Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Water Hunt

For Teachers K
Students create a model of the land to water ratio in a large group and search for all the places water is used at their school while on a Great Water Hunt. They identify where water can be found and compare how much of world is covered...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Coral Bleaching

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the relationship between corals and zooxanthellae, identify stresses to corals, and explain coral bleaching.  In this sea life instructional activity students predict the effects of increased temperatures on coral...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ocean Drifters

For Teachers 5th - 6th
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. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Shark Encounter

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders identify fact and fiction about sharks.  In this investigative lesson students graph results of a shark survey and label parts of a shark. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

To See or Not to See

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars identify and discuss key factors that determine how effective color camouflage is in certain habitats.  In this investigative lesson students divide into groups and study light. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Group Foraging

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students 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. Students utilize paints and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Observing Lava Flows

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Learners examine the difference between fast and slow spreading lava flows. They identify various types of lava flow and determine the factors that cause them to form. Viewing photographs of lava flows, students working in groups,...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Mud is Mud...or is it?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
We know that the type of soil varies by location, but does the seafloor sediment also vary, or is it all the same? Scholars compare photos of the seafloor from two different locations: the Savannah Scarp and the Charleston Bump. Through...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Book Is A Window To the World

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders listen to pieces of literature that take place in different regions of the world. Using a map, they identify and locate the continents and oceans mentioned in the story. They describe the physical and human characteristics...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Coriolis Effect

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students will determine the direction of Earth's rotation as viewed from the north and south if they were suspended out in space. They will model how the rotation of the Earth causes currents to be deflected in different directions for...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Electronic Mapping

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students identify countries, oceans, and capitals by building an electronic map.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spice Up Your Life

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders identify major spices found in the world. They link spices with countries they are grown in and the uses for these valuable items.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let the River Run

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the environment by reading a story in class. In this water formation instructional activity, students define environmental terms such as rivers, streams, gulf, oceans and lakes. Students read the story A River Ran Wild...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Great Lakes Food Web

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students identify species and components of a Great Lakes food web. Using note cards, they place themselves in the correct order of the food chain based on the species present. They discuss what they believe happens to various species...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Marine Ecosystems

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students identify producers and consumers and construct a food chain from four marine ecosystems. They describe the delicate balance among organisms in each environment. In groups, students discuss the human activities that upset the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning Lesson: The Rain Man

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Learners participate in a demonstration showing the concept of precipitation. They view the hydrologic cycle and identify its stages, and discuss flash flood safety at the end the lesson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Home Sweet Home

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students explore marine turtle habitats. Students research one species of marine turtle found in the Gulf of Mexico. They identify plants and animals in the habitat. They create a model or replica using information gathered through their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Aquatic Exotics

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars identify and describe the aquatic exotic species found in Illinois. Using the internet, they research the species origins and discover their effects on native species in the area. They discuss how appropriate it is to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spineless - YES... Helpless - NO!

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students distinguish between invertebrate and vertebrate organisms while examining the zoological classes of a number of invertebrates. They illustrate a food web of these organisms and investigate the impact of humans on the oceanic...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to the World Globe

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners examine a globe and the world map to see what constitutes the differences. In this world map introductory lesson plan, students discuss what they see when they view the globe. Learners then, look at a world map and compare the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Magic School Bus Explores the Ocean

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students are introduced to "The Magic School Bus Explores the Ocean". They should have been studying the ocean. They have heard and read many books on the topic. This software will bring the ocean to life and provide information to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

North America, Then and Now

For Teachers K - 2nd
Learners identify ocean, lake, gulf, and continent on maps of North America from 1845 and the present, and identify Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the Great Lakes, and the Gulf of Mexico on maps of North America from 1845 and the present.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Ocean Floor -- Science

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers work together to create a model of the ocean floor. They practice using new vocabulary associated with the ocean floor as well. They share their model with the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

High and Low Tides

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students collect real world data from the Web regarding high and low tides at various locations in the United States. They find a function which models this data and make predictions on tide levels based on the information found.