OER
You Are What You Eat: Plastics and Marine Life
Students study the different types of plastics and see which ones sink or remain buoyant. In this ocean environmental lesson students complete several handouts, and view a film on PBS.
Curated OER
Titanic: Looking for Clues
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.
Curated OER
Shipwreck Mystery
Learners study web pages on a shipwreck then locate where this took place on a map. In this marine archaeologist activity students examine what clues archaeologists use to find the location of a shipwreck and what they might find.
Curated OER
Artificial Reef
Students conduct online research to determine how and why artificial reefs are created, and investigate how they benefit marine life and the marine ecology.
Ocean Explorer
Looking for Clues
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...
Curated OER
Trash on Texas Beaches
Students take a field trip to a local Texas beach. Using the trash and debris they find, they classify them based on specific criteria. In groups, they calculate the total for each category and determine the percentage of each category...
Curated OER
Supermarkets, Sustenance and Sustainability
Students investigate jungles and the people who depend upon them. In this sustainability lesson, students research wild life conservation and discover the importance of a jungle to Amazonian people. Students create a group presentation...
Curated OER
Do You Have A Sinking Feeling?
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.
Curated OER
Clean Sweep
Students organize and conduct a cleanup of a local beach, lake, or stream. They keep track of the types and amounts picked up and analyze this information in the classroom.
Curated OER
Voyage to Kure Viewing Guide
Students complete a worksheet while viewing a video about the oceans. They locate the oceans on a map and identify positive and negative ways in which humans have impacted them. They discuss any questions at the end of the...
Curated OER
Science: Microcosms in the Biosphere
In a series of lessons, examine the impact on humans by microcosms in the biosphere. Among the plans structured for students with different abilities and learning styles, are activities describing the symbiotic relationship, drawing the...
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Sink or Float
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...
Curated OER
SOS!
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.