Students are introduced to Sea Floor Spreading and how it provides evidence for Hess's and Deitz's theory of Continental Drift. They use paleomagnetic data to calculate the rate of Sea Floor Spreading.

Students identify ocean features and draw a profile using data points on a map. Through discussion and research, they discover the importance of oceanography and plot a profile of the ocean floor in search for a vessel full of precious...

How does weather play a role in the lives of land and sea creatures? Find out with a lesson focused on habitats and the ways animals from different homes are connected. Here, learners explore how the life of a jaguar and howler...

This is an intriguing problem that brings together real-world data, technology, and mathematical problem solving. If visibility wasn't an issue, could you see from the highest point in the lower 48 states, Mt. Whitney, to the lowest...

The goal of this fine geology instructional activity is to have learners create a map that shows how the rock layers are arranged far underground where they can't be seen. The ambitious lesson plan requires high schoolers to learn the...

Students investigate shipwrecks. In this marine archaeology lesson, students create the site of a shipwreck by using a tub filled with sand and items from a "ship". Students excavate the site and analyze the findings.

Most of this instructional activity is spent working on the "Bathymetry Worksheet." It includes a graph of the changes in sea level over the past 150,000 years and a bathymetric map of changes in an imaginary coastline over time....

Students examine the movement of plate tectonics. In this instructional activity on the spreading of the seafloor, students use maps and models to observe how the sea floor spreads.

Students graph the ocean floor using given data. In this earth science lesson, students label different oceanic features on the map. They answer questions at the end of the lab.

Students study the bottom structure of underwater habitats and how they can be mapped.

Students examine how geologists determine rates of sea floor spreading between two tectonic plates. They apply mathematical concepts such as the calculation and use of velocities and conversion from one set of units to another.

Calcareous ooze ... what an interesting name! The 15th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program focuses on sediments found on the ocean floor. After viewing the slideshow lecture,...

Students draw contour lines based on NOAA soundings on a nautical chart. They color the contours and glue label tags for topographic features. They determine that the floor of the ocean is composed of hills, plains, ridges, trenches,...

Sixth graders follow in the footsteps of early scientists as they put the pieces of Pangaea back together and discovered the forces that create the variety of landforms and sea-floor features of our Earth.

Pupils are introduced to the characteristics and uses of topographical maps. Using a worksheet, they examine the use of specific terminology and use cutouts to create their own topographical map of an area. They answer discussion...

Students explain how moon phases occur. They describe and explain at least two common misconceptions that people have about the moon. Students explain what a star is. They explain 3 ways that the night sky has been used throughout history.

Pupils make qualitative and quantitative observations and use various maps to investigate the features of the East Pacific Rise The study actual bathymetric maps of the EPR region. They identify key features of the ridge and explore the...

Marine science classes read about the 2005 North Atlantic Stepping Stones Expedition and review climate change. They use maps to locate the seamount chains. In collaborative groups, they research how climate change may be altering the...

Seamounts in the Coral and Tasman Seas are home to more than 850 different species. Groups explore hydrothermal vents, researching the organisms found there and their energy source. They also learn about seamounts, exploring their unique...

Second graders study how a tsunami is formed by underwater events such as earthquakes, volcanoes or landslides. They discuss what they knew about living and non-living things in the ocean.

A well-designed, comprehensive, and attractive slide show supports direct instruction on how sonar and echolocation work. Contained within the slides are links to interactive websites and instructions for using apps on a mobile device to...

Young scholars discuss convection currents in the Earth's mantle, how they form, and how they move as well as the causes of earthquakes. Working in a group, they analyze a color coded World Earthquake Map and try to determine which...

Students use a shoe box to create a seafloor model and use cardboard for layering inside of the shoe box to simulate the ocean floor. They probe the ocean floor to simulate sonar echoes. Finally, students graph their data to get a...

Pupils explore and model the characteristics of the ocean floor and near shore environments through in-class demonstrations, laboratory activities, and internet research. They use classroom materials to research the characteristics of...