Exploring the Ocean (Elementary, Science)

How do temperature changes affect ocean currents? Scholars explore convection currents by demonstrating the flow of water in a baking dish. They use ice, heat, and food coloring to see currents. Then, they draw conclusions about their...

What's life like aboard an ocean exploration vessel? Junior oceanographers examine the important role of communication in ocean research in lesson two of a five-part series from NOAA. The materials introduce the class to life on...

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...

Take your class on an out-of-this-world adventure with this fun engineering design lesson. Working in small groups, young scientists design, build, and test crew exploration vehicles using some creativity, teamwork, and...

Every year we discover new planets including more than 1,000 in 2016 alone. Will we ever find life on another planet? The lesson includes two activities to help scholars understand this concept. First, they analyze the temperature range...

What effect does the hydrosphere have on the biosphere? What's going on below the surface of the ocean? As one goes deeper into the ocean, habitats, temperatures, pressure, and the types of living organisms change. This is the focus of a...

What's the most fun thing to do in an ocean unit? An ocean project! Join Jessi as she recreates the ocean zones in a glass jar while teaching viewers about the characteristics and types of animals that live in each.

Celebrate the circle of life with this fun hands-on activity. After cutting out, gluing together, and assembling this visual model, students are able to spin through and observe the life cycle of penguins.

Your class will be on top of their game when it comes to mid-ocean ridges! The second installment in a 13-part series focuses on the 65,000-km underwater ridge system that spans our globe. Junior oceanographers practice placing the...

After eight years of roaming in the ocean, salmon go back to the freshwater stream of their birth place to lay their own eggs. They jump, swim, and dive through obstacles to travel upstream. The salmon stop eating, lay their eggs, and...