Lesson Plan
NOAA

Animals of the Fire Ice

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
When the sun's rays can't reach the producers in a food web, where does all the energy come from? Extreme environments call for extreme food sources. Young scientists investigate creatures that appear to get their energy from methane...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Now You See Me, Now You Don't

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Bioluminescence fascinates most upper elementary scientists. Display images of different glowing deep-sea organisms and discuss their environment. Young biologists then experiment with images and different colors of filtered light. In...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life is Weird

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Separate your science class into small groups and assign each a specific deep-sea organism to research. The class will learn about all of the organisms as each group presents their assigned animal. Following their presentations, you can...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plant Explorers

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Young scholars investigate how plants take in water, nutrients, and light. They create artwork showing how plants survive in different environments.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Underwater Explorer

For Teachers 1st - 12th
Students read and respond to science fiction literature, such as that written by Jules Verne. They research characteristics of deep-sea environments and use this information to design an underwater exploration apparatus. in addition,...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Deep-Sea Ecosystems – Chemosynthesis for the Classroom

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Photosynthesis was discovered in the 1770s, but chemosynthesis wasn't discovered until 1977. While many have performed an experiment to show how photosynthesis works, the activity allows pupils to observe chemosynthesis. Scholars set up...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creature From The Deep

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students become familiar with oceanography terms by writing an oceanography horror story.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Whales and Fish: Creatures of the Deep

For Students 5th Standards
Practice comparing and contrasting details in informational text with a reading passage about whales. It explains the ways that fish and whales are similar, as well as the ways they are different, and specific characteristics of various...
Lesson Plan
Indian Land Tenure Foundation

Gifts from Land and Water

For Teachers K - 2nd
With a series of fun hands-on simulations, young children can learn about conservation and natural resources. Your learners become land detectives, discussing and investigating the gifts that the land and water provide them. They then...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Living in Extreme Environments

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the characteristics of the ocean floor and the importance of of extreme environments.  In this investigative lesson students use four methods to sample populations, gather, record and analyze data from a scientific...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who's New in the Deep Sea?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine the methods and technology that scientists use to study the deep sea and other remote environments.  In this ocean habitats lesson students make observations about organisms from video clips, generate questions and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Monsters of the Deep

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students describe major features of cold seep communities and list the organisms that are typical in these communities. In this deep sea environment lesson students work in groups and research their given cold seep group. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Out of the Deep

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students observe, describe, and record characteristics of ocean animals (mammals and fish) and sea shells. They conduct an experiment comparing and contrasting sugar water, salt water and fresh water and create a mural of coral reef...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Extreme Environments

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students examine extreme environments and the characteristics that make them.  In this adaptation instructional activity students see how animals have adapted to these environments. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ocean Floor Properties and Near Shore Environments

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore and model the characteristics of the ocean floor and near shore environments through in-class demonstrations, laboratory activities, and internet research. They use classroom materials to research the characteristics of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Deep Freeze

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students practice various sampling methods for retrieving data under water, ice, and soil. They use the sample material to make temperature measurements, chart contents, and draw their own conclusions as to what is happening in the...
Worksheet
Curated OER

The Mountain Environment - Avalanche!

For Students 4th - 5th
For this environment worksheet, learners draw picture that illustrate an avalanche adventure. They draw a free snowfall on a mountain, the engine that is vibrating, the avalanche that traps men, and fill in speech bubbles that tell how...
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Living Light

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explain bioluminescence. In this life science lesson, students discuss bioluminescence and conjure examples of organisms that carry this trait and how it is useful in their environment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reduced Fare

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discover the relationship between tectonic plate boundaries and the communities of life that thrive at such boundaries. In this biology lesson plan, students find that methane from oxidized carbon in sediments provides nutrients...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth Science

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners analyze the mechanisms for generating ocean currents, temperature, and deep ocean circulation. They are able to assess the formation and breaking of waves and their effect on shorelines, particularly the North Carolina coast. ...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Magic School Bus: The Wild Whale Watch Lesson Plan

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students research information about whales. In this early childhood lesson plan, students create an illustration of a whale to display in a sea scene in the classroom. Students then use the library and internet to research a whale of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Monsters of the Deep

For Teachers 7th - 8th
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mammals of the Deep Blue

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders study ocean mammals. They explore various websites and databases to answer questions and record answers about whales and dolphins. Finally they use the information obtained to write a report about them.