Coral Lesson Plans

Students create model coral reefs showing surface area and including examples of communities.  In this coral reef lesson, students research and explore the functions or benefits from a coral reef.  Students design a benthic habitat. Students calculate the surface area of various shapes.  Students will create a habitat that shows 400cm squared.

Students recognize that staghorn coral helps reef growth in the Caribbean.  In this Coral Reef lesson, students design a habitat model using various art materials to explain how staghorn coral helps the reef grow. Students share their artworks using correct art vocabulary.

In this lesson students record changes in the composition of a coral reef.  In this Coral Reef lesson, students recognize the needs of Coral Reef species to survive.  In this lesson students chart changes in population over time. In this lesson students write an essay about factors affecting reefs. 

Students study coral reefs and the controversy over coral bleaching. They role-play a debate over the issue and come up with a compromise to protect the reefs and the economies that depend on them.

Students investigate data on coral reef monitoring in a marine protected area in the Florida keys. In this coral reef lesson plan, students use online data from a marine protected coral reef to complete a worksheet about coral monitoring. Students write a report answering given questions and develop an understanding of the characteristics of healthy coral reefs.

Students describe unique adaptations of organisms that live in the coral reef habitat, read various books pertaining to coral reefs and ocean life, and construct a wheel demonstrating the relationships between certain coral reef inhabitants.

Students explore coral communities. They explore a coral polyp and build a coral head.

Students recognize and describe the organisms of the coral reef. In this coral reef lesson, students explore the differences between fish and mammals. Students graph various whale sizes in a spreadsheet program. Students create scale model whales. Students read and explore a variety of sea creatures. Students create sea backgrounds for their animals.

In this lesson students investigate the dangers Coral Reefs face by investigating satellite images.  In this environmental protection lesson, students utilize the Internet to discover the types of satellites and sensors used to provide oceanographic data.  In this lesson students complete a several page oceanography vocabulary worksheet and crossword.

In this lesson students research coral reefs and identify their benefits to humans, threats to the reef, how to reduce and eliminate threats, and more. In this coral reef lesson plan, students research the reefs, and take a field trip to an aquarium.