NOAA
Turning the Tide on Trash: A Learning Guide on Marine Debris
The lessons in this learning guide are designed to increase youngsters' awareness of the impacts of marine debris and to teach them about pollution prevention techniques. This fabulous, 30-page packet is chock full of important...
Curated OER
Marine Debris
Now is the time to educate tomorrow's citizens to care for the planet, and here is a lesson to help facilitate the process. Collect some marine debris and bring it into class. Have your class separate it into types and then test each...
Curated OER
Marine Debris
Students perform experiments to examine if debris float, or blow in the wind. The effects of these characteristics on the marine debris are then discussed. They determine how a material can influence what becomes marine debris.
Ask a Biologist
It’s a Plankton Eat Plankton World
For as small as they are, plankton sure play an enormous role in maintaining marine ecosystems. Dive into an investigation of these tiny organisms with a hands-on life science activity in which children cut out pictures of sea animals...
Curated OER
Endangered Marine Turtles
Students work in groups and experience what it is like to be a hatchling marine turtle by playing a board game. In this endangered marine turtles lesson, students research the threats to marine turtle hatchlings. Students then create a...
Curated OER
Types of Marine Debris
Students conduct an experiment. In this marine debris and environment protection lesson, students categorize trash into piles, predict whether these trash items will sink, float or be picked up and carried by the wind and then test...
Curated OER
Marine Critters and Communities
Students touch, see, smell, and hear marine animals that live in a marina. In this marine animals lesson plan, students take field trip to a marine environment after studying the animals.
Curated OER
Effects of Oil Spills on Environment and Marine Life
Students explore oceanography by conducting an environmental experiment in class. In this oil spill lesson, students discuss the human need for oil and what is at stake when we drill for oil in our oceans. Students read a book in class...
Science Matters
Blubber Gloves: It’s All About Insulation
Instill the concept of adaptation with the help of Blubber Gloves—ziplock bags, shortening, and duct tape. Scholars discuss how animals and plants keep warm in polar regions, record their predictions, and try on their Blubber Gloves to...
Curated OER
The Impact of Fishing
Young scholars explore the concept of fishing as it relates to oceans and how some fishing practices can damage the health of the marine ecosystems. In this activity on the impact of fishing, students research the many places in the...
Curated OER
Marine Habitats of Galveston Island
Four lessons introduce elementary ecologists to salt marsh and sandy beach habitats. In the first lesson, they place shells and other materials in vinegar to determine if they contain calcium carbonate. In the second lesson, they read a...
Curated OER
Seaside Science
Students research sea life using laptop computers. In this sea life lesson plan, students participate in a field trip to the beach and enter observations into their laptop computers. Students classify shells and sea life.
Sea World
Seaworld Science Activity
A fun collection of activities about marine life would be a great addition to your elementary science unit. From cute penguins to scary sharks, the unit features crafts, experiments, and basic research projects that will teach your...
Curated OER
Aquatic Ecosystems
Students study the diversity of marine life and their habitats. In this aquatic ecosystems lesson students complete a lab activity and experiment.
Curated OER
What Does it Take to be a Survivor? Part One
Young scholars explore marine animal adaptation. In this introductory ocean life biology instructional activity, students access prior knowledge by participating in a whole class "thought swap." Young scholars form two lines, respond to...
Curated OER
Digging up the Dirt on Soil Microbes
Students are introduced to the idea of soil as a habitat for many different organisms. They are introduced to the links between the biological adaptations of an organism and the physical demands of its habitat. Pupils are introduced to...
Curated OER
Sand Explorations
Students experiment with different samples of sand from Maui leeward and windward beaches. They create a sand map to suggest at least one contributing factor for the formation of each beach sample. They test the samples to determine...
California Academy of Science
A Day inthe Life of a San Francisco Native Animal
Although the lesson is specifically about the San Francisco Bay area, it's good enough to be adapted to any local region. Children research what the landscape in San Francisco was like prior to settlement, they consider the types of...
Curated OER
Trash Traits: Marine Debris, Litter, Ecology, Oceans
Learners perform experiments to examine whether trash can float, blow around, or wash away. The effects of these characteristics on the presence of marine debris in the environment are then discussed.
Curated OER
Where Are All the Fish?
Students identify the problems that marine life is facing today. In this marine science lesson, students explain how Marine Protected Areas can help the ocean and the fish. They brainstorm ways to help in the conservation effort.
Curated OER
The Art and Science of Impressionist Color
Discover Impressionist painting as students investigate the 19th century combinations of colors characteristically used. Students experiment with their own paintings, utilizing primary and secondary colors.
Curated OER
Marine Debris
Students will perform experiments to examine if debris will float, or blow in the wind. They discuss the effects of these characteristics on marine debris.
University of Waikato
Ocean Acidification and Eggshells
Eggshells and seashells have a lot in common. Learners use the similarities to conduct an experiment that models the effect of ocean acidification on marine animals. Using varying levels of acidic liquids, pupils make observations on the...
Curated OER
Out of the Deep
Learners observe, describe, and record characteristics of ocean animals (mammals and fish) and sea shells. They conduct an experiment comparing and contrasting sugar water, salt water and fresh water and create a mural of coral reef...