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Ocean Explorer

2005 Hidden Ocean Expedition Three Cold Realms (5 pages, 267k) (Biology) Pelagic, benthic and sea ice realms- In this activity, students will be able to compare and contrast the pelagic, benthic and sea ice realms of the Arctic Ocean, name at least three organisms that are typical of each of these three realms, and explain how the pelagic, benthic and sea ice realms interact with each other. Burp Under the Ice (5 pages, 364k) Global climate change and the Paleocene extinction (Earth Science)- In this activity, students will be able to describe the overall events that occurred during the Paleocene extinction event, describe the processes that are believed to result in global climate change, and infer how a global climate change event could have contributed to the Paleocene extinction event. Jelly Critters (5 pages, 269k) (Life Science) - Gelatinous zooplankton in the Canada Basin- In this activity, students will be able to compare and contrast at least three different groups of organisms that are included in ‘gelatinous zooplankton’, describe how gelatinous zooplankton fit into marine food webs, and explain how inadequate information about an organism may lead to that organism being perceived as insignificant. What's Eating You? (6 pages, 286k) (Chemistry/Biology) - Trophic relationships in Arctic marine ecosystems- In this activity, students will be able to describe how ratios of stable nitrogen isotopes can be used to study trophic relationships between marine organisms, make inferences about trophic relationships between organisms and habitats, and compare and contrast organisms in sea ice, pelagic, and benthic communities in terms of feeding strategies and consequent stable nitrogen isotope ratios. Arctic Ocean Exploration Let's Get to the Bottom of the Arctic! (8 pages, 476k) Factors that influence the composition of benthic communities in the deep Arctic Ocean- In this activity, students will be able to identify the three realms of the Arctic Ocean, and describe the relationships between these realms; describe different species associations in a benthic community; and be able to infer probable feeding strategies used by benthic organisms and relate these strategies to sediment characteristics. Life in the Crystal Palace (6 pages, 464k) Sea ice communities in the Arctic Ocean- In this activity, students will be able to identify major groups of organisms found in Arctic sea ice communities, describe major physical features of sea ice communities and how these features change during summer and winter, explain how these changes affect biological activity within these communities. Students will also be able to describe interactions that take place between sea ice communities, and explain the importance of sea ice communities to Arctic ecosystems. Meet the Arctic Benthos (8 pages, 492k) Benthic invertebrate groups in the Arctic Ocean In this activity, students will be able to recognize and identify major groups found in the Arctic benthos, describe common feeding strategies used by benthic animals in the Arctic Ocean, and discuss relationships between groups of animals in Arctic benthic communities. Students will also be able to discuss the importance of diversity in benthic communities. Message in the Bottles (13 pages, 88k) Estimating primary productivity (Earth Science/Chemistry)- In this activity, students will be able to identify the three realms of the Arctic Ocean, and describe the relationships between these realms; explain the relationships between gross primary productivity, net primary productivity, and respiration; and understand how oxygen production and consumption can be measured and used to estimate primary productivity in water bodies. Would You Like a Sample? (30 pages, 556k) Sampling strategies for biological communities- In this activity, students will be able to identify the three realms of the Arctic Ocean, and describe the relationships between these realms and discuss the advantages and limitations of sampling techniques to study biological communities.

