Curated OER
Corals & Coral Reefs
Students describe a coral reef, how it is formed and its inhabitants. They explain the ecological and economic importance of coral reefs and discuss its present-day threats. Lesson contains adaptations for all levels.
Curated OER
How do living and non-living structures affect coral reef habitats?
Students create model coral reefs showing surface area and including examples of communities. In this coral reef activity, students research and explore the functions or benefits from a coral reef. Students design a benthic habitat....
Curated OER
Coral Reef Community
Students explore the coral reef. In this food chain activity, students study the plants and animals of the coral reef and how they each play a role in that ecosystem. They participate in a class play to demonstrate the types of animals...
Curated OER
The Changing Coral Reef
Students record changes in the composition of a coral reef. In this Coral Reef lesson, students recognize the needs of Coral Reef species to survive. Students chart changes in population over time. Students write an essay about factors...
Curated OER
Coral Reefs
Young scholars research coral reefs and identify their benefits to humans, threats to the reef, how to reduce and eliminate threats, and more. In this coral reef lesson plan, students research the reefs, and take a field trip to an...
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Who Has the Data? Monitoring Coral Reefs
Learners access data to characterize coral reefs. For this scientific research lesson, students access data and explain the need for such data when monitoring coral reefs. They will identify and explain three major threats to coral reefs.
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How Does Your (Coral) Garden Grow?
Analyze and graph oxygen isotope ratios in coral samples in relation to the distance from the outer skeleton edge. Compare the data to the mean monthly water temperatures. Uncover whether or not there is any correlation. In addition to...
National Wildlife Federation
Ghost Town
Around 93 percent of the reefs on Australia's Great Barrier Reef have been bleached, and almost one quarter of them are now dead. Scholars research the sea temperatures, especially around the areas with coral reefs, to make connections...
Curated OER
Save a Reef!
Design a public information campaign to improve understanding of the coral reef crisis. Read about and discuss the biology and threats to the coral reef. The class creates a public information program about the problems facing the coral...
Curated OER
How Diverse is That?
Compare various types of biological diversity in a coral reef and calculate a numeric indicator that describes the diversity found in coral communities. Your class can work in groups to look at the abundance and distribution data of...
Curated OER
Coral Bleaching in the Caribbean
Students practice analyzing images, maps and graphs from Internet-based educational resources. They explore the correlation between sea surface temperature and coral bleaching. Students comprehend that coral reefs are collections of tiny...
Curated OER
Deep Sea Coral Biodiversity
Students research life forms of both tropical coral reefs and deep-sea coral reefs to discover the biodiversity of the ecosystems. They compare and contrast the diversity and adaptations of the two eco-systems, and draw a picture showing...
Curated OER
The Changing Coral Reef Community Game
Students examine organisms that inhabit the coral reefs and their living requirements. In this coral reef lesson students chart population changes and play a game.
Curated OER
Lesson #5: Symbiosis and Coral Anatomy
Fifth graders examine the basic structure of corals and the concept of symbiosis. They watch a Powerpoint Presentation, develop an original pair of organisms living symbiotically, and create an edible model of a coral polyp.
Curated OER
Deep Gardens
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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Treasures in Jeopardy
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...
Curated OER
Mealtime for Corals
Students explore how coral polyps feed. In this science lesson, students participate in an interactive game to demonstrate how polyps within a coral colony feed. Students become coral polyps and demonstrate how they feed in this lesson.
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Deep Gardens
Students compare and contrast deep-sea coral reefs with shallow-water coral reefs. In this underwater ecology lesson, students describe three types of coral and explain why scientists are concerned about the future of deep-sea coral.
Curated OER
What's Down There
Students write an essay about the coral reefs. In this oceanography lesson, students investigate the reef of Bonaire and compare it to reefs that are not thriving. Students then explore the differences that contribute to the overall...
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
Coral Bleaching
High schoolers examine the relationship between corals and zooxanthellae, identify stresses to corals, and explain coral bleaching. In this sea life lesson students predict the effects of increased temperatures on coral reefs.
Curated OER
Coral Reefs
Students research an inhabitant of a Caribbean coral reef using a list of common organisms that live on or near it. Students then write a description of their organism and draw a picture or a 3-D model of it. Eventually they all work...
Curated OER
Egg Carton Coral
Young scholars use egg cartons to construct models of coral colonies showing
many aspects of the coral's natural history - including the structure of
coral polyps and the coral colony's colonial life style.
Curated OER
Build a Reef
Students build a coral reef, then discover organisms that make up the ecosystem.