This guide includes 8 elementary school level lessons, inspired by topics from "Ocean Odyssey," a film for IMAX and other Giant Screen theaters. Host-narrated by oceanographer Sylvia Earle, "Ocean Odyssey" is an immersive film following a mother and calf humpback whale on their migration from the tropics to Antarctica.…

The Earth's oceans are home to a diverse array of life, from large marine mammals to microscopic organisms. Among the most important are the marine phytoplankton, which comprise the basis of marine food webs, and also produce a large percentage of the Earth's oxygen through photosynthesis. Although the vast majority of phytoplankton are essential…

The non-SI unit sverdrup, named to honor Norwegian oceanographer and meteorologist Harald Ulrik Sverdrup (1888-1957), is adopted for quantifying large-scale volume transport by oceanographers, meteorologists, and atmospheric physicists. The sverdrup is used to appraise the volumetric rate of evaporation, precipitation, runoff, transport of ocean…

Ocean acidification (OA) has been called climate change's evil twin for a reason. Increased levels of carbon dioxide, caused by humans burning fossil fuels, are not only causing a rise in global temperature but are also having adverse impacts on marine ecosystems. In the lesson presented in this article, students conduct investigations using…

To learn with data, students need "data" to explore. This can be deceptive--data-rich experiences typically involve much more than a straightforward science lab. Solving real problems with data means identifying authentic questions that are meaningful to students and provide a foundation for deep inquiry. Such situations often lend…

This article describes a five-lesson curriculum that introduces students to the primary cause, multiple predicted impacts, and possible solutions to ocean acidification. It builds upon the strengths of over 90 existing teaching resources on the topic while also contributing new ways to teach about the impacts and solutions to this pressing…

This article proposes an evidence-based and engaging approach to teaching the mechanisms driving the movement of tectonic plates that should lead high school students towards the prevalent theories used in peer-reviewed science journals and taught in universities. The methods presented replace the inaccurate and outdated focus on mantle convection…

The UK School Seismology Project started in 2007. King Edward VI High School for Girls was one of the fortunate schools to obtain a school seismometer system, free of charge, as an early adopter of the resource. This report outlines our experiences with the system over the past 10 years and describes our recent research on the relationship between…

Cruise planning may seem like an ordinary task for oceanographers, but it actually involves logical and strategic thinking, collaboration, and multidisciplinary work. The "Challenger" expedition, led by Charles Wyville Thomson from 1872 to 1876, was the first to be fully dedicated to understanding oceans (Rice et al. 1999) and was…

Important science phenomena--such as atomic structure, evolution, and climate change--are often hard to observe directly. That's why an important scientific practice is to use scientific models to represent one's current understanding of a system. Using models has been included as an essential science and engineering practice in the "Next…

Ocean acidification refers to the process by which seawater absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, producing aqueous carbonic acid. Acidic conditions increase the solubility of calcium carbonate, threatening corals and other calcareous organisms that depend on it for protective structures. The global nature of ocean acidification and the…

We propose an inquiry-based science activity centred on the effects of climate change on ocean ecosystems. This activity can be used to improve acquisition of knowledge on the effects of climate change and to promote inquiry skills, such as researching, reading and selecting relevant information, identifying a problem, focusing on a research…

Creation of physical models can help students learn science by enabling them to be more involved in the scientific process of discovery and to use multiple senses during investigations. This activity achieves these goals by having students model ocean currents in the Gulf of Mexico. In general, oceans play a key role in influencing weather…

In light of increasing populations and dwindling natural resources, elementary teachers play a crucial role in ensuring children understand and commit to more sustainable lifestyles. Climate change, growing pressures on global fisheries, and the harmful effects of traditional agricultural methods exacerbate this call. Coupled with this emphasis is…

The value of mangroves and mangrove ecosystems has not always been recognized. In fact, mangroves were historically regarded largely as wastelands with little or no value. Over time, humans began to recognize the multiple ways in which they could be used, particularly through development, making the mangrove ecosystem vulnerable to destruction and…