Activity
National Geographic

National Geographic: Mapping Ocean Currents

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
An unfortunate spill of 92,000 rubber ducks into the ocean in 1992 elicited invaluable information about global ocean currents as scientists tracked their journeys around the world. In this lesson, students first learn about the Ocean...
Activity
Other

Rutgers: c.o.o.l. Class: Navigation and Ocean Currents

For Students 9th - 10th
Take advantage of this C.o.o.l. project to learn about navigation and ocean currents! Click on each link in the left menu, and you will work through this project! Learn about C.O.R. ..Coastal Ocean Radar! Find out how the U.S. Coast...
Handout
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: How Ocean Currents Moderate Climate Study Guide

For Students 6th - 8th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Summarizes the key points about the effects of ocean currents on climate. Includes a few questions to check for understanding.
Website
NOAA

Noaa: National Ocean Service: Education: Currents

For Students 9th - 10th
Illustrated tutorial explains the numerous factors which shape ocean currents. Animations help students visualize how these aspects constantly affect the water movement in the ocean and how scientists use this information to study ocean...
Article
Society for Science and the Public

Science News for Students: Climate Change Could Stall Atlantic Ocean Current

For Students 9th - 10th
When carbon dioxide levels rise, the currents slow, which leads to temperatures dropping because of the lack of water movement. Europe could suffer as a result of this change.
Unit Plan
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Great Ocean Conveyor Belt: Part I

For Students 9th - 10th
This image from GRID-Arendal depicts the major circulation pattern of the ocean, illustrating interactions between temperature, salinity, and depth. Includes a background reading handout and several discussion questions.
Online Course
Cosmo Learning

Cosmo Learning: Ocean Currents

For Students 9th - 10th
The atmosphere forces the ocean in three ways: addition and removal of heat, precipitation and evaporation, and wind stress. The former two processes influence the density of sea water. Gravity acts on these density differences to cause...
Handout
University of Southern California

University of Southern California: Ocean Currents and Climate

For Students 9th - 10th
The climate of our planet is greatly affected by Earth's oceans. Learn here about the different oceanic currents and the role those currents play on climate.
Handout
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Surface Ocean Currents Study Guide

For Students 6th - 8th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] This study guide summarizes key points about surface currents on the ocean. Includes a few questions to check for understanding.
Website
NOAA

Noaa: The Ocean's Role in Weather and Climate

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection of resources - interactive activities and teacher tutorials - on the impact the ocean has on weather and climate.
Online Course
Cosmo Learning

Cosmo Learning: The Atmosphere, the Ocean, and Environmental Change

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection of video lectures from a course that explores the physical processes the control Earth's atmosphere, ocean, and climate that is taught at Yale University. The course covers topics like clouds, rain, severe storms, regional...
Online Course
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Open Course Ware: Atmospheric and Ocean Circulations

For Students 9th - 10th
This course outline offers resources focused on the circulation of the atmosphere and ocean.
Handout
NASA

Nasa Earth Observatory: Ocean and Climate Fact Sheet

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about Earth's oceans and the effects that climate have had on the rising temperatures over the past one hundred years. Discover how the Earth's ocean and atmosphere are interlocked so that when one changes, the other is affected.
Website
NASA

Nasa: El Nino

For Students 3rd - 5th
A concise explanation of El Nino. Discusses global wind patterns and ocean temperatures. Offers interactive weather-related learning activities.
Website
Other

University of California: Ocean Drilling Program

For Students 9th - 10th
Scientists probe the ocean floor off Costa Rica and find evidence that may tell us more about what goes on in ocean trenches.
Unit Plan
Other

Digital Library for Earth System Education: Teaching Box: Seasonal Upwelling

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A suite of lessons focusing on the process of upwelling. Inquiry-based exploration of seasonal upwelling includes marine food webs, food production in the ocean, wind-driven ocean currents, and seasonal changes in biotic and abiotic...
PPT
Other

Lunar and Planetary Institute: Oceans From Space

For Students 9th - 10th
This collection of photographs from space-shuttle missions shows some features of oceanic circulation that simply cannot be seen from any other vantage point. This site is a great resource for many different topics of study.
Website
Rice University

Rice University: Museums Teaching Planet Earth: What Is the Hydrosphere?

For Students 9th - 10th
Focus is on the hydrosphere and contains the definition as well as characteristics of the ocean and the effect of the ocean on climate.
Lesson Plan
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Blossoms: Will an Ice Cube Melt Faster in Freshwater or Saltwater?

For Students 9th - 10th
Engage students in the study of the ocean and saltwater with these activities. Students will see that saltwater has different physical properties than freshwater - mainly density. This lesson can serve as a springboard into other...
Handout
Other

Seafriends Marine Conservation and Education Centre: Oceanography: Waves

For Students 9th - 10th
A very detailed article on the characteristics of waves and wave behavior. It discusses the influence waves have on the marine environment and the global climate, the physics of wave motion, the interactions between waves and wind, wave...
Handout
The History Cat

The History Cat: Geography Phenomenon: Hurricanes

For Students 4th - 8th
Describes how ocean currents affect climates around the world and the impact of the Gulf Stream, which can cause hurricanes to form. The role of wind patterns in the Caribbean is also discussed.
Article
Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Australian Broadcasting Corporation: News in Science: Southern Ocean Carbon Sink Filling Up Fast

For Students 9th - 10th
From ABC News in Science, Deborah Zabarenko's article explores the rising danger of the amount of carbon dioxide currently filling up the southern ocean around Antaratica.
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Digital Mapping and Geographic Information Systems (Gis)

For Students 7th - 9th
Geographic information systems (GIS), once used predominantly by experts in cartography and computer programming, have become pervasive in everyday business and consumer use. This unit explores GIS in general as a technology about which...
Handout
Enchanted Learning

Enchanted Learning: Zoom School: Oceans

For Students 3rd - 8th
Find out why the oceans are blue and what causes waves by clicking here. There is a table of information about the four oceans as well as interesting facts on waves, salinity, and tides.

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