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Ocean Literacy Principle #1

Ocean Literacy Principle #1:"The Earth has one big ocean with many features."

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
Beach Buckets
Visitors explore a bucket of sand and beach drift and debris, sort the items using observable characteristics and use a model to show how sand could be composed of items found on a beach. They also infer how the beach drift might have traveled to the beach.
Subject: Ocean Physics, Ocean Geology Grade: K to adult Duration: 30 - 45 min
Ocean Literacy Principle: #1, #2
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
Improving Oil Spill Response: Plotting the Currents in Prince William Sound
Students find and use data from the Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) to plot the tracks of drifters used by scientists as real-time data to compare with computer predictions during a field experiment to test a circulation model for Prince William Sound, Alaska. They apply their knowledge to predicting the path of an oil spill and search & rescue.
Subject: Ocean Physics, Ocean Chemistry, Human Impact Grade: 6 - 8 Duration: 3 x 45 mins
Ocean Literacy Principle: #1, #7
Introduction to Ocean Zones
Students will learn to identify and describe different zones of the ocean and the organisms that live in each zone.
Subject: Ocean Physics, Ocean Biology Grade: K - 12 Duration: 55 min
Ocean Literacy Principle: #1, #2, #4, #5, #7
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
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
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