World Ocean Curriculum - Ocean Science

Ocean Science
Ocean School
April 25, 2023

Ocean School is a free environmental education resource for students in grades 5-12. Inspiring and immersive multimedia resources featuring linear and 360˚ videos, VR/AR, interactive media and hands-on projects and activities are offered in English and French. Cross-curricular content spans science, social studies, language arts and more.

Nautilus Live Ocean Exploration Trust Educator Resources
January 17, 2023

STEAM education resources are designed for learners in schools, at home, or in their community and include national-standard aligned activities, facilitation guides, engineering design challenges, and creative projects. Designed by educators, these resources are free for explorers at every age and stage. Searchable by grade level and theme.

Toxic and Harmful Algal Blooms Activities Page
January 5, 2023

These activities will help your students gain a better understanding of toxic and harmful algal blooms. Each module consists of background content material and related standards-based activities.

Topex/Poseidon Satellite
January 5, 2023

Teachers and students can learn how TOPEX/POSEIDON maps ocean surface topography and how oceanographers use ocean topography to monitor ocean currents and compute the ocean's heat budget. Many of the resources at this web site can be incorporated into secondary science curricula. The Educational Resources section contains an online tutorial which presents ideas on how to incorporate the TOPEX/Poseidon data into the classroom. This tutorial can be used effectively as a stand alone tutorial for secondary students in a networked computer lab. Many sections of the tutorial contain images which can be used by teachers as presentation materials to explain oceanographic science processes and concepts.

Telemetry to the Rescue
January 5, 2023

Sealtag.org has a wealth of information for educators and students on remote monitoring (telemetry) and marine mammals as well as a hands-on STEM curriculum for 6th-12th grades aligned to Ocean Literacy Principles and Science Content Standards.

Secrets of the Ocean Realm
January 5, 2023

From PBS Online, contains information, teaching activities, quizzes, photography and more. Activities designed for grades 5-7 (with extensions for lower and higher grades).

OceanWorld – Bringing the Ocean to the Classroom
January 5, 2023

Supported by NASA through the TOPEX/Poseidon Education Project, this site has educational information and classroom activities on oceans & climate, El Niño, ice ages, fisheries, waves, icebergs and currents.

The Ocean Drilling Program
January 5, 2023

The Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) consists of research into the history of the ocean basins and the nature of the crust beneath the ocean floor. This web site can be used in an upper level secondary education science classroom to learn about oceanographic science processes. Students can learn about laboratory equipment and the types of research which are conducted on board the research vessels. Science teachers can also use the resources at this web site for mapping activities with their students.

The Ocean Adventure
January 5, 2023

Offers school assembly programs complete with a set of thematic, multi-disciplinary curriculum materials. Choose from the following program topics: animal adaptations, manatees, sharks, whales, kelp forests, coral reefs, volcanoes, or ocean careers & technology, Grades K-8.

Ocean Literacy Framework
January 5, 2023

The Ocean Literacy Framework is comprised of two consensus documents: Ocean Literacy: The Essential Principles of Ocean Sciences K-12 (also known as the Ocean Literacy Principles); and Ocean Literacy Scope and Sequence for Grades K-12 (also known as the Scope & Sequence).

Ocean Explorer
January 5, 2023

NOAA's Ocean Explorer site offers over 140 lesson plans, numerous professional development opportunities for educators, and an explanation of ocean careers. It contains video clips and images from 5 years of NOAA oceanic research expeditions. It is not only breathtaking to investigate, but this site has a wealth of information and incredible resources to teach from, enjoy and share.

Ocean Bites (a K-12 Resource)
January 5, 2023

Started by graduate students at the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography, the goal of OceanBites is to make cutting edge research accessible to all. Contributors meet this goal by explaining recent oceanographic research in a way that non-experts can understand. OceanBites also highlights classic, seminal research papers, and features op-eds about current research and what it's like to be a grad student in oceanography.

