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Weather History
Students study how weather is measured. In this climate lesson plan, students research how samples of the ocean floor reveal facts about the climate thousands of years ago. Students use clay samples to create layers that simulate real...
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Understanding Oceans
Students investigate how ocean currents affect our world. For this ocean currents lesson, students perform an experiment to show how cold water is near the poles and warm water is near the equator. Students use water, food coloring, ice...
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Journey To the Unkown
Students explore the ocean rift habitat off the Galapagos through an audio expedition, Internet research on deep sea animals, an explorer game and simulation of the exploration of the deep sea bottom. They focus on the actual NOAA...
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3-D Ocean Animals
Fifth graders research an animal from the ocean, using the internet and encyclopedias, with at least 5 out of 5 topics covered. They also construct a 3-dimensional model of their animal and give an oral presentation about their animal...
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Watershed Tourist
Students recognize and categorize different bodies of water. In this watershed and water environments lesson, students "Follow the Water from Brook to Ocean." Students define the different bodies of water and sort from smallest to...
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Conditions at Sea
Students examine wave formation. In this wave instructional activity, students discover how waves are formed and how the weather at sea is predicted. Students study ocean vocabulary and understand the Beaufort Wind Force Scale.
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Ocean Life Lesson Plans
Students learn about life in the ocean with lessons that connect science, art, and environmental topics.
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Remote Sensing
Students research the Earth's ocean systems. They examine the impact of global warming on the oceans and the world as a whole.
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How Wathersheds Work
Students describe a watershed. They identify factors that effect the flow of water within a watershed. They explain how water can flow from inland waterways to the ocean.
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Something Fishy Going On
Students create a video animation of how Swimmy gathered his fish friends together to form a great big fish that would frighten the predator tuna away. In art class each child create a small red fish which gets displayed in the ocean...
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America's Underwater Treasures Viewing Guide
Students complete a worksheet while watching a video about how humans affect the ocean environment. They discover the need for a practice of balancing fisheries and their fishing practices. They examine how scientists use data to help...
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The Water Cycle and Sources of Pollution
Learners make an island that has a construction site on it. They spill siulated pollution and trash on top of the island and then water it to simulate rain. They will observe how the rain washes dirt, sand, and pollution off the island...
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Water Density and Salinity
Middle schoolers observe how different water densities control the depth at which different water masses occur. They explain one fact that they comprehend about salt water. Students comprehend that temperature and salinity affect the...
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Causes and Effects of ENSO
Students analyze monthly sea surface temperature data from the Pacific Ocean to determine if the period is an El Nino or a normal year. They recognize signs to see if there are any patterns that signal either occurrence. Satellite images...
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Understanding Tsunamis
Students discover the causes of tsunamis in oceans and fjords. They perform an experiment to discover how calving icebergs can create different wave patterns in the ocean and in a fjord. In addition, they draw a diagram to illustrate the...
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Wind and Currents
Learners observe how wind generates currents and the effect of islands and banks on currents. They determine ocean circulation affects climate and plant and animal populations on land and in the ocean and that surface currents are...
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What Am I?
Students identify various shells. In this oceanography lesson, students create a KWL chart to activate background knowledge on shells. Students read the book Ocean Day and learn about waves, tides, and the seashells that can be found on...
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The Tell-Tale Plume
Students examine hydrothermal vents. For this ocean lesson, students identify changes in physical and chemical properties of sea water caused by hydrothermal vents.
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Climate Change & Coral Activities
Students study how the ocean stabilizes our planet's climates and how global warming is becoming a threat to this fine balance. In this climate change lesson, students identify that fossil fuel emissions are responsible for global...
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Plankton / Phytoplankton
Students discuss the importance of plankton in the ocean ecosystem. In this biology lesson, students identify the different types plankton by observing them under the microscope. They explain how plankton population affect global climate.
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Gray Whales
Explore the majestic grey whale while deepening your understanding of animal adaptations. Grey whales from head to toe are specifically designed to fit their environment. Learners will examine the ways in which the flippers, head, body,...
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Hydrothermal Vent Challenge
Learners discover common features of hydrothermal vent fluids. They use this knowledge to locate possible undiscovered hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor.
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The Race
Students play game simulating route turtle hatchlings take from clutch to ocean, and describe threats hatchlings face and how this affects the marine turtle population.
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"So What Are You Trying To Say Here?"
Students exercise the strategy of summarization to recall important information in a text. They read to summarize the passage, "Ways the Ocean Helps Us," by Katherine Jones Carter, from "Oceans." Each student follows a list of...