This project was created by teachers in the 1997 Museums in the Classroom Summer Workshop at the Chicago Academy of Sciences. The lesson is all about water and how it functions, specifically in the ocean. Included in this project are hands-on activities, links to other web sites on oceans and water, extension ideas, and a discussion of the standards met by this project.

Sound Like an Expert!!-Useful Vocabulary about Oceans

• seamounts-cone-shaped volcanic mountains on the floor of the sea
  * We looked at the satellite map and saw the seamounts in the Pacific Ocean.

• trenches--deep, narrow valleys on the floor of the sea
  *Most trenches are in the Pacific Ocean, and the Marianas Trench, near Japan, is the deepest.

• coral reef-rocky land formation formed from the shells of coral animals; usually found in a circular shape around a mass in the ocean
  *We enjoyed observing the colorful varieties of life forms found within the coral reef.

• ocean currents-large areas of moving water which carry water from one part of the world to another; some are near the surface of the oceans, and some are very deep
  *The ocean currents flowing from the equator cause mild climates in England and France.

• tsunamis-largest and most dangerous ocean waves; begun by underwater earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
  *The tsunami destroyed many homes and businesses along the coastal area.

• ocean depth zones-(1) epipelagic zone-shallowest; warmed by sunlight; many plants and animals found here
  (2) mesopelagic zone-very little sunlight reaches here; no plants; animals swim to higher zone to eat at night
  (3) bathypelagic zone-very dark; few animals
  (4) abyssopelagic zone-very deep; complete darkness; any animals found here must work very hard to find food
  

  Resource: First Facts: The Sea, Kingfisher, 1994.

  Can you find out what the following words mean?

• condensation
  
• dew
  
• evaporation
  
• precipitation
  
• atmosphere
  
• liquid
  
• vapor
  
• fog
  

• Ninety-seven percent of all the water on the Earth is in the oceans.

• The Pacific is the biggest ocean and the deepest. The Arctic is the smallest ocean and the shallowest.

• The longest coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef, in the Pacific. This stretches for over 1,200 miles along the northeastern coast of Australia.

• The highest tsunami was 1,700 feet high. It started in the Pacific Ocean and hit land in Lituya Bay in Alaska, in 1958.

• In an emergency most fish can swim ten times their body length in one second.

  Resource: First Facts: The Sea, Kingfisher,1994.

  ---

  
  

  A Complete Hands-on Activity to Bring Oceans and the Water Cycle into Your Classroom!

  The oceans are a major part of the water cycle. The heat of the sun turns ocean water into water vapor. This invisible warm gas rises into the air. The vapor then cools and turns into tiny drops of water. The droplets collect to form clouds. When the clouds get too heavy with droplets, the droplets fall to the earth as precipitation. No matter where it falls, the water eventually returns to the ocean.

  Connections:

  Science is not an isolated subject. Often in this lesson we will make connections to other areas of study including language arts, math, etc. To assist you in locating where such connections occur, you may see the following symbols spaced throughout the text. These symbols represent the following:

  A math connection
  A language arts connection
  A family connection
  A social sciences connection
  A physical development and health connection
  A fine arts connection
  

  Objectives:

  The students will:
  

  1. Understand that water is not static, but in a constant state of change.
     
  2. Understand that water droplets don't just disappear but change form due to various atmospheric conditions.
     
  3. Explain and understand the different effects that cold, high humidity, and sunlight have on a puddle of water on the sidewalk.
     
  Time Allotment:

  20-30 Minutes

  Materials:

  • large piece of tin foil
    
  • small candle
    
  • matches
    
  • ice cubes
    
  • small rack to hold tin foil and ice cubes 3-4 inches above candle.
    

  Advanced Preparation and Teacher Notes

  • Gather Materials
    
  Tap Prior Knowledge
  1. Discussion questions might be; What happens to the windows of your family car in the winter? Why do mountain tops have snow on them even in the summer?

     Engage Students in Hands-on Activity

  2. Place small candle under rack.

  3. Place foil on rack about 3 or 4 inches directly above candle.

  4. Put several ice cubes on the foil and let set for a minute to cool foil.

  5. Light candle and observe changes underneath foil.

  6. As moisture forms on foil, it collects and begins to form droplets.

  7. As the droplets collect, they fall.

  8. As the warm air rises it meets a colder surface and releases its moisture.

  9. The moisture collects and falls as rain.

     Introduce the Scientific Principle/Concept

  10. Warm air holds more moisture than cold air.

      Relate Activity and Concept

  11. Having a cold glass of pop.

  12. Observing dew or frost on the ground in the morning, noting that it is gone in the afternoon.

      Home Activity/Parent Involvement

  13. Lesson Assessment

  14. Additional Activities

      
      

      Books for Students and Teachers, Internet Connections, and More!

