Grade 7 - Ocean in Motion
SUMMARY
An 8-9 Week Unit for Middle School Level
This unit is designed for seventh grade, but can be adapted to other middle school grades. The unit is introduced with a true story of rubber bath toys that were lost overboard in the Pacific Ocean and found on beaches around the world. Students investigate physical patterns in the oceans as they progress through a series of investigations to learn about weather and ocean circulation patterns, waves and tides, temperature and salinity in relation to currents, and the effects of ocean floor topography on currents. They then choose a culminating activity to examine the effects of ocean movement in real-life or theoretical situations.
Essential Questions
- What are the patterns of physical changes in aquatic environments?
- How do they affect us?
- What are the major weather and ocean circulation systems in Alaska?
Enduring Understandings
- Physical changes in the aquatic environment occur on a daily, seasonal, and long-term basis.
- Weather systems and ocean systems have major influences on one another and the dynamics of matter and energy.
- Science and technology can be used to detect and solve problems.
Ocean Literacy Principle Addressed
- The earth has one big ocean with many features.
- The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate.
LESSON PLANS
Where Did the Rubber Bath Toys Go?
Students read a true story about bath toys lost at sea. Using a world map, they track where and when the toys washed ashore, then write a hypothesis explaining how the toys traveled to those global locations.
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Weather and Circulation Systems
Students explore how Alaska’s ocean currents reflect major weather patterns. They observe wave motions in a tub, map potential currents, and analyze meteorological data to evaluate how well wind patterns align with their predictions.
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Waves in the Water
In this 7-10 day investigation, students explore waves and tides through discussion, demonstrations, and hands-on activities, creating marigrams and comparing tide patterns to assess the movement of bath toys to their final locations.
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Tides
Students explore tides through discussion, a NOAA tutorial, and group activities to understand their causes, predictability, and connection to waves and currents.
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Location: Classroom
Activity Type: Multimedia, Project
Tide Patterns
Students explore tides through discussion, a NOAA tutorial, and group activities to understand their causes, predictability, and connection to waves and currents.
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Density
Students conduct hands-on experiments to understand thermohaline circulation, learning how temperature and salinity affect density. They design their own experiments to simulate ocean mixing, building on introductory activities that define density.
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Location: Classroom
Activity Type: Hands-On, Multimedia
Hot and Salty, Cool and Fresh
Students conduct hands-on experiments to understand thermohaline circulation, learning how temperature and salinity affect density. They design their own experiments to simulate ocean mixing, building on introductory activities that define density.
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Currents from a Cup
Students investigate how polar and tropical climates influence ocean currents by conducting an experiment with hot and cold water to observe density-driven movement.
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Seafloor Topography
In this 3-4 day investigation, students explore how seafloor topography steers ocean flows and blocks deep water mixing. They create a seafloor model, test colored saline water, and reinforce learning through discussion, writing, and an animated video.
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Location: Classroom
Activity Type: Hands-On, Multimedia, Project
Debris Detectives Field Trip
Students take a field trip to investigate some of the phenomena that they have been studying. They inventory debris along a shoreline or riverbank and study local water movement patterns to develop ideas about where the debris might have come from.
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Location: Classroom, Outside
Activity Type: Field Trip, Project
Global Conveyor Belt
Over 5-12 days, students synthesize their learning about ocean circulation, including the global thermohaline conveyor belt, through discussions, videos, and a culminating project. They analyze real or hypothetical ocean events, design an action project, and revisit their initial investigation to apply new concepts.
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Location: Classroom
Activity Type: Multimedia, Project
AUTHORS
Cally Leader, Anchorage School District
Steve Bay, Anchorage School District
Scott McKim, Anchorage School District
Roger Price, Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
Stephanie Hoag, Curriculum Consultant, Juneau
Marla Brownlee, Alaska Sea Grant
Marilyn Sigman, Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies