Deep East Lesson Plans
Below are descriptions of fourteen lesson plans have been developed for students in Grades 5 – 12 and are specifically tied to the Deep East 2001 Voyage of Discovery. The lesson plans are grouped into the following categories:
Grades 5-6
Grades 7-8
Grades 9-12 (chemical, biological, earth, and physical Science).
All of the lesson plans are available in pdf format, and may be viewed and printed with the free Adobe Acrobat reader.
Contact Paula Keener-Chavis, Deep East 2001 Education Coordinator at Paula.Keener-Chavis@noaa.gov if you have questions about the lesson plans or if you need additional information about their development.
Grades 5-6
Journey into the Unknown (10 pages, 228 Kb)
Focus: Ocean Exploration
In this activity, students will experience the excitement of discovery and problem-solving to learn about organisms that live in extreme environments in the deep ocean; students will come to understand the importance of ocean exploration.
Coral Mania (4 pages, 164 Kb)
Focus: George’s Bank
In this activity, students will learn about the corals that live in the deep-sea environment and why they are able to colonize this inhospitable habitat.
What's New (5 pages, 294 Kb)
Focus: Hudson Canyon
In this activity, students will learn about biodiversity in Hudson Canyon and about similarities and differences between related organisms.
What on Earth is That and How Can I Get One? (5 pages, 176 Kb)
Focus: Blake’s Ridge
In this activity, students will understand various sampling technologies used by submersibles in ocean exploration.
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Grades 7-8
Come on Down! (6 pages, 176 Kb)
Focus: Ocean Exploration
In this activity, students will research the development and use of research vessels/vehicles used for deep ocean exploration; students will calculate the density of objects by determining the mass and volume and students will construct a device that exhibits neutral buoyancy.
Deep Sea Coral Biodiversity (3 pages, 152 Kb)
Focus: George’s Bank
In this activity, students will research life found on tropical coral reefs to develop an understanding of the biodiversity of the ecosystem; students will research life found in deep-sea coral beds to develop an understanding of the biodiversity of the ecosystem; and students will compare the diversity and adaptations of tropical corals to deep-sea corals.
Down in the Dumps (4 pages, 225 Kb)
Focus: Hudson Canyon
In this activity, students will determine the impacts (fate and effects) of past dumping activities at the DWD106-Mile Dump Site in the Hudson River Canyon.
Design a Deep Sea Vertebrate or Invertebrate (4 pages, 148 Kb)
Focus: Blake’s Ridge
In this activity, students will "design" an invertebrate or vertebrate capable of living in a methane hydrate ecosystem.
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Grades 9-12
Designing Tools for Ocean Exploration (14 pages, 80 Kb)
Focus: Ocean Exploration
In this activity, students will understand the complexity of ocean exploration; students will learn about the technological applications and capabilities required for ocean exploration; students will discover the importance of teamwork in scientific research projects; and students will develop the abilities necessary for scientific inquiry.
Mapping the Canyon (pages 1-4 of 10 page document, 72 Kb)
Focus: Hudson Canyon Bathymetry (Earth Science)
In this activity, students will be able to compare and contrast a topographic map to a bathymetric map; students will investigate the various ways in which bathymetric maps are made; students will learn how to interpret a bathymetric map.
Let’s Bet on Sediments (pages 5-10 of 10 page document, 72 Kb)
Focus: Hudson Canyon Sediments (Earth Science)
In this activity, students will investigate and analyze the patterns of sedimentation in the Hudson Canyon; students will observe how heavier particles sink faster than finer particles; students will learn that submarine landslides (trench slope failures) are sediment "avalanches" that occur in deep-ocean canyons; and students will infer that the passive side of a continental margin is not as geologically static as scientists previously believed.
It’s a Gas! (14 pages, 100 Kb)
Focus: Gas Hydrates on the Blake Ridge (Chemistry)
In this activity, students will discover the importance of carbon, where carbon is stored on Earth, and that the largest reservoir of carbon is gas hydrates; students will comprehend that Earth’s climate changes, and how the greenhouse effect works; students will learn about the potential of hydrates as a major new energy resource; students will understand the use of acoustics for mapping the sea floor and sub-sea floor; and students will explore the conditions under which hydrates form.
Finding the Way (10 pages, 628 Kb)
Focus: Underwater Navigation (Physical Science)
In this activity, students will describe how the compass, Global Positioning System (GPS), and sonar are used in underwater explorations; and students will understand how navigational tools can be used to determine positions and navigate in the underwater environment.
Living in Extreme Environments (13 pages 140 Kb)
Focus: Biological Sampling Methods (Biological Science)
In this activity, students will be introduced to four methods commonly used by scientists to sample populations; students will learn how to gather, record, and analyze data from a scientific investigation; students will consider what organisms need in order to survive; and students will understand the concept of the interdependence of organisms.
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