      Books for Students

      JACK, THE SEAL AND THE SEA

      Author: Gerald Aschenbrenner

      English adaptation: Joanne Fink

      Publisher: Silver Burdett Press (A division of Simon & Schuster)

      Description: JACK, THE SEAL AND THE SEA tells the heartfelt story of a man who, after finding an ailing seal, can no longer ignore the sorry state of our world's seas. Inspired by this moving book, LeVar goes on a Discovery Voyage in the San Francisco Bay to learn more about the preservation of our water and ways we can preserve the oceans. On this floating laboratory, he looks at a variety of marine life, from the smallest the eye can see, to an amazing leopard shark. Viewers also get a first-hand look at the clean-up effort after a disastrous oil spill in Alaska.

      Activity Suggestion: Organize a schoolyard cleanup. Provide a bag and gloves for each child to assist in the cleanup. (Warn children to be very careful with broken glass.) Upon returning to the classroom, ask the children to deposit their trash in appropriate recycle and trash containers. Discuss where non-recycled trash goes and how long it can take for all types of trash to decompose. Attach items made out of various materials (e.g.. paper cup, writing paper, styrofoam container, glass bottle, etc.) to a board located near a classroom window and have the class monitor how they decompose.

      For activity ideas beyond what is listed, contact your local public television station for information about obtaining a teacher's guide. If not available from your local public television station, guides and other READING RAINBOW resources can be purchased from Great Plains National, the distributor for the series, at 800-228-4360.

      
      THREE BY THE SEA

      Author: Edward Marshall

      Illustrator: James Marshall

      Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers (pb. Dial Easy-to-Read)

      Description: As LeVar strolls on the beach reading THREE BY THE SEA, he learns that stories can be created out of the sea, the sand, the air and your imagination.

      
      LOUIS THE FISH

      Author: Arthur Yorinks

      Illustrator: Richard Egielski

      Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux

      Narrated by: Vincent Gardenia

      Description: A whale of a tale about a man who turns into a fish leads LeVar on an exploration of exotic marine life, tide pools and dolphins.

      
      DIVE TO THE CORAL REEFS

      Authors: Elizabeth Tayntor, Paul Erickson and Les Kaufman

      Publisher: Crown Publishers, Inc.

      Description: DIVE TO THE CORAL REEFS explores the strange and beautiful world that lies beneath the surface of the sea: the living coral reef. Inspired by this remarkable book, LeVar scuba dives in the coral reefs off the Florida Keys where he encounters tropical fish and a variety of fascinating coral. Viewers will also meet a reef doctor who restores life to damaged reefs by transplanting living coral.

      Activity Suggestion: Have the class discuss how the definition of "ecosystem" (the complex of acommunity and its environment functioning as an ecological unit in nature) fits the undersea world of a coral reef. How do the plants and animals live together successfully in the coral reef? What role do humans play in the ecosystem? Are the creatures of the coral reef in any danger from mankind? Discuss other ecosystems in nature (e.g. a pond, a stream, a wooded lot, a saguaro cactus, etc.).

      For activity ideas beyond what is listed, contact your local public television station for information about obtaining a teacher's guide. If not available from your local public television station, guides and other READING RAINBOW resources can be purchased from Great Plains National, the distributor for the series, at 800-228-4360. , by

      Books for Teachers

      , by

      Internet Connections

      http://www.ci.pacifica.ca.us/NATURAL/SALTY/salty.html

      WHY IS THE OCEAN SALTY?...
      By Herbert Swenson
      US Geological Survey Publication
      SUMMARY...
      The ocean is salty because of the gradual concentration of dissolved chemicals eroded from the Earth's crust and washed into the sea. Solid and gaseous ejections from volcanoes, suspended particles swept to the ocean from the land by onshore winds, and materials dissolved from sediments deposited on the ocean floor have also contributed. Salinity is increased by evaporation or by freezing of sea ice and it is decreased as a result of rainfall, runoff, or the melting of ice. The average salinity of sea water is 35 o/oo, but concentrations as high as 40 o/oo are observed in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. Salinities are much less than average in coastal waters, in the polar seas, and near the mouths of large rivers.

      http://www.windows.umich.edu/earth/Water/water_cycle.html

      The Earth's water is always in circulation. It has been recycled for the last 3 billion years. This process is called the water cycle.

