Lesson Plans

A Pound Is A Pound (Phyiscal, Geology, Math)
(Grades 4-8) Students determine the density of several "mystery" materials and compare the densities to the standard density of water. An extension activity develops the concepts of sedimentation rates and decomposition.

Build an Ocean  (Physical, Climate, Geology)
Construct simple three-dimensional models with your students that encourage questions and investigations into major ocean processes. The models give students the opportunity to explore and make sense of basic physical ocean phenomena. Emphasis is put on direct experience with familiar materials to develop science, math and technology concepts. Middle and high school students find the models easy to assemble. Each session has a specific focus. Models include: shoreline features, waves, wind and weather.

Build an Ocean I (Waves and currents)
Models include: Upwelling, Downwelling, Ekman spiral, and various wave forms.

Build an Ocean II (Coastal features)
Models include: Barrier Island, Longshore current, Rip current, Wave refraction, and Beach with Sea Cliff.

Build an Ocean III (Wind and weather)
Models include: Sea Breeze, Land breeze, Hurricane, Ekman spiral, and tides

Build an Ocean IV (Complete set)

Camouflage Capers (Biology)
(All grades) Students explore the mechanisms of color change and the importance of camouflage adaptation. Students design a classroom flounder adapted to their specific classroom.

Cartesian Diver (Biology, Phyiscal)
(All grades) Hands-on activity demonstrating the effects of pressure and density on buoyancy. Students design a "diver" that they can manipulate to rise and fall using materials easily found around the classroom or at home. For an additional cost material for a class of 30 students will be supplied. Squidy. is great for lower elementary and . Hook. is fantastic for grades 4 and up. Each student supplies the plastic soda bottle and goes home with an engaging Cartesian diver.

"Squidy" or "Hook" Class Set (Biology, Physical)
(All grades) Hands-on activity using the Cartesian diver theories

Colorful Currents (Physical)
(All grades) A really "Wow" activity demonstrating different kinds of currents in the ocean. A good introductory activity leading to the importance of currents to all life in the sea.

Decision Making Through Group Work (Critical Thinking)
(Grades 6-8) In order to make decisions; individuals need accurate and understandable information. Unfortunately, much of the information placed in front of us is either sensational, too technical, or too abstract for the student and the general public, or they do not provide a connection between their everyday actions and the impending long-term changes that may take place. This simple exercise introduces students, as individuals and then as a group, to the many complexities involved in making a seemingly simple set of decisions concerning the health and well being of an unknown animal species.

Effects of Sea Level Rise (Physical, Climate, Critical Thinking, Math)
(Grades 5-8) Is sea level rising? Yes. Many factors can affect sea level rise and there is much debate as to when and how much the sea level will rise in the next century. Although there is much uncertainty on this issue students need to understand all the possible ramifications. If sea level rise predictions prove false and we have prepared for the worst nothing much is lost. However if preparations are not made the results will be devastating. This lesson demonstrates thermal expansion and the possible impacts on a coastal community.

Fiddlin' Around (Biology, Math)
(Grades 5-8) Students develop skills in estimating the size of a fiddler crab population using the techniques of random sampling. This lesson is useful for demonstrating how scientists estimate population size for animals difficult or impossible to observe directly.

Geometry in Nature (Biology, Math)
(All grades) Students discover that familiar geometric shapes can be found in nature. Using fish and other marine organisms student identify familiar geometric shapes in the organisms overall natural design. Students then design their own geometric "critter".

Global Ocean Survey (Biology, Physical, Chemistry, Math)
(Grades 4-8) Students simulate a research effort to determine productivity around the globe. Ocean water color is data used by research scientists to monitor plankton blooms, climate changes, surface sea water temperatures, and a variety of other important data necessary in the effort to preserve the integrity of the ocean.Your students make a secchi disk, measure turbidity (cloudiness) and compare water color in five different water systems. Currents, water color, temperature, and biological systems are discussed.

How Many is Enough (Biology, Math)
(Grades 4-8) A simple game that demonstrates the stresses on fish populations. This activity introduces the concepts of management and conservation and the requisite vocabulary used by scientists to explain population declines. Extensive background material and glossary included.