NOS

Coastal Ecosystem Science Lesson Plan Is It Getting Hot in Here? (14 pages, 416kb) Climate Change (Earth Science)- Students will be able to define “forcing factor” and will be able to describe at least five forcing factors for climate change. -Students will be able to describe at least five ways in which climate change could affect human communities. -Students will be able to cite at least three lines of evidence that suggest the Earth’s climate may change in the 21st century. Coastal Decision-Making Tools Lesson Plan Get Smart (8 Pages, 240Kb) Focus: Human Dimensions in Coastal Decision Making (Earth Science/Life Science)- Students will be able to describe the concepts of sustainability and Smart Growth. -Students will be able to identify at least three benefits that may be expected from Smart Growth. -Students will be able to discuss at least three different perspectives on Smart Growth that might be found among stakeholders in a coastal community. I'll Stay Here if it Kills Me! (9 Pages, 280Kb) Human Dimensions in Coastal Decision Making (Earth Science/Life Science) -Students will be able to identify and discuss four components of “human dimensions” involved in coastal decision-making. -Students will be able to describe a process to build public support for coastal resource protection and will be able to explain why this support is important. -Students will be able to describe at least three perspectives that exist among different groups of stakeholders regarding a specific coastal resource issue. Natural Hazards Assesment Lesson Plan Do You Want to Risk It? (13 pages, 209kb) How can coastal residents plan for the potential effects of natural hazards? (Earth Science/Physical Science) -Students will define, compare and contrast the terms "risk" and "vulnerability." -Students will determine the history of natural disaster events for a given community. -Students will discuss the relative risk from natural hazard events for selected communities based on the history of such events.

The GLOBE Program (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment)

The GLOBE Program (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based education and science program. During IPY scientific research and educational activities are planned to advance our understanding of Earth's polar regions and how they impact the rest of the world. These highlighted GLOBE protocols and learning activities can help students participate in IPY activities through a number of Earth System Science Projects. More IPY GLOBE activites can be found at their IPY web page: Arctic Bird Migration Monitoring Protocol (pdf) Students select a common and easily identifiable bird species in their region and observe when the bird species first arrives. Components of the earth system working together (pdf) Using data about the components of the Earth system at the global scale, students discuss how the components interact to form the Earth system as a whole and use the water cycle to explore this in more detail. Global Patterns in Green-up and Green-down (pdf) Students use visualizations and graphs to investigate the annual cycles of plant growth and decline associated with various land cover types. Defining regional boundaries (pdf) Students broaden their understanding of the Earth system by expanding their view of the Earth system from the local site to a regional system by identifying the boundaries of a regional Earth system. What Can We Learn About Our Seasons? (pdf) Students develop a qualitative understanding of the characteristics and patterns of seasons and highlight the relationship of seasons to physical, biological and cultural markers. What Are Some Factors That Affect Seasonal Patterns? (pdf) Students use GLOBE data and graphing tools to compare the influence of latitude, elevation, and geography on seasonal patterns. How Do Seasonal Temperature Patterns Vary Among Different Regions? (pdf) Students use GLOBE visualizations to display student data on maps and to learn about seasonal changes in regional and global temperature patterns. Modeling the Reasons for Seasonal Change (pdf) Students use color visualizations and a 3-D paper model of the Earth to explore the causes of seasons, with a focus on Earth's tilt and its spherical shape. Seasonal Change on Land and Water (pdf) Students use visualizations to compare the effects of incoming solar energy in the two hemispheres, furthering their understanding of seasonal change and climatic effects of land and water. Limiting Factors in Ecosystems (pdf) To understand that physical factors-temperature and precipitation-limit .

Smithsonian

These activities extend the themes and content of the exhibit Arctic: A Friend Acting Strangely to middle school students, their teachers, and families. Like the exhibit, the activities explore changes in the Arctic's climate that are being observed by both polar scientists and polar residents-changes that impact the Arctic's environment, its wildlife, and its peoples. The activities also explore how the Arctic's climate connects to our global climate system. Introduction to Activities (pdf) National Objectives Chart (df) Activity 1: Eyewitnesses to Change (pdf) Explore change from the perspective of Native Arctic residents Activity 2: Changes Close to Home (pdf) Survey long-time residents about local climate change Activity 3: Arctic Heat Wave? (pdf) Interpret weather data to determine rates of climate change Activity 4: It's a Cool Color (pdf) Hands-on activity to understand the albedo effect on climate Activity 5: Changes Ahoof? (pdf) Run a computer model to predict changes in climate on a caribou population Activity 6: Ride the Arctic Climate Rollercoaster (pdf) Interpret geological and archeological evidence of past climate changes Activity 7: Weather Words (pdf) Create word games using weather terms