Ocean Currents Activity Source: Teachervison; Excerpt from Ready-to-Use Earth Astronomical Science Activities for Grades 5-12 Objectives Students will map the patterns of the major ocean currents. Students will learn about the influences of wind, water temperature, landmasses, and water density on currents. Materials Tin pie plates Water Oregano or chili powder (or any herb that floats) Paper or plastic straws Food coloring 150 ml beakers Hot plate (if hot tap water is not available) Table salt Map of the world Reference materials Procedure Point out that ocean currents are driven by the wind and influenced by the landmasses that obstruct the flow of water as well as the density and temperature of the water. [Read More]

Ocean Currents Change Our Earth Activity Source: NASA. Adapted with permission. Ocean currents — the continuous, directed movement of ocean water — affect regional climates and alter the biological and chemical characteristics of seawater. Currents can flow for long distances both at and below the ocean’s surface. Wind drives surface currents, whereas density often drives deep ocean currents. Density, a physical property of matter, is mass per volume. Density is not simply weight — it depends on the volume of the sample (the amount of space the sample occupies). [Read More]

Properties of Fresh Water and Sea Water

Activity Source:

Ocean Institute Curriculum Series

Properties of Fresh Water and Sea Water

Sea and Ice Salinity Activity Source: NASA Aquarius Mission and the National Snow and Ice Data Center, 2007. Activity adapted with permission from UCLA Marine Science Center’s OceanGLOBE. Background What is sea ice? It is simply frozen ocean water. Why is sea ice important? While it occurs mainly in polar regions, sea ice influences our global climate. Changing amounts of sea ice can affect ocean circulations, weather patterns, and temperatures around the world. [Read More]

Sea Level and the Terrapin Activity Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Adapted with permission. The diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is the only North American turtle fully adapted to life in brackish water (mix of saltwater and freshwater). Its home is in coastal salt marshes of estuaries along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Although they can live 40 years or more, most turtles do not make it to their first birthday, because they are prey for foxes, otters, raccoons, skunks, and birds. [Read More]

Splish Splash Activity Source: National Geographic Expeditions Overview Crucial to our existence, water sustains all life on Earth. Following the old adage, “What goes around comes around,” water moves continuously through the stages of the hydrologic cycle (evaporation, condensation, and precipitation). How does our drinking water fit into this hydrologic cycle? Where did the water we drink fall as precipitation? Did this water percolate down into the ground as part of a groundwater system, or did it remain on the surface as part of a surface water system? [Read More]

The Great Ocean Conveyor Activity Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Adapted with permission. In January 1992, a container ship headed to Tacoma,Washington, from Hong Kong, China, lost 12 containers during severe storm conditions. One container held a shipment of 29,000 bathtub toys. Ten months later, the first of these plastic toys began to wash up onto the coast of Alaska. Driven by the wind and ocean currents, these toys continued to wash ashore during the next several years, and some even drifted into the Atlantic Ocean. [Read More]

Water: A Never-ending Story Activity Source: Live From Earth And Mars Approximate time frame: 2 weeks. Background Water on earth is used over and over. The water cycle, the continuous movement of water from ocean to air and land then back to the ocean in a cyclic pattern, is a central concept in meteorology. In the water cycle, the sun heats the Earth’s surface water, causing that surface water to evaporate (gas). [Read More]

Your Own El Nino Activity Source: Adapted with permission by the National Weather Service from Discover Your World with NOAA: An Activity Book Background El Niño storms have taken thousands of lives and caused billions of dollars in damage in recent decades. Where do these storms come from? Every two to seven years, trade-winds in the Pacific Ocean slow down or reverse their direction — no one is sure why. [Read More]