Welcome to the Alaska Waters Education Resources High-quality, place-based lessons and activities that engage and inspire Alaskan youth and support informal and formal educators. Search the Lesson Plan Database Text Search Use the Filters to Search Topic AllBirdsChanging WorldFishHuman RelatedInvertebratesMammalsOceans/CoastPlantsScientific ProcessWatersheds/RiversWeather Location AllClassroomLarge SpaceOutside Activity AllDataField TripGameHands-OnMultimediaProjectWorksheet Grade AllElementary 3-5 -Grade 3 -Grade 4 -Grade 5Elementary K-2 -Grade 1 -Grade 2 -KindergartenMiddle School -Grade 6 -Grade 7 -Grade 8 Tech AllNo Internet RequiredStudent Computer A Salmon’s Life Journey Students explore the salmon life cycle and watershed connections, using cards to generate questions. They research, gather evidence, and share findings through cooperative work and poster presentations. View Lesson Plan Grade 3 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Game, Hands-On, Project ABC Sea/River Book Students create an ABC Sea/River Book by illustrating and describing local aquatic plants or animals, emphasizing letter sounds and detailed observations, then share their work to enhance understanding and communication skills. View Lesson Plan Grade 1 Location: Classroom, Large Space, Outside Activity Type: Game, Hands-On Alaska Waters Celebration After learning and practicing ways to present information, they will display and present their work to others with the whole school and/or community and prepare for an Alaska Seas and Watersheds Celebration. View Lesson Plan Grade 1 Location: Classroom, Large Space Activity Type: Hands-On Alaska Waters Discovery Centers Children explore discovery centers with tools, games, and hands-on activities like sand and water tables. They learn about aquatic animals and environments, sharing observations and practicing scientific thinking through open-ended play. View Lesson Plan Grade 1 Location: Classroom, Large Space, Outside Activity Type: Hands-On Animal Habitats Students identify specific traits of a habitat. They think about why particular animals live in various habitats and how they are well-suited for their habitat. View Lesson Plan Grade 2 Location: Classroom, Outside Activity Type: Hands-On, Project Aquatic Habitats Students identify specific traits of a habitat. They start with a familiar local habitat and then focus on aquatic habitats. View Lesson Plan Grade 2 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Hands-On, Project Aquatic Puzzles Children assemble puzzles to learn about aquatic animals and their life cycles, exploring how living and nonliving things appear in water and how they change as they grow. View Lesson Plan Kindergarten Location: Large Space, Outside Activity Type: Hands-On Arctic Sea Ice Data This 5-6 day investigation challenges students to think about how sea ice is changing and the effects of a warming climate on sea level in Alaska. View Lesson Plan Grade 8 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Hands-On Around Our School Children take a walk around or near the schoolyard and begin to observe, wonder, and ask questions about aquatic life. View Lesson Plan Grade 1 Location: Classroom, Outside Activity Type: Field Trip, Hands-On Bathymetric Mapping This activity introduces students to bathymetric and topographic maps, teaching them about contour lines, colors, and geological features. Bathymetric mapping is crucial for exploring and understanding the ocean floor in Ocean Explorer expeditions. View Lesson Plan Grade 6 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Hands-On, Project Bering Sea Expedition WebQuest In this 6-8 day investigation, students use a WebQuest activity to research the effects of melting sea ice in the Bering Sea Ecosystem. The students create research proposals to earn a place on the scientific research vessel Healy, and present their findings and proposals to a “Research Board committee”. View Lesson Plan Grade 8 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Multimedia, Project Biologist and Subsistence Backpacks Children explore biologists’ and subsistence users’ roles using themed backpacks with tools like magnifying glasses and maps. Through play, activities, and discussions, they compare scientific and traditional knowledge of aquatic plants and animals. View Lesson Plan Grade 1 Location: Classroom, Large Space, Outside Activity Type: Hands-On Brine Shrimp, Amazing Survivors! Students set up experiments to test their predictions about what brine shrimp eggs need to hatch and to grow. They make daily observations, ask questions, and record and share information. View Lesson Plan Grade 2 Location: Classroom, Outside Activity Type: Hands-On, Project Canyons in the Sea In this 5-7 day investigation, students explore sea exploration vehicles, study deep-sea canyons in the Bering Sea, and create a mural of one canyon, simulating life sampling to understand its ecosystem. View Lesson Plan Grade 6 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Multimedia, Project Changing Landscape Changing Landscape asks students to analyze “repeat photographs” (taken from the same vantage point at different times) of Alaska glaciers to observe