SUBJECT - ENERGY TRANSFER
Home > Subject > Energy Transfer
Coral Cores: Ocean Timeline - NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries 
Lesson PlanSummary
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
45 minsThe 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
Carbon 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
The Water Cycle and Global Warming - BioEd Online
Summary
Students trace the effects of global temperature change on oceanic surface levels through model and laboratory investigations.
The ocean plays a major role in the water cycle, which drives changes in weather and climate.
Education Standards
History's Thermometers - NOAA Ocean Explorer
Summary
Students track climate changes through changes in oxygen isotopes using data from deep-sea corals.
Ocean processes have major effects on global climate change; global climate change could have major impacts on the ocean.
Education Standards
Ocean Drifters - NOAA Ocean Explorer
Summary
Students first learn about the different groups of plankton and their characteristics. Then the students make a model plankton cell which is neutrally or slightly negatively buoyant.
Photosynthesis by marine plants produces much of the oxygen in the atmosphere and uses much of the carbon dioxide.
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
Being Productive in the Arctic Ocean - NOAA Ocean Explorer
Summary
Students investigate the three major realms of the ocean in the Arctic region and identify limits on primary productivity in the region.
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
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)
