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: 5-6
Focus: Growth and Structure of Lophelia Coral Colonies (Life Sciences)
Students plan and carry out an investigation using models to explain how the branching structure of Lophelia coral colonies may affect the corals’ ability to take in food; communicate results of this investigation and cite evidence to support inferences about the relationship between the structure of Lophelia coral colonies and the feeding function of individual coral polyps. Students analyze and interpret data from photographic images and use concepts of proportion and scale to estimate the growth rate of Lophelia coral colonies.
Grade Level: 6-8
Focus: Biological organisms in cold-seep communities (Life Science/Chemistry)
Students obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about flows and cycles of energy in cold-seep ecosystems; develop a model that describes some of the interdependent relationships in cold-seep ecosystems; and develop and use a model to explain states and changes between states of methane hydrates.
A selection of lessons from eleven OER-sponsored expeditions to explore deep-sea organisms and ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico, plus lessons and additional background on the 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout event.
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.
