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Learning Ocean Science through Ocean Exploration

A Curriculum for Grades 6-12

From bioluminescent corals to giant tubeworms, from tropical underwater volcanoes to the Arctic Ocean floor, we know less about the landscape of our ocean than we do about the moon's. The Learning Ocean Science through Ocean Exploration curriculum package was written when the NOAA Ocean Exploration Office was first established in the early 2000s.

Designed to bring the excitement of ocean exploration and discoveries to the classroom, the Learning Ocean Science through Ocean Exploration lessons are presented in a comprehensive scope and sequence through subject area categories. The curriculum themes are arranged in an order that progresses from physical science through earth science to biological and environmental science, as ocean sciences include all of these areas. Curriculum themes are based on 1) the geologic formations that cut across expeditions (seamounts, ridges and banks, canyons and shelves, and mid-ocean spreading ridges), 2) using models to understand structures and functions, and 3) using scientific data in the classroom to model scientific work and thinking.

Focusing on an inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning, lessons were correlated to the National Science Education Standards.

Look for upcoming professional development opportunities in the use of Learning Ocean Science through Ocean Exploration.

Full Cover (pdf, 249 KB)

Color copy of the curriculum cover.

Introduction to the NOAA Ocean Exploration Program and Guide to the Use of the Curriculum (pdf, 1.5 MB)

Introduction and guide to the use of these materials (CD no longer available).

SECTION 1 - Ocean Explorers (472Kb, PDF)

A brief discussion of the history of ocean exploration and technological advances in modern times.

SECTION 2 - Mapping the Ocean Floor: Bathymetry (pdf, 528 KB)

An introduction to modern ocean mapping and the reasons it is critical to ocean exploration expeditions.

SECTION 3 - Currents (pdf, 318 KB)

Understanding currents around underwater geologic features is essential to the safe conduct of ocean exploration expeditions. Currents also affect sediment distribution and character as well as the distribution and abundance of organisms around a feature.

SECTION 4 - Ocean Geologic Features: Part A (pdf, 993 MB)

SECTION 4 - Ocean Geologic Features: Part B (pdf, 739 KB)

Ocean explorations focus on unique geologic ocean features. This section discusses their formation and function. Their location, characteristics and origins are included.

SECTION 5 - Ocean Zones (pdf, 434 MB)

While most ocean explorations focus on the deep-sea floor and its benthic ecosystems, there are also scientists on board many expeditions who are interested in the organisms that live in open water—both pelagic swimmers and plankton. This section examines the physical factors that distinguish vertical zones in the ocean.

SECTION 6 - Ocean Primary Production (pdf, 565 KB)

The creation of life-sustaining carbon compounds from inorganic components is the basis of life on Earth. The primary production of biological molecules is largely accomplished by photosynthesis, but chemosynthetic bacteria sustain several unique ocean ecosystems. These bacteria use energy from inorganic chemical metabolism to power the production of organic molecules as sources of energy and food.

SECTION 7 - Individual Species in the Deep Sea (pdf, 540 KB)

Only a few unique species are the focus of this section. They were chosen because they are novel and strange. Deep vent tubeworms were totally unknown before 1977. This section also considers the unique natural chemical properties of some species that may make them a source of useful human products in the future.

SECTION 8 - Community Ecology and Sampling (pdf, 1.08 MB)

Each ocean exploration expedition asks questions about the composition and structure of deep-sea communities. These communities change over time. Deciding how to sample them in the limited time available is a challenge for ocean scientists. The scientists are seeking to describe the distribution and abundance of deep-sea creatures around the geologic features studied.

SECTION 9 - Exploring Potential Human Impacts (pdf, 423 KB)

While ocean exploration is about looking forward, many expeditions included some aspect of potential or past human impacts on the ecosystems studied. Here are two.