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Inquiry

These activities teach concepts related to deriving questions, procedure and method design, conducting investigations, collecting and recording data, communicating results.
Exploration Tanks
Learners observe and interact with marine animals in a touch tank. The educator/facilitator helps guide the learners’ observations and encourages them to generate questions and find the answers to their own questions as they continue to explore.
Subject: Ocean Biology, Inquiry Grade: K - 12 Duration: 30 - 45 min
Ocean Literacy Principle: #5
Getting the Big Picture: Reading the Ocean Stories Satellites Tell
Students learn how satellite images can be used to learn about ocean conditions and phytoplankton and learn to generate questions about ocean conditions, processes, and life.
Subject: Ocean Physics, Ocean Biology, Ocean Chemistry, Inquiry Grade: 6 - 12 Duration: 1 to 3 x 50 min
Ocean Literacy Principle: #3, #5, #7
Growing Up in the Ocean
This activity introduces students to the complex life cycles of common marine invertebrates and allows students to compare and contrast body plans while learning about adaptations that larvae and adults have made to their respective habitats. Throughout the lesson, students practice skills important for scientific inquiry: making observations, drawing what they see, asking and answering questions, and learning to use scientific tools such as microscopes.
Subject: Ocean Biology, Inquiry Grade: 3 - 6 Duration: 2 x 45 min / 90 min
Ocean Literacy Principle: #5
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
Outfit a Scientist
In the Testable Question Relay, student teams race to “outfit a scientist” by correctly categorizing questions as testable or untestable and earning scientific tools. This activity assists students in recognizing the components of good hypotheses and addresses associated misconceptions.
Subject: Inquiry Grade: 4 Duration: 45 min
Ocean Literacy Principle: #7
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