Curated OER
Go Fish!
Students are introduced to the culture of the Kumeyaay. Using their text, they discover how they used their native flora and fauna in San Diego. They participate in a matching game and examine the types of organisms who make their home...
Curated OER
Watersheds and Wetlands
Students investigate watersheds and wetlands. In this watersheds and wetlands lesson, students complete a 17 step lesson plan to build a watershed. Students then complete another 9 step lesson to build a watershed with wetlands and...
Curated OER
Interrelationships Within the Marine Community
Fourth graders create an electronic story showing the interrelationship of species within the marine environment. They utilize the educational software, 'Destination Ocean' during this engaging instructional activity.
Curated OER
Introduction to the Barnegat Bay Estuary
Learners research estuaries. In this estuaries lesson, students discuss the differences in a bay and an ocean. Learners watch a PowerPoint of the properties of the estuaries and geography of Barnegat Bay. Students complete a worksheet...
Curated OER
To Protect Your Streams, Protect Your Mountains
Students build and experiment with a watershed to understand the effects of pollution. In this movement of water lesson, students work in groups creating rock formations and change the viscosity of the liquids falling down the mountain....
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Natural Disaster
Describe how plate tectonics account for various land formations. Learners discuss different marine sanctuaries and create a poster about tectonic activity in these areas. They share their posters with the class.
Ocean Explorer
Architects of the Coral Reef
Coral Reefs are the focus of a life science lesson plan. Upper graders look at how coral reefs are formed, how the animals and plants reproduce, and the variety of ways that humans benefit from coral reefs around the world. Groups of...
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
Sharks ~ Taking a Bite Out of the Myth
The first thing to know about this lesson is that the commercial fisheries data for the activity no longer seems to be available. That being said, there are fascinating links to other websites, some about the comparative odds of being...
Curated OER
Food for Thought
Students understand the importance of each member of a food chain through a game. In this food chains lesson, students receive background information and then play a game to simulate what happens in the food chain of an endangered...
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Species on the Edge
Students study science. In this endangered species lesson plan, students examine sea turtles and actions that can be taken to help keep them alive. They work in small groups to research different species of turtles and share their...
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Whale Watcher Game Lesson
Students participate in an online whale watching game. They identify the reasons for migration and describe the route. They make predictions on what would happen if the ways did not migrate.
Curated OER
Guetemala's Changing Forest
Eighth graders compare their local ecological zone to the tropical rainforest. In this natural ecology lesson, 8th graders complete an activity about the differences in ecological zones. They compare their biome to the Guatemalan...
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Climate Change
Ninth graders compare the Arctic and Antarctic. In this climate lesson students work in groups, research and complete an oral report or a poster.
NOAA
The Dead Zone
The fifth installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program defines dead zones and how they form. Pupils then examine data from the Gulf of Mexico to determine dead zone formation.
National Wildlife Federation
The Amazing Adventures of Carbon: How Carbon Cycles through the Earth
Here's a stat for your pupils: 18 percent of the human body is carbon! Part 10 in the series of 12 takes pairs on an adventure through the carbon cycle. After a class reading about carbon, pairs read and choose their own adventure...
Curated OER
Molecular Explorations
Students explain the processes for separating DNA from tissue and separating complex mixtures. In this exploratory lesson students complete a lab where they extract DNA.
Curated OER
Drawing Fish
Students practice creating art by imitating the camouflage of fish. In this animal characteristic lesson, students identify certain fish and their ability to change colors in order to survive in the wild. Students utilize coloring...
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Group Foraging
Young scholars explore co-operation by researching ocean life. In this fish science lesson, students identify many vocabulary terms associated with oceanography and discuss what group foraging means among fish. Young scholars utilize...
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Estuaries, Estuarine Habitats, and Adaptations
Students conduct research on estuaries. They design and construct an estuary, describe the physical characteristics of an estuary, and create a diagram illustrating an estuarine food web.
Curated OER
Prince William's Oily Mess: A Tale of Recovery
In this environment learning exercise, students explore the effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Students read and study text and photographs about the 1989 spill. Students answer 6 essay questions.
Curated OER
Save A Reef!
Students identify the major threats to coral reefs and the ways that they benefit from humans. In this coral reef conservation lesson plan students create a public education program on coral reefs.
Curated OER
Food Web
Middle schoolers are able to define food web, and identify the interdependence of organisms within a system. They are able to describe how natural events and human activities can impact a food web.
Curated OER
Inside-out Adaptations
Students describe sea stars adaptations and explain how these enable them to survive in different environments. For this animal adaptation lesson students watch a video, get into groups and create a list of characteristics of sea stars.