Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Build a Polyp

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students research coral polyps. In this coral polyps lesson, students discover the anatomy of a coral polyp and how they feed. Students create an edible coral polyp model.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seashore Sweep

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students gather information about sea animals. In this ocean lesson, students read a story about the ocean and seashore. They discuss the needs of seashore animals and create a Mystery Ocean Animal riddle book. Students also discuss...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

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.
Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

Journey to Deep Sea Vents

For Students 6th - 12th
Take a deep dive into oceanography. The online interactive allows for learners to board a submersible to dive to the bottom of the ocean to investigate sea vents. On the way down, individuals see different marine life at different...
Website
American Museum of Natural History

What's the Big Deal About Water?

For Students 6th - 12th
It may seem simple, but water is one of the most unique substances on Earth. An interactive online lesson describes its properties and importance in so many different situations. Learners interact with the lesson to learn the role water...
Learning
American Museum of Natural History

What do You Know About Life on Earth?

For Students 6th - 12th
Humans have only inhabited the earth for a fraction of the time that life has existed. Young scientists explore the facts about the emergence of life on Earth with an interactive resource. While highlighting different types of life, the...
Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

What's This? Staying Safe

For Students 6th - 12th
Amaze the class with the creative adaptations species employ to trick predators. An online interactive lesson introduces learners to six different species with unique adaptations. Each species highlights a different adaptation and its...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Shoes and the Backyard Landscape

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Your shoes get a lot of mileage in familiar places. Represent the places you have traveled the most with an art project based on a print of Indian People Wear Shoes and Socks by Juane Quick-to-See Smith. Kids trace their shoes and...
Lesson Plan
Wilderness Classroom

Pollution

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Educate scholars on pollution—air, water, and land—with a series of lessons that begin with a thorough explanation of each type. Learners then take part in three activities to reinforce the importance of reducing pollution. They...
Lesson Plan
Sea World

Whales

For Teachers K - 3rd
A whale of a lesson is sure to intrigue your elementary oceanographers! Learn about the mammals of the sea with a series of activities about whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Kids complete worksheets about the anatomy of a whale, create a...
Lesson Plan
Polar Trec

Nature's Density Column

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
Nature provides density columns in the polar regions that provides food for many animals. Young scientists build their own density columns with water in order to answer analysis questions. Through a slideshow presentation, scholars...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Are Open Ocean Organisms Structured for Their Environment?

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students explore biology by conducting an animal dissection. In this oceanography lesson, students identify the life cycle of a squid and other animals that are involved with commercial fishing. Students dissect a squid in class and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Activity 1: Please Pass the Energy, Food Webs in the Upper Ocean and Hydrothermal Vent Communities

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students create food webs for two different ocean communities. They are given cards showing organisms from the surface of the ocean. They arrange them in order of who eats whom. After this class activity, students create a food web for...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

We're All In This Together

For Teachers Pre-K - 2nd
Students discover what a coral reef is and the animals that live there. In this ecosystem lesson, students act out a story with ocean organisms. They answer questions that show the interdependency of the sea animals. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animals of the Fire Ice

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students examine ocean life by identifying methane hydrates.  In this ocean life lesson, students research organisms that live in the coldest, deepest parts of the ocean and live off methane hydrates.  Students create a group...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bacteria's Role in Food

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students grow bacteria cultures on agar in petri dishes and do a plate count. They participate in a yogurt making lab to see how bacteria produce lactic acid. They prepare a recipe and identify fungi, fermentation and the role of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Going Under

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students explore the different zones of life in the ocean.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Ocean Life Zones Notes

For Students 9th - 12th
In this ocean zones worksheet, students label the ocean diagram with the different zones. Then students write in animals that live in each of the zones and research basic information about those animals. This worksheet has 6 fill in the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Rainbow Under the Sea: How Do Animals Survive in the Ocean?

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders, with adult help, create a PowerPoint presentation on a selected ocean animal.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creatures of the Ocean

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders examine the characteristics of a specific ocean creature. In pairs, 2nd graders create a graphic organizer to list categories and supporting details of the ocean creature. Students review data and use it to write a report...
Activity
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NOAA

The Climate Team: Make a Solar Heat Engine

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Learners investigate how solar energy is converted into heat in part two of the 10-part Discover Your Changing World series. They build and test homemade solar cookers to boil water and cook rice. Pupils consider the impact of heat...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I, Robot, Can Do That!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Assign groups of middle school oceanographers to research one of the following underwater robots; ABE, Herculues, ROPOS, RCV-150, Tiburon, or general purpose ROVs. An included handout guides them through information to be gathered. Each...
PPT
Curated OER

Glacier Bay Pacific Halibut

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
The National Park Service has produced a high-quality presentation on the halibut population of Glacier Bay, Alaska. It takes the viewpoint of the marine biologists or rather, ichthyologists, who have been studying the adaptations,...
Unit Plan
National Geographic

Australia, Antarctica, and Oceana

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Go on a traveling adventure throughout Australia, Oceana, and Antarctica! This textbook excerpt offers a full unit of study that can easily be supplemented by extra projects or research materials. Learners study maps, read about...