Curated OER
Weather, Sea Level Rise and Climate Change Course
Students explain the impact of glacial melting to global climate change. In this environmental science lesson, students design an experiment to investigate the effect of salinity change to melting glaciers. They share their results to...
Curated OER
Water Layering and Circulation
Young scholars examine relationships and interactions between different types of water. They experiment with colored water of different temperature and salinity and discuss how the results relate to real ocean currents.
Curated OER
Water Currents
Middle schoolers 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.
NOAA
A Quest for Anomalies
Sometimes scientists learn more from unexpected findings than from routine analysis! Junior oceanographers dive deep to explore hydrothermal vent communities in the fourth lesson in a series of five. Scholars examine data and look for...
Curated OER
Ocean Microstructure
Young scholars assess the ocean's microstructure by analyzing graphs created during tne Ronald H.Brown research cruise. they discuss at what depths various sea animals live and write paragraphs on data analysis from the graphs.
Curated OER
It's the Law
Students explain various scientific laws used in SCUBA diving. In this theory based lesson plan, students examine and explain how temperature, density, and salinity relate to SCUBA diving using various scientific laws to engage their...
Curated OER
Hot, Cold, Fresh and Salty
Students observe the effects of layering water and what is more or less saline than normal. In this geoscience lesson students create saline solutions, layer them and observe how the water becomes different temperatures in different layers.
Curated OER
Sea Ice
Students observe the freezing times and temperatures of water with varying levels of salinity. They determine how icebergs form, how they act, and what they may be made of. They discover that salinity level affects the time it takes...
Curated OER
Investigating Convection Currents
Students examine how differences in the temperature and salinity of the water help create ocean currents. They perform an experiment which shows how temperature affects the circulation of ocean water.
NOAA
Through Robot Eyes
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...
Curated OER
Saltwater Science
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...
Curated OER
Chesapeake Bay Population Studies
Students determine how to use a quarter meter quadrant to find population density, relative density, frequency and how to calculate a diversity index while participating in a virtual field trip. They study how to establish a Correlation...
Discovery Education
Sonar & Echolocation
A well-designed, comprehensive, and attractive slide show supports direct instruction on how sonar and echolocation work. Contained within the slides are links to interactive websites and instructions for using apps on a mobile device to...
Curated OER
The Future of Arctic Sea Ice
Learners research about the importance of sea ice to world climate and sea organisms. In this earth science lesson, students create a model of present and future Arctic sea ice communities. They discuss how ice melting affects...
NOAA
Currents
A deep ocean current circles the globe at a force that is greater than 16 times all the world's rivers combined. Groups analyze the effects of submarine topography on deep ocean current speed. They then determine how this speed affects...
Discovery Science Center
Kindergarten Observing, Comparing and Contrasting
Although this is a science instructional activity, it can be adapted to help meet Common Core standards in math as well. Starting scientists describe physical properties of objects and explore three forms of water. To address the Common...
Curated OER
Underwater Picture of the Hudson River Estuary
Students identify important aspects of water quality such as slainity and turbidity. They test two of the water quality parameters and determine the quality of the water. In addition, they construct two sets of graphs based on data...
Curated OER
Lesson tow
Learners study the ocean and its characteristics. In this oceans instructional activity students complete a lab activity and are able to predict temperature of certain depths.
Curated OER
Layering of Water
Students examine what happens when different types of water meet. In groups, they participate in an activity in which they combine different percentages of salt, fresh and brackish water and record their observations. They let the...
Curated OER
Ocean Microstructure Lesson Plan
Learners explore the microstructure of the ocean by analyzing graphs created by Dr. Mike Gregg of the University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory during the EPIC 2001 research cruise on the Ronald H. Brown NOAA vessel.
Curated OER
Testing for Conductivity
Learners test the conductivity of selected liquids and solids. They test the circuit by touching the two free ends of the wires together and add salt little by little recording the data after each addition. Finally, students predict...