National Geographic
National Geographic: Mapping Ocean Currents
An unfortunate spill of 92,000 rubber ducks into the ocean in 1992 elicited invaluable information about global ocean currents as scientists tracked their journeys around the world. In this lesson, students first learn about the Ocean...
Other
Project Wet: Discover Water
Interactive opportunities which emphasize the impact water has on our lives. Explore watersheds, ocean water, fresh water sources, and ways to use water responsibly by engaging in activities, coloring pages, and short quizzes.
University of Southern California
Usc: The Composition of Ocean Water
This site gives background information to ocean water and its contents. It has a link to an detailed chart showing the minerals and their content amount in ocean water. It also has links to activities.
The Franklin Institute
Treasures@sea: Exploring the Ocean Through Literature
This extensive resource consists of learning activities that integrate language arts with oceanography. Each activity is based on one of seven books about the ocean and are written to be adaptable. Includes writing activities, games and...
Utah State Office of Education
Utah State Office of Education: Water's Importance to Life on Earth
A variety of activities to help students explore the relationship of water to life on Earth. Provides an opportunity to see how ocean levels have changed over time and what effect that can have on living things.
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: Ocean Currents Change Our Earth
Middle schoolers learn about the factors that drive ocean currents by measuring the density of ocean water and tap water.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Ocean Acidification in a Cup
In this activity, you can observe how ocean acidification can have big consequences. This activity has students creating a cup that has a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere that allows them to watch how the water changes beneath the atmosphere.
Climate Literacy
Clean: What Happens to Ice in Water?
Students investigate the properties of water in the ice and liquid phase as it relates to convection in the ocean and density driven circulation, and ultimately the climate.
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: Ocean Currents
Students map the patterns of the major ocean currents, and learn about the influences of wind, water temperature, landmasses, and water density on currents.
Other
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences: Salinity and Deep Ocean Currents
For this activity, students will investigate how temperature and currents affect the salinity of ocean water, making predictions after studying ocean maps. It is recommended that teachers do the experiment themselves before presenting it...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Bridging World History: Connections Across Water
Global exportation and importation increased when water routes opened up. This unit analyzes how this affected world trade as well as the spread of population, religion, and illness.
Other
Ocean Park Hong Kong
This site offers a description of this seaworld-like park. It is a very colorful and informative site with a lot of information about the park. Follow the 'Education' link at the bottom to access the section with learning activities.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Saltwater Circuit
Students build a saltwater circuit, which is an electrical circuit that uses saltwater as part of the circuit. Students investigate the conductivity of saltwater, and develop an understanding of how the amount of salt in a solution...
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole Oceanography Institute: Activity: Demo for Density
In this experiment, students look at Deep Hypersaline Anoxic Basins, or DHABs, that are present in the Eastern Mediterranean, and make a model of a DHAB to investigate how liquids that have different densities can form layers. This...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: Sinking Water: Glaciers, Ocean Currents and Weather Patterns
A lesson where students learn how warm water is less dense than cold water, and what this means for global climate change as ice from the polar regions melts. Students will do experiments in buoyancy and water density when hot or cold,...
National Institute of Educational Technologies and Teacher Training (Spain)
Ministerio De Educacion: La Hidrosfera Terreste
In this site learn about the origin of water on Earth, water in other planets, the molecule of water, the sea water solution, the water on the continents and water and health. It contains many illustrations and 14 interactive activities.
PBS
Idaho Public Television: Ocean Murals
Integrative lesson plan incorporates math, science and art to teach children about the ocean and its inhabitants. Multiple activities included, approximately 4-6 days to complete. to other sources on oceans. References Bill Nye video...
Climate Literacy
Clean: El Nino and It's Impact on the World
The activity takes a hands-on approach to understanding El Nino by physically showing and feeling this weather phenomenon. It consists of an El Nino demo as well as an experiment to be conducted by the students themselves.
Museum of Science
Museum of Science: Water Density Experiment
A simple lab activity to demonstrate that ocean currents are influenced by changes in water density.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Density Differences
Students investigate differences in ocean water density, and record density data from salt, ice, and hot water samples in their notebooks. Students then simulate ocean water temperature levels in a simulation.
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: Deep Sea Drilling
In this activity, students learn about the JOIDES Resolution, an ocean-drilling vessel. They then use string to estimate the length of the ship and compare their estimates to the real length. They look at how deep the ocean water under...
NOAA
Noaa: The Ocean's Role in Weather and Climate
A collection of resources - interactive activities and teacher tutorials - on the impact the ocean has on weather and climate.
Other
Earth Science: Earth's Surface and Heat [Pdf]
This textbook chapter looks at the role of temperature in sustaining life on Earth and on weather and climate. It discusses the Earth's movements and the seasons, the circulation of the oceans, wind and weather, and the water cycle....
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Oil on the Ocean
Students learn about oil spills and their environmental and economic effects. They experience the steps of the engineering design process as they brainstorm potential methods for oil spill clean-up, and then design, build, and re-design...