Lesson Plan
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New Perspectives

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine maps that are designed to give different perspectives. They create mental maps that illustrate their own perspectives and those of people from other parts of the world.
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Currently Warm

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders investigate how ocean currents affect climate. In this earth science instructional activity, 7th graders draw and label the current in their assigned ocean. They discuss how currents from the poles differ from the equator.
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Marine Debris and Me

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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. 
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Plotting the Ocean Floor

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders plot points on a graph, connect the dots to make the ocean floor profile and label the topographical features. They utilize a worksheet and a website imbedded in this plan to plot the ocean floor.
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Investigating Ocean Life

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders explore the various forms of ocean life. They research a creature that lives in the ocean. Students use their research information to create a series of HyperStudio stacks about their sea creature.
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Down on the Ocean Floor

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Young scholars build a map of the Atlantic Ocean floor and mark the different depths.  In this ocean floor lesson students identify parts of the ocean floor that they created and discuss patterns that they see.
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Ocean Drifters

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students define terms, and identify three ways in which plankton are adapted for life in the open ocean.  In this ocean drift lesson students design a planktonic organism. 
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Field Trip - San Francisco Bay Model

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners investigate scale models while attending a field trip within the San Francisco Bay Area.  In this oceanography lesson plan, students identify the currents of the Bay Area and discuss how they are created by different tides....
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Ocean Currents

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students determine how water and wind affect ocean currents. For this science investigation lesson, students follow the provided steps to enable them to consider how explorers may have used ocean currents to their advantage.
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Ocean Exploration Time Lines

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate ocean explorations. They conduct Internet research, and create a chronological timeline of various ocean explorations.
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Deep Ocean Currents

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students observe the interactions of different temperatures of water using colored ice and a thermometer and then compare the results with global ocean current solar heating. They identify where floating ice would be found in the ocean,...
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Group Foraging

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students explore co-operation by researching ocean life. In this fish science lesson, students identify many vocabulary terms associated with oceanography and discuss what group foraging means among fish. Students utilize paints and...
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Sharkland Wiki

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students, while researching the waters around southern Africa and viewing a video of the episode "Sharkland" from Thirteen's series NATURE, critique reliability of online resources and analyze the various components of a wiki. They...
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Climate and Topography, What Is the Connection?

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study Neumann's world continent map and explore topography and climate.
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From Pirates to Pilots to Spies

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders enjoy this introduction to the world of map projections, globes, aerial photographs, and satellite images. This lesson instructs students on the advantages and disadvantages of each earthly representation.
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History and Oceanography

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify the accomplishments in oceanography from 17th-19th century, construct a time line with the scientists in chronological order, and discuss the parallels of oceanographic contributions with those in other areas of science...
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Sand Travels

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine how sand is formed by erosion and that it can be moved by streams, rivers, and ocean currents in this unit of lessons. They study waves and currents, and structures that change how sand moves by creating story charts,...
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Just Jelly

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify common gelatinous zooplankton in the Canada Basin and their ecological role. They compare and contrast feeding strategies of at least three different types of gelatinous zooplankton.
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WHO Wants Clean Water! Do You? Solving Conflicts Over International Water Rights Issues

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the water rights on an international scale. In this social studies lesson, students research on a specific water rights issue. They write a paper about their findings and create a PowerPoint presentation which they share...
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Earthquake Epicenter

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners use chart data to determine the location of the epicenter of an earthquake. This task assesses students' abilities to generalize and infer, organize data, interpret data, and apply mathematical concepts.
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Fish Eyes - More than Meets the Eye

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Inform your class about the adaptations in fish eyes: cones, lens size, endothermy, and speed of vision. The adaptations are related to diving behavior. Junior marine scientists compare the adaptations of four different fish species to...
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Iron Fertilization - Pumping Iron

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The theory that adding iron to ocean water may increase phytoplankton ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is examined. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute is monitoring conditions off the California coast to...
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The Fault Line

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students use cardboard models of the North American and Pacific plates and sand to investigate what happens when there is an earthquake or movement along the boundaries of the plates.
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Into the Wilderness: Habitat vs. Development

For Teachers 5th - 8th
By studying the once-assumed extinction, then rediscovery of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, learners look at the physical changes that have occured in habitats throughout Arkansas. This outstanding activity is chock full of terrific...