After an introduction to municipal sludge, middle school ecologists consider the pros and cons of dumping in the Hudson River Canyon. The class is split into two groups: one to debate in favor or dumping and one to debate against the...

Students describe major features of cold seep communities, and list at least five organisms typical of these communities. They infer probable trophic relationships among organisms typical of cold-seep communities.

Students create a mural showing ocean zones and the diversity of ocean life. They use reference books to create a list of plants and animals that would live in each zone.

Students examine and identify the characteristics of the four zones of the ocean. They discover the amount of diversity in marine habitats. They also explore the adaptations organisms have that have allowed them to survive.

High schoolers explore the concept of paleoclimatological proxies.  In this paleoclimatological proxies instructional activity, students explain isotope ratios in deep water coral samples.  High schoolers write a paragraph...

Young scholars identify and interpret that non-fiction books have features like a table of contents, a glossary, and an index, which can efficiently help them find information. They also identify how to narrow the search for information...

Bioluminescent animals are the focus of a hands-on craft in which scholars create a scene of either a land or sea bioluminescent creature.

Students create a KWL chart to start the discussion on ocean animals. They practice sorting the animals into their different classifications. They use indexes, table of contents and glossary to find information.

High schoolers read about, discuss, and research chemotrophic organisms. In this chemosynthesis lesson, students discuss the differences between photosynthesis and chemosynthesis. They learn that chemosynthesis includes a variety of...

Marine science classes read about the 2005 North Atlantic Stepping Stones Expedition and review climate change. They use maps to locate the seamount chains. In collaborative groups, they research how climate change may be altering the...

Meant to be a simulation of a deep-sea exploration, this requires that another lesson be completed first. In that lesson, titled "Animals of the Lost City," marine biology buffs construct murals of benthic communities. In this lesson,...

Students research life forms on tropical coral reefs in order to explore the biodiversity of the ecosystem.  In this biodiversity lesson students work in groups and complete their coral reef activity. 

Students examine the different types of luminescence in deep sea organisms. In this bioluminescence activity, students investigate how color and light aide deep ocean organisms by describing the characteristics of the habitat and...

Students create a two-dimensional topographic map and a 3-D model of landforms.  In this creative instructional activity students create 2 and 3-D objects and learn how to interpret the data from these things. 

Students examine deep-sea coral. In this coral lesson, students identify the structure and function of a coral polyp. Students then create a model of a coral polyp.

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill directly impacted an area of the Gulf of Mexico the size of Oklahoma. A marine biology activity looks at the impact of an oil spill on the deeper parts of the ocean. Scholars download actual data collected...

How do robots assist ocean explorers in collecting data and images? The final installment in a five-part series has science scholars examine underwater images collected by robots and identify the organisms shown. Groups then calculate...

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...

How do chains of islands form? Young oceanographers explore the mountains of the deep in the final installment in a 13-part series. The interactive compares types of seamounts based on their overall height and height under the water, as...

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...

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...

Explorers set up Windogradsky columns with local mud so that they can culture microorganisms. After three and six weeks they make observations of the mud and the organisms growing in it. In this way they observe succession and relate...

Students perform activities to recreate the exploration of the sea bottom. They attach magnets to the bottom of the remote controlled car to see how many camouflaged objects it can pick up. As a class, students examine the results of...

Students investigate how and why deep-sea organisms produce light. They examine how these processes can be used to study deep ocean environments.