NOAA
Methane Hydrates – What's the Big Deal?
Have you ever tried to light ice on fire? With methane hydrate, you can do exactly that. The ice forms with methane inside so it looks like ice, but is able to burn. The lesson uses group research and a hands-on activity to help scholars...
NOAA
The Methane Circus
Step right up! An engaging research-centered lesson, the third in a series of six, has young archaeologists study the amazing animals of the Cambrian explosion. Working in groups, they profile a breathtaking and odd creature and learn...
NOAA
What's the Big Deal?
Who knew that a possible answer to Earth's energy resource problems was lurking deep beneath the ocean's surface? Part four of a six-part series introduces Earth Science pupils to methane hydrate, a waste product of methanogens. After...
NOAA
Animals of the Fire Ice
When the sun's rays can't reach the producers in a food web, where does all the energy come from? Extreme environments call for extreme food sources. Young scientists investigate creatures that appear to get their energy from methane...
Curated OER
Animals of the Fire Ice
Students examine ocean life by identifying methane hydrates. In this ocean life lesson, students research organisms that live in the coldest, deepest parts of the ocean and live off methane hydrates. Students create a group...
Curated OER
The Big Burp: Where's the Proof?
Students research the evidence for prehistorically formed methane hydrates contributing to global warming. In this climate change lesson plan, students work in groups to research methane hydrates, global warming, The Cambrian Explosion,...
Curated OER
What's the Big Deal?
Students explore and define methane hydrates and describe ways that it can impact their own lives. In this methane hydrate lesson students create a molecular model and research methane hydrate.
Curated OER
Animals of the Fire Ice
Students study ice worms and describe how they interact with other species. In this methane hydrate instructional activity students study ice worms and hydrate shrimp to learn their behavior and can participate in an optional activity.
Curated OER
Design a Deep- Sea Vertebrate or Invertebrate
Students design a deep-sea animal. In this research based lesson plan, students research and design a vertebrate or invertebrate that lives in a methane hydrate habitat. They compile a class chart of the adaptations animals have in this...
Curated OER
Entering The Twilight Zone
In this lesson sixth grade young scholars 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
This Life Stinks
Students study how organisms that live in cold seep communities get energy from methane. In this organism lesson plan students write a brief report and identify oxidation reduction reactions and explain if these are dependent of...
Curated OER
This Life Stinks
Chemosynthetic communities of cold seep areas are considered in this instructional activity. Working in collaborative groups, marine biology or oceanography learners research and prepare a report about oxidation-reduction reactions...
Curated OER
What's the Big Deal?
Learners define terms and describe where they are found and formed. In this methane lesson plan students complete an activity and describe ways in which methane hydrates impact our lives.
NOAA
Energy from the Oceans
Can Earth's oceans produce a steady supply of clean energy? Scholars explore the uses of tidal and thermal energy in the 11th installment of a 13-part series about ocean-based alternative energy sources. Learners examine the current...
Curated OER
The Big Burp: Where's the Proof.
Students explore the Cambrian explosion and Paleocene extinction events. In this climate change lesson, students read articles to link evidence they find to extinction and climate change. Links to the articles are included in the lesson.
Curated OER
One Tough Worm
Young scholars explain the process of chemosynthesis and its relevance to biological communities. In this investigative lesson students discuss chemosynthetic communities, then in groups they are assigned a species and are to calculate...
Curated OER
Life is Weird
Students study the organisms that are found in cold seeps and see how they interact with each-other. In this biological organism lesson students describe the major features of cold seeps and the process of chemosynthesis.
Curated OER
Visualizing the Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming
Students discover the differences between global warming and the greenhouse effect through hands-on classroom experiences. They use a 2-D globe and picture cards to identify the causes of both. Students visualize the human influence on...
NOAA
Deep-Sea Ecosystems – Life is Weird!
A pool of brine in the deep sea can be up to four times as salty as the surrounding sea water. The deep sea ecosystem relies on chemosynthesis and the organisms that live there are often strange to us. The lesson plan focuses on...
NOAA
Importance of Deep-Sea Ecosystems – How Diverse is That?
When judging diversity of an ecosystem, both species evenness and species richness must contribute. After a discussion of diversity and a guided example using the Shannon-Weaver function, scholars use the same function on two other...
Carnegie Mellon University
Natural Gas and Pennsylvania’s Future
Beginning with a general discussion about natural gas, methane, and hydrocarbons, a few videos and diagrams are projected to support the lecture. Individuals participate in a brief activity by drinking juice through a straw, and then...
Curated OER
This Life Stinks!
Students explore the process of chemosynthesis and contrast this process with photosynthesis. They consider the relevance of chemosynthesis to biological communities in the vicinity of cold seeps.
Curated OER
This Life Stinks
Students study cold seeps and see how organisms obtain energy from methane. For this sinkholes lesson students examine the relevance of chemosynthesis to communities.
Curated OER
Burp Under the Ice
Students examine the impact of climate warming on Arctic methane deposits. They identify natural methane processes and describe how this contributes to species extinction. They write reports on their findings.