National Park Service
Weather Patterns of the Pacific Ocean
How do oceans affect weather patterns? Learners define vocabulary associated with dew point, topographical lifting, condensation, and formation of clouds and precipitation as they explore the weather in the Pacific Northwest. They also...
PBS
Regional Patterns of Climate: Pacific Northwest
Climate systems involve sunlight, ocean, atmosphere, ice, land forms, and many other factors. Scholars explore each of these variables related to the Pacific Northwest rain forest. They use an online interactive to investigate the polar...
Curated OER
The Open Ocean, What is it and How Does it Change?
Students investigate the ocean environment. For this ocean lesson, students discover the physical properties of the ocean. Over two days, students work in small groups investigating ocean maps and creating water currents.
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
Where Did They Come From?
Give science learners nine questions about the biogeography of hydrothermal vents and turn them loose to research this fascinating habitat. Working in cooperative groups, they prepare a report that addresses each of the questions. A...
NOAA
Into the Deep
Take young scientists into the depths of the world's ocean with the second instructional activity of this three-part earth science series. After first drawing pictures representing how they imagine the bottom of the ocean to appear,...
Curated OER
Rubber Duckies and Ocean Currents
Students explore marine life by conducting a rubber duck experiment. In this water currents lesson, students practice identifying latitude and longitude coordinates on a map and define the currents of major oceans. Students discuss the...
Dawn N . Ericson
California Kelp Forest Restoration
This unit is so cool, you won't be able to "kelp" yourself! Intended for all grades, this science and activity guide for teachers offers a unique opportunity to understand kelp's role as a valuable ecological resource. Teachers and...
Curated OER
Protecting Philippine Reefs
Students watch a slide show about the Philippine Reefs to explore the topic of fish populations. In this reef and fish population lesson, students watch a slide show about fish populations and how the Peace Corps works with Filipinos to...
Wilderness Classroom
Ocean Life
Our oceans are composed of many complex relationships. Young oceanographers explore relationships between organisms, understand the world ocean's currents, and discover the effects of water pollution and how it behaves. There are three...
American Museum of Natural History
What is Marine Biology?
A marine environment covers the majority of the earth but is arguably the least understood. Teach young scientists about the characteristics of oceans and ocean species using an interactive online lesson. The in-person or remote learning...
Curated OER
What Lives in the Open Ocean and Where Do They Live?
Young scholars explore oceanography by participating in a flash card activity. In this ocean inhabitant lesson, students define a list of ocean related vocabulary terms and answer ocean geography study questions. Young scholars utilize...
Curated OER
Fisheries in the Open Ocean
Students explore fisheries in the open ocean. In this ocean environment lesson, students study the impact fisheries have on the ocean habitat. Students complete a WebQuest and summary project regarding fisheries.
Curated OER
Ocean Observations
Students examine a coastal ocean. In this physical science/earth science lesson, students generate a list of questions about how researchers study the ocean. In addition, students investigate, through research on the computer, to answer...
Curated OER
Life on the Ocean Floor
Why would water 2700 meters deep suddenly become warmer? Explore this and other ocean floor discoveries through this reading response worksheet. Scholars read information about the organisms discovered by Alvin, a deep-sea submersible....
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
It's Going to Blow Up!
Get your ocean explorers online, reading articles about submarine volcanoes. They answer a series of questions and take a geometery challenge in which they calculate how much of a volcano has been blown away. Make sure to explore several...
Curated OER
Survivors on the Ocean Ridge
Students discover the uniqueness of deep sea hydrothermal vent organisms through an exploration of the NOAA Galapagos Rift Expedition. They study the genetics and evolution of a shrimp species that lives near the vents then they...
Curated OER
Pacific Salmon and Mountain Pine Beetle
Students compare fish anatomy. In this teacher demonstrated dissection lesson, students compare fish anatomy to that of humans. They explore different fish and their unique properties. There are 4 distinct activities which can be...
Curated OER
Impacts to the Open Ocean
Students investigate how human beings impact ocean ecosystems. In this ocean ecosystem instructional activity, students explore how marine debris affects marine life. Internet resources are provided.
Curated OER
El Nino
Explore the properties of water and the affects of El Nino. Middle schoolers will learn about the devastation an El Nino can cause as well as the definition of El Nino. Additionally, they will discover the cause of El Nino along with the...
Curated OER
Breaking News: Virgin Voyage to the Bottom of the Ocean (7th April, 2011)
Students explore current events by reading about a trip to the bottom of the ocean. In this modern day explorer lesson, students read about Virgin CEO Richard Branson and his adventure to the bottom of the ocean. Students complete...
Curated OER
The Journey of the Pacific Salmon
Learners examine the journey of the Pacific salmon. In this salmon species lesson plan, students review the stages of the salmon life cycle and conduct an experiment to determine how the water and habitat changes during each stage.
Curated OER
Roots of the Mariana Arc
Plumb the depths of the Submarine Ring of Fire and explore seismic waves with this lesson plan. Junior geologists simulate s-waves and p-waves, calculate their speeds, and then apply the data to discover the material that makes up inner...