AltaSea Lesson Plans
UNDERWATER ROBOTICS (6th-12th grades)
MARINE ENERGY (6th-12th grades)
UNDERWATER ROBOTICS (6th-8th grades)
ANIMAL AND PLANT DEFENSES (1st grade)
Animal and Plant Defenses – Rocky Shore (presentation)
Contributing Partner Lesson Plans
INTO THE DEAD ZONE: WHAT IS A DEAD ZONE
Join the EarthEcho Expeditions team as they embark on their quest to explore one of the world’s devastating dead zones. Dive into the Chesapeake Bay with Philippe Cousteau and team as we learn how the dead zone forms and investigate one of the most ecologically and economically important inhabitants of the Bay, the Eastern Oyster. Meet scientists and students who are working to protect and restore the vital oyster reef habitats that once flourished but are now threatened by the dead zone.
MANAGING HABITATS
Philippe Cousteau explores juvenile fish habitats. Marine biologists, Tom Stamp, and Dr. Ben Ciotti show Philippe how different habitats can be monitored. The use of nets, acoustic telemetry, sampling and more are used to monitor habitats, like estuaries. Learn how protecting these habitats, where fish spend their early years, is crucial in ensuring fish populations for future generations.
ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS
Fish are a major food source for other aquatic organisms, but humans as well. What can be done in order to help fish survive, thrive and still be abundant enough to feed a growing population? Philippe Cousteau hears from experts, Dr. Louise Firth, Dr. Daniel Merrifield, and Justin Ruscombe-King about the innovative work being done to help fish populations stay healthy for generations to come. Philippe visits an engineering habitat and an aquaculture farm to learn how we can take action to help save our fisheries.
PESCA SOSTENIBLE: DESAFIO ENTRE REDES – IMPACTOS DE LA PESCA
Anteriormente, vimos como el Dr. Martin Attrill usó una red cónica para un estudio sobre pesca. Pero, la mayoría de las redes no se usan así. De hecho, las redes de arrastre han perturbado masivamente nuestro ambiente marino.
PESCA SOSTENIBLE: DESAFIO ENTRE REDES – MANEJO DE HABITATS
Para disponer de pesca sostenible en el futuro, es crítico identificar, proteger y manejar el hábitat de los peces jóvenes. Fuera de Plymouth, el biólogo marino Tom Stamp usa un estuario apartado para eso.
CARRERAS STEM EN PRIMER PLANO: ABIGAIL MCQUATTERS-GOLLOP
Soy profesora de conservación marina, en la Universidad de Plymouth. Pero actualmente soy ecologista de plancton. Ayudo a legisladores y gente del gobierno a trabajar con científicos y usar esa información para tomar decisiones sobre cómo manejar el ambiente marino.
VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: WATER JOURNEYS
In honor of World Water Day and the kick-off of the 2019 EarthEcho Water Challenge, join EarthEcho International for a live, virtual field trip event – Water Journeys. Through this engaging virtual panel, students will learn about the importance of water quality and conservation, through stories shared from EarthEcho Water Challenge partners leading water monitoring programs in critical bodies of water around the world.
EARTH ECHO INTERNATIONAL PRESENTS: SEA TURTLES AND THE STATE OF OUR OCEAN
Sea turtles area keystone species for ocean ecosystems. They are telling us the health of the ocean, which in turn tells us the health of the planet. At The Sea Turtle Hospital at Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC), the number of sea turtle patients coming in has not slowed down. Many of the sea turtles that are treated in the hospital have injuries or illnesses that are human-related including unintentional boat strikes, constriction injuries due to fishing gear, and ingestion of marine debris. Through water quality monitoring and other citizen science programs, LMC is able to tie in ocean health with education and encourage guests to take action to protect our local ecosystems. In this session, Caroline will discuss LMC’s work to protect threatened and endangered sea turtles by promoting conservation of ocean ecosystems.
TIPS FOR ENGAGING CHILDREN IN OUTDOOR EXPLORATION
During challenging and uncertain times, nature offers an escape. Research shows that spending time outside, whether it’s a park or your backyard, calms your central nervous system, slows your heart rate, and boosts your immune system.
MY PLANET MY PLEDGE
Designed for students of all ages. This Earth Day 2020 activity can be done any time of the year to get students thinking about how they can take action and make a difference for our planet.
Required materials: pencil, activity sheet and worksheet (print/digital) or blank paper.
Optional materials: coloring supplies, digital sharing platform such as Google Classroom, SeeSaw, etc.
