Ocean Mysteries, Legends, and Customs

What caused the collapse of the environment on Rapa Nui (Easter Island)? Who constructed the Moai? What was their purpose? Class members assume the role of investigators and use evidence drawn from field studies, ships' logs, and...

Using "mystery bathymetry" shoeboxes, young explorers simulate sonar action to map out the topography of an un-viewable landscape. This classic activity helps physical oceanography learners understand how sonar works. It would be...

Students examine the giant squid and its habitat. In this giant squid activity, students discover the size, behavior, and natural habitat of the giant squid. Activities range from scientific information to myths and folklore. Students...

Take the old baking soda and vinegar volcano to the next level by using it to study repeated lava flows over time, examine geologic features on Earth and Mars, and speculate about some of the formations on Mars. 

Take the mystery out of inquiry! When young scientists learn to use their keen powers of observation to make smart inferences about a situation, they are well on their way to understanding what the scientific method is all about. Using...

Young paleontologists roll up their sleeves and get a little dirty in this hands-on unit on dinosaurs. Over the course of these seven lessons young scientists learn about these giant reptiles while excavating and assembling a T-rex...

Exactly what do groundhogs know about weather? Not as much as your science students will after completing these lessons and activities that cover everything from the earth's rotation and the creation of shadows, to cloud...

Students study web pages on a shipwreck then locate where this took place on a map.  In this marine archaeologist lesson students examine what clues archaeologists use to find the location of a shipwreck and  what they might find.

Young scholars explore what the Bermuda triangle is and the theories as to why it is so mysterious.  In this mystery lesson students read and discuss the history and the mystery behind the Bermuda Triangle. 

Does it actually exist? Consider the sighting of a giant squid, much like the one that appears in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Middle and high schoolers read the article One Legend Found, Many Still to Go, and research other mysterious...