STANDARD - UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY
Home > Standard > Understandings About Scientific Inquiry
Globe Toss - Lawrence Hall of Science, COSEE Coastal Trends 
Lesson PlanSummary
Students use inflatable globes to demonstrate that approximately 70% of the Earth is covered by water.
30 minsBoat-a-thon building - COSEE Coastal Trends
Lesson PlanSummary
Students use a set of materials selected by the instructor to build a boat with a specific task in mind. The steps of Scientific Inquiry are stressed, and the concept of buoyancy is reviewed.
Coral Cores: Ocean Timeline - NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries
Summary
Using x-ray images of actual coral cores taken from the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, students learn how corals generate calcium carbonate skeletons in layers and what those layers can tell us. Students also relate sections of these cores to the history of ocean exploration.
Less than 5% of the ocean has been explored; however, the ocean is a great resource, so in order to better understand the ocean we need to employ inquiry and investigation. Emphasis is placed on history of ocean exploration and on changing technology.
Education Standards
Designing Tools for Ocean Exploration - NOAA Ocean Exploration
Summary
Students design instruments that could potentially collect water, sediments, and infauna from the deep ocean, demonstrating the concept that new technologies allow us to learn more about the ocean.
New technologies are expanding our ability to explore the ocean.
Education Standards
Aquatic Model Mania - COSEE Coastal Trends
Summary
Using a simulated model, students observe and manipulate the interactions of the components of an aquatic food web based upon the availability of nutrients.
Mathematical models are an essential tool for understanding ocean sciences.
Education Standards
Case Study: Upwelling - Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Summary
Students correlate sardine populations changes with upwelling events using mathematical model output and wind and water circulation data from the Monterey Bay.
Mathematical models are an essential tool for understanding ocean sciences.
Education Standards
A Watered Down Topographic Map - NOAA Ocean Explorer
Summary
Students create scaled models of the sea-floor features and then generate bathymetric maps based on their models. This activity helps illustrate various sea floor topographic features and shows students how these features are translated into two-dimensional bathymetric maps.
There is one ocean with many basins and features shaped by the movement of the earth
Education Standards
Mapping Deep-Sea Features - NOAA Ocean Explorer
Summary
Students use actual bathymetric data to create a two-dimensional contour map of sea floor topographic features. Next, students create a three-dimensional model of the landform on the contour map they have created to illustrate how features are translated from three-dimensional to two-dimensional models.
There is one ocean with many basins and features shaped by the movement of the earth
Education Standards
The Galapagos Spreading Center - NOAA Ocean Explorer
Summary
Students use a model to illustrate seafloor spreading and the formation of new seafloor using the Galapagos Spreading Center system as an example.
Ocean and land movement has shaped the geologic features of the earth.
Education Standards
Sediment Bottle - COSEE Coastal Trends
Summary
Students mix a variety of sediments with water in a clear container to observe particle separation based on size.