DEAR NATURE
Designed for students of all ages; includes extension activity for grades 6-12. This writing activity invites students to find a “sit spot” and engage with nature, wherever they are. Then, students practice gratitude through letter writing, with thought-provoking, scalable prompts to guide them through the process.
Required materials: pencil, activity sheet and worksheet (print/digital) or blank paper.
Optional materials: coloring supplies, ECO instructional video, internet articles, digital sharing platform such as Google Classroom, SeeSaw, etc.
SPRING BINGO
Designed for students of all ages. Get outdoors and discover the wonders of spring while playing a fun ECO version of Bingo! Using all five senses (except taste), each item on the grid invites you to make observations of nature from the soil beneath your feet to the sky above. For example, can you find something living in a puddle?
Required materials: pencil, Spring Bingo sheet (print/digital).
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS
Designed for students of all ages; includes extension activities. This investigation invites young botanists to distinguish between plants based on their characteristics, then use their observations to sketch what they find.
Required materials:pencil, activity sheet and worksheet (print/digital) or blank paper.
Optional Materials: coloring supplies, ECO instructional video, digital sharing platform such as Google Classroom, SeeSaw, etc.
BIRD-O
Designed for students of all ages. Although birds are common, they are anything but boring! This Bingo game begins with a lesson on bird behavior to get students thinking about the different behaviors they might observe in birds from preening to gliding to diving.
Required materials: pencil, activity sheet and worksheet (print/digital).
Optional materials: binoculars, digital sharing platform such as Google Classroom, SeeSaw, etc.
SIGNS OF FALL OBSERVATIONS
Designed for students of all ages; video options for elementary or middle school. This activity blends ecology and social-emotional learning (SEL), encouraging students to observe the changes in nature as well as the changes they are experiencing within themselves.
Required materials: pencil, internet access for videos, activity sheet (print), coloring supplies.
Optional materials: ECO instructional video, digital sharing platform such as Google Classroom, SeeSaw, etc.
ECO HEROES
Designed for students of all ages with multiple activity options for K-5, middle school, and high school students. This social studies lesson encourages students to research and report on diverse environmental and social justice heroes who have made a positive impact on our planet.
Required materials: ECO Heroes Presentation (digital), ECO Heroes Worksheet (print/digital), pencil, computer and internet access.
Optional materials: additional books, documentaries, journal articles, digital sharing platform such as Google Classroom, SeeSaw, etc.
BIOMIMICRY
Designed for students of all ages with activity options for K-5, middle school, and high school students. This lesson serves as an introduction to the amazing world of biomimicry, or the application of ideas from nature to design products and technologies for human use.
Required materials: Biomimicry Presentation (digital), Biomimicry Design worksheet (print/digital), pencil.
Optional materials: computer and internet access, coloring supplies, craft supplies to create a prototype, digital sharing platform such as Google Classroom, SeeSaw, etc.
ROCK PROPERTIES
Designed for elementary and middle school students. What makes rocks unique, and how can we investigate the rocks we find in the Pacific Northwest to understand more about them? This lesson will invite students to observe rocks and conduct investigations to determine their characteristics.
Required materials: 3 or more rock samples, ECO instructional video, Rock Properties Test Descriptions sheet, Rock Properties Investigation activity sheet (grade level dependent), investigation materials, pen or pencil.
Optional materials: Rocks and minerals field guide or internet browser, digital sharing platform such as Google Classroom, SeeSaw, etc.
COLD WEATHER Pt. 1
Designed for elementary and middle school students. In part one of this lesson series, students are introduced to ectothermic animals, or animals that rely on external sources of heat to stay warm. They will study the adaptations ectothermic animals use to survive cold temperatures, then build their own unique ectotherm in a creative activity.
Required materials: Cold Weather Animals Pt I presentation, student activity sheet (2 pages), pencil.
Optional materials: coloring supplies, other craft materials: fabric, paint, construction paper, collage, yarn, etc., digital sharing platform such as Google Classroom, SeeSaw, etc.
COLD WEATHER Pt. 2
Designed for elementary and middle school students. In part two of this lesson series, students are introduced to endothermic animals, or “warm-blooded” animals that maintain a regular body temperature internally. They will study the adaptations endothermic animals use to survive cold temperatures, build their own unique endotherm in a creative activity, and practice their own methods for staying warm.
Required materials: Cold Weather Animals Pt II presentation, student activity sheet (3 pages), pencil.
Optional materials: coloring supplies, other craft materials: fabric, paint, construction paper, collage, yarn, etc., digital sharing platform such as Google Classroom, SeeSaw, etc., Household items like blankets, jackets, etc.
