STANDARD - MATTER ENERGY AND ORGANIZATION IN LIVING SYSTEMS
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The Nitrogen Cycle - COSEE Coastal Trends 
Lesson PlanSummary
Students put together “puzzle piece” print-outs of the compounds comprising the nitrogen cycle and string the pieces together to reconstruct the pathways of the cycle.
The ocean is an integral part of the geochemical cycles. It is connected to land-based waterways, which transport materials to the ocean.
Education Standards
45 minsCarbon Cycle Game - Windows to the Universe
Summary
Students learn how carbon cycles through the Earth system through an online game.
The ocean is an integral part of the geochemical cycles. It is connected to land-based waterways, which transport materials to the ocean.
Education Standards
Photosynthesis and Respiration in Seagrass - COSEE Coastal Trends
Summary
Students conduct a hands-on experiment that illustrates how different levels of light affect photosynthesis and respiration in seagrass. Note: instructor may need to be creative with timing of the experiment to allow for an adequate incubation period.
Photosynthesis by marine plants produces much of the oxygen in the atmosphere and uses much of the carbon dioxide.
Education Standards
Plant Pigments in Oceanography - Classroom BATS (Bermuda Atlantic Time Series)
Summary
Students first learn how oceanographers study chlorophyll in the water to determine global plankton distribution, then conduct a hands-on activity to extract chlorophyll from a plant. Students also examine time series data to explore the seasonal and spatial distribution of plankton in the ocean.
Primary productivity is distributed throughout the world according to several factors
Education Standards
It's All Connected: Trophic Tag - COSEE Coastal Trends and University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Lesson PlanSummary
In this active game that illustrates the concepts of ecological balance, interdependence, and trophic energy transfer in marine food webs, students play the roles of organisms that are representative of the different aquatic trophic levels. The game can be played using various environmental conditions and manipulations of organism ratios to achieve a balanced marine ecosystem.
Phyto or Zoo? - COSEE Coastal Trends
Summary
Students are introduced to different phytoplankton and zooplankton and build their own dichotomous key through an inquiry based lesson
There is a high diversity of life in the ocean with a wide range of functions and interactions.
Education Standards
Create a Bacterial Ecosystem - COSEE Coastal Trends
Summary
In this activity, students mix mud, water, a carbon source, and a sulfur source together in a clear bottle to create a stratified “column” of bacterial communities. Activity requires time to set up in the classroom as well as periodic observations as the "column" stabilizes (4-6 weeks)
Open ocean aphotic/twilight zone: Light at the bottom of the deep, dark ocean? - NOAA Ocean Explorer
Summary
Students learn how organisms adapt to life in the ocean with little light through this role-playing activity.
There are many diverse habitats in the open ocean, which contribute to the diversity of organisms.
Education Standards
Hydrothermal vents: Let’s Make a Tubeworm! - NOAA Ocean Explorer
Summary
Students create a model of a tubeworm, learn about symbiotic relationships, and compare chemosynthesis with photosynthesis.
There are many diverse habitats in the open ocean, which contribute to the diversity of organisms.
Education Standards
Polar seas: Polar Regions: Arctic Adaptations and Global Impact - National Geographic X-Peditions
Summary
Students conduct research to learn about adaptations of organisms in polar environments.
There are many diverse habitats in the open ocean, which contribute to the diversity of organisms.
Education Standards