the effects of retreating glaciers on the landscape. View Lesson Plan Grade 8 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Hands-On, Multimedia Communication Students will present their “At Home In the Water” activities, contribute to a hall display, and take part in a classroom or school-wide celebration. They may also share their work with peers, families, community members, and other students in Alaska online. View Lesson Plan Grade 2 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Project Creature Features Class Book Students create a class “Creature Features” book by selecting local aquatic animals, writing descriptions using a guided framework, and drawing detailed illustrations. They share their work with peers and an external audience, encouraging discussion. View Lesson Plan Grade 1 Location: Classroom, Large Space, Outside Activity Type: Hands-On 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. View Lesson Plan Grade 7 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Hands-On, 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. View Lesson Plan Grade 7 Location: Classroom, Outside Activity Type: Field Trip, Project 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. View Lesson Plan Grade 7 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Hands-On, Multimedia Dirty Water Clean Water Students learn about water pollution and wastewater treatment through a visit from a local “expert,” and make posters or presentations to share and clarify their understanding. View Lesson Plan Grade 3 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Field Trip, Project Discovering Underwater Wonders During this 7-8 day investigation, students create a list of ocean topics that they may have heard of or are familiar with, and then choose a topic to explore. They create a presentation to share their new knowledge with others. View Lesson Plan Grade 6 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Project Drawing from Description Children will look closely at the parts of a small aquatic animal with a listening and drawing activity. View Lesson Plan Kindergarten Location: Classroom, Large Space, Outside Activity Type: Hands-On Explaining Impacts of Environmental Change In this culminating activity, students will share their knowledge of the impacts of environmental change with others by creating a digital story of the potential effects of a warming climate in their community, the Arctic, and/or the Bering Sea. View Lesson Plan Grade 8 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Multimedia, Project Exploring Our Local Waters In this 3-4 day investigation, students go outdoors to explore their local water body, using sampling techniques to discover the plants and animals. View Lesson Plan Grade 6 Location: Outside Activity Type: Field Trip, Hands-On, Project Field Session Students apply classroom knowledge and nature walk experiences to observe and measure local habitats. They explore, conduct “timed counts” of organisms, and focus individually on a small area for further study. View Lesson Plan Grade 2 Location: Outside Activity Type: Hands-On Field Trip Session Students conduct a detailed investigation of “one small square” at the field site. They share their findings and then make a detailed representation of their research “square” using drawings, notes, and labels. View Lesson Plan Grade 1 Location: Classroom, Large Space Activity Type: Field Trip, Hands-On Field Trip to a Local Habitat Children explore a local habitat, observing living and nonliving things in the water. They use science notebooks to record findings, drawing on prior knowledge and experiences for detailed observations before writing and drawing in their notebooks. View Lesson Plan Kindergarten Location: Classroom, Large Space, Outside Activity Type: Field Trip, Hands-On Fish Finders Students explore the needs of salmon at each stage of their life cycle, and then go into the field to investigate a local aquatic habitat and its potential as salmon habitat. NGSS-aligned Fish Finders investigation. View Lesson Plan Grade 3 Location: Outside Activity Type: Hands-On, Worksheet Fishing for the Future Students discuss changes in fishing methods, then play a game to explore sustainable fishing. They simulate fishing with evolving technology across ocean areas, learning the consequences of overfishing and migration to meet needs. View Lesson Plan Grade 5 Location: Classroom, Large Space, Outside Activity Type: Game, Hands-On Friends of the Sea Students discuss stewardship actions and develop an action plan that they will carry out as a class. They host a “Friends of the Sea” party to involve the school and community in their stewardship efforts and to share the results of their investigations. View Lesson Plan Grade 5 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Project Glacier Game Review the effects of retreating glaciers and increasing stream flows and erosion on river, coastal, and ocean ecosystems. View Lesson Plan Grade 8 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Game, Hands-On 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. View Lesson Plan Grade 7 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Multimedia, Project