The Ocean Gazing Podcast CD Volume 1 includes lesson plan materials for middle and high school classes for 9 Ocean Gazing episodes. Additional lessons will come in a future volume.
Archive | Education Materials
Quality lesson plans, activities, and other materials for formal and informal educators from the NOW community.
COSIA Marine Transportation Activities
In the spring of 2010, students in Rutgers University Communicating Ocean Science to Informal Audiences (COSIA) worked with professional educators to develop these lessons and activities about Marine Transportation and Maritime Security related themes.
Design an Aquarium Exhibit
Students are given information to plan a large exhibit scale aquarium with native species. They must keep in mind what water conditions, such as temperature and salinity, their preferred species require, the feeding habits of species, and the habitat preferences of their chosen fish in designing the tank. (A huge tank with only small benthic […]
Ocean Acidification
COSEE NOW is pleased to present “A plague in air and sea: Neutralizing the acid of progress,” a profile of biological oceanographer Debora Inglesias-Rodriguez, and her work studdying the consequences of ocean acidification. A comprehensive lesson plan is also provided, that leads students through an exploration of the relationship between carbon dioxide and acidification.
Ships, Ocean, and Satellites (S.O.S.)
This lesson introduces students to sea surface temperature data, as well as the concept of spatial resolution. Students work in groups to collect a limited number of “sea surface temperatures” from a simulated ocean. They discover patterns of sea surface temperature, along with challenges related to spatial resolution. Throughout the lesson, students are asked to […]
Discrete versus Continuous
From single snapshots of the ocean, scientists can gain valuable insight into what is going on. However, from these single points they must attempt to interpret events and processes that occur based on the data available to them. Obviously, the more data that can be collected to fill in the unknown gaps, the more accurately […]
Antarctica melting: A story in 4 Acts
COSEE NOW is pleased to present: Antarctica melting, a 4-part audio slideshow series on the fastest winter warming place on Earth, as seen through the eyes of three scientists. The slideshows, and accompanying lesson plans, provide a first hand look into the role that global climate change has had in transforming the Antarctic environment.
Oil Spill Resources
This series of PowerPoints and hands-on activities is designed for teachers to use in their classrooms to help discuss the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Each lesson can be adapted based on class level and the time available.
Coral Bleaching: A White Hot Problem
Some of the planet’s most beautiful and diverse ecosystems are at risk. With temperatures on the rise, coral reefs are at greater risk for coral bleaching. Using ocean observing system data from NOAA’s National Data Buoy Center, this classroom activity examines ocean temperatures off Puerto Rico to see how coral reefs are being impacted and […]
Don’t Even Sink About It!
Does a can of soda float? Does salt water really make that much difference? What’s a Plimsoll mark? Buoyancy can be a difficult concept for students. It’s all about density! With this hands-on introduction to teaching buoyancy from the Bridge website and COSEE-NOW, students work through activities and demonstrations that use online resources and ocean […]