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Lesson Plan
Ocean Explorer

Easy as Pi

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Seamounts are large, extinct volcanoes that rise up from the bottom of the ocean floor. They are a relatively new landform in the scientific community, and this instructional activity invites students to learn about the amazing diversity...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Motion in the Ocean

For Teachers 9th - 12th
How does the formation of currents and waves in the ocean happen? High schoolers will learn about the primary causes for ocean currents and waves by calculating a wave's amplitude and nautical mile speed. Then they will complete a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's for Dinner?

For Teachers 7th - 10th
View a video presentation comparing chemosynthesis to photosynthesis. Review the findings of the 2004 Ring of Fire Expedition that studied biological communities around the hydrothermal vents of the Mariana Arc. In collaborative groups,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where's Dinner?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Upcoming marine biologists consider a list of organisms residing near the Lost City hydrothermal vents and construct a food web. They compare the food web to that of a cold seep community, of which they should have previous knowledge....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History's Thermometers

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Ancient coral beds give scientists clues to past ocean temperatures in much the same way that tree rings indicate historical weather conditions. High school scientists examine coral oxygen isotope ratios and plot the data as a function...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Faking It

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle school earth scientists describe the behavior of the Coriolis force. They compare and contrast conditions under which the Coriolis force has a significant impact with conditions under which it has very little. They model the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cut-off Genes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Investigate the relationships between different deep-sea organisms by DNA sequencing. A worksheet provides instructions for DNA sequencing and space to work. They simulate gel electrophoresis by cutting out paper "DNA strands." Modeling...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Big Fleas Have Little Fleas

For Teachers 6th - 8th
A benthic habitat hosts a vast collection of organisms and its structure influences the biodiversity. Middle-school marine biology explorers will discuss how corals impact structure, and therefore diversity, on the ocean floor. They draw...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

Climate, Corals and Change

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Global warming isn't just an issue on land; deep ocean waters are also showing troubling signs. Young scientists learn more about deep water corals and the many recent discoveries researchers have made. Then they examine data related to...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

It's a Roughy Life

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Scientists recently discovered several previously unknown species at the Bear Seamount off the coast of New England. Scholars research these new species — benthopelagic, benthic, and seamount fish — and find out what makes them unique....
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

What's the Difference?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Due to the isolation of seamounts, their biodiversity offers a great deal of information on the development of biological and physical processes. Pupils use simple cluster analysis to rate the similarity and differences in biological...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

A Matter of Density

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Larvae transportation on the New England seamounts is based on the density of the water. Scholars calculate density and graph salinity versus temperature to better understand the distribution of organisms in a water column. Discussions...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

Importance of Deep-Sea Ecosystems – Chemists with No Backbones

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
Marine invertebrates offer us many new options for developing pharmaceutical drugs, such as w-conotoxin MVIIA, which is extracted from the cone snail and is a potent painkiller. The lesson plan encourages scholars to research various...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

Importance of Deep-Sea Ecosystems – The Benthic Drugstore

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
You never know what you will find next in the deep sea ecosystem. So far, scientists have found items that work as anti-tumor agents, anti-inflammatory agents, agents that stop uncontrolled cell division, and much more. The lesson begins...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Feeding in the Flow

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has developed a tremendous library of ocean-themed lessons that can be used in a variety of science settings. "Feeding in the Flow" is one of those activities; Its focus is on...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Deep Gardens

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Marine biology beginners read about the 2005 Florida Coast Deep Corals expedition, research phylum Cnidaria, and then report on a specific coral deep-sea coral group. There is an abundance of background information and internet resources...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Friend, Foe, or . . .

For Teachers 5th - 6th
As a result of this lesson, upper elementary ocean explorers will be able to describe several interrelationships: symbiosis, mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. They learn that the biological richness is increased near seamounts and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Treasures in Jeopardy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In small groups, middle schoolers research deep-sea coral reefs and design a poster to educate the public about their importance. They compare them to shallow-water reefs and consider the impact of bottom-trawl fishing. Many internet...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How can deep-water corals be used to determine long-term patterns of climate change?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the concept of paleoclimatological proxies.  In this paleoclimatological proxies lesson, students explain isotope ratios in deep water coral samples.  Students write a paragraph about global climate change as it effects...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cutt-Off Genes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore how gene sequence analysis can be used to examine phylogenetic similarities of different organisms. Students work in groups to simulate a gel electrophoresis separation of fragments using poster board to create...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plot Your Course

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students determine distance and direction on a nautical chart. In this nautical lesson, students identify obstacles and characteristics of common aid to navigation on a nautical chart.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Has the Data? Monitoring Coral Reefs

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students access data to characterize coral reefs. In this scientific research lesson plan, students access data and explain the need for such data when monitoring coral reefs. They will identify and explain three major threats to coral...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Boom and Bust

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students investigate commercial fishery. In this fishery lesson, students describe stages in commercial fishery, interpret data and predict when a fisher stock is showing signs of overexploitation.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Microfriends: Medicines from the Deep Sea

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students explore the concept of beneficial microorganisms. In this microorganisms lesson, students observe different bacteria found in organisms  Students discuss and describe three ways that microorganisms benefit humans.