National Ocean Service Education Discovery Center
January 5, 2023

Building ocean, coastal, and climate literacy for students and educators, this site is full of lessons, stories, and activities sure to keep your students' attention.

National Ocean Service (NOS)
January 5, 2023

NOAA's National Ocean Service is an innovative resource designed to introduce high school students to the breadth of scientific research, technology, and activities conducted by NOAA in the areas of oceans, coasts, charting and navigation. Within the NOS Discovery Center, students and teachers will find Discovery Kits, Discovery Stories, and the Discovery Classroom, theme-based units of study with downloadable lesson plans that connect to real-time data being collected in the field. NOS is a great example of how to incorporate data into lessons and use real science in a technology-adapted classroom.

NOAA Ocean Explorer Education
January 5, 2023

Providing a variety of learning and teaching tools designed to engage broad audiences and enhance America’s environmental literacy through the excitement of ocean discovery. Follow ocean explorations in near real-time, access related lesson plans for grades 5-12, learn about ocean exploration technologies, observe remote marine flora and fauna in the multimedia gallery, and discover additional NOAA resources in their virtual library.

National Geographic Ocean Education
January 5, 2023

Bring engaging and important ocean learning to the classroom. These resources will help students learn about ocean life, human interactions with the ocean, the ocean’s physical geography: the information necessary to formulate their own opinions on ocean-related environmental issues.

Marine Environmental Education: The Eastern African Region A Schoolteacher’s Guide
January 5, 2023

This publication was prepared by the Institute of Marine Sciences of the University of Dar es Salaam, as part of the ongoing broader concept within the framework of UNEP's Regional Seas Programme and the Eastern African Action Plan aimed at enhancing the quality of the marine and coastal environment in partnership with coastal communities and their governments in the eastern African region. This beautifully illustrated comprehensive guide with suggested activities is relevant to classrooms around the world!

MARE | Marine Activities, Resources & Education
January 5, 2023

In-depth, kit-based curriculum units delivering science content correlated to the NGSS.  The curriculum provides opportunities for students to engage in investigations and make evidence-based explanations. They are designed in accordance with the latest research on learning. Classroom-tested by teachers across the United States in a wide variety of settings. For science education K–12.

JASON Project
January 5, 2023

An educational project begun by Dr. Robert D. Ballard (discoverer of the wreck of the RMS Titanic) dedicated to enabling teachers and students all over the world to take part in global explorations using advanced interactive telecommunications.

Gulf of Maine Research Institute
January 4, 2023

A collection of information and classroom activities covering: oceans, human impact, weather, satellite imagery, remote sensing, Antarctica, global climate change, lobsters, turtles, freshwater issues, and more.

The Global Education Project
January 4, 2023

Educational wall charts, graphics and maps available for environmental and earth science educators. Topics include impacts of climate change, animals affected by climate and at risk of extinction, global ecology, fresh water, pollution, and more.

EPA's Environmental Education Center
January 4, 2023

Find curricula and activities on water (including oceans, rivers and watersheds), air, ecosystems, recycling, conservation, and human health. In addition, you will also find links to education grants, awards, scholarships, workshops and community service projects.

Education and Research: Testing Hypotheses (EARTH)
January 4, 2023

EARTH is a public education outreach site that provides lesson plans for teachers using near real time data from the ocean observatory. Unit lesson plan topics include ocean observatories, pelagic predators, classification, iron fertilization and coastal processes. Lesson plans are matrixed via skills or standards and contain wonderful background information including links to current oceanic news stories and research.

Dive and Discover: Ships at Sea
January 4, 2023

Students are at the frontline of scientific inquiry as they join geologists, chemists and biologists exploring the seafloor and making amazing new deep sea discoveries. Daily updates, live video feeds, archive video footage, and email correspondence with scientists from these research vessels allow students to follow the progress of the scientific missions and find out about life on the floating laboratories at sea.