Florida International University
Design Your Own
Apply scientific principles to designing an experiment to study organisms living on the coral reef in our oceans. Through reading, individuals learn about the coral reef ecosystem and important factors that affect its function. Using the...
Curated OER
Coral Bleaching in the Caribbean
Students practice analyzing images, maps and graphs from Internet-based educational resources. They explore the correlation between sea surface temperature and coral bleaching. Students comprehend that coral reefs are collections of tiny...
American Museum of Natural History
Ocean Creature Feature
From coloring to hard protective shells, ocean creatures have adaptation features that help them survive. An eight-question online quiz highlights different ocean animals and their unique characteristics. The resource then offers pop-up...
Curated OER
Coral Reefs
Students research an inhabitant of a Caribbean coral reef using a list of common organisms that live on or near it. Students then write a description of their organism and draw a picture or a 3-D model of it. Eventually they all work...
Curated OER
The Work of Waves and Wind
This is not revolutionary, but it is informative. Earth science viewers in grades 7-12 get carried away with wave and wind erosion. They view diagrams of how waves impact ocean shorelines. They see examples of the different types of sand...
Florida International University
Are You Concentrating?
Explore the importance of a concentration gradient in the rates of dissolution. Using the ocean ecosystem, learners study rates of dissolution around coral reefs. A hands-on experiment helps individuals discover the effects of changing a...
Curated OER
Coral Reefs Endangered
Students research where in the world coral reefs are located. In this ecology lesson, students create food chains and food web. They simulate growing coral reefs to understand their characteristics better.
Curated OER
Exploring Life in the Coral Reef
Students study life forms in coral reefs. In this ocean life lesson, students study life in coral reefs as they create a coral reef sculpture.
Curated OER
Pipeline to the Coral Reefs
Students discuss the relationship of density to stratification. In this marine science instructional activity, students create a model of upwelling events using cold and warm water. They discuss how water phenomena affect coral reefs.
Curated OER
The Coral Reef
Fourth graders discuss life in a coral reef, and view photographs and a computer program about coral reefs. They design and create colorful watercolor, ink, and crayon drawings of coral reefs.
Curated OER
Cool Corals
Students explore corals and polyps. In this coral reef lesson students divide into groups and prepare a written report.
Curated OER
Corrosion to Corals
Students study galvanic exchange and how it produces electric currents. In this ocean lesson students predict what metals deteriorate in salt water.
Curated OER
Coral Bleaching
High schoolers examine the relationship between corals and zooxanthellae, identify stresses to corals, and explain coral bleaching. In this sea life lesson students predict the effects of increased temperatures on coral reefs.
Curated OER
A Reef of Your Own
Students study the reproductive strategies of reef building corals. In this coral reef lesson plan students describe the behaviors of reef building corals and their nutritional strategies.
Curated OER
Coral Reefs: Gardens Under the Sea
Students discover the wonders of coral reefs while listening to a book about them. In a Reading Rainbow video activity, they simulate a dive, check equipment and explore a reef. Role-playing as marine biologists, students uncover...
Curated OER
Ocean Creature Classification
Students develop a Taxonomic Key for marine invertebrates from pictures they are given after practicing together with common objects, such as shoes. They then compare their key to a provided Ocean Invertebrates Taxonomic Key.
Curated OER
Sexy Coral Reef and I Want My Own Space
Fifth graders explore how coral polyps increase the chances of egg and sperm meeting after being released into the vast ocean waters.
Curated OER
Habitats and Adaptations
Students research and describe the habitat and adaptations of a reef animal. After the student is assigned a habitat, they design and draw a cresture adapted to eat each food and to live in each habitat.
Curated OER
Meet the Corals
Students investigate the types of coral. In this oceanography lesson, students access the Fisheye View Cam Website and create their own coral garden by using various art supplies.
NOAA
Currents
A deep ocean current circles the globe at a force that is greater than 16 times all the world's rivers combined. Groups analyze the effects of submarine topography on deep ocean current speed. They then determine how this speed affects...
Curated OER
Do Not Bleach!
Students explore the importance of protecting the coral reefs. In this Oceanography lesson plan, student examine how coral reefs benefit humans, identify major threats to the reefs, and discuss actions to reduce these threats.
Curated OER
Predators Among Us
Students study environmental science. In this ecosystems lesson plan, students discover how humans have an impact on life in the coral reef. They watch video clips and work on small group activities. This lesson plan includes links to...
Curated OER
A Reef of Your Own
Students research and study the life and reproductive strategies of reef building corals. They examine how coral reefs can produce high levels of biological material when they are surviving in areas of low nutrition.
Curated OER
What's Down There?
Students analyze data on coral reefs and use this to help characterize reefs. In this mapping coral reefs instructional activity students identify and explain the major threats to coral reefs.