Centers for Ocean Sciences
Ocean and Great Lakes Literacy: Principle 1
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...
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Liquid Rainbow
Young scholars develop their own techniques for drawing a small sample of solutions into a straw. They hypothesize ways to increase the density of water, and discuss how salt-free rainwater tends to float on top of salty seawater.
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Biomes: Freshwater & Seawater
Students observe organisms behavior and adaptations. In this biomes lesson students conduct fieldwork to determine water quality and answer questions about the differences between different habitats.
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Changing Planet: Ocean Acidification - the Chemistry is Less than Basic!
A video and laboratory investigation are highlights to this instructional activity on acidification of ocean water due to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide. Using bromothymol blue (BTB) as an indicator, pupils analyze the amount of...
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The Weight of Water
Learners examine how salt water is more dense than fresh water. They discuss how manatees need to float and sink, conduct a sink or float experiment, and conduct an experiment with eggs and salt and fresh water.
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The Iron Cheesebox
High schoolers describe the oxidation/reduction reactions that are involved in the corrosion of iron in seawater. In this marine sanctuary lesson students study the steps in conserving marine archaeological artifacts.
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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...
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Making and Using a Hydrometer
Learners build a hydrometer to measure the densities of fresh and salt water samples. They record the water temperature and density and use the temperature, density, and salinity conversion graph to locate the salinity. Finally,...
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The Weight of Water
Learners participate in an experiment about the weight of water. They work together to discover that seawater is more dense than fresh water. They also determine which objects float and sink.
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MEASURING THE DENSITY OF WATER
Students perform an experiment to measure the density of tap water vs. salt water.
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Mooring Mobiles Lab
Oceanography experts use candy to construct a model of a bio-physical mooring that would test a variety of factors. Each piece of equipment to be included on the mooring is described within the write-up. As pupils gather the candies for...
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Wild Arctic
Young scholars explore key terms, including food web and food chain. They discuss Arctic plants and animals, devise at least three Arctic food chains and create a food web showing connections among Arctic life.
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Solutions and Suspensions
Students explore matter by conducting an in class demonstration. For this liquid mixture lesson, students identify the difference between a solution in which a solid dissolves into liquid, and a suspension where the solid doesn't...
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Sea Activities
Students explore the sea. In this biology lesson plan, student investigate sea creatures, and sea water. Students discover how to convert sea water into fresh drinking water as well.
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Sea Connections: Marine Ecosystems
Young scholars identify producers and consumers from marine ecosystems and describe the balance among them in the environments. After constructing a food chain from a marine ecosystem, they examine human activities that can upset the...
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Biomes: Extreme Climate
Students create a web connecting global warming, the Arctic, and wold climate. They write a paragraph explaining the role of the Arctic in world climate.
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Extreme Climate
Middle schoolers discuss global warming, greenhouse effect, permafrost and other key words. In this climate lesson students create a web that connects global warming, the Arctic and world climate then write a paragraph explaining the...
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Water Words Puzzle
In this water worksheet, students fill in the blanks to a crossword puzzle having to do with water words. Students complete 25 blanks in the crossword.
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Biomes: Extreme Climate
Students discuss the causes of global warming. For this earth science lesson, students examine how global warming is connected to the arctic and world climate. They write a paragraph about their interconnection.
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Exploring Marine Objects
Students identify the sources of water on Earth. In this life science lesson, students list the different plants and animals that live in the ocean. They explore marine objects in the lab and draw them.