Unit Plan
University of Southern California

Human Impact on the Sea

For Students 4th - 8th
How far does the human hand reach?  Five interactive lessons lead classes through a unit exploring the human impact on ocean resources, pollution, and even extinction. Learners discover how their decisions affect the ocean...
Learning
American Museum of Natural History

Dive Into Worlds Within the Sea

For Students 6th - 12th
The ocean is a series of ecosystems within an ecosystem. Learners dive into an exploration of ecosystems in an interactive lesson. They identify connections between organisms by following leading prompts within the lesson. The resource...
PPT
Curated OER

Water Ecosystems

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Freshwater and Saltwater ecosystems are the focus of this Earth Science PowerPoint. Presentation is full of interesting facts, photographs, and maps. A slide with review questions appears at the end of the presentation. Very nice!
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Temperature of the Pacific Ocean

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Young scientists demonstrate how the Earth's temperature has varied gradually in the past. They attempt to answer four questions which all pertain to how the Pacific Ocean's temperature has evolved over time. Internet research, and a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pablo Picasso Collage

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students read the story SAIL AWAY by Donald Crew to show different pictures of water and oceans. They are then introduced to a collage showing examples of Picasso's work. They construct a collage using different methods.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Leader of the School

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students are read a book about the oceans and discuss the characterstics of the main character that makes him a leader. As a class, they use sponges and contruction paper to make their own ocean scene. To end the instructional activity,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let the River Run

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars explore the environment by reading a story in class. For this water formation lesson, students define environmental terms such as rivers, streams, gulf, oceans and lakes. Young scholars read the story A River Ran Wild and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Boundaries and People

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students map watersheds to find their boundaries.  In this watershed activity students map and then give their "watershed address."  Students show the trail from stream, larger stream to oceans.  Students describe the...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Ancient Middle East Geography

For Students 7th - 11th
As part of a study of ancient Middle East geography, kids locate seas, rivers, regions, and cities on a map of the region. 
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Turning the Tide on Trash: A Learning Guide on Marine Debris

For Teachers 1st - 12th
The lessons in this learning guide are designed to increase youngsters' awareness of the impacts of marine debris and to teach them about pollution prevention techniques. This fabulous, 30-page packet is chock full of important...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Round and Round

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners interpret data from a three-dimensional array of current monitors to determine an overall pattern of water circulation. They hypothesize what effect an observed water circulation pattern might have on seamount fauna. A very...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sampling the Ocean Floor

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Waters of the Earth - Friends or Enemies

For Teachers 10th - 12th
High Schoolers observe the paintings and drawings of Robert Harris, and do a study of the ocean that delves into human and physical geography. Learners make prints, listen to music, create a database, and perform research on a specific...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Mud is Mud...or is it?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
We know that the type of soil varies by location, but does the seafloor sediment also vary, or is it all the same? Scholars compare photos of the seafloor from two different locations: the Savannah Scarp and the Charleston Bump. Through...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Descending to the Challenge: Developing Documentaries About the Deep Ocean

For Teachers 7th - 12th
The video clip that comprises the warm up is not available, but the related article from The New York Times and the movie trailer for Aliens of the Deep are, leaving enough material to make this a fascinating lesson on deep-sea...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Methane Hydrates – What's the Big Deal?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Have you ever tried to light ice on fire? With methane hydrate, you can do exactly that. The ice forms with methane inside so it looks like ice, but is able to burn. The lesson uses group research and a hands-on activity to help scholars...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Come on Down!

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
What do we do when a dive is too dangerous for humans to accomplish? Send in the robots! Middle school scientists get acquainted with several different models of submersible robots in the second lesson of six from NOAA. Lab groups then...
Lesson Plan
Centers for Ocean Sciences

Ocean and Great Lakes Literacy: Principle 1

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Is your current lesson plan for salt and freshwater literacy leaving you high and dry? If so, dive into part one of a seven-part series that explores the physical features of Earth's salt and freshwater sources. Junior hydrologists...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Ocean Circulation in the North Atlantic

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Swirling and churning, the waters of the North Atlantic play a vital role in Earth's climate! Discover the many factors that produce circulation using a multimedia lesson from PBS's Weather and Climate series for high schoolers. Scholars...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Web of Life

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students participate in a game in which they discover the balance of life in the ocean. They identify different organisms that rely on different types of food. They answer questions to complete the lesson plan.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Properties of the Ocean: Change

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students research and create a visual presentation on the seasonal salinity of the Earth's oceans. They apply the research in a simulation of a lab disaster in which they must relabel ocean samples.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Ocean Water

For Students 7th - 9th
In this ocean water instructional activity, students use 6 given terms related to ocean water, early Earth and ocean components to complete the sentences. They also answer 4 questions about seawater, the effects of volcanoes on oceans...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rescue at Sea

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine stereotypes that they may have regarding scientists. They read and discuss 'Scientist at Work: High Seas Hunter Pleads for Preservation of Fish' and reflect on the work of a Marine Conservationist.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tear the Continents

For Teachers K - 3rd
Young scholars tear paper into representative continent shapes and configure them with world oceans through relative location, direction and latitude and longitude starting points. They recognize the shape of the continents. Students...

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