Curated OER
Monitoring Coral Reefs
High schoolers investigate data on coral reef monitoring in a marine protected area in the Florida keys. For this coral reef lesson plan, students use online data from a marine protected coral reef to complete a worksheet about coral...
Curated OER
Living Light
Students explain bioluminescence. In this life science lesson, students discuss bioluminescence and conjure examples of organisms that carry this trait and how it is useful in their environment.
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Depth Line
Students use adding machine tape to plot increasing ocean depths and deep sea historical events.
Curated OER
The Great Barracuda
Students explore oceanography by researching the great barracuda. In this animal life lesson, students read several vocabulary terms dealing with ocean life and examine a drawing of a barracuda. Students examine the many...
Curated OER
A Piece of Cake
Learners examine life under the sea to discover coral gardens and microhabitats. They demonstrate learning by creating an edible marine ecosystem with a sheet cake, icing, and different candies.
Curated OER
No Escape
Via four student handouts, marine biology learners examine the topography and circulation cell of the Fieberilng guyot. Then they examine the number of individual hydroids counted at each depth. Pupils use the information to relate water...
Curated OER
Ocean Microstructure Lesson Plan
Learners explore the microstructure of the ocean by analyzing graphs created by Dr. Mike Gregg of the University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory during the EPIC 2001 research cruise on the Ronald H. Brown NOAA vessel.
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Dive and Discover the Ocean
Third graders investigate the three zones of the ocean and the plants and animals that live in each zone. Projects produced are shared with classmates in a share circle where the unique features of the animal and zone selected are...
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Survival in the Open Ocean
Students examine how scientists conduct pelagic research and identify pelagic predators as they study the open-ocean ecosystem. They discuss and conduct small group research of this environment in order to produce a presentation.
Curated OER
Tracking Ocean Ecology
Students look at the data maps given to them about how chlorophyll affects the algae blooms and make predictions about the harm they will cause. In this data maps lesson plan, students manipulate data sets from the website.
Curated OER
How Can We Help?
Students explore ocean animals and their environments. In this environmental stewardship lesson, students read a story and discuss the environmental needs of animals. Students think of ways to help clean up the environment and to make...
Curated OER
Leaving Home
Students explain the importance of larval dispersal and retention to populations. They collect data on organisms and examine it.
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Amphipods
Students identify organisms that live at the bottom of the body of water. In this biology lesson, students evaluate the effects of pollution to amphipods population. They examine collected data and create a bar graph comparing them.
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History and Oceanography
Students identify the accomplishments in oceanography from 17th-19th century, construct a time line with the scientists in chronological order, and discuss the parallels of oceanographic contributions with those in other areas of science...
American Museum of Natural History
Make Your Own Creatures of Light
Bioluminescent animals are the focus of a hands-on craft in which scholars create a scene of either a land or sea bioluminescent creature.
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...
Bonneville
Design and Engineer Solutions
What's the best way to collect all that trash? A culminating activity has scholars use the knowledge and skills from the unit to design a solution to the plastic trash island problem. They use 3-D pens or a 3-D printer to build models of...
Aquarium of the Pacific
Kelp Forest Conservation
There otter be a better way. As a class, groups work together to create a food web based on the organisms in the kelp forest. Budding scientists watch a video on the kelp forest to see how the organisms create a food web and hear about...
Curated OER
Longshore Current
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...
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Natural Inquirer
Students interview wildlife experts to gain information needed to research and write a report about an aquatic plant or animal affected by climate change.
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Design a Reef!
Students explore coral reef ecosystems. In this ecosystems science lesson, students research coral reef ecosystems to determine the major functions the participating organisms must perform. Students construct a miniature...
Curated OER
Make Your Own Paper Bag Manatee Puppet
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...
Curated OER
Tides - The Ins and Outs of Tides
Get your junior oceanographers to generate tidal prediction graphs on an interactive website. They will feel like experts in the field, or shall we say, experts in the ocean! This is a brief, but worthwhile activity that could be used to...
Curated OER
Habitats and Deep Sea Environments
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.