Common Core Sheets
Voyages of Columbus
Learn the life of Christopher Columbus with the help of a timeline. Young historians interpret Columbus' life story from birth to death, and answer questions to reinforce comprehension.
Cornell University
Too Much of a Good Thing?
Continuing their study of beneficial insects, young entomologists discover where in the world some of these bugs are. By labeling, coloring, and using the scale on a map, pupils explore the territories and arrival of the Asian lady...
Global Oneness Project
Witnessing Icebergs
Camille Seaman's photoessay, "Witnessing Icebergs" documents just a tip of the problem of climate change through images of icebergs in both the Arctic and Antarctic polar regions. After viewing the haunting images, viewers respond...
Busch Gardens
Create an Invertebrate
What better way for young biologists to learn about invertebrates than by creating their very own? Here, students are assigned a set of invertebrate characteristics and are asked to invent an imaginary ocean animal...
American Museum of Natural History
Make Your Own Creatures of Light
Bioluminescent animals are the focus of a hands-on craft in which scholars create a scene of either a land or sea bioluminescent creature.
American Museum of Natural History
Rubber Blubber Gloves
Using gloves, shortening, tape, and a lot of ice, participants experience the feeling of having blubber. The experiment's eight steps follow an informative page about blubber and animals that have it.
Polar Trec
Nature's Density Column
Nature provides density columns in the polar regions that provides food for many animals. Young scientists build their own density columns with water in order to answer analysis questions. Through a slideshow presentation, scholars...
Curated OER
Ocean Word and Picture Matching
Learners draw a line from 6 ocean animal names to their matching ocean life pictures on the right of the instructional activity. This matching instructional activity allows young students to work on an important visual skill.
Curated OER
Trash Traits: Marine Debris, Litter, Ecology, Oceans
Students perform experiments to examine whether trash can float, blow around, or wash away. The effects of these characteristics on the presence of marine debris in the environment are then discussed.
Curated OER
Researching the World's Oceans
Young scholars research and compare important features of the oceans based on current data. They examine the globe or map, determine the major oceans of the world, and record their names on the data sheet.
Curated OER
Exploring Marine Objects
Students identify the sources of water on Earth. In this life science lesson, students list the different plants and animals that live in the ocean. They explore marine objects in the lab and draw them.
Curated OER
Seashore Sweep
Students gather information about sea animals. In this ocean lesson, students read a story about the ocean and seashore. They discuss the needs of seashore animals and create a Mystery Ocean Animal riddle book. Students also discuss...
Curated OER
Species on the Edge
Students study science. In this endangered species instructional activity, 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...
Curated OER
Secrets of the Ocean Realm - In the School "Mountain in the Sea"
Students learn how cold and warm water behave in the marine environment due to convection currents. Students also conduct an experiment to demonstrate the formation of a convection current.
Curated OER
Ecology And the Conservation of Natural Resources
Students study Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift and how the continents were connected in one large land mass called Pangaea. They examine plate tectonics and the theory that the earth's surface is composed of large moving...
Curated OER
The Ocean: A Watery World
Pupils discuss the proper clothing for the season. They make wind chimes to use as an indicator of movement of the air and observe and identify the various cloud formations. They determine the basic rules of storm safety and discuss...
Curated OER
Eyes on the Estuaries
Students study estuaries and compare several ones in the U.S. In this estuary activity students interpret data and compare the distribution of different species.
Curated OER
Life In the Flood Zone
Students discover how floods occur by visiting the Weather Channel's website. They examine the areas of the United States which are more vulnerable for flooding. They research the history of previous floods and how to protect themselves.
Curated OER
Health: The Three Dimensions
Students examine the three dimensions of health, wealth, and happiness from both emotional and social perspectives. Among the week-long activities are discussions about good and poor habits, minimizing risks by proper planning and...
Curated OER
Hypothermia on the High Seas
Students identify and present the effects on humans when the body temperature falls, demonstrate and explain how the body loses heat, and understand hypothermia and cold water survival techniques.
Curated OER
The Good, The Bad, and the Arctic
Students investigate the social, economic and environmental consequences that might result from Arctic climate change. Students identify and discuss at least three consequences.
Michigan Sea Grant
Survival Game
Musical chairs may be a classic game, but Ruffe Musical Chairs is a unique lesson on invasive species! Using the time-honored game, pupils role play the behaviors of the invasive fish called Eurasian ruffe. Learning about this aggressive...
Curated OER
Entering The Twilight Zone
In 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...
Curated OER
Tracking Ocean Ecology
Students look at the data maps given to them about how chlorophyll affects the algae blooms and make predictions about the harm they will cause. In this data maps lesson plan, students manipulate data sets from the website.