Download Ocean Temperatures

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ACTIVITY OVERVIEW
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Ocean Temperatures
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Students investigate the range of mean ocean surface temperatures around the
globe. They map and discuss patterns of surface temperatures in particular regions of
the oceans. The members of each small group then merge their findings and summarize global patterns. They use this data to further investigate climate patterns on
earth.
KEY CONCEPTS AND PROCESS SKILLS
(with correlation to NSE 5–8 Content Standards)
1.
Scientists sometimes work together to gather evidence and make conclusions.
(History and Nature of Science: 1)
2.
Meteorologists, atmospheric scientists, climatologists, and hydrologists study different aspects of the earth’s weather and atmosphere. Society relies on the information provided by such scientists. (History: 1)
3.
The sun is the major source of energy for phenomena on the earth’s surface,
including ocean currents, winds, the water cycle, and other factors that influence
weather and climate. (EarthSci: 3)
4.
Factors that influence climate include the heating and cooling of land and water,
ocean currents, latitude, elevation, landforms, and global wind currents. (EarthSci: 1)
KEY VOCABULARY
climate
climatologist
hydrologist
latitude
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Activity 56 • Ocean Temperatures
MATERIALS AND ADVANCE PREPARATION
For the teacher
*
1
Transparency 51.1 “Comparing Temperature Scales” (optional)
1
Transparency 56.1, “World Map: Pacific Ocean Projection”
1
Transparency 56.2, "How to Complete Student Sheets 56.1a–d,
“Mapping Mean Ocean Surface Temperatures”
1
Scoring Guide: GROUP INTERACTION (GI)
1
overhead projector
For each group of four students
*
1
set of colored pencils
1
calculator
1
set of Student Sheets 56.1a-d, “Mapping Mean Ocean Surface
Temperatures”
For each student
*
*
response to Question 2 of Activity 53, “Weather and Climate”
1
completed Student Sheet 54.1, “World Map”
1
Scoring Guide: GROUP INTERACTION (GI) (optional)
*Not supplied in kit
This activity provides an opportunity to assess each students’ ability to work in groups
and respectfully consider each other’s ideas. You can use the GROUP INTERACTION (GI)
Scoring Guide to assist you in your assessments.
This activity is conducted using a “jigsaw” method of instruction. One student in each
group of four attends a “regional meeting” and reports back to the group. To keep the
size of the regional meetings to about four students (rather than eight or more), plan
to have two tables for each region (for example, two for the northern Atlantic and two
for the southern Atlantic). Establish a place for the regional meetings by creating
signs or a classroom map indicating where each region will meet. You may want to
assign student groups and regions ahead of class.
Note that there are four different versions of Student Sheet 56.1, “Mapping Mean
Ocean Surface Temperatures,” labeled a–d. Each student in a group of four will investigate one of the four versions and report back to the group. Each group will then
place the four versions together to form a single world map. See Teaching Suggestions
Step 2 for more information.
Masters for Scoring Guides are in Teacher Resources III: Assessment.
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Ocean Temperatures • Activity 56
TEACHING SUMMARY
Getting Started
1.
Introduce the idea that students will role-play the work of climatologists.
2.
Explain the use of Student Sheets 56.1a–d, and set up a cooperative learning
strategy known as a “jigsaw.”
Doing the Activity
3.
(GI ASSESSMENT) Students compile a map of ocean surface temperatures.
Follow-Up
4.
Students summarize the relationship between latitude and climate.if this works)
REFERENCES
International Research Institute for Climate and Society/Lamont-Doherty Earth
Observatory (IRI/LDEO) Climate Data Library. Sea Surface Temperatures (website).
International Research Institute for Climate and Society, Palisades, NY.
Retrieved February 2006 from
iridl.ldeo.columbia.edu/sources/.noaa/.ncep/.emc/.cmb/.global/.Reyn_SmithOIv2/.monthly
/.sst/figviewer.html
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Activity 56 • Ocean Temperatures
TEACHING SUGGESTIONS
GETTING STARTED
1.
Introduce the idea that students will roleplay the work of climatologists.
In this activity, students simulate the work of climatologists who sample ocean surface temperatures
and compile that data to investigate global climates. Start by letting students know that climatologists often have to collect and analyze huge
amounts of data before they can begin making conclusions. Students attending regional meetings will
be in charge of analyzing data from one region of
earth’s oceans. Since ocean surface temperatures
vary over the course of the year, climatologists often
collect data from month to month and average
those temperatures to find the mean. They may collect hundreds or thousands of readings to find out
about a region. By combining information that
many scientists have collected in many regions, climatologists can form a picture of earth’s ocean surface temperatures.
During this activity, students use the observation
and teamwork skills they have been developing
since they began doing Issues and Earth Science
activities. Reinforce the idea that scientists working
together can often produce more complete work
than they can individually.
2.
Explain the use of the different student
sheets, and set up a cooperative learning
strategy known as a “jigsaw.”
Inform students that there are four different versions of Student Sheet 56.1, “Mapping Mean Ocean
Surface Temperatures.” Explain that at about the
midpoint of doing the activity they will lay the
pages together to form the appropriate configuration for a Pacific Ocean projection map. They form
a different projection of the earth’s surface than
students have used so far, since it is centered on the
Pacific Ocean. Point out that the maps they are
probably most familiar with show the continents
intact (often with the United States near the center)
and the Pacific Ocean divided so that it is seen on
both the left and right sides of the map. When scientists need a map showing all of the oceans, it
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sometimes makes sense for them to use one that has
the Pacific Ocean in the middle. This map projection.can be more useful for examining trends in the
surface temperatures of the oceans. You can use
Transparency 56.1, “World Map: Pacific Ocean Projection,” to show the location of the different bodies
of water in the same projection they will use in the
activity. You might also have students refer to their
completed version of Student Sheet 54.1, “World
Map,” to compare the differences in the projections.
Each version of Student Sheet 56.1 contains average
yearly data for one of four regions of the world map.
Use Transparency 56.1 to review those regions. Note
that the oceans are not divided into single-ocean
areas; for example, students investigating the
southern Atlantic will also investigate part of the
southern Pacific. The student sheets show:
56.1a Northern Pacific Ocean and parts of the
Arctic Ocean and Indian Ocean
56.1b Northern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea,
Gulf of Mexico, and part of the Arctic Ocean
56.1c Southern Atlantic Ocean and parts of the
southern Pacific Ocean and Southern Ocean
56.1d Parts of the southern Pacific Ocean,
Indian Ocean, and Southern Ocean
You might also want to review the Celsius temperature scale using Transparency 51.1, “Comparing
Temperature Scales.” Students are expected to analyze trends in ocean surface temperatures. Procedure Step 1 directs them to first convert Celsius
temperatures shown in the table into into degrees
Fahrenheit. This first step of the procedure is to help
orient students with the Celsius temperatures provided on the Mean Ocean Temperature maps by
making the conversion from degrees Celsius to
degrees Fahrenheit. Some students may find it easier to discuss differences in ocean temperatures in
degrees fahrenheit (assuming that they