      The cycle starts when the sun's heat evaporates water from the oceans into the atmosphere to form clouds. When the conditions are just right, the clouds release water as rain or snow. Most of the rain falls in the oceans, but the rest falls onto land. Rivers and streams collect water from the ground and return it to the ocean so the whole cycle can start all over again. The water cycle never ends because the salty ocean water constantly supplies fresh water to the continents.

      http://www.vpm.com/cordova/#OCEANS

      Welcome to Cordova Lane Elementary School! Our school is located in Rancho Cordova, California near Sacramento. Cordova Lane is proud to be part of Folsom Cordova Unified School District. We are a Project Oceans School and offer a wide range of marine studies activities. The information in this World Wide Web system will help you or your students gain a better insight into the wonderful, fun world of coastal marine life.

      http://www.conveyor.com/oceansday.html

      Oceans day celebrates our oceans, the source of life on our blue planet. First declared on June 8, 1992, during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Oceans Day inspires and challenges us to become caretakers of our oceans.

      http://www.wh.whoi.edu/homepage/faq.html

      Q: Is life found at all depths in the ocean?
      Q: How many fish species are there?
      Q: Which is the oldest fish, as a class?
      Q: What is the world's largest fish? The smallest?
      

      http://www.whoi.edu/info/ocean-blue.html
      or
      http://www.whoi.edu/info/where-answers.html The ocean often looks blue because sunlight shines on tiny particles suspended in the water. Along the shores of some areas, however, the water looks green because the blue water is mixed with yellow pigments present in floating plants.

      http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov:80/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/ocean_planet_resource_room.html
      Resource Room A continually expanding list of resources to help you explore the Ocean Planet

      http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/ocean_planet_resource_room.html#9
      Educational Resources Available on the Internet

      http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/index.html
      The U.S. National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) holds the world's largest collection of publicly available oceanographic data. The main NODC facility is located at the NOAA building complex in Silver Spring, Md. NODC Liaison Offices are collocated with major oceanographic research laboratories in Woods Hole, Mass.; Miami, Fla.; La Jolla, Calif.; Seattle, Wash.; and Honolulu, Hi. The NODC also operates the World Data Center A, Oceanography .

      http://www.coaps.fsu.edu/lib/elninolinks/ (El Nino links)
      El Nino refers to a massive warming off the coastal waters of Peru and Ecuador and the Southern Oscillation to the related atmospheric component of this phenomenon, often abbreviated as ENSO. The ocean warming covers a band from 10 degrees N to 10 degrees S and extends more than 90 degrees of longitude. Typically, the warming starts late in the boreal spring or summer and builds to a peak at the end of the year, with the event usually over by the following summer. It is a quasi-periodic phenomenon with global consequences in the form of flooding, droughts, and other phenomena. (TAMU)

      ---

      
      

      Using Oceans and Water to Meet State Goals and Standards (Activity Ideas)

      Science

      1. Rainmaker - hands on activity presented in lesson (see above)

      2. Water cycle activity - Have students draw and label the water cycle and its various components.

      State Science Goal 12: Understand the facts and unifying concepts of the life, physical, and earth/space sciences.

      3. Terrarium - Have students create a terrarium (covered bottle with plants inside - self-contained systems).
      State Science Goal 12: Understand the facts and unifying concepts of the life, physical, and earth/space sciences.

      4. Properties of salt vs. fresh water - Have students compare and contrast buoyancy, microscopic, and physical properties of fresh and salt water samples. Have students record observation in journal.
      State Science Goal 11: Understand and apply the methods of scientific inquiry and technical design to investigate questions, solve problems, and analyze claims.
      State English/Language Art Goal 3: Write to communicate for a variety of purposes.

      5. Report on Oceanographers (i.e. Jacques Cousteau) - Have students conduct research (encyclopedia, World Wide Web, and other media) on an oceanographer, marine biologist, or other scientist involved in ocean research. Have students compose a short bibliography of their chosen person.
      State Science Goal 13: Understand connections and relationships among science, technology, and society.
      State English Language Arts Goal 3: Write to communicate for a variety of purposes.
      State Social Science Goal 16: Understand and analyze events, trends, individuals, and movements shaping the history of Illinois, United States, and other nations.

