Curated OER
How Temperature Affects Density
Young scholars examine the effects of temperature and density in ocean currents. In this density lesson, students explain how coastal climates are impacted by ocean currents. They investigate how the ocean currents are affected by...
Curated OER
Wind and Currents
Learners observe how wind generates currents and the effect of islands and banks on currents. They determine ocean circulation affects climate and plant and animal populations on land and in the ocean and that surface currents are...
Curated OER
Climate Change & Coral Activities
Students study how the ocean stabilizes our planet's climates and how global warming is becoming a threat to this fine balance. In this climate change lesson, students identify that fossil fuel emissions are responsible for global...
Curated OER
Climate Change
Students discuss problems associated with a world climate change. They examine how animals would be affected if the world heated up.
Curated OER
Sampling the Ocean Floor
Students sample goodies from an unseen ocean floor and try to accurately describe their composition. This simulation helps students explain the limitations of sampling and the problem of obtaining representative samples of sea floor...
Curated OER
CURRENT AND CLIMATE
Students study currents and how they have been used to plot courses for travel. They examine the ocean currents in both the Atlantic and Pacific and discuss their effect on local weather.
Curated OER
Modelling Ocean Currents
Students construct a replica of the Atlantic ocean given certain parameters. In this earth science lesson, students draw their own map of ocean currents. They answer questions related to the activity.
STEM for Teachers
Tsunami!
How does the depth of an ocean affect the speed of a tsunami's waves? Use Jell-o, graham crackers, and marshmallows to model the effects of an underwater earthquake and its resulting tsunami. The lesson includes hands-on activities,...
Curated OER
Changing Planet: Fading Corals
Show the six-minute video, "Changing Planet: Fading Corals," and then demonstrate how calcium carbonate forms a precipitate in the presence of carbon dioxide. Separate your scientists into small groups to gather information about coral...
Curated OER
Scientific Investigation of Sea Ice Thickness
Students study the importance of global ocean currents, sea water chemistry, and cultural issues surrounding sea ice. In the field, students travel to the floe edge with their teacher and an elder to drill holes in the ice and measure...
NOAA
The Biogeochemical Cycle
The biogeochemical cycle ... no physics? The fourth installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program introduces the biogeochemical cycle by having pupils simulate movement between Earth's...
NOAA
Ocean Geologic Features
Sediment samples from the ocean bottoms tell scientists about climate change, pollution, and changes in erosion for the area. Groups of learners focus on sediments and their movement through water. During a hands-on activity, they...
Curated OER
Oceanic Heat Budget Activities
Students map and research imaginary islands located in different parts of the world. They describe the weather and climate of their island and show how local currents, water temperatures and waves may influence the weather patterns.
Curated OER
Is Climate Change Really Happening?
Pupils explore the impact of global warming. In this oceanography instructional activity, students investigate global climate change and write reaction papers about their research findings.
Curated OER
Climate and Change: Fitting the Facts Together and Acting on Them
Students examine climate change. In this current events lesson, students read the provided articles "Key Facts + Key Conclusions=0?" "Oil Companies Fund Climate Change Deniers," and "Acting on Climate Change Facts." Students respond to...
Curated OER
Weather and Climate Around the World
Students explain the difference between climate and weather. They gain concepts of currents and discuss how the currents have an affect on climate and weather. Students gain knowledge of the instruments that meteorologists use to predict...
Curated OER
What is Climate?
Students explore the differences between climate and weather. In this introductory instructional activity of a climate unit, students discuss the vocabulary and concepts associated with weather and climate. They build their information...
Curated OER
Antarctica’s Melting and the Affect it has on the Ocean
Students calculate how much mass is lost and gained by Antarctica yearly. In this earth science instructional activity, students graph and analyze data from the given handout. They explain how this affects the world climate.
Curated OER
Extreme Climate
Middle schoolers discuss global warming, greenhouse effect, permafrost and other key words. In this climate lesson students create a web that connects global warming, the Arctic and world climate then write a paragraph explaining the...
Curated OER
Biomes: Extreme Climate
Students create a web connecting global warming, the Arctic, and wold climate. They write a paragraph explaining the role of the Arctic in world climate.
Curated OER
Climate Analysis Using Planktonic Foraminifera
Students manipulate scientific data, plot the data and then interpret their results. They should recognize that the climate likely continue to change in the future. This activity ties in well with a discussion on current climate change.
Curated OER
The Inside Current
Eighth graders explore ocean currents and wind patterns. They discover the concept of systems to show how change in one component of a body of water, causes change in other components in that system. Students describe positive and...
Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 3
How far have California's Channel islands moved? What was the rate of this movement? Class members first examine data that shows the age of the Hawaiian island chain and the average speed of the Pacific Plate. They then watch West of the...
Curated OER
Weather & Climate
Sixth graders differentiate weather and climate. In this earth science lesson, 6th graders complete a KWL chart about the two. They complete a worksheet by identifying whether a certain statement describes weather or climate.