Lesson Plan
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Why Is The Sea Salty?

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students observe how salt concentration increases in water and how salt remains after water evaporates. For this salty sea lesson plan, student use rock salt, water, containers, and strainers to observe that salt increases each time new...
Lesson Plan
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Oily Oceans

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students, after reading Jack, the Seal and the Sea, by Gerald Aschenbrenner, get a hands-on knowledge of the effects of oil on water, and those things that come in contact with it.
Lesson Plan
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The Search for El Nino

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders complete an El Nino scavenger hunt. In this earth science lesson, 6th graders describe the conditions that create El Nino and compare it to normal condition. They discuss how this phenomenon affects marine ecosystem.
Lesson Plan
NOAA

I Can't Breathe!

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Gulf of Mexico dead zone, an area of low oxygen that kills marine life, costs the United States $82 million every year. Young scientists research anoxic ocean environments then come up with a hypothesis for the cause of the Gulf of...
Lesson Plan
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The Making of a Coat

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Pupils read the story A New Coat For Anna and discuss their knowledge on how to make a coat. In this reading and coat making lesson plan, students discuss coat making and listen to a speaker that spins thread to make coats.
Lesson Plan
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Biomes: Islands and Evolution

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars discover how islands form, how plant and animal species get there and what the term means.  In this biomes lesson students prepare a presentation that describes the life forms and geography of an island. 
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Bringing Climate Change Into the Classroom

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the greenhouse effect and examine the potential effects of climate change in the Arctic. They construct a mini-greenhouse and test its effect on temperature, analyze historical climate statistics, and conduct an...
Lesson Plan
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Ocean Observations

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine a coastal ocean. In this physical science/earth science lesson, students generate a list of questions about how researchers study the ocean. In addition, students investigate, through research on the computer, to answer...
Lesson Plan
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Marine Protection Areas

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explain the importance of having Marine Protected Areas. In this ecology lesson, students research MPA's in any of the Great Lakes. They play a MPA simulation game and identify MPA's on the map.
Lesson Plan
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Filter Feeding in Reef Sponges

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students investigate the role of sponges in our oceans.  In this biology lesson plan, students create a diagram visualizing how sponges bring food into their bodies through a filtering process.  Students discuss the connections...
Lesson Plan
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Desalination: Creating a Solar Still

For Teachers 4th - 6th
To better understand how solar power can aid in creating desalinated drinking water, the class creates a model still. They will build a model of a solar still, make observations, and discuss how the process works. While the idea behind...
Lesson Plan
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Indian Ocean Explored

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Learners consider the information presented in the WNET videotape of India: Land of the Tiger/Unknown Seas (Episode 3).  In this biology lesson, students view the video and engage in a discussion about the questions posed in the video.
Lesson Plan
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Robots

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students play the parts of robots and their controllers. In this robot lesson plan, students learn about robots, and use verbal commands to simulate how a robot would command to it's controller.
Lesson Plan
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Our Water Footprint

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students discuss the water usage of the world and their own water usage. In this water lesson plan, students read a story about water and discuss different statistics of water usage around the world.
Lesson Plan
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Soil Runoff Challenge

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students find ways to decrease soil runoff for an African Village as a part of a Peace Corps project. In this soil runoff lesson, students play a soil runoff challenge online. Students complete online activities and view a slide show to...
Lesson Plan
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Planetary Surface Evolution and Resurfacing

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students are provided with drawings of planet surfaces in order to investigate different types of planetary terrain. They make observations for each planet and discuss the characteristics observed. The lesson includes background...
Lesson Plan
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Understanding Tsunamis

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discover the causes of tsunamis in oceans and fjords. They perform an experiment to discover how calving icebergs can create different wave patterns in the ocean and in a fjord. In addition, they draw a diagram to illustrate the...
Lesson Plan
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The Titanic Impact of Science

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Discuss personal ideas about science and how a filmmaker can employ the arts to promote science. After reading an article, young scientists will discover how James Cameron is trying to interest people in the oceans. In groups, they will...
Lesson Plan
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In the Company of Whales

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine whales and how they migrate.  In this whale activity students research whales and their migration patterns.
Lesson Plan
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Birth of the Earth

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners examine the major events that have taken place in the Earth's development.  In this Earth instructional activity students view a video and put major events in chronological order. 
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Rocks

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers examine how sedimentary rocks are formed.  For this rock lesson students research different rock formations and different types of rock. 
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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars investigate various careers in the field of oceanography. They create a resume, develop a hypothetical company, create a brochure or web page, plan an ad campaign, or write an article about a teacher that has influenced...
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Conditions at Sea Data Activity

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
Students study how to forecast sea conditions.  In this oceanography lesson students complete a class activity on wave making. 
Lesson Plan
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What Color is the Ocean?

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students view satellite pictures of the ocean, and discuss the presence of phytoplankton and the colors of the ocean. Students compare/contrast ocean satellite images with maps and globes, then color world maps to replicate the satellite...