      Math

      1. How much water on the earth? - Have students estimate the amount of water contained in a specific ocean, determine an appropriate unit of measure, predict results, and conduct research to determine accuracy of predictions.
      State Mathematics Goal 7: Make, use, and estimate measurements of objects, amounts and relationships, and determine tolerable levels of error.

      2. Measurement - Have students measure distances from various continents across an ocean.
      State Mathematics Goal 7: Make, use, and estimate measurements of objects, amounts and relationships, and determine tolerable levels of error.

      3. Buoyancy - Have students predict and test if the shape of various objects effect its buoyancy.
      State Mathematics Goal 9: Analyze, categorize, and draw conclusions about objects and spatial relationships using geometric methods and drawings, sketches, graphs, models, symbols, calculators, and computers.

      Social Studies

      1. Longitude/Latitude - Have students use latitude/longitude to locate 5 specific points in the world's oceans (i.e. islands, etc.). Have students record information on a chart or graph in journal.
      State Social Science Goal 17: Demonstrate a knowledge of world geography as well as an understanding of effects of geography on society with an emphasis on the United States.
      State English Language Arts Goal 3: Write to communicate for a variety of purposes.
      State Mathematics Goal 10: Collect, organize, and analyze data using statistical methods and tables, charts, graphs, and calculators and computers to represent processes, to predict results, and to interpret uncertainty and chance in practical applications.

      2. Culture/Trade - Have students research a specific ocean trade route analyzing the effects on world commerce. Have students explain how ocean currents and weather patterns effect these trade routes. Have students explain how ocean travel between countries effects regional and global cultures. Record observation in a short report.
      State Social Science Goal 15: Understand, analyze, and compare economic systems with an emphasis on the United States.
      State English Language Arts Goal 3: Write to communicate for a variety of purposes.
      State Science Goal 12: Understand the facts and unifying concepts of the life, physical, and earth/space sciences.
      State Social Science Goal 16: Understand and analyze events, trends, individuals, and movements shaping the history of Illinois, United States, and other nations.
      State Social Science Goal 17: Demonstrate a knowledge of world geography as well as an understanding of effects of geography on society with an emphasis on the United States.
      State Social Science Goal 18: Understand, analyze, and compare social systems with an emphasis on the United States.
      

      Language Arts

      1. Creature features - Have students research an ocean plant or animal and write a story introducing the creature, its habitat needs, etc. Have students act out their creature in a short dramatization on their own and in a group skit to demonstrate the interrelationships of various creatures.
      State English Language Arts Goal 3: Write to communicate for a variety of purposes.
      State Physical Development and Health Goal 19: Understand concepts and acquire competent movement skills to engage and help enhancing physical activity.
      State Physical Development and Health Goal 21: Develop team building skills by working with others through physical activity.
      State Science Goal 12: Understand the facts and unifying concepts of the life, physical, and earth/space sciences.

      2. Ocean presentation - Have students research an ocean topic and conduct a short oral presentation. Have students e-mail specialists to answer questions on topics.
      State English Language Arts Goal 4: Listen and speak effectively in a variety of situations.
      State English Language Arts Goal 54: Use reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills to research and apply information for specific purposes.
      State Science Goal 13: Understand connections and relationships among science, technology and society.
      

      3. Folk Tales - Have students read a selected folk tale about the ocean and write an original folk tale (tall) using the seas, oceans, or other related topics.
      State Fine Arts Goal 27: Understand the role of the arts in civilizations past and present.
      State English Language Arts Goal 3: Write to communicate for a variety of purposes.

      Fine Arts

      1. Ocean Music Visualization - Play a tape of ocean sounds and have students draw what they hear.
      State Fine Arts Goal 25: Understand the sensory elements, organizational principles, and ideas expressed in or among the arts.

      2. Folk dances - Listen, learn, and perform folk dances and songs from various island cultures (i.e. Hawaii, Polynesia, etc.)
      State Fine Arts Goal 27: Understand the role of the arts in civilizations past and present.

      3. Diorama/Mural - Have students create a diorama of an ocean habitat.
      Fine Arts goal 25: Understand the sensory elements, organizational principles, and ideas expressed in or among the arts.