National Wildlife Federation
Ghost Town
Around 93 percent of the reefs on Australia's Great Barrier Reef have been bleached, and almost one quarter of them are now dead. Scholars research the sea temperatures, especially around the areas with coral reefs, to make connections...
Teach Engineering
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is one of several garbage patches around the world where garbage accumulates naturally. As part of a GIS unit that combines oceanography, environmental science, and life science, class members investigate...
Curated OER
Beach Comber
Young scholars investigate threats to our oceans by investigating items found on a beach. In this environmental safety lesson, students examine several items found on a beach and identify them as natural, harmful, organic or...
Curated OER
Career Exploration
Young scholars create a pamphlet, brochure, handout, or poster about a career in the marine sciences. In this marine science instructional activity, students use the Internet to research a marine science career. They create a printed...
Curated OER
Waters of the Earth - Friends or Enemies
High Schoolers observe the paintings and drawings of Robert Harris, and do a study of the ocean that delves into human and physical geography. Learners make prints, listen to music, create a database, and perform research on a specific...
NOAA
I Can't Breathe!
The Gulf of Mexico dead zone, an area of low oxygen that kills marine life, costs the United States $82 million every year. Young scientists research anoxic ocean environments then come up with a hypothesis for the cause of the Gulf of...
Curated OER
Sea Connections
Learners, after locating different marine habitats on a globe, play a card game about ecosystems, food webs and organisms.
Curated OER
Diving the Deep
Children research plant and animal components of marine ecosystem, visualize undersea life, and picture themselves wearing scuba-diving equipment needed to explore underwater. Young scholars then create underwater scene in which they...
Curated OER
Undersea Plant and Animal Life
Students study the various species found in and around oceans. They examine the variations in underwater life, determined by ocean depth. Afterward, they create dimensional relief boards of seascapes. In addition, they write a play about...
National Institute of Open Schooling
Environmental Concerns
Every year, more than 14 billion pounds of garbage is dumped into the oceans of the world, most of which is plastic and toxic to ocean life. Lesson 32 in the series of 36 focuses on environmental concerns, specifically pollution. Under...
Curated OER
Investigating the Effect of Salinity on the Density and Stability of Water
Water with varying amounts of dissolved salt are dyed and then used to compare densities. The objective is to discover the effect of salinity, and therefore density, on ocean water on the stability of the ocean. Many branches of science...
Curated OER
Salt Water Revival
Students produce a high tide. In this Marine Biology lesson, students visit a tide pool to investigate the creatures response to changes in the tide. Students discuss the results of their experimentation.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Diverse Life Forms of the Ocean
Young scholars recognize marine organisms and differentiate between plankton and nekton. In this investigative instructional activity students create a concept map using their list of terms and study marine life forms.
Curated OER
The Search for El Nino
Sixth graders complete an El Nino scavenger hunt. In this earth science instructional activity, 6th graders describe the conditions that create El Nino and compare it to normal condition. They discuss how this phenomenon affects marine...
Curated OER
Exploring the National Marine Sanctuaries: A Lesson in Habitats and Human Impacts
Middle schoolers examine the marine sanctuaries in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. They discover the interdependence of all living things and work together in groups to create a poster about what they have discovered during the lesson....
Curated OER
How Harmful Is It?
Pupils complete a form that requires them to make decisions about how severely different types of marine debris affect people, animals, vessels, communities. Results are totaled and analyzed to determine which types of marine debris are...
Curated OER
Sea Connections: Marine Ecosystems
Students identify producers and consumers from marine ecosystems and describe the balance among them in the environments. After constructing a food chain from a marine ecosystem, they examine human activities that can upset the balance...
Curated OER
Where Am I?
Extensive background on marine navigation is provided for you as the teacher. Assign groups to research marine navigation techniques and construct astrolabes. Resource links are listed for extension ideas. If you are teaching an...
Curated OER
Ocean Life Lesson Plans
Students learn about life in the ocean with lessons that connect science, art, and environmental topics.
Curated OER
Ocean Life Word Search
In this language arts worksheet, students will be searching for words that pertain to the ocean. Students will locate the names of 39 vocabulary words directly related to the topic.
Curated OER
Mesozoic Sea Life Diorama
Students create a diorama depicting Mesozoic sea life. They color a template and add shells and pebbles to the diorama to depict the ocean floor.
Curated OER
Aquatic Safari
Young scholars use an Internet Web site to locate the scientific information about various marine species. They use the Internet to find the scientific information about marine animals.
Curated OER
Crinoids: Flowers f the Iowa Seas
Students study the rocks and fossils associated with the geologic landscape of Iowa. In this rocks and fossils lesson plan, students examine fossils that would be found in the Iowa landscape that show evidence of marine invertebrates...
Curated OER
Introduction to Oceans
Students complete a variety of activities in preparation for a unit on oceans. They discuss their own proximity to the ocean, identify and name the oceans on a globe, and in small groups identify facts about a selected ocean. Students...