Globe Toss Students explore aquatic environments, noticing water in neighborhoods, oceans, rivers, and more. They begin their discovery with a globe game, learning about “Our Big Blue Planet.” View Lesson Plan Kindergarten Location: Classroom, Large Space Activity Type: Game, Hands-On High-Tide, Low-Tide Game Children learn more about their special species and others as they explore life cycles and tide-related behaviors. View Lesson Plan Grade 1 Location: Classroom, Large Space, Outside Activity Type: Game, Hands-On 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. View Lesson Plan Grade 7 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Hands-On, Project How Do Scientists Learn About Ecosystems? In this 3-4 day investigation, students explore the sea otter mystery, simulate scientific methods like observation and sampling, and reflect on data collection through discussions and posed questions. View Lesson Plan Grade 4 Location: Classroom, Outside Activity Type: Hands-On, Project How Does It Look and Feel? This investigation allows students an opportunity to share their thinking. First, they practice in the classroom and then share their thinking and work as part of a classroom and/or whole school celebration of the Alaska Seas and Watersheds Curriculum. View Lesson Plan Kindergarten Location: Classroom, Large Space, Outside Activity Type: Hands-On Human Impact Survey Students plan and carry out a survey of human impacts to a local aquatic environment. They analyze their findings and prepare to share them with the community. View Lesson Plan Grade 5 Location: Classroom, Outside Activity Type: Field Trip, Project Interconnections In this 4-5 day investigation, students explore hypotheses on sea otter decline, play a food web game, predict experiment outcomes, and evaluate evidence. They diagram the food web and predict ecosystem changes based on findings. View Lesson Plan Grade 4 Location: Large Space Activity Type: Game, Project Let’s Make a Map Students develop a map based on recent “water detective” explorations. View Lesson Plan Kindergarten Location: Classroom, Large Space, Outside Activity Type: Hands-On Let’s Meet the Invertebrates Students explore 3-5 invertebrate groups, focusing on unique features. They organize traits, examples, and habitats in a “Meet the Invertebrates” chart, drawing and labeling invertebrates for their charts and science notebooks. View Lesson Plan Grade 1 Location: Classroom, Large Space, Outside Activity Type: Hands-On Life Cycle Wheels Children begin by continuing to learn about the wide variety of aquatic plants and animals in their region. Each child then chooses a special plant or animal to research, depict, and share with the class. View Lesson Plan Grade 1 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Game, Hands-On Make Your Own Watershed Students explore the salmon life cycle and watershed connections, using cards to generate questions. They research, gather evidence, and share findings through cooperative work and poster presentations. View Lesson Plan Grade 3 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Hands-On, Project Making a Mural Children collaborate to create a mural of an aquatic environment, representing sea creatures and natural elements. They explore textures, colors, and shapes, using descriptive language to explain their artistic choices and share their learning. View Lesson Plan Kindergarten Location: Large Space, Outside Activity Type: Hands-On Mapping the Sea Floor This activity leads students through a process of creating a model of the ocean floor, taking depth “soundings,” entering data into an Excel spreadsheet, and then creating a 3-D map of their ocean floor in Excel. View Lesson Plan Grade 6 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Hands-On, Project Marine/Freshwater Animal or Plant Riddle Students create riddles based on marine or freshwater animals, using research to craft clues, and present their work in a display or celebration to engage others in guessing and learning about aquatic life. View Lesson Plan Grade 1 Location: Classroom, Large Space Activity Type: Game, Hands-On Melting Ice Students investigate how melting glacial ice affects sea levels by conducting an experiment comparing land and sea ice melt. They analyze predictions, record observations, and discuss the implications of rising sea levels, including regional variations and climate impacts. View Lesson Plan Grade 8 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Hands-On Melting Sea Ice and Sea Level Students investigate whether melting Arctic sea ice affects sea levels by observing an ice cube melting in a cup of water. They record predictions, analyze results, and discuss how ice displacement explains why sea ice melt does not raise sea levels, with extensions exploring water density differences. View Lesson Plan Grade 8 Location: Classroom Activity Type: Hands-On Ocean Impacts Students research a current ocean-related issue in small groups, using resources to create informative posters. They participate in a viewing session, asking questions about other posters and sharing their findings. View Lesson Plan Grade 5 Location: Classroom, Outside Activity Type: Project
