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Ocean Literacy Principle #6

Ocean Literacy Principle #6:"The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected."

These activities teach concepts related to this Ocean Literacy Principle
A Hurricane’s Storm Surge Affects Our Estuaries
Students construct a coastal landmass from sand and add features such as tidal creeks and barrier islands. They then add varying amounts of water to see the effects of storm surge on coastal land masses.
Subject: Ocean Geology, Human Impact Grade: 5 - adult Duration: 20 - 60 min
Ocean Literacy Principle: #1, #3, #6, #7
Causes and Effects of Melting Ice
This activity introduces the concept of density-driven currents (thermohaline circulation) and how they are affected by climate change. Participants use colored ice cubes, water, and salt to explore density as it relates to salinity, leading to an understanding of the impact of glacial melt on sea level rise.
Subject: Ocean Physics Grade: 5 to adult Duration: 30 - 120 min
Ocean Literacy Principle: #1, #2, #6
Litter Matching Game
By matching descriptions to images, students identify marine debris items, leading to discussion about the effects of marine debris and how it can be reduced.
Subject: Ocean Biology, Ocean Chemistry, Human Impact Grade: 5 - adult Duration: 20 - 30 min
Ocean Literacy Principle: #1, #6, #7
Got Seaweed?
Learners explore seaweed samples. They use different criteria to sort the seaweeds, and then are guided to sort the seaweed based on color. Visitors also may observe what happens when powdered seaweed is mixed with water, and predict why we might add such seaweed products to food found in our cupboards. They then find out which foods do contain seaweed by checking the ingredients lists of some common foods.
Subject: Ocean Biology, Ocean Chemistry, Human Impact Grade: K - 12 Duration: 30 - 45 min
Ocean Literacy Principle: #5, #6
Melting Ice
This activity explores density, convection, stratification, and by inference the melting of ice bergs. Students are allowed an opportunity to make a hypothesis, test their hypothesis, and explain their observations.
Subject: Ocean Physics, Inquiry Grade: 6 - 12 Duration: 30 - 45 mins
Ocean Literacy Principle: #1, #6
My Place in Puget Sound
In this investigative questions curriculum, students explore the relationship between their everyday practices and chemicals in the local waters.
Subject: Ocean Chemistry, Human Impact Grade: 7 - 8 Duration: 2 x 50 min
Ocean Literacy Principle: #1, #6
Ocean Home
A kinetic game exploring the effects of climate change on marine species distribution. In this activity, students will model, on a human-sized board game, how changes in water temperature may affect fisheries, learning concepts related to physiology, climate change, and sea surface temperature.
Subject: Ocean Physics, Ocean Biology Grade: 4 - 9 Duration: 45 mins
Ocean Literacy Principle: #3, #5, #6
The Great Plankton Race
Participants are challenged to design a planktonic organism that will neither float like a cork nor sink like a stone. This exercise is designed to give students an opportunity to apply observations and concepts in an engaging way. It is not a biomechanics exercise, and thus Reynolds Number issues are ignored.
Subject: Ocean Physics, Ocean Biology Grade: 1 - 12 Duration: 40 min
Ocean Literacy Principle: #1, #4, #5, #6
What is in the Water?
Students will use open inquiry to learn about the process of science as well as gain experience regarding the Law of Conservation of Mass, dissolution, and density.
Subject: Ocean Physics, Ocean Chemistry, Inquiry Grade: 4 - 8 Duration: 45 - 90 min
Ocean Literacy Principle: #1, #6
Who Can Harvest a Walleye?
This activity focuses on interactions within Earth systems and the effects of human activities as students build a biomass pyramid. This game shows how factors affecting lower sections of the food chain can affect higher levels as well. The pyramid in this game is a biomass type because it is based on the weight of the organisms in kilograms.
Subject: Ocean Biology, Human Impact Grade: 3 - 6 Duration: 45 min
Ocean Literacy Principle: #6