Lesson Planet
Search educational resources
  • Sign In Try It Free
  • AI Teacher Tools
    • Discover Resources Search reviewed educational resources by keyword, subject, grade, type, and more
    • Curriculum Manager (My Content) Manage saved and uploaded resources and folders To Access the Curriculum Manager Sign In or Join Now
    • Browse Resource Directory Browse educational resources by subject and topic
    • Curriculum Calendar Explore curriculum resources by date
    • Lesson Planning Articles Timely and inspiring teaching ideas that you can apply in your classroom
    • Our Story
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
  • Pricing
  • School Access
    • Your school or district can sign up for Lesson Planet — with no cost to teachers
      Learn More
  • Sign In
  • Try It Free

Hi, what do you want to do?

Create a lesson plan
Create a lesson plan
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Find a teaching resource
Find a teaching resource
Currents Lesson PlanCurrents Lesson Plan
Publisher
NOAA
Resource Details
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Grade
6th - 12th
Subjects
Science
2 more...
Resource Type
Lesson Plans
Audience
For Teacher Use
Duration
2 hrs
Instructional Strategies
Demonstration
1 more...
Technology
Scientific Equipment
Usage Permissions
Public Domain
Lesson Plan

Currents

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Currents lesson plan also includes:
  • Learning Ocean Science Through Ocean Exploration
  • Reading Passage
  • Activity
  • Join to access all included materials

A deep ocean current circles the globe at a force that is greater than 16 times all the world's rivers combined. Groups analyze the effects of submarine topography on deep ocean current speed. They then determine how this speed affects the current's ability to transport sediment. 

96 Views 69 Downloads
CCSS: Adaptable

Concepts

ocean currents, landforms, mid-ocean ridges, coral reefs

Additional Tags

science

Instructional Ideas

  • Use background information to teach/review ocean currents

Classroom Considerations

  • Activity does not include data sheets; it would be best to create your own data sheet and questions if you want to give a grade
  • Five groups in each class test the five undersea features; each feature is tested independently of the others
  • Part three in a series of 10

Pros

  • Activity includes a visual of the setup
  • Provides specific step-by-step instructions for teachers

Cons

  • None

Common Core

RST.9-10.2

See similar resources:

Lesson Plan

A Laboratory Simulation of Ocean Surface Currents

NOAA
Stimulate interest in ocean currents with a simulation. The first installment of a five-part middle school series teaches future oceanographers about the forces that interact to cause ocean currents. A simulation shows how wind and...
6th - 8th Science
Lesson Plan

Direct-to-consumer Genetic Testing

Personal Genetics Education Project
If you knew that you were likely to develop Alzheimer's disease in your future, how would it affect your life in the meantime? This and other similar thought-provoking questions are discussed in a lesson plan about the availability of...
9th - 12th Science
CCSS: Designed
Activity

Motion in the Ocean

Discovery Education
How do temperature changes affect ocean currents? Scholars explore convection currents by demonstrating the flow of water in a baking dish. They use ice, heat, and food coloring to see currents. Then, they draw conclusions about their...
6th - 8th Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

Ocean and Great Lakes Literacy: Principle 1

Centers for Ocean Sciences
Is your current lesson plan for salt and freshwater literacy leaving you high and dry? If so, dive into part one of a seven-part series that explores the physical features of Earth's salt and freshwater sources. Junior hydrologists...
3rd - 12th Science
PPT

The Oceans, Waves, Tides & Currents

Curated OER
Your introductory lesson to oceanography can be outlined with this apropos presentation. It touches on the physical features of the ocean floor, waves, tides, and currents. One small issue is that some of the graphics are not of the...
5th - 7th Science
Instructional Video

Perpetual Ocean

PBS
Salty sailors in days gone by used to speak of the seven seas. What they didn't know was that their world was one big ocean! Seaworthy scholars climb aboard an adventure that features the major ocean currents during a lesson from PBS's...
3 mins 9th - 12th Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Interactive

Study Jams! Waves & Currents

Scholastic
Ocean lovers hang ten as they watch this film about waves and currents. What causes waves? What is a current? Learn this and more from Sam as he explains why RJ was struggling to surf the gnarly waves. Have your class watch this at home...
3 mins 4th - 9th Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Interactive

Study Jams! Current Electricity & Electric Circuits

Scholastic
Set to upbeat instrumental background music, eight slides present pictures of electrical wires, batteries, and appliances, Each slide is accompanied by a few sentences that introduce viewers to concepts related to current electricity....
4th - 8th Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

Ocean Streams

Curated OER
The instructions for demonstrating ocean turnover are provided in this resource. You could set this up for your earth science class as part of a lecture on convection currents or as an explanation of how ocean currents form. An animation...
6th - 9th Science
Instructional Video

Global Sea Surface Currents and Temperature

PBS
Get lost at sea amid colorful ocean currents! Learners discover the patterns of movement and temperature in the North Atlantic's currents through a simulation, part of PBS's Weather and Climate series. The resource contains background...
1 min 9th - 12th Science
Try It Free
© 1999-2026 Learning Explorer, Inc.
Teacher Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Resources

Sign up for the Lesson Planet Monthly Newsletter

Open Educational Resources (OER)

  • Health
  • Language Arts
  • Languages
  • Math
  • Physical Education
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Visual and Performing Arts
View All Lesson Plans

Discover Resources

  • Our Review Process
  • How it Works
  • How to Search
  • Create a Collection

Manage Curriculum

  • Edit a Collection
  • Assign to Students
  • Manage My Content
Contact Us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Use