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...
Consortium for Ocean Leadership
Nannofossils Reveal Seafloor Spreading Truth
Spread the word about seafloor spreading! Junior geologists prove Albert Wegener right in an activity that combines data analysis and deep ocean exploration. Learners analyze and graph fossil sample data taken from sites along the...
NOAA
Mid-Ocean Ridges Interactive
Your class will be on top of their game when it comes to mid-ocean ridges! The second installment in a 13-part series focuses on the 65,000-km underwater ridge system that spans our globe. Junior oceanographers practice placing the...
NOAA
Currents
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...
NOAA
Plate Tectonics II
Mid-ocean ridges, rift valleys, island arcs, mountain ranges, earthquakes, volcanoes ... there are so many features associated with plate tectonics. The 14th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography...
Mr. E. Science
Plate Tectonics
Get a detailed look at plate tectonics with a 14-slide presentation that highlights the Earth's layers, continental drift, seafloor spreading, the theory of plate tectonics, and boundary types. Each slide provides thorough explanations,...
NOAA
Into the Deep
Take young scientists into the depths of the world's ocean with the second activity of this three-part earth science series. After first drawing pictures representing how they imagine the bottom of the ocean to appear, students...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics
Help young scientists piece together the theory of plate tectonics with this comprehensive collection of materials. Whether your are looking for worksheets, hands-on activities, or assessments, this resource has everything a science...
Scholastic
Study Jams! The Ocean Floor
Under the sea, the geography is as varied as it is on land! Young oceanographers find out about continental shelves, abyssal plains, seamounts, trenches, and mid-ocean ridges by viewing and reading the eight high-quality slides. Then...
Curated OER
Oceanography Worksheet #1
If you are teaching physical oceanography to middle school earth scientists, here is a terrific multiple choice worksheet. Learners look at a diagram of a landscape created by glacial sediment deposition and the resulting ocean floor....
Curated OER
Mid-Ocean Magnetism
Students investigate magnetic evidence that supports the theory of sea floor spreading.
Curated OER
Activity 3: Using Photo Images to Explore Life on the Ocean Floor
Students work in groups with copies of the three photo images provided with the instructional activity. They make observations about mussels and clams. Students discuss reasons scientists use a representative sample of a population...
Curated OER
Ecology And the Conservation of Natural Resources
Students study Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift and how the continents were connected in one large land mass called Pangaea. They examine plate tectonics and the theory that the earth's surface is composed of large moving...
University of California
Mid Ocean Ridge
An article from Scientific American details some recent discoveries about the ridge systems. "New maps reveal striking details of how segments of the Ridge form and evolve."
NOAA
Noaa: New Millennium Observatory (Ne Mo)
NeMO is a seafloor observatory at an active underwater volcano! NeMO "background" is a great place to begin your scientific journey under the sea. Site includes virtual tours, daily updates from the sea, teacher resources and more.
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Dynamic Planet
Seven hands-on lessons module where students learn about our dynamic planet. These inquiry-based explorations investigate scientific models, earthquakes and seismic waves, Earth's interior, Earth movements, the lithosphere, plate...
American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History: Find a Vent
Learn all about hydrothermal vents deep in the ocean and how scientists locate them. Then take a virtual expedition to the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the north Pacific and see if you can discover a new deep sea vent.
US Geological Survey
Usgs: Plate Tectonics and Mid Oceanic Ridges
Excellent graphics and understandable text about all aspects of plate tectonics including mid-ocean ridges.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute: Dive and Discover: Expeditions to Sea Floor
Join Woods Hole scientists as they search for new volcanic eruptions on the ridge system in the eastern Pacific.
University of California
Ucmp: Plate Tectonics: The Mechanism
A basic description of the driving force behind plate movement. Describes major features of the ocean floor including mid-oceanic ridges.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Bathymetric Evidence for Seafloor Spreading
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Describes features of the seafloor and how they are mapped by echo sounding. It touches upon the continental margin as well.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Fourth Grade Science: Earth Science: Theory of Plate Tectonics
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Discusses what a tectonic plate is and how scientists can recognize its edges, how the plates move by convection in the mantle, the three types of plate boundaries...
Oregon State University
Volcano World: Types of Volcanoes
A reference page describing the different types of volcanoes.