Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Saltwater Science

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students conduct an experiment that shows them how salt water allows things to float. In this salt water lesson plan, students mix ingredients together to create salt water and observe how it makes the oceans dense. They then interpret...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Eyes on the Estuaries

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study estuaries and compare several ones in the U.S. In this estuary lesson students interpret data and compare the distribution of different species. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Estuarine Currents

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore an estuarine system to gather data on density driven currents. This type of current is contrasted with temperature and wind driven currents.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Density and Stability Lab

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students observe how different water densities and salinity control the depth at which different water masses occur. Submarines are used as a case study. This is a well-designed with an excellent worksheet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Currents

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Pupils demonstrate how ocean currents are influenced by changes in density. They discover that temperature and salintiy affect density as well. They participate in a short experiment to end the lesson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Unit 5 - Food

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students study the biodiversity existing in the Amazon rainforest. In this Amazon biodiversity lesson, students study diagrams, maps, and information about the biodiversity in the Amazon.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Estuaries Live Charlotte Harbor, Florida

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students reorganize sentence strips into paragraphs to learn about seagrasses. They learn vocabulary and facts about sea grasses using the paragraphs once they are reconstructed. They continue their study with a number of associated...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Current Interactions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers design an experiment to see how wind, temperature, and salinity work together to influence ocean currents and present it in a report format. They explain to their classmates how experiment findings relate to ocean currents.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Currents: Bad for Divers; Good for Corals

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars describe, compare, and contrast major forces that drive ocean currents. They discuss the general effects of topography on current velocity. They discuss how velocity affects the ability
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Observing Brine Shrimp

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students observe brine shrimp eggs, create an appropriate environment for their survival, and observe their growth.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth Systems

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders investigate biological systems. They summarize relationships between systems. Students determine how systems relate within the biosphere. They analyze the carbon cycle.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

CO2 and Air Pollution

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders observe and test for the presence of carbon dioxide gas. They compare concentrations of carbon dioxide gas and conclude high concentrations of carbon dioxide gas are unhealthy for human beings.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tracking the Salt Front

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Young scholars manipulate Hudson River salt front data from October 2004 - September 2005 to locate the high and low points of the salt front for each month, They determine the range for each month, determine the modal range for each...
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: Ocean Planet

For Students 9th - 10th
Detailed website that was a companion to a 1995 traveling exhibit of the Smithsonian. Links to lesson plans and other educational materials are at the bottom of the page. Enter the exhibition to explore the world of the ocean.
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Noaa: Ocean Explorer: Hot, Cold, Fresh and Salty

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Young scholars simulate ocean water characteristics in order to recognize that the effects of salinity and temperature are the drivers of thermohaline circulation.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Ocean Water: Density

For Teachers 11th - 12th
For this lesson students will learn about the stratification of the ocean by using a simulation to show the different densities. The simulation explores how temperature, salinity, and wind affect the development of water stratification.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Seawater Chemistry

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Describes dissolved ions in seawater and their source.