In this lesson students discover how ocean waves form and the effect of extreme storms on wave formation. They will investigate the "Portland Gale" of 1898, the Halloween Nor'easter of 1991 (known as "The Perfect Storm"), and discuss hybrid storms and tsunamis. This hands-on activity uses on-line data resources and includes: focus questions, learning objectives, teaching time, audio/visual materials ... Full description.

This interactive feature lets younger students create an ocean wave and determine its height. They can set wind speed, fetch, and duration and observe the wave they have created as it rocks a simulated ship. Pop-up features explain the types of waves, terms associated with wave morphology (crest, trough, wavelength, and others), and the Beaufort Scale for measuring wind speed. Full description.

In OSEI, researchers and middle school teachers, district science coordinators and facilitators collaborate to share resources, materials and expertise. This site provides educators several lesson plans on topics including: the role of the carbon cycle in algae growth, sea scallops, plankton, waves and tsunamis, and the invasive species, Hemigrapsus sanguineus, the Asian shore crab. The site also ... Full description.

The Savage Earth website is the on-line companion to the PBS television series of the same name. This site tells the stories of several great natural disasters, particularly the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. that destroyed Pompeii and the 1994 earthquake in Kobe, Japan. It contains articles on the earth's crust and plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis. Each article features ... Full description.

This Classroom Connectors lesson plan teaches students about ocean movements such as currents, tides, and waves. This includes types of currents, Northern and Southern Hemisphere currents, differences between salt and fresh water, trade winds, and tsunamis. The site provides goals, objectives, an outline, time required, materials, activities, and closure ideas for the lesson. The Classroom Connectors ... Full description.

This site contains 22 questions on the topic of earthquakes, which covers seismic waves, earthquake characteristics, and earthquake magnitudes. This is part of the Principles of Earth Science course at the University of South Dakota. Users submit their answers and are provided immediate verification. Full description.

Ocean Talk provides a glimpse of oceanography and an awareness of the importance of the sea to our environment and our own well-being. There are scientific explanations of ocean bottom features, the properties of seawater, underwater sound, sea ice, ocean currents, tides, waves, and tsunamis. A history of marine exploration and descriptions of the Earth's oceans are also provided. Full description.

This site contains 25 questions on the topic of shorelines, which covers coastal features, waves, and tides. This is part of the Principles of Earth Science course at the University of South Dakota. Users submit their answers and are provided immediate feedback. Full description.

This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades K-5. It focuses on tsunamis, or tidal waves, and how they are caused by a certain type of earthquake. Students work in teams to produce earthquake wave effects on water. Included are objectives, materials, procedures, discussion questions, evaluation ideas, suggested readings, and vocabulary. There are videos available ... Full description.

Increasingly, scientists are discovering ways to predict and prevent loss of life associated with earthquakes. This lesson will help students to understand earthquakes. The first portion consists of an online investigation in which students read news stories about recent earthquakes and their effects. Then, they perform an activity in which seismic waves (P and S waves) are simulated using a slinky ... Full description.