Ocean Sciences Lesson Plans (3 results)

Here's how.

About 70% of Earth's surface is covered by oceans but humans have only explored 5% of the ocean! From microscopic phytoplankton to pods of whales and global weather patterns there is a lot left to discover.

Climate Change and Sea Level Rise

Lesson Plan Grade: 5th-8th

Do sea levels rise when ice melts? Does it matter whether the ice is on land or in the ocean? Students design an experiment to find out. They collect data, graph their results, and interpret their findings. Along the way, they learn about density, displacement, and climate change. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

5-PS1-2. Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of matter is conserved.
MS-PS1-5. Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved.

Is Coral a Plant or Animal?

Lesson Plan Grade: 2nd-6th

By building an edible coral polyp, students will learn the anatomy of coral and be able to explain why corals are animals, rather than plants. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

Oceanic Circulation: What Keeps the Ocean in Motion?

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

Why is the ocean vital to our planet? There are many reasons, but one important one is that the ocean is a major player in regulating our weather and climate through currents. In this lesson plan, your students will model ocean currents with cups, water, and food coloring, and explore how temperature and density differences set deep ocean waters in motion to create a global oceanic circulation system. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-ESS2-6. Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.

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