SALMON STORIES
Designed for students of all ages with activity options to scale for K-5, middle school, and high school students. In this lesson, students go over the remarkable life cycle of Pacific salmon and learn about their role in ecosystems as well as their importance to Indigenous communities. Then, after reading and discussing two recent news articles related to salmon conservation in the Pacific Northwest, students create a systems diagram or mind map to deepen their understanding of how humans interact with salmon and steps we can take to protect salmon populations for future generations.
Required materials: blank paper, pencil, links to articles or printed articles.
Optional materials: coloring supplies, digital sharing platform such as Google Classroom, SeeSaw, etc.
WINTER SCAVENGER HUNT
Designed for students of all ages. This activity fosters students’ sense of curiosity and can be done indoors, outdoors, or a combination of the two. In this lesson, students will view a virtual presentation, then bring an activity sheet outdoors, looking for a variety of natural objects that can be found and studied during the winter, such as evergreen plants, deciduous tree and shrub twigs, different types of lichen, and animal tracks. As a bonus activity, students are encouraged to develop an inquiry question to answer while making observations outdoors.
Required materials: Winter Scavenger Hunt Virtual Presentation, Activity Sheet, pencil.
Optional materials: coloring supplies, digital sharing platform such as Google Classroom, SeeSaw, etc.
SUMMER SOIL SCOOP
Designed for students of all ages. In this activity students will study the texture of soil by doing an experiment using soil samples found nearby, a jar or other clear container, and water. After learning what makes soil special and the makeup of soil, students will use an activity sheet and their materials to carry out the experiment and take note of their results. Finally, students are encouraged to perform the experiment as many times as they’d like, using soil samples collected from different locations throughout the summer and comparing them to one another.
Required materials: Summer Soil Scoop Presentation, Activity Sheet (printed), clear containers with secure lids and labels removed (glass jars or plastic bottles work well), spade or shovel, soil samples collected from various locations, water, pencil.
Optional materials: coloring supplies, digital sharing platform such as Google Classroom, SeeSaw, etc.
K-12 STUDENTS
K-12 STUDENTS
K-12 STUDENTS
K-12 STUDENTS
K-12 STUDENTS
K-12 STUDENTS
K-12 STUDENTS
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LESSON PLANS
SALINITY:
Designed for students grades 3-5. Students will understand how water moves through the earth and why salt matters.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LESSON PLANS
MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE:
Designed for students in 5th grade. Students will understand parts of a pulley and how simple machines help make work easier.
Mechanical Advantage Lesson Plan
The Problem with Pulleys Worksheet
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LESSON PLANS
BUOYANCY:
Students in 3rd-5th grade determine why objects float, and will understand principles of buoyancy.
MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL LESSON PLANS
MARINE INVERTEBRATES:
Students in high school will explore marine invertebrates and their different characteristics.
Marine Invertebrates Lesson Plan
MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL LESSON PLANS
WATER CHEMISTRY:
Students in high school will learn the fundamental properties of water and the proper tools to test water.
MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL LESSON PLANS
NAVIGATION:
Students in grades 6-12 can learn how we navigate onboard using charts and other aids to navigation.
MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL LESSON PLANS
MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE:
Designed for middle and high school students. Students will understand parts of a pulley and how simple machines help make work easier.
Mechanical Advantage Lesson Plan
FEATURED RESOURCE: HONORS MARINE BIOLOGY COURSE MATERIALS
Mark Friedman has made his entire Marine Biology course available for download. This material is aligned with the Castro/Huber Marine Biology Textbook. Each chapter includes text, photo, presentation and video materials. Tests and exam questions are provided. Projects, labs and links to related materials elsewhere on the internet are available for some chapters. The course has been broken down into smaller pieces to help our friends in other countries with slow internet.
The following seven Ocean Principles videos were created by students with marine science professionals from NOAA, Sea Grant, COSEE, National Marine Educators and other organizations.
ADDITIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL & HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (SPANISH)
Estimado colega de ciencias marinas, Me complace anunciar que finalmente tenemos todos los folletos de Ciencias Marinas producidos por el Acuario Nacional de Cuba disponibles en línea para uso internacional.
Cubriendo alrededor de 20 temas, estos folletos en español son los mejores que he visto en 18 años. Su contenido es científicamente rico y está formateado para todas las edades con muchas imágenes y dibujos animados. Le animo a que esté disponible en su sitio web para que pueda recibir la distribución más amplia posible.
