NOAA
Deep-Sea Ecosystems – Life is Weird!
A pool of brine in the deep sea can be up to four times as salty as the surrounding sea water. The deep sea ecosystem relies on chemosynthesis and the organisms that live there are often strange to us. The lesson focuses on researching...
Curated OER
Critters in the Classroom
Students investigate with sea urchins. In this ocean habitat lesson, students observe sea urchins and other ocean grazers. Students work with lab equipment to examine the anatomy of these creatures.
Curated OER
Sea Urchins - Diadema Antillarum
Pupils investigate oceanography by painting sea life. In this crustacean lesson, students identify sea urchins in our ocean environments and describe the functionality of their spherical-shaped bodies. Pupils design their own sea urchins...
Curated OER
Life is Weird
Separate your science class into small groups and assign each a specific deep-sea organism to research. The class will learn about all of the organisms as each group presents their assigned animal. Following their presentations, you can...
Curated OER
Down in the Dumps
After an introduction to municipal sludge, middle school ecologists consider the pros and cons of dumping in the Hudson River Canyon. The class is split into two groups: one to debate in favor or dumping and one to debate against the...
Curated OER
Food Chains and Food Webs
Fourth graders study intertidal organisms and their role in the food web. In this food web activity, 4th graders read the book The Sea That Feeds Us and discuss food webs. Students study pictures of intertidal creatures and discuss their...
Curated OER
What's the Difference?
Students analyze the similarities in different species. This activity is part of a multi-segmented unit on the diversity of life. In this segment, students classify shoes to mimic the scientific categories of the classification system.
Curated OER
Introduction to Ocean Grazers
Students explore biology by creating a poster with classmates. In this oceanography lesson, students identify the importance of coral reefs to the ocean's ecology and examine a food web of ocean animals. Students define a list of...
Curated OER
Food Webs
Young scholars create a bulletin board display illustrating food chains they make from a list of ocean organisms. Students also play a game showing what happens when one of the organisms is removed from the food chain and how they are...
Curated OER
Tackling Taxonomy
Learners study physical characteristics of separate phyla and place them into similar groups. This lesson is part of a multi-segmented unit on the diversity of life. students develop a classification system by grouping animals into...
Curated OER
Chinese Politburo Simulation on Uyghur Terrorism
Students are assigned a member of the Chinese Politburo and research this person's background, position, and political beliefs. Based on their position on the Politburo, their personality, and their background before coming to power,...
Curated OER
Who Eats Whom in a Bermudian Coral Reef?
Students will be able to find out about feeding relationships on a coral reef. They then will be able to develop a food chain and food web using coral reef animals and plants using the Coral Website.