This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 6-8. It focuses on icebergs and water salinity, as well as the environment of the continent of Antarctica. Students research this area and do an experiment demonstrating the relationship between water salinity and ice floating or sinking in the ocean. Included are objectives, materials, procedures, discussion questions, ... Full description.

This website integrates video footage and information with lesson plans and activities to teach students about the intertidal zone of the oceans. This zone is a habitat for only a few species due to extreme fluctuations in moisture level, heat, salinity, and sunlight. The activities in this unit are designed to enable students to investigate the creatures of these zones and how they have adapted to ... Full description.

In this lesson, students will investigate absorption, reflection, and scattering of light in the deep sea and discover the concept of bioluminescence. As they proceed, they will learn that white light (visible light) is comprised of all colors of the spectrum, that the quantity of light decreases with increasing depth in the ocean, the quality of light changes with increasing depth, and that red light ... Full description.

This activity will help students understand algal blooms. They will devise their own experiments to test the effects of nutrients on algal growth, or younger students may follow the steps outlined in a sample activity which is provided. Students will be reminded that they need to have controls and replicates in their experiments. As a result of this activity, students will come to understand the requirements ... Full description.

These two activities illustrate the relationship between water pressure and depth. They offer students an exploration of the relationship between pressure and depth, an opportunity to construct an experimental apparatus, experience in taking measurements with the apparatus, and an introduction to the impact of pressure on the lungs. Full description.

In this activity students use their sense of smell to follow a scented path. As they detect each odor placement, they will use this information to help construct a map of the river as they head upstream. This activity will offer students an opportunity to use the sense of smell as an observational tool, a review of degree headings and compass directions, an experience in collecting and analyzing data, ... Full description.

This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 6-8. It focuses on a current controversary among scientists over whether dinosaurs were warm-blooded or cold-blooded. Students research both sides of the argument and then present a debate over this topic. It includes objectives, materials, procedures, discussion questions, evaluation ideas, suggested readings, and ... Full description.

This activity will offer students an introduction to chemiluminescence and bioluminescence, an opportunity to observe the effect of temperature on reaction, and an activity that integrates art and science. Students explore how the temperature of the chemicals that combine affects a chemiluminescent reaction. They will also learn that since solar radiation does not reach the ocean depths, the bottom ... Full description.

In this activity students have the opportunity to approximate an object's distance by analyzing reflected sound waves. They learn that this process, known as echolocation, allows bats to see in the dark and navigate. As the students clap their hands they send out a sound pulse. When the pulse impacts a hard surface, the sound is reflected and returns to the sender. By analyzing the echo return time, ... Full description.

Salmon Homing Instincts is an activity that enables learners to experience what it is like to be a returning salmon attempting to find its home by smell. Scientific research suggests that salmon use the smell of water to find their home stream; even after being out in the open ocean as many as six years. The activity allows the entire class to participate in the life cycle of the Pacific salmon and ... Full description.