Space Awareness
The Thermal Layers of Oceans
How much does the sun heat up a lake or ocean? Scholars use a cup and a strong lamp to investigate the heat transfer and thermal layers in the ocean to come up with the answer. They collect data and graph it in order to better understand...
NOAA
A Matter of Density
Larvae transportation on the New England seamounts is based on the density of the water. Scholars calculate density and graph salinity versus temperature to better understand the distribution of organisms in a water column....
Curated OER
Animals of the Lost City
Begin with a demonstration of exothermic reactions and discussion of chemosynthesis. Your aspiring oceanographers research vent communities and then craft a mural of a vent community. This is a terrific method of introducing learners to...
Curated OER
Telecollaboration Lesson
Sixth graders explore the Caribbean sea and the Arctic ocean. They become familiar with the living conditions of others. Students investigate the geographic location of each area. They become familiar with important events that helped...
University of California
Plankton
Plankton: so much more than just a SpongeBob character. Three different activities have kids looking at both phytoplankton and zooplankton in pictures, as well as collecting their own samples (depending on your access to a saltwater...
Curated OER
Under the Sea
Tropical fish are a great subject for any art project, they are colorful, interesting, and can go along with under water themed stories read in class, learner written narratives, or Marine Biology units. This set of instructions will...
Curated OER
Sand Explorations
Young scholars 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...
Wild BC
Is Climate Change Good for Us?
Is it really that big of a deal if the global climate undergoes a little change? Young environmentalists consider this very question as they discuss in small groups the impact of different climate change scenarios on their lives,...
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...
National Wildlife Federation
I Speak for the Polar Bears!
Climate change and weather extremes impact every species, but this lesson focuses on how these changes effect polar bears. After learning about the animal, scholars create maps of snow-ice coverage and examine the yearly variability and...
Curated OER
Art/Ocean Scene
Students draw and color an ocean scene based on the paintings of Wyland. For this ocean art lesson plan, students view slides of seascapes before they complete their project using oil pastels.
Curated OER
You Are What You Eat: Plastics and Marine Life
Young scholars study the different types of plastics and see which ones sink or remain buoyant. In this ocean environmental lesson students complete several handouts, and view a film on PBS.
Curated OER
Ocean Temperatures
Young scholars list data collected by marine buoys and the different kinds of moored buoys. They describe how data is transmitted worldwide. They explain the difference between near shore and offshore air and water temperatures.
Curated OER
An Introduction to the Ocean World
Students comprehend how the organisms that exist within the ocean biome, and categorizing each into producer, consumer, or decomposer. They place various human actions under the headings of "hazard" or "help," illustrating how humans can...
Curated OER
Exploring National Marine Sanctuaries
Students conduct Internet research of the living organisms in national marine sanctuaries, and the resources protected in the sanctuaries. Students gather information about each of the sanctuaries and make an oral presentation and poster...
Curated OER
Ocean Observation
Pupils describe the different methods used by MBARI researchers to study the ocean. In this ocean lesson students research the Internet and use the information they find to write in their journal.
Curated OER
Secrets of the Ocean Realm - Survival in the Sea
Students determine the sequential links in a marine food chain and identify the roles that various organisms play in this chain. Students develop charts as visual aids for illustrating marine food chains.
Curated OER
Ocean Creature Classification
Students develop a Taxonomic Key for marine invertebrates from pictures they are given after practicing together with common objects, such as shoes. They then compare their key to a provided Ocean Invertebrates Taxonomic Key.
Curated OER
A WebQuest about Ocean
Fifth graders explore the realm of an ocean through an ocean WebQuest. The Problem Based Learning Theory is used within this lesson. They complete several activities on the different concepts of oceans. Students are challenged to solve...
Curated OER
Ocean Grazers Conclusion
Students research an ocean species. In this science lesson, students create a research presentation as a conclusion to the ocean grazers unit. Students present their projects to the class and complete a self-reflection paper.
Curated OER
Marine Debris and Me
Students study the environmental issues that pertain to the marine environment. In this research ocean landfills lesson students come up with alternative means of disposal.
Curated OER
Ocean Exploration: Dentists of the Sea!
Young scholars watch videos about unusual fish behavior and write to marine scientists about the proper care of fish. In this fish lesson plan, students watch the videos on how to properly transfer fish to saltwater, and they do so in an...
Curated OER
Marine Poetry
Students identify characteristics of good poetry and compose their own. In this marine poetry lesson, students are introduced to several different types of poetry with a marine theme. After discussing the elements...
Curated OER
Gray Whales on the Move
Learners study whale migration and their natural history. In this migration lesson students plot whale migration on a map and describe their ecosystems.