NOAA
Into the Deep
Take young scientists into the depths of the world's ocean with the second lesson of this three-part earth science series. After first drawing pictures representing how they imagine the bottom of the ocean to appear, young scholars...
Curated OER
Seafloor Block Model
Students 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
Ocean Floor Properties and Near Shore Environments
Students explore and model the characteristics of the ocean floor and near shore environments through in-class demonstrations, laboratory activities, and internet research. They use classroom materials to research the characteristics of...
Curated OER
Snack Tectonics
Yum! Using graham crackers, dried fruit sheets, and frosting, tectonics technicians demonstrate the different types of plate boundaries. If you want to encourage youngsters with an activity that is both educational and edible, then this...
Curated OER
Tides & Lunar Cycles
Students demonstrate how the moon affects the tides, a neap tide, and spring tides by using their bodies as models. After students observe the model they created, they draw and label the diagram on a provided worksheet. They then log...
Curated OER
Under The Sea
Second graders study how a tsunami is formed by underwater events such as earthquakes, volcanoes or landslides. They discuss what they knew about living and non-living things in the ocean.
Curated OER
Entering the Twilight Zone
Students describe major features of cold-seep communities and the process of chemosynthesis as it relates to organisms in each habitat. In this deep-sea habitats lesson, students study the categorization of ocean habitats...
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Mountains in the Sea Exploration No Escape
High schoolers study data to hypothesis about the influence of a water circulation cell on the retention of benthic invertebrate larvae in the area of a seamount. They investigate the positives and negatives of larvae retention in this...
Curated OER
Mid-Ocean Magnetism
Learners investigate magnetic evidence that supports the theory of sea floor spreading.
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Coral Bleaching in the Caribbean
Young scholars use authentic satellite data on the NASA website to determine when the sea surface temperature meets the criteria to induce coral bleaching.
Curated OER
Round and Round
Learners interpret data from a three-dimensional array of current monitors to determine an overall pattern of water circulation. They hypothesize what effect an observed water circulation pattern might have on seamount fauna. A very...
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Cruising the Mantle
Learners explore the plate boundaries of the earth. Through the use of video, internet and hands-on activities, students examine the types of plate boundaries. They create a model to illustrate the movement and interaction of the...
Curated OER
Fish Morphology
Students identify the various parts of a fish. They describe the concept of fish morphology and relate shape, form and structure of a fish's parts to function.
Curated OER
Entering The Twilight Zone
For this lesson sixth grade students get into groups and research a given ocean habitat. The major features of cold-seep communities are the objective but plenty information is given about other habitats which could be assigned to...
Curated OER
Activity 1-Cold Water, Hot Water and Super-Heated Water!
Students investigate hydrothermal vents by observing a simple model designed to show that hot water rises when it's heated. First, students listen as the teacher explains hydrothermal fluids and vents. Students watch as the teacher...