What do corn and career exploration have in common? A lot, if you're considering an agricultural career that contributes to alternative fuel resources. Through a series of films, presentations, activities, and readings, learners will...

Students investigate the relationship between dissolved oxygen and organic materials and aquatic organisms. This is a 3-instructional activity series in which students explore dissolved oxygen and then design an experiment testing the...

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...

Students explore algal blooms.  For this ecosystem and health lesson, students define and describe harmful algal blooms, then discuss ways in which the impact of these algal blooms could be reduced.  Students work in groups to...

Students demonstrate that, although we sometimes can neither smell nor taste them, many ingredients in our foods and household products come from the sea. They also investigate food eat to determine algae derivatives they contain.

The centerpiece of this lesson plan is a predator-prey simulation in which colored paperclips represent different species of animals camouflaged against a colored background. Relevant follow-up questions are provided. The activity is...

Students compare and evaluate the world's different seaweeds.  In this investigative instructional activity students study seaweed and the harvesting of it.  They then interpret the data collected and graph the seaweed...

Students explore limu diversity. In this ocean ecosystem lesson, students classify limu according to its physical properties. Students work in small groups to generate scientific observations and sort limu by characteristics.

Fourth graders explore relationships among organisms involved in ocean food chains to investigate interdependence of the organisms.

Students identify some consumer goods that come from the ocean. They classify these items into groups, identify their source, and calculate the cost of buying such goods.

Students explore biology by conducting a nature experiment. In this pond examination activity, students utilize recycled materials, play-doh and water to recreate a pond and its inhabitants. Students identify the different elements...

More than 200,000 species of protists exist, living on land and in water around the planet. Scholars view the diversity of protists in an interesting presentation. It divides protists into three groups: animal-like protists, plant-like...

Students study cold seeps and see how organisms obtain energy from methane.  In this sinkholes lesson students examine the relevance of chemosynthesis to communities. 

Middle schoolers identify organisms of a benthic community. They place the correct organism in the correct community and practice using marine terms. They play this game like a game of bingo.

Students investigate what dissolved oxygen is and why it is important to aquatic life and what factors influence levels of dissolved oxygen in a lake. They study how to use MS Excel to make charts to show trends and correlations.

Students study natural habitats, aquatic life, renewable and non-renewable resources. They discuss conservation efforts for sea otters and desert toad in this units.

Students research how: The ocean is the source of many materials, from ores mined from its depths to relaxing mineral salts for a bath. Exquisite mother-of-pearl inlay, decorative shells, and pearl jewelry are found in gift shops...

Demonstrate to your middle school science learners how chalk breaks down in a weak acid. Discuss what affects acidic rain might have on ecosystems. Lab groups then choose one of two questions: "How does acid precipitation affect an...

Learners perform tests to determine the level of oxygen dissolved in water. After examining a table displaying the temperature and solubility of water, they examine the three stages involved in the test. Upon completion, students explain...

Students visit the Greenheart Canopy Walkway. In this environmental lesson, students experience a coastal rain forest ecosystem. Students interact and explore the different layers of the rain forest.

After brainstorming what they know about ocean acidification, youngsters place eggs in acid to determine the effects on calcium-containing organisms, and add carbon dioxide to solutions with sea shell material to discover the impact on...

Get your kids thinking about climate change with a series of activities that include creating a ditty box poem for the planet, a poem that identifies concepts or objects they would want to preserve.

A cold seep is an area on the ocean floor where hydrocarbons leak from the earth, creating entire unique biomes. Learners explore cold seeps, photosynthesis in the ocean, and its limitations due to loss of sunlight. They further explore...

Learners construct a model giant kelp and kelp forest inhabitants based on field-guide photographs. Students also place animal cutouts in appropriate positions on or near the plant.