Classroom lessons and learning tools relevant to the expedition are listed below by grade level. Although some of these resources may have been developed for past expeditions conducted in other regions of the world ocean, the Focus Questions and Student Learning Objectives are applicable to the current expedition.
Grade Level: 5-12
Focus: How students can become active ocean explorers while viewing live video feeds during Okeanos Explorer expeditions (Physical Science/Earth Science)
Students learn how to access the Ocean Explorer website, access a live video feed of an Okeanos Explorer expedition and explore along with the ocean science community live during Okeanos Explorer expeditions.
Grade Level: 6-8
(From the Hohonu Moana: Exploring Deep Waters Off Hawaii Expedition 2015)
Focus: Formation of the Hawaiian Archipelago (Physical Science/Life Science)
Students describe eight stages in the formation of islands in the Hawaiian Archipelago and how a combination of hotspot activity and tectonic plate movement could produce the arrangement of seamounts observed in the Hawaiian Archipelago. Students also construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how a combination of hotspot activity and tectonic plate movement could produce the distributions of cobalt-rich ferromanganese resources found in the Hawaiian Archipelago.
Grade Level: 5-6
(From the 2006 Exploring Ancient Coral Gardens Expedition)
Focus: Structural complexity in coral reef communities (Life Science/Mathematics)
Students describe the importance of structural features that increase surface area in coral reef habitats; quantify the relative impact of various structural modifications on surface area in model habitats; and give examples of organisms that increase the structural complexity of their communities.
Grade Level: 9-12
(From the Hohonu Moana: Exploring Deep Waters off Hawaii Expedition 2015)
Focus: Ecosystems associated with cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts (Earth Science)
Students define cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts, explain how they are formed, discuss their associated ecosystems, and discuss the positive and negative impacts of mining these mineral resources from the deep ocean. Students evaluate competing design solutions for protecting ecosystems associated with cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts from potential human impacts.
Grade Level: 9-12
(From: Deep Coral Communities Curriculum, NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries)
Focus: Species found in deep-sea coral communities, the threats that face them, and what individuals and communities can do help protect them
Students will be able to describe the physical and biological components of the deep sea in the five national marine sanctuaries on the West Coast; experience the challenges associated with identifying species and recording data taken with ROVs; explain how scientists analyze data by using species diversity and abundance from recorded video; explain the importance of characterizing habitat and be able to describe the various habitat types found in deep-sea coral communities; understand the human caused threats that face deep-sea coral communities; and explain actions that individuals and communities can take to protect these special places.
This lesson collection was developed to encourage educators and students to become personally involved with the voyages and discoveries of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer – America’s first Federal ship dedicated to ocean exploration. The Education Materials Collection is presented in two volumes:
Several of these lessons are also provided in Spanish and are also available.
