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.

In this water environments instructional activity, students will brainstorm limiting factors in water biomes, describe the two life zones in the ocean, and compare two types of freshwater ecosystems. This instructional activity has 9...

Students use critical thinking skills to solve word problems using ratios that allow them to compare humans to ocean animals.

Students read background information about Monterey Bay, California, and conduct related experiments. In this ocean in motion lesson, students read information about the location, wildlife, and characteristics of Monterey Bay. They...

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....

Inform your class about the adaptations in fish eyes: cones, lens size, endothermy, and speed of vision. The adaptations are related to diving behavior. Junior marine scientists compare the adaptations of four different fish species to...

A benthic habitat hosts a vast collection of organisms and its structure influences the biodiversity. Middle-school marine biology explorers will discuss how corals impact structure, and therefore diversity, on the ocean floor. They draw...

After viewing a video and reading an article about the threatened turtles and tortises in The Amazon River area, collaborative groups create a poster or presentation about how we can help them. Several links to other related lesson plans...

Students set up working models demonstrating lake turnover and the formation of deep water masses in the oceans.

View a video presentation comparing chemosynthesis to photosynthesis. Review the findings of the 2004 Ring of Fire Expedition that studied biological communities around the hydrothermal vents of the Mariana Arc. In...

Show the six-minute video, "Changing Planet: Fading Corals," and then demonstrate how calcium carbonate forms a precipitate in the presence of carbon dioxide. Separate your scientists into small groups to gather information about coral...

Your young apprentices build a function describing the percent concentration of salt in a brine. The rational function is then related to the parent function, y= 1/x, and graphed. Finally, the apprentices predict the amount of fresh...

Learners are posted at the beginning and end of a 10-meter long line parallel to the ocean and are instructed to look straight ahead towards the water. The student at the beginning of the line uses a stopwatch, goes to the water's edge...

Students identify ocean features and draw a profile using data points on a map. Through discussion and research, they discover the importance of oceanography and plot a profile of the ocean floor in search for a vessel full of precious...

Students discover the oceanic food chain.  In this healthy eating instructional activity, student investigate the fish we eat and the food the fish eat.  Students discover what ocean animals eat seaweed and what everyday foods...

Pupils examine different types of ocean life. They classify sea shells and role play in the ocean center. They color and write about their experience in the ocean center and share their experiences with their classmates.

Students develop their own system for classifying a group of objects or organisms using observed similarities and differences. They investigate the process of scientific classification, and explain how marine organisms are classified by...

Students learn how cold and warm water behave in the marine environment due to convection currents. Students also conduct an experiment to demonstrate the formation of a convection current.

Students explore the ocean depths. In this scenario based lesson, students pretend they are on a submarine in an unknown part of the ocean. By using clues the class discusses and determines where they are in the ocean. They follow up...

Students explore geography by participating in a treasure hunt activity. In this Global Positioning System lesson plan, students define the terms latitude and longitude while utilizing an electronic GPS device. Students view a PowerPoint...

In this science craft worksheet, learners learn about the Florida manatee by constructing a paper bag puppet with extra pattern pieces for the head and flippers. Students read the information and study the drawings about manatees, then...

Students draw and color an ocean scene based on the paintings of Wyland. In this ocean art lesson plan, students view slides of seascapes before they complete their project using oil pastels.

Students complete a unit of activities to learn about ocean life as well as improve their math and measurement skills. In this ocean life and math skills lesson, students complete 8 lessons to learn about ocean life and complete...

In this ocean water and life instructional activity, learners match the vocabulary term with the correct definition. Also, students answer questions by deciding if the statements are true or false. Finally, learners complete concepts...