Educators and scientists working with NOAA developed a series of lesson plans for students in Grades 5 - 12 that are specifically tied to the science behind the Exploring the Submerged New World 2009, 2011 and 2011 expeditions. These lesson plans focus on cutting-edge ocean exploration and research using state-of-the-art technologies.
In addition to being tied to the National Science Education Standards and the Ocean Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts, the hands-on, inquiry-based activities include focus questions, background information for teachers, links to interesting Internet sites, and extensions.
Grade Level: Grades 7-8, with adaptations for grades 5-6 and 9-12
Focus: Underwater Archaeology (Life Science/Archaeology
In this activitiy, students will be able to explain some techniques that archaeologists use to look for paleoamerican settlements on drowned shorelines, to infer and explain shoreline features that may be associated with paleoamerican settlements, and to describe how artifacts retrieved from sinkholes may be interpreted.
Grade Level: 5-6
Focus: Limestone Landforms and Aquifers (Physical Science/Earth Science)
In this activity, students will compare and contrast igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, and name examples of each. Students will define karst landforms, describe typical features of these landforms, explain processes that shape them, and discuss their relevance to aquifers.
Grade Level: 5-6
Focus: Pleistocene Mammals (Life Science)
In this activity, students will be able to describe at least three now-extinct Pleistocene mammals, and explain three theories for why extinction occurred.
Grade Level: 7-8
Focus: Underwater Archaeology of Sinkholes (Physical Science/Archaeology)
In this activity, students will be able to explain how sinkholes are formed, why they may be associated with paleoamerican settlements, and how artifacts retrieved from sinkholes may be interpreted.
Grade Level: 9-12
Focus: Lifeways of Paleoamericans (Archaeology/Anthropology)
In this activity, students will explain at least two ways that humans migrating from eastern Asia may have settled North and South America, and will make inferences about lifeways of paleoamericans based on an extant 10,000 year-old human culture in southern California.
Grade Level: 9-12
Focus: Marine Archaeology/Marine Navigation (Earth cience/Mathematics)
In this activity, students will design an archaeological survey strategy for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV); calculate expected position of the AUV based on speed and direction of travel; and calculate course correction required to compensate for the set and drift of currents.
Grade Level: 9-12
Focus: Physics and physiology of SCUBA diving (Physical Science/Life Science)
In this activity, students will be able to describe alternative theories for how the first humans came to the Americas and explain the evidence that supports or contradicts these theories, explain how exploration of a submerged portion of the North American west coast may provide additional insights about the origin of the first Americans, and describe the role of skepticism in scientific inquiry.
Grade Level: 9-12
Focus: Origin of the first humans in the Americas (Anthropology/Earth Science)
Students will describe hydrothermal vents, identify changes that they cause to the physical and chemical properties of seawater, and use oceanographic data to recognize a probable plume from hydrothermal activity.
Grade Level: 9-12
Focus: Watercraft in Paleoamerican Migrations
Students will compare and contrast food web energy sources in hydrothermal vent and aerobic environments, and will use models to explain the overall chemistry of autotrophic nutrition.
Grade Level: 5-6
Focus: Marine archaeology (Physical Science)
(from the Lophelia II 2008 Expedition)
In this activity, students use data about the location and types of artifacts recovered from a shipwreck site to draw inferences about the sunken ship and the people who were aboard.
Grade Level: 9-12
Focus: Robotic Analogues for Human Structures
(from the Lophelia II 2008 Expedition)
In this activity, students will describe the types of motion found in the human arm, and describe four common robotic arm designs that mimic some or all of these functions.
Grade Level: 5-6
Focus: Maritime History/Physical Science/Social Science
(from AUVfest 2008)
In this activity, students will be able to describe general characteristics and technologies used in 18th century naval ships; draw inferences about daily life aboard these ships; and explain at least three ways in which simple machines were used on these vessels.
Grade Level: 5-6
Focus: Marine archaeology of the Titanic (Physical Science)
(from the RMS Titanic Expedition 2004)
In this activity, students will be able to draw inferences about a shipwreck given information on the location and characteristics of artifacts from the wreck, and will list three processes that contribute to the Titanic's deterioration.
Grade Level: 5-6
Focus: Marine archaeology (physical science)
(from the 2003 Steamship Portland Expedition)
In this activity, students use a grid system to document the location of artifacts recovered from a model shipwreck site, use data about the location and types of artifacts recovered from a model shipwreck site to draw inferences about the sunken ship and the people who were aboard, and identify and explain types of evidence and expertise that can help verify the nature and historical context of artifacts recovered from shipwrecks.
Grade Level: 7-8
Focus: Marine Archaeology (Earth Science/Physical Science/Social Science)
(from AUVfest 2008)
In this activity, students will be able to draw inferences about a shipwreck given information on the location and characteristics of artifacts from the wreck; use a grid system to document the location of artifacts recovered from a model shipwreck site; and identify and explain types of evidence and expertise that can help verify the nature and historical content of artifacts recovered from shipwrecks.
Grade Level: 7-8
Focus: (Physical Science/Life Science) Underwater Robotic Vehicles for Scientific Exploration
(from the 2005 Lost City Expedition)
In this activity, students will be able to describe and contrast at least three types of underwater robots used for scientific explorations, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using underwater robots in scientific explorations, and identify robotic vehicles best suited to carry out certain tasks.
Grade Level: 7-8
Focus: Side scan sonar (Earth Science/Physical Science)
(from the Bonaire 2008: Exploring Coral Reef Sustainability with New Technologies Expedition)
In this activity, students will describe side-scan sonar, compare and contrast side-scan sonar with other methods used to search for underwater objects, and make inferences about the topography of an unknown and invisible landscape based on systematic discontinuous measurements of surface relief.
Grade Level: 9-12
Focus: Ancient and Prehistoric Shipwrecks
(from the 2006 Phaedra Expedition)
In this activity, students will be able to describe at least three types of artifacts that are typically recovered from ancient shipwrecks, explain the types of information that may be obtained from at least three types of artifacts that are typically recovered from ancient shipwrecks, and compare and contrast, in general terms, technological features of Neolithic, Bronze Age, Hellenistic, and Byzantine period ships.
Grade Level: 9-12
Focus: Bathymetric mapping of deep-sea habitats
(from the 2006 Phaedra Expedition)
In this activity, students will be able to create a two-dimensional topographic map given bathymetric survey data, create a three-dimensional model of landforms from a two-dimensional topographic map, and interpret two- and three-dimensional topographic maps
Grade Level: 9-12
Focus: Marine Archaeology/Marine Navigation (Earth Science/Mathematics)
(from AUVfest 2008)
In this activity, students will design an archaeological survey strategy for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV); calculate expected position of the AUV based on speed and direction of travel; and calculate course correction required to compensate for the set and drift of currents.
Grade Level: 9-12
Focus: Underwater Robotic Vehicles
(from the Bonaire 2008: Exploring Coral Reef Sustainability with New Technologies Expedition)
In this activity, students will be able to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using underwater robots in scientific explorations, identify key design requirements for a robotic vehicle that is capable of carrying out specific exploration tasks, describe practical approaches to meet identified design requirements, and (optionally) construct a robotic vehicle capable of carrying out an assigned task.
Grade Level: 9-12
Focus: Marine archaeology (Earth Science/Mathematics)
(from the 2003 Steamship Portland Expedition)
In this activity, students plot the position of a vessel given two bearings on appropriate landmarks, draw inferences about a shipwreck given information on the location and characteristics of artifacts from the wreck, and explain how the debris field associated with a shipwreck gives clues about the circumstances of the sinking ship.
