Simon & Schuster
Classroom Activities for Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl
Kon-Tiki, the record of Thor Heyerdahl's 1947 raft journey across the Pacific Ocean, is the focus of three classroom activities. In a lesson on connotation and bias language, class members record instances of Heyerdahl's word choice....
Curated OER
Phyto- v. Zoo- Plankton
Students identify two broad groups of plankton: phytoplankton and zoo plankton. They describe the general body adaptations which characterize each group. They discuss and write about what it would be like to be carried around by the...
California Polytechnic State University
Australian Geography Unit
At the heart of this resource is a beautifully detailed PowerPoint presentation (provided in PDF form) on the overall physical geography of Australia, basic facts about the country, Aboriginal history, and Australia culture and lifestyle.
Society for Science & the Public
Easter Islanders Made Tools, Not War
When studying artifacts, especially tools, how do archaeologists determine what the devices were used for? In what ways might researchers' previous experiences influence their perception of an artifact? An article about researchers'...
Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)
Carbon Dioxide & Krill: Impacts
What effects do temperature and carbon dioxide levels have on the zooplankton of Antarctica? This concluding lesson plan in a short unit on climate change and the ocean helps environmental scientists answer these questions. After...
Ocean Explorer
Living with the Heat
Young oceanographers study the Submarine Ring of Fire, which is a series of deep-water volcanic vents that come up from the ocean floor. Learners take a close look at the unique ecosystems that are associated with these areas, how these...
Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 3
How far have California's Channel islands moved? What was the rate of this movement? Class members first examine data that shows the age of the Hawaiian island chain and the average speed of the Pacific Plate. They then watch West of the...
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
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
Antarctica’s Melting and the Affect it has on the Ocean
Students calculate how much mass is lost and gained by Antarctica yearly. In this earth science instructional activity, students graph and analyze data from the given handout. They explain how this affects the world climate.
Channel Islands Film
Restoration Channel Islands Debate
Introduce learners to the debate format with an activity that uses the National Park Service's controversial Channel Islands restoration program as a topic. Class members learn how to generate provocative debate questions, how to prepare...
NOAA
Deep-Sea Ecosystems – Life is Weird!
A pool of brine in the deep sea can be up to four times as salty as the surrounding sea water. The deep sea ecosystem relies on chemosynthesis and the organisms that live there are often strange to us. The lesson focuses on researching...
Curated OER
Ocean Shoreline
In this shorelines worksheet, learners review some of the features of an ocean shoreline such as barrier islands, longshore current, and shoreline sediments. This worksheet has 5 matching and 4 short answer questions.
Polar Trec
Sea Ice Impact
The arctic seas contain currents that are both warm (with high salinity) and cold (relatively fresh water) that circulate throughout the year. Through discussion, a lab, and a web quest, participants explore the impacts of melting and...
Curated OER
In My Opinion
Young writers craft letters to the government stating their opinion on different topics. They pick an environmental or ocean issue, research it, and craft their formal persuasive letter. Ensure your learners include supporting facts and...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics: Second Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Second graders explore convection currents and how they relate to the movement of tectonic plates. Then, young geologists reconstruct Pangaea with a worksheet and pinpoint plate boundaries on a map using locations of earthquakes and...
Curated OER
Hydrothermal Vent Challenge
Give our ocean voyagers the "Hydrothermal Vent Challenge!" It is a worksheet that guides them through an exploration of hydrothermal vents and the chemical reactions that occur when lava meets seawater. Using a collection of websites,...
Curated OER
Climate Change in My City
Students investigate the climate changes occurring locally, regionally and globally over the last one hundred years. They brainstorm and predict whether the current year's weather was warmer or colder than last year then check the...
Curated OER
NUMB3RS Activity: Riding the Waves
High schoolers use the TI-Navigator system to explore vector fields and make predictions. They also identify what a vector field is and that it represents the movement of water. Pupils try to determine where a bottle floating might have...
Curated OER
Arctic cleanup
Ninth graders examine pollution problems and how it affects the community. In this arctic cleanup lesson students study ocean currents and how they affect pollution.
Curated OER
Friend, Foe, or . . .
As a result of this lesson, upper elementary ocean explorers will be able to describe several interrelationships: symbiosis, mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. They learn that the biological richness is increased near seamounts and...
Curated OER
Seafloor Block Model
Learners construct a 3-D block model of the ocean floor to study fundamental earth processes. This is a preconstructed cut out that allows the students to put it together but then to add their own colors as well. There is an evaluation...
Curated OER
Oceans and Weather
Students analyze the impact the ocean and its currents have on weather. In this oceans and weather lesson, students analyze data comparing inland and coastal weather, and analyze satellite data for evidence of El Nino.
Curated OER
Exploring Marine Ecosystems in the Caribbean and Maine
Students compare the marine habitats of Maine and the Caribbean using temperature, tides, ocean currents, latitude and longitude. In this marine ecosystems activity, students analyze maps to complete graphic organizers that evaluate the...