Surf's up, big kahunas! How do surfers know when the big waves will appear? They use science! Over the course of five days, dive in to the inner workings of tidal waves and learn to predict sea levels with the moon as your guide.

Concepts

gravitational force, tides, the lunar cycle, graphing data, ocean currents

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Include video clips and articles regarding tsunamis as a reinforcement of the concept that waves are caused by circumstances other than tides; having learners use maps to locate areas that frequently experience tsunamis provides great cross-curricular information
• Have individuals complete the 29-day simulation of the graphing Tides lesson to provide one-on-one coaching of graphing techniques

Classroom Considerations

• You must have a subscription to access all Discovery Education videos, as well as an account for all GIZMO interactives
• Schedule time in the computer lab or library for tide research; consider making this a paired learning activity in order to preserve more time for creating the poster

Pros

• The Tides model and accompanying worksheet provide great hands-on information for learning the relationship between the moon, Earth, and sun during different tide levels
• Includes all required printable resources

Cons

• Somewhat lacking in information regarding other factors that influence tides, which could make it more difficult to dispel the misconception that tides are only affected by the moon

Common Core

RST.6-8.1 RST.6-8.3 RST.6-8.4 RST.6-8.7