How Much Food Does a Blue Whale Eat? (Biology, Math)
(Grades 4-8) The largest animal on earth is sustained by the smallest animals on earth. Students investigate food chains, food webs, energy pyramids and plankton to estimate how much food a blue whale population needs to sustain itself. This lesson clearly illustrates the high productivity of the global ocean. This activity is included in "Whales and Oceanography"

How Much Salt is in the Ocean? (Chemistry)
(All grades) Take all the salt out of the global ocean, dry it and place it on all the continents, you end up with a layer of salt 500 feet high! Salt is the most obvious difference between the water that comes out of our tap at home and the sea. In this lesson students make and calibrate a hydrometer and design a neutrally buoyant submarine to float in various saline solutions. The basic chemistry of seawater and the concepts of positive, neutral and negative buoyancy are covered.

How Much Water (Physical, Math)
(All grades) A demonstration and follow-up activity that allows students to determine how much of the earth is covered with water. Students calculate percentages and construct graphs of surface land and water ratios using random selection points on a globe and maps.

Mapping the Sea Floor (Physical, Math)
(Grades 4-8)Three activities to introduce the way sound waves travel through water. Small student groups construct a model of the sea floor incorporating major sea floor features. Students then exchange their models and using SONAR techniques construct contour maps of unknown sea floor areas. Students investigate SONAR technology using the measurement of sound return times and sound variances against different materials, to infer the distance to unseen targets then, use this technology to locate sunken treasure. Sound transmission in air is compared to sound transmission in the ocean. Your students will learn how to locate objects below the surface using sound and its echo. Included is material on echolocation in toothed whales.

Ocean Currents (Physical)
(All grades) Physical oceanography is studying how the ocean works. Thinking of the ocean as a machine you can consider currents to be the major moving parts of that machine. Currents are important two major reasons: 1) they give earth the stable global climate that makes it habitable by distributing the sun's heat that is received unevenly and 2) transporting essential nutrients from the ocean floor to the surface where they are needed for primary plankton productivity. The activities included in this lesson demonstrate convection and thermal currents driven by density gradients

Oceanography & Whales (Biology, Physical, Math)
(Grades 6-8) Whales have always been interesting to students young and old; they are very good subjects for the use in illustrating to students the importance of understanding major global issues such as the greenhouse effect and ozone depletion. In this group of lessons students will gain an understanding of the relationships between whales, plankton, physical ocean systems and the global ecosystem changes that affect these relationships. Materials include background material and masters for overhead transparencies.

Ozone Tag and Welcome to the "O" zone (Climate, Critical Thinking)
(Grades 5-8) Often students confuse the greenhouse effect and ozone depletion. These activities clearly demonstrate the differences between these two global change issues. The basic chemistry of ozone and its importance to the overall health of our planet are covered.

Particle Packages (Biology, Physical, Math)
(All grades)A simple science experiment becomes an open-ended investigation while students define the direction of the experiment. Skills in organizing information, making observations and recording data are developed. The experiment explores ocean currents and density gradients.

Ppm, ppt, ppb-What's It All Mean? (Biology, Chemistry, Critical Thinking, Math)
(Grades 4-8) Many students, and the general public, have a difficult time understanding what is meant by parts per million, parts per thousand and parts per billion when scientists explain pollution problems. This activity is an exploration of concentration gradients, pollution, and estimating the volume of one million drops of water. A follow-up activity is included to define different types of pollution and challenge students to discover sources of pollution and its ramifications on an imaginary river.

Properties of Water and Other Liquids (Physical, Chemistry, Math)
(Grades 5-8) In a series of student directed experiments and demonstrations students observe the properties of water and compare these observations to properties of other liquids. Students are asked to form hypotheses explaining each property they explored.

Race to the Sea (Biology, Math)
(All grades) A simple board game adapted from Ranger Rick's "Let's Hear it for Herps". Students will investigate and discover the dangers that threaten sea turtles and their habitats while competing in a game to see who can overcome these obstacles and reach the sea with the most turtles. General background material is provided that expands learning to include anatomy and terrestrial turtles.

Tides and Waves (Physical, Math)
(All grades) Tides affect many facets of circulation and mixing in continental shelf areas. Tides occur in the mid-ocean as well as along the coastline. Tides are the result of the interaction between the gravitational forces that exist between the earth, moon and sun. These interactions are demonstrated in simple models constructed by students. Materials are included to enable students to predict tides and also construct tide graphs and tables. Using a ripple tank or overhead projector students can study waves and how they affect coastal ecosystems. Waves are disturbances of the surface of a fluid that typically occur on the surface between the atmosphere and a water body, but may also occur on the surface that separates two water masses (internal waves). Students will learn the major components of the ideal wave-height, amplitude, length and period.

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