Curated OER
Fish Hazards
Students study the Pacific salmon and see the different challenges they face. In this environment lesson students complete several activities that show how humans have affected the salmon environment. These activities have varying...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Diverse Life Forms of the Ocean
Students recognize marine organisms and differentiate between plankton and nekton. In this investigative instructional activity students create a concept map using their list of terms and study marine life forms.
Curated OER
Now You See Me, Now You Don't
Bioluminescence fascinates most upper elementary scientists. Display images of different glowing deep-sea organisms and discuss their environment. Young biologists then experiment with images and different colors of filtered light. In...
Discovery Education
Sonar & Echolocation
A well-designed, comprehensive, and attractive slide show supports direct instruction on how sonar and echolocation work. Contained within the slides are links to interactive websites and instructions for using apps on a mobile device to...
Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)
Arctic Smorgasbord
Though the walrus spends roughly one third of its time on land, it eats organisms that live on the bottom of the ocean. The first in a series of five, the lesson plan uses a variety of plant and animal cards to have scholars build an...
Curated OER
A Differentiated Way through Think Dots
Learners examine reasons that led people to explore, identify "West" as defined following Revolutionary War, explain importance of finding natural resources, develop time line of dates and events leading up to Lewis and Clark Expedition,...
NOAA
Microfriends
Is there medicine found in the organisms that live deep below the surface of the ocean? The fifth activity in a six-part series has learners team up to research bacteria and the relationship it has with nearly every living thing on...
NOAA
Individual Species in the Deep Sea
A tube worm's outer covering is made of chitin, the same material that makes up the shells of lobsters and crabs. Scholars create tube worms and analyze and discuss the longevity of organisms living near cold seeps. They then discuss and...
Curated OER
Ancient Hunters of the Great Lakes
Students describe theories on how the first humans came to America and show the evidence that supports it. In this investigative instructional activity students study given material and prepare written or oral reports in their groups.
Curated OER
It's Going to Blow Up!
Get your ocean explorers online, reading articles about submarine volcanoes. They answer a series of questions and take a geometery challenge in which they calculate how much of a volcano has been blown away. Make sure to explore several...
Curated OER
Wreck Detectives
Junior archaeologists examine types of artifacts from the Bronze Age on the internet. In collaborative groups, they create a story about a ship from this period and then construct a model of the ocean floor after their ship has sunk....
Curated OER
Sand Travels
Students examine how sand is formed by erosion and that it can be moved by streams, rivers, and ocean currents in this unit of lessons. They study waves and currents, and structures that change how sand moves by creating story charts,...
NOAA
Vertebrates I
I spy a spine. The 19th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program explores vertebrate species, such as sharks and other fish. Learners take part in an activity evaluating the...
It's About Time
Communication Through Space
If humans do find aliens, how would we communicate with them? An intriguing lesson walks through some of the challenges associated with this question. How long would a message take to reach a specific destination, what language should we...
Curated OER
Oyster Gardens - No Soil Required!
Explore the practice of oyster gardening. Because oysters play a vital role in marine ecosystems and their populations have declined, biologists are transplanting oyster seed to repopulate reefs. After learning about this practice,...
Curated OER
Columbus: Hero or Villain?
Students explore Christopher Columbus's motives. In this character education lesson plan, students research Internet and print sources regarding the life and actions of Christopher Columbus in order to write essays that his actions as...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story (Peters)
Lisa Peters presents macroevolution as a large-scale family tree in her book Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story. She suggests the process from single-celled organisms to modern-day humans, and learners explore new vocabulary through the...
Aurora Trust
Journey Under the Sea
Discover the interesting world of maritime archaeology and explorations under the sea with this nice set of worksheets, which cover such topics as search tools and techniques of underwater archaeology, carbon dating, vessel types, and...
Curated OER
Lesson Six
Students investigate the importance of ocean resources and what humans need to do to maintain a healthy ocean. For this oceans lesson students participate in an activity after viewing a PowerPoint presentation on the Earth's Waters.
Curated OER
Do Not Bleach!
Students explore the importance of protecting the coral reefs. In this Oceanography lesson, student examine how coral reefs benefit humans, identify major threats to the reefs, and discuss actions to reduce these threats.
Curated OER
Hawaii's Sea Turtle Exploration
Students investigate the life cycle and body parts of Hawaii's sea turtles. In this sea turtle lesson plan, students watch a video about the turtle life cycle and make a model of a "Honu," sea turtle. They complete an associated worksheet.
Curated OER
Exploring National Marine Sanctuaries
Students research marine ecosystems by creating class presentations. In this oceanography lesson, students research the different locations of marine sanctuaries by identifying them on a transparency map in class. Students create...
Curated OER
Where Am I?
Extensive background on marine navigation is provided for you as the teacher. Assign groups to research marine navigation techniques and construct astrolabes. Resource links are listed for extension ideas. If you are teaching an...
Curated OER
Exploring Fish Anatomy and Commercial Fishing Gear
Students investigate commercial fishing by exploring the technical methods. In this environmental lesson, students identify the fish that are most commonly consumed by humans and trace their path from ocean to plate. Students examine...