Curated OER
Survivors on the Ocean Ridge
Students discover the uniqueness of deep sea hydrothermal vent organisms through an exploration of the NOAA Galapagos Rift Expedition. They study the genetics and evolution of a shrimp species that lives near the vents then they...
Curated OER
Impacts to the Open Ocean
Students investigate how human beings impact ocean ecosystems. For this ocean ecosystem lesson, students explore how marine debris affects marine life. Internet resources are provided.
Curated OER
El Nino
Explore the properties of water and the affects of El Nino. Middle schoolers will learn about the devastation an El Nino can cause as well as the definition of El Nino. Additionally, they will discover the cause of El Nino along with the...
Curated OER
Breaking News: Virgin Voyage to the Bottom of the Ocean (7th April, 2011)
Students explore current events by reading about a trip to the bottom of the ocean. In this modern day explorer lesson, students read about Virgin CEO Richard Branson and his adventure to the bottom of the ocean. Students complete...
Curated OER
Mapping and Personifying Nations
Eleventh graders analyze the geography, actions, and relationships of countries involved in World War II. They create a map of Europe, Northern Africa, and the Pacific, and analyze and evaluate their self-made map of Europe and the...
Curated OER
The Journey of the Pacific Salmon
Students examine the journey of the Pacific salmon. In this salmon species lesson, students review the stages of the salmon life cycle and conduct an experiment to determine how the water and habitat changes during each stage.
Ocean Explorer
Living with the Heat
Young oceanographers study the Submarine Ring of Fire, which is a series of deep-water volcanic vents that come up from the ocean floor. Learners take a close look at the unique ecosystems that are associated with these areas, how these...
Curated OER
Roots of the Mariana Arc
Plumb the depths of the Submarine Ring of Fire and explore seismic waves with this instructional activity. Junior geologists simulate s-waves and p-waves, calculate their speeds, and then apply the data to discover the material that...
Curated OER
The Galapagos Spreading Center
Students explore the basic concept of seafloor spreading. They describe the processes involved in creating new seafloor at a mid-ocean ridge. They investigate the Galapagos Spreading Center system.
NOAA
Wet Maps
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...
Cornell University
Too Much of a Good Thing?
Continuing their study of beneficial insects, young entomologists discover where in the world some of these bugs are. By labeling, coloring, and using the scale on a map, pupils explore the territories and arrival of the Asian lady...
Curated OER
Fish Hazards
Young scholars study the Pacific salmon and see the different challenges they face. In this environment instructional activity students complete several activities that show how humans have affected the salmon environment. These...
Curated OER
Hydrothermal Vent Challenge
Give our ocean voyagers the "Hydrothermal Vent Challenge!" It is a worksheet that guides them through an exploration of hydrothermal vents and the chemical reactions that occur when lava meets seawater. Using a collection of websites,...
Ocean Explorer
The Volcano Factory
The tectonic processes that have resulted in the formation of the Marianas Arc, and the Marianas Trench are explored. Groups of pupils access websites that give them a wealth of information about these formations. Each group must prepare...
Curated OER
Exploring a Map of Canada
In this exploring a map of Canada worksheet, students find and label the capital city, bodies of water, the U.S., the provinces and the territories of Canada.
Curated OER
Exploration Within the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Students explore with Lewis and Clark. In this research skills lesson, students analyze primary and secondary source links to study the accomplishments of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Students use their findings to create...
Curated OER
Reading Maps of the East Pacific Rise
Pupils make qualitative and quantitative observations and use various maps to investigate the features of the East Pacific Rise The study actual bathymetric maps of the EPR region. They identify key features of the ridge and explore the...
Curated OER
The Vast Ocean
Students explore oceans, and demonstrate reading comprehension skills, including reading strategies, inference, literal meaning, and critical analysis.
Curated OER
Exploring the National Marine Sanctuaries: A Lesson in Habitats and Human Impacts
Students examine the marine sanctuaries in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. They discover the interdependence of all living things and work together in groups to create a poster about what they have discovered during the lesson. They...
Curated OER
Exploring Marine Ecosystems in the Caribbean and Maine
Students compare the marine habitats of Maine and the Caribbean using temperature, tides, ocean currents, latitude and longitude. In this marine ecosystems lesson, students analyze maps to complete graphic organizers that evaluate the...
Curated OER
A Differentiated Way through Think Dots
Students examine reasons that led people to explore, identify "West" as defined following Revolutionary War, explain importance of finding natural resources, develop time line of dates and events leading up to Lewis and Clark Expedition,...
Curated OER
Unexplored!
Students explore volcanoes. In this deep sea volcano lesson students complete a worksheet and various activities.
Curated OER
Friend, Foe, or . . .
As a result of this lesson, upper elementary ocean explorers will be able to describe several interrelationships: symbiosis, mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. They learn that the biological richness is increased near seamounts and...
Curated OER
Tracking Narwhals in Greenland The Ocean Unicorn
Students study the ecology, habitats, geographic range and feeding habits of narwhals. They determine at least three reasons for the decline in the narwhal populations and complete the accompanying worksheets.