In this activity, students will be joining with current geoscientists in becoming a part of the research community that is exploring and revolutionizing the theory of plate tectonics. Through the use of mapping skills and inquiry-based problem solving, students will predict and then analyze the layout of the tectonic plates that form the ocean floors. They will also compare the depth of various regions ... Full description.

In this activity, students view and analyze buoy, satellite, and temperature vs. depth data to learn about ocean circulation and how it is related to atmospheric circulation. On this Starting Point page, users can access information about the exercise's learning goals, context for use, teaching notes and tips, teaching materials, assessment ideas, references and topics covered. Full description.

Visit to an Ocean Planet is an innovative CD-ROM that has been transferred to the web. Visit to an Ocean Planet is for grades 5-12 that makes science, ocean, climate and life education fun and interactive. There are three sections, expedition, mission and guide. The expedition section engages students in exploring the 1997 El Nino, a look at oceanographers and their work, and an ocean science research ... Full description.

The Great Rift Valley is a huge gash cut into East Africa, extending 3000 kilometers from Malawi in southern Africa to the Red Sea in the north. Beneath the Great Rift Valley, the next new ocean on Earth may be forming. This radio broadcast ptovides interviews with geologists who are studying this part of Africa to learn how new seas appear. The tectonic plates that form the continents drift continuously ... Full description.

Ocean engineers and scientists are transforming the way we experience and understand the ocean through Integrated Ocean Observing Systems (IOOS). For the first time, there will be continuous, sustained, near-realtime, multi-dimensional data available from the oceans, collected both from within the oceans using sensors systems and above using remote sensing methodologies. These data make possible inquiry-driven ... Full description.

Learn about OC's conservation projects, the latest news in marine conservation, how to get involved, and more. Read over the current issues the Ocean Conservancy is working on, such as by catch, invasive species, and overfishing. Explore the "Fish and Wildlife" link for pictures and information on threatened and endangered animals; and read past and current issues of Blue Planet Magazine, OC's quarterly ... Full description.

Teaching activities that explore the ways currents are mapped and how they affect us. Includes background information, data, applications, and additional activities. Links to related sites, as well as a wealth of similar NOAA lessons covering a variety of marine and environmental science topics. Full description.

This is the homepage of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) which is an international research program that explores the history and structure of the Earth as recorded in seafloor sediments and rocks. The site has links to various aspects of the program including information about its background and structure, ships and platforms, and expeditions. Other links lead to data and samples, how ... Full description.

In this lesson, students explore some of the magnetic evidence which led to the discovery of sea floor spreading. Students should have an introduction to plate movements and crustal processes before working on this activity. They will use compasses to simulate magnetometers, exploring a model sea floor (prepared by the teacher) which has concealed bar magnets. They will then be asked to explain how ... Full description.

This glossary provides short definitions of the oceanographic jargon used to describe ocean surface currents. It is designed to accompany the website "Ocean Surface Currents", a reference that provides information on surface currents in the world's oceans. Full description.