Lesson Plan
Curated OER

National Marine Sanctuaries Shipwrecks

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Junior oceanographers access the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Shipwreck Database and plot the locations of several shipwrecks. Shipwrecks are always an enthralling subject and this activity allows your learners to act as...
Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

Why All the Wiggling on the Way Up? CO2 in the Atmosphere

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
The climate change debate, in the political arena, is currently a hot topic! Learners explore carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere and what this means for the future in the 11th installment of 12. Through an analysis of carbon dioxide...
Lesson Plan
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NOAA

Invertebrates

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Crabs and lobsters ... yum! The 18th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program focuses on invertebrate marine life. After the lecture slideshow, learners conduct an activity to sample...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scavenging the Sandy Shore

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students explore oceanography by examining a beach. For this living things lesson, students define the terms abiotic and biotic and practice identifying living and non-living things that have been previously found on a beach. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Does it Take to be a Survivor: Part 2

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore adaptation by completing worksheets. In this fish anatomy lesson, students identify the different survival strategies fish utilize to live in the ocean and the adaptation their bodies have gone through over millions of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

This Life Stinks

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Chemosynthetic communities of cold seep areas are considered in this lesson. Working in collaborative groups, marine biology or oceanography learners research and prepare a report about oxidation-reduction reactions involved with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wreck Detectives

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Junior archaeologists examine types of artifacts from the Bronze Age on the internet. In collaborative groups, they create a story about a ship from this period and then construct a model of the ocean floor after their ship has sunk....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mystery of the Megaplume

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Read through the extensive background information and then lead your geology or physical oceanography class through an investigation of actual temperature anomaly data from the Juan de Fuca ridge. They translate the data onto a plot,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Obis Oil Spill

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Pupils explore environmental challenges by participating in an oil spill simulation. In this water safety lesson, students discuss why oil spills happen and how their impact affects the entire ecosystem. Pupils utilize popcorn, rubber...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's Left to Explore-Space and the Ocean Floor

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students describe unique exploration studies of the ocean floor and space. They utilize research skills and write summaries of research studies using the Internet. Students answer a variety of questions over their research findings.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fisheries Project

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Young scholars explore biology by completing a fishing worksheet. In this commercial fishery lesson, students identify the process of taking mass fish from the ocean and delivering them to eateries while discussing the negative aspects....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's Down There

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners write an essay about the coral reefs. In this oceanography lesson, students investigate the reef of Bonaire and compare it to reefs that are not thriving. Learners then explore the differences that contribute to the overall...
Lesson Plan
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NOAA

Vertebrates I

For Teachers 9th - 12th
I spy a spine. The 19th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program explores vertebrate species, such as sharks and other fish. Learners take part in an activity evaluating the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Leaky Seal

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Junior high schoolers explore possible theories for the cause of the Hunley submarine sinking. Through hands on activities, they investigate how to create a waterproof seal. Afterwards, they discuss how seals work and various...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Marine Animal and Plant Adaptations

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students examine nature by creating their own animals. In this animal adaptation instructional activity, students define scientific vocabulary terms dealing with adaptation such as sea stars, sea cucumbers and exoskeleton. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Oceanographic Proxy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students conduct experiments on a sample of sea water. In this oceanography lesson, students inquire how conductivity is used to approximate the salinity ocean water. Students construct their own conductivity meters and test...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Wet Maps

For Teachers 5th - 6th
How do oceanographers make maps under water? Junior explorers discover the technologies and processes involved in creating bathymetric maps in part three of a five-part series designed for fifth- and sixth-grade pupils. The lesson...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Through Robot Eyes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
How do robots assist ocean explorers in collecting data and images? The final installment in a five-part series has science scholars examine underwater images collected by robots and identify the organisms shown. Groups then calculate...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Biological Oceanographic Investigations – Signals from the Deep

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill directly impacted an area of the Gulf of Mexico the size of Oklahoma. A marine biology lesson looks at the impact of an oil spill on the deeper parts of the ocean. Scholars download actual data collected...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Off Base

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How does carbon dioxide affect the world's oceans? The final installment in a series of six lessons has pupils research ocean acidification, then conduct an experiment to witness the delicate balance that exists in our seas. Materials...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wave Superposition: Interactive On-line Mac and PC

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Students study definitions of wavelength, wave speed, wave amplitude, and wave period using an interactive JAVA environment. Distance and time are given so speed=wavelength/period can be verified or deduced by students. Waves reflection...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ducks in the Flow: Resources about Surface Ocean Currants for the Upper Elementary Classroom

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate surface ocean currents. In this oceanography lesson, students work in small groups to create models that demonstrate surface currents, the Coriolis Effect, and how surface currents move debris. This lesson includes a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Conditions at Sea Data Activity

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
Students study how to forecast sea conditions.  In this oceanography lesson students complete a class activity on wave making. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Beach Zonation

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Young scholars investigate the characteristics of the beach environment and explore beach zonation. After gathering samples from different areas of the beach, young scholars discuss how the beaches work and the characteristic of each...