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Activity
Consortium for Ocean Leadership

Nannofossils Reveal Seafloor Spreading Truth

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Spread the word about seafloor spreading! Junior geologists prove Albert Wegener right in an activity that combines data analysis and deep ocean exploration. Learners analyze and graph fossil sample data taken from sites along the...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Lithospheric Plate Questions

For Students 6th - 8th
In this plate tectonics worksheet, students list the major and minor plates. Students determine which plates correspond to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Ring of Fire. This worksheet has 10 fill in the blank questions.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Oceanography Worksheet #1

For Students 6th - 9th
If you are teaching physical oceanography to middle school earth scientists, here is a terrific multiple choice worksheet. Learners look at a diagram of a landscape created by glacial sediment deposition and the resulting ocean floor....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Massif Mystery

For Teachers 9th - 12th
After reviewing plate tectonic theories and the discovery of both the Atlantis Massif and the Lost City hydrothermal vents, earth science learners complete a worksheet and participate in discussions about what the types of rock found...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Studying Seafloor Spreading on Land

For Students 6th - 8th
In this seafloor spreading activity, students review the processes taking place along the mid-ocean ridges. This activity has 3 short answer questions.
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

Into the Deep

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
Take young scientists into the depths of the world's ocean with the second lesson of this three-part earth science series. After first drawing pictures representing how they imagine the bottom of the ocean to appear, students investigate...
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

Earth: The Water Planet

For Teachers 6th
Students elicit data on the water cycle, ocean topography, and island formation in this six lesson unit. The ocean floor and the properties of water are examined through a variety of discussions and hands-on experiments.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Distance Between Us and Them: Sea Floor Spreading in the Atlantic Ocean

For Teachers 6th - 12th
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.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Ridge Exploring Robot

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study about an autonomous underwater vehicle and explain the strategies that it uses to locate and map hydrothermal vents. In this marine navigation lesson students design a program for an AUV survey.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Iceland

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders discover the country of Iceland. They investigate Iceland's history, culture, and geography using hands-on materials. They engage in a multi-day lesson. Each day focuses on a different aspect of Iceland. A most-impressive...
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Lesson Plan
Science Matters

A Model of Plate Faults

For Teachers 6th Standards
The San Andreas fault is one of the longest fault zones in the world. In a series of 20 lessons, the fourth instructional activity has pupils use a paper model to recreate various types of plate faults. Each is held in position then...
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PPT
Curated OER

The Oceans, Waves, Tides & Currents

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Your introductory lesson to oceanography can be outlined with this apropos presentation. It touches on the physical features of the ocean floor, waves, tides, and currents. One small issue is that some of the graphics are not of the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plate Tectonics Day 3 Sea Floor Spreading: Evidence for Continental Drift

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers 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.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life in the Crystal Palace

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Marine biologists research sea ice communities. Assign some groups to construct paper models of sea ice communities in winter, and some to construct models of them in summer. The lesson is simplistic, but the Internet resources provided...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring The Depths!

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders make a model of the ocean floor.  In this ocean characteristics lesson, 5th graders complete a KWL chart about the ocean floor, use the Ocean Depth Data Sheet to create a graph, and create a 3-D model of the ocean floor.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Plotting Earthquakes and Volcanoes

For Students 8th - 10th
In this earthquakes and volcanoes worksheet, students are given the latitude and longitude of earthquakes and volcanoes and they plot them on a world map. They answer questions based on their results.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plate Tectonics

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners participate in a series of experiments to learn about plate tectonics and the different materials of the Earth. In this plate tectonics lesson plan, students use eggs, water, beakers, paper, and more materials to learn about the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sea Connections

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students, after locating different marine habitats on a globe, play a card game about ecosystems, food webs and organisms.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Ocean Floor

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders discuss the process of sedimentation and the continental drift theory. They locate major structures on the ocean floor and they identify life forms at each level of the ocean.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Normal (dip-slip) Earthquake!

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students label the fault lines and tectonic plate boundaries on the world map. In this earth science lesson, students simulate ocean floor formation using CEENboTs. They explain the causes of earthquakes.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ocean Planet: Sea Secrets

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Young scholars 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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Line Graph of the Ocean Floor

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students develop a spreadsheet and import the information into a line graph. In this spreadsheet and line graph lesson, students develop a spreadsheet of ocean depths. They import the information into a word processed document. They...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bermuda Today: Who Were Its Geologic Ancestors?

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore how the island of Bermuda came to be.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Graphing: Ocean Floor

For Teachers 7th - 8th
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.