Curated OER
Ecosystem Interactions Web
Students pick an ecosystem (forest, desert, coral reef, open ocean, grassland, mountain, savanna, etc.) and design an interaction web for their chosen ecosystem. Each group shares their ecosystem's web of life with the class.
Curated OER
Friend, Foe, or . . .
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...
Curated OER
Graphing Iron Data
Students apply a data set to create a graph show how iron ore impacts an ecosystem. They explain how the iron effects the distribution and abundance of phytoplankton in coastal ecosystems using spreadsheet software.
NOAA
Stressed Out!
Are our oceans really suffering due to the choices humans make? The sixth and final installment in the volume of activities challenges research groups to tackle one of six major topics that impact ocean health. After getting to the...
Curated OER
Deep Blue Sea
Elementary schoolers identify the ocean floor in a geological sense. They create a presentation that highlights the key features of the ocean floor. This terrific lesson plan has excellent streaming video segments embedded in it, and the...
NOAA
Exploring Potential Human Impacts
Arctic sea ice reflects 80 percent of sunlight, striking it back into space; with sea ice melting, the world's oceans become warmer, which furthers global warming. These activities explore how humans are impacting ecosystems around the...
Florida International University
Are You Concentrating?
Explore the importance of a concentration gradient in the rates of dissolution. Using the ocean ecosystem, learners study rates of dissolution around coral reefs. A hands-on experiment helps individuals discover the effects of changing a...
Curated OER
Ecosystems
In this ecosystems worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle with 35 questions about the different types of ecosystems and organisms in them.
Curated OER
What's in That Cake?
Cooperative groups research trip logs from deep-sea expeditions and explore characteristics of deepwater habitats. Using a cake as the ocean floor, they work together to decorate it as a model of such habitats. They also prepare a...
Curated OER
It Looks Like Champagne
Learners determine some practical implications of the discovery of liquid carbon dioxide in deep-ocean ecosystems. They interpret phase diagrams and explain the meaning of "critical point" and "triple point."
NOAA
Endangered Species Origami
Make sea turtle or whale origami in a hands-on activity that provides instructions for folding and facts for learning about each.
Curated OER
Ocean Drifters
Students define terms, and identify three ways in which plankton are adapted for life in the open ocean. In this ocean drift lesson students design a planktonic organism.
Curated OER
Kure Waste Chase Game Lesson
Students work together to identify marine debris. They explain the effect of the debris on various ecosystems. They draw different types of ocean currents as well.
Curated OER
Design a Reef!
Middle schoolers explore coral reef ecosystems. In this ecosystems science lesson plan, students research coral reef ecosystems to determine the major functions the participating organisms must perform. Middle schoolers construct a...
Curated OER
Visual Vocabulary
Students interpret and name the vocabulary termed acted out by the mime. In this science/language arts/physical education activity, students are given a set of vocabulary terms to discuss within their group. Next, students place all...
Curated OER
Energy Through the Ecosystem
In this ecosystem worksheet, students use a diagram of an ocean-based food web to complete 5 short answer questions about the energy flow through this ecosystem.
Curated OER
Endangered Marine Turtles
Students work in groups and experience what it is like to be a hatchling marine turtle by playing a board game. In this endangered marine turtles lesson, students research the threats to marine turtle hatchlings. Students then create a...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Modeling Trophic Cascades
In the ecological game of who eats who, one small change can have a big impact! Individuals create food chains in an array of ecosystems, then determine what happens to organisms in the chain when one organism changes its feeding...
Polar Trec
Plankton Parents
Plankton are so abundant in the ocean they outweigh all of the animals in the sea. In this three day activity, groups discuss and become familiar with plankton, capture females, and look for egg production on day three.
University of Georgia
Land Biomes Project
Challenge scholars to research a biome and create a presentation for the producers of Survivor to choose their ecosystem for the next season's show. The materials include outlines, worksheets, and grading rubrics for individuals as well...
Curated OER
Exploring Limu Diversity
Students explore limu diversity. In this ocean ecosystem lesson, students classify limu according to its physical properties. Students work in small groups to generate scientific observations and sort limu by characteristics.
Curated OER
Architects of the Coral Reef
Learners discuss reproduction in Cnidaria. in this coral reef lesson, students describe five characteristics of Cnidaria and compare and contrast the four classes. They describe the reproduction strategies they use.
Curated OER
Are You Getting Thirsty?
High schoolers study droughts and how they affect communities and coastal ecosystems. In this ecosystems lesson students use data to examine drought conditions in certain areas.
Curated OER
A'ama and Pipipi Adaptations
Students explore ocean creatures. In this crustacean lesson, students determine how Black Nerite snails and Sally Light-foot crabs have adapted to their ocean habitats. Students complete diagrams and hypothesize about the necessity...