Curated OER
Entering The Twilight Zone
For this lesson sixth grade students get into groups and research a given ocean habitat. The major features of cold-seep communities are the objective but plenty information is given about other habitats which could be assigned to...
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Design a Reef!
Here is an ambitious, but highly valuable undertaking: set up a miniature coral reef in your classroom. Young marine scientists research coral reef ecosystems and ensure all vital factors are included in their functioning model. The...
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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...
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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...
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Strange Bugs
As individuals or in small groups, marine biologists research and discuss archaea and their unusual behavior as compared to bacteria. Teach them about the chemical makeup of the cell membrane of these strange organisms. This complex...
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Wreck Detectives
Junior archaeologists examine types of artifacts from the Bronze Age on the internet. In collaborative groups, they create a story about a ship from this period and then construct a model of the ocean floor after their ship has sunk....
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Photosynthesis and Respiration
Students comprehend the relationship between plants and animals in an aquatic ecosystem. They predict the effects of low dissolved oxygen on the organisms. Students create microcosms with plants, animals, or both. They determine which...
Dream of a Nation
Read, Watch, Write for Pathos, Logos and Ethos
Encourage your young citizens to make a difference. Using Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a Better America as a starting point, class members watch documentaries, investigate issues, and then write letters to...
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The Census of Marine Life
Young scholars explain diversity and abundance in marine life. In this oceanic biology lesson plan, students collect information for various geographical areas to collect a census of marine life.
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It's the Law
Students explain various scientific laws used in SCUBA diving. In this theory based lesson plan, students examine and explain how temperature, density, and salinity relate to SCUBA diving using various scientific laws to engage their...
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Life on the Hardbottom
Students find similarities and differences between a biotrope habitat and an ecosystem. In this hardbottom biotrope lesson, students research and respond to inquiry questions about a biotrope. Students identify three...
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Pleistocene Mammals
Students research the causes of the extinction of Pleistocene mammals. In this Pleistocene mammals lesson, students read essays to understand the Pleistocene epoch. Students write an essay about the personal impact of this...
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Cut-Off Genes
Students explain the concept of gene sequence analysis. In this gene lesson, students draw inferences about phylogenetic similarities of different organisms.
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Message in the Bottles
Students identify the three realms of the Arctic Ocean, and describe the relationships among these realms. They explain the relationships between gross primary productivity, net primary productivity, and respiration.
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Deep Gardens
Students compare and contrast deep-sea coral reefs with shallow-water coral reefs. In this underwater ecology instructional activity, students describe three types of coral and explain why scientists are concerned about the future of...
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Oil Floats, Right?
Students examine the properties in oil in water. For this mixture lesson, students read about the Lophelia II 2010: Cold Seeps and Deep Reef Expedition and look at images of deep sea ecosystems. They experiment or participate in...
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Sonar Simulation
Students compare and contrast side-scan sonar to other methods used to find objects underwater. In this underwater search instructional activity, students describe side-scan sonar and make inferences about the topography of an unknown...
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The Robot Fisherman
Students examine the use of robotic vehicles for fish surveys. In this ocean life instructional activity, students discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using underwater robots and the requirements an underwater robot must meet in...
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Reduced Fare
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...
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The Tell-Tale Plume
Students examine hydrothermal vents. In this ocean instructional activity, students identify changes in physical and chemical properties of sea water caused by hydrothermal vents.
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The Robot Ranger
Students participate in an experiment to understand how robotic systems can estimate distances. In this robotic ranger lesson, students measure the the time it takes for and object to move back and forth. Students will use a...
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Boom and Bust
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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Animals of the Fire Ice
Learners 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. Learners create a group...
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Flight Dreams - The Pressure on Parachutes
Students investigate air pressure by researching parachutes. In this physics lesson plan, students participate in three separate experiments utilizing air pressure and paper products to test theories on parachutes. Students...