Pacific Ocean Lesson Plans

Young scholars identify the Seven Seas and the Five Basins; describe how ocean currents affect how and where marine debris moves; identify Pacific Ocean currents; map the starting location where cargo was originally dumped into the ocean and track the movement of the debris; and describe the significance of ocean currents and how they affect humans.

Students analyze monthly sea surface temperature data from the Pacific Ocean to determine if the period is an El Nino or a normal year. They recognize signs to see if there are any patterns that signal either occurrence. Satellite images are interpreted and conclusions are drawn from various maps.

Students investigate the various factors that influence the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay, California. They watch a video about Monterey Bay and take notes, and conduct research and write a report about a specific organism living in the Monterey Bay area.

Students use the internet to research the French Polynesian Islands in the Pacific Ocean. For each website, they scan the information and list five French words they do not know the meaning. They complete a worksheet to discover the characteristics of the islands.

Students define and explain how droughts can affect a coastal area. They examine how drought-like conditions relate to water temperature in the Pacific Ocean. They analyze data to gather information about streamflow and drought conditions in selected areas.

Young scholars name and locate the oceans on a world map. They compare and contrast the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and identify the types of fish that live in both. They examine the different types of whales and life in a coral reef.

Young scholars explore the hydrological cycle and oceans. They determine the factors that influence the Pacific Ocean. Students research an organism found in Monterey Bay. They describe the organism's biome and ecological factors that influence the organism.

Students examine the following terms to increase their geography skills: globe, equator, prime median, Western Hemisphere, Eastern Hemisphere, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and The United States.

Students work in groups to find answers to a series of posted questions. They use textbooks, internet, and other available references to find their information. Students use outline maps and atlases to shade in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Antarctica. They draw and lable the Great Dividing Range, Great Barrier Reef and the Pacific Ocean.

Students use the Idaho Digital Atlas. They look at the map on the main page and determine where the coast of the Pacific Ocean was before the Jurassic time period and how the coast has moved from its previous position to its present position.