Aquarium of the Pacific
Ocean Habitats
Watch what happens in an underwater wonderland! Pupils view a video about two specific ocean habitats and complete a worksheet by placing the fish species into the correct habitat. They then take a deeper look into the ocean habitats by...
NOAA
A Day in the Life of an Ocean Explorer
What's life like aboard an ocean exploration vessel? Junior oceanographers examine the important role of communication in ocean research in lesson plan two of a five-part series from NOAA. The materials introduce the class to life on...
Curated OER
Ocean Habitats
Students examine the water samples from a demonstration and discuss the difference between fresh and salt water. They draw different animals that live near or in the ocean and how humans can harm the ocean habitat. They draw pictures of...
Curated OER
Mixed Media Ocean Art
Learners design pictures of ocean environments. In this art instructional activity, students use mixed media art materials to develop a picture that depicts the ocean environment. They use paint, sand paper and various basic art materials.
NOAA
Build Your Own Ocean Ecosystem
Hold the sea in the palm of your hand! Amateur oceanographers work together to create models of an ocean ecosystem in the sixth and final installment in a series. Raise awareness of global ocean health issues through guided research,...
NOAA
To Explore Strange New Worlds
It's time to boldly go where your class has not gone before! The introductory lesson plan in a five-part series takes young oceanographers aboard the NOAA Ship Okeanos to begin a study of ocean exploration. The lesson plan includes a...
NOAA
The Oceanographic Yo-yo
How does chemistry help deep-sea explorers? Part four of a five-part series of lessons from aboard the Okeanos Explorer introduces middle school scientists to technologies used in ocean exploration. Groups work together to analyze data...
NOAA
Deep-Sea Ecosystems – Entering the Twilight Zone
Imagine an ecosystem without any light or oxygen, where living things convert carbon dioxide into food. This ecosystem is thriving and might just be the largest ecosystem on our planet, yet we know very little about it. The lesson...
Rainforest Alliance
Protecting the Critical Habitat of the Manatee and Loggerhead Turtle
Explore ocean habitats with a instructional activity that showcases the home of manatees and loggerhead turtles in Belize. Here, pupils compare and contrast the homes of ocean animals to those of humans, listen to an original short story...
Curated OER
Oceanic Habitat Zones
Students explore ocean habitats. In this oceanic environment activity, students research various habitats in the ocean. Then, in a jigsaw format, students teach others in the class about the habitat they researched.
NOAA
Fishy Deep-sea Designs!
Oceans represent more than 80 percent of all habitats, yet we know less about them than most other habitats on the planet. The instructor introduces the epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathypelagic, twilight, and midnight zones in the ocean....
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...
National Park Service
Weather Patterns of the Pacific Ocean
How do oceans affect weather patterns? Learners define vocabulary associated with dew point, topographical lifting, condensation, and formation of clouds and precipitation as they explore the weather in the Pacific Northwest. They also...
NOAA
I Can't Breathe!
The Gulf of Mexico dead zone, an area of low oxygen that kills marine life, costs the United States $82 million every year. Young scientists research anoxic ocean environments then come up with a hypothesis for the cause of the Gulf of...
NOAA
Stressed Out!
Are our oceans really suffering due to the choices humans make? The sixth and final installment in the volume of activities challenges research groups to tackle one of six major topics that impact ocean health. After getting to the...
Curated OER
Entering the Twilight Zone
Students describe major features of cold-seep communities and the process of chemosynthesis as it relates to organisms in each habitat. In this deep-sea habitats lesson, students study the categorization of ocean habitats according to...
Aquarium of the Pacific
Kelp Forest Habitat
What forest is in the ocean? The class watches a video that introduces the kelp forest and the parts of kelp. Learners dive into the ocean and see what different species live near the canopy, the midwater, and the bottom of the kelp...
NOAA
Journey to the Unknown
Go where no one has gone before. Learners experience what it is like to be a scientist exploring new territory. Using audio and a scripted text, pupils take a trip in the depths of the ocean. They follow their trip with a hands-on...
NOAA
The Sea with No Shores
Some habitats are more bio-diverse than others. Scholars examine an especially diverse environment as groups research different species in a specific ocean habitat. The class then uses their research to create three-dimensional bulletin...
Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)
Life in an Ocean World
How does the shell color of crabs and the habitat they live in impact the predator-prey relationship? The fourth activity in a series of five is a game where participants try not to get eaten if they are a prey and try to eat if they are...
Dawn N . Ericson
California Kelp Forest Restoration
This unit is so cool, you won't be able to "kelp" yourself! Intended for all grades, this science and activity guide for teachers offers a unique opportunity to understand kelp's role as a valuable ecological resource. Teachers and...
Curated OER
A House for Me- Ocean Environments
Students explore ocean environments. In this ocean environment lesson, students identify the things ocean animals need for survival. Students use KWL charts and search the Internet collecting information about ocean habitats. Students...
Curated OER
The Chesapeake Bay in Captain John Smith's Time
When Captain John Smith visited the Chesapeake Bay in the summer of 1608, what types of animals and habitats did he encounter? Your young historians will analyze primary source documents to answer this question, as well as compare the...
Curated OER
Mapping The Ocean Floor
Young scholars explore and analyze the bottom structure of underwater habitats. They describe and explain what can't see through the collection and correlation of accurate data. Learners assess that technology is utilized as a tool for...