Curated OER
Navigating by Landmarks
Third graders examine and apply the relationship between concrete landmarks, abstract written directions, and graphic representations on maps, and then develop their own landmark map for classroom use.
Curated OER
The Ridge Exploring Robot
Students study about an autonomous underwater vehicle and explain the strategies that it uses to locate and map hydrothermal vents. In this marine navigation lesson students design a program for an AUV survey.
Curated OER
It's About Time
Students investigate how Global Positioning Systems work and how and why GPS receivers make errors. They graph data points and apply estimation and prediction to real-life GPS situations, discuss time delay, and complete a worksheet.
Curated OER
Sextant Measurements
Students create a sextant. Using their sextant, students measure the height of tall objects. Students explore how sailors used sextants to identify their location on the ocean. They research how sextants are created.
Curated OER
World Wide Winds
Students recognize that global winds move in specific directions in specific latitudes and describe that in a written form. They relate the motion of the wind belts to historical navigation.
Curated OER
Compass Rose
Second graders practice identifying the four cardinal directions. After locating a compass rose on a map, 2nd graders explain each point that corresponds to a direction. Using a toy ship as a manipulative on a map, students observe its...
Curated OER
See That Sound?
Students study sonar and will explain the concept of it and its major components. For this design lesson students build a low-cost sonar system.
Curated OER
How to Catch a Fish
Learners conduct an experiment to demonstrate the effects of different fishing methods. In this commercial fishing lesson plan students create posters and public announcements to share their information.
Curated OER
Chart Interpretation
Students study the use of a nautical chart and how to obtain information from it. They describe and differentiate the basic topographic characteristics of a chart and demonstrate the use of nautical tools used to plot fixed points on a...
Curated OER
NOAA Research Project
Students research any topic relating to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research cruise that Mrs. Richards be participating in.
Curated OER
GPS Receiver Basics
Young scholars practice using a GPS receiver. They walk in different directions and monitor their progress on maps. They enter specific locations and use information given to them to get them back to their original locations.
Curated OER
Seeing and Feeling Sound Vibrations
Groups rotate through a series of stations and work with a partner to observe sound waves. Children describe sound in terms of pitch, volume, and frequency. To apply their new knowledge, the class considers how these observations can...
NOAA
Make Your Own Compass
Scholars build a compass using a needle, cork, magnet, and a water-filled cup in order to locate the magnetic north and south.
Curated OER
National Marine Sanctuaries Shipwrecks
Junior oceanographers access the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Shipwreck Database and plot the locations of several shipwrecks. Shipwrecks are always an enthralling subject and this activity allows your learners to act as...
Curated OER
GPS Treasure Hunt
Students explore geography by participating in a treasure hunt activity. In this Global Positioning System lesson, students define the terms latitude and longitude while utilizing an electronic GPS device. Students view a PowerPoint...
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...
Ocean Explorer
Looking for Clues
Upper graders become "shipwreck detectives" by studying the debris field from a shipwreck in the Aegean Sea which took place in the 700s. A website is accessed that gives specific information about the debris field, and pairs of...
Curated OER
The Titanic Impact of Science
Discuss personal ideas about science and how a filmmaker can employ the arts to promote science. After reading an article, young scientists will discover how James Cameron is trying to interest people in the oceans. In groups, they will...
Curated OER
Investigating the Swissair Flight 111 Tragedy
Middle schoolers read two articles about the same event: "Plane from J.F.K Crashes off Canada" from the New York Times and "No Survivors from Crash of Swissair Jetliner Off Nova Scotia" from the Associated Press. They then compare the...
Curated OER
Invaders and Settlers: The Vikings
Introduce your young historians to the amazing Vikings! This presentation provides information on the culture, travels, rule, religion, and tools used by the Vikings. After each 3-5 slide section are slides containing compression...
Curated OER
Fun, and Risks, at the Beach in Tel Aviv
After reading the article "Fun, and Risks, at the Beach in Tel Aviv," learners consider eight related questions. They'll answer who, what, when, where, why, and how about the risks several Palestinian women took as they snuck over the...
Reed Novel Studies
Dolphins of the World
Pair a novel study of Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell with a presentation on dolphins. The 37-slide PowerPoint shows different types of dolphins all around the world, includes a brief description of each, and provides a photo...
Syracuse University
Erie Canal
While canals are not the way to travel today, in the first half of the nineteenth century, they were sometimes the best way to move goods and people. Scholars examine primary sources, including maps and pictures, to investigate the role...
Curated OER
Stranded along the Coast
Students plot stranding sites onto a map using latitude and longitude as well as compass directions with respect to coastal features. They identify several species of marine animals that might become stranded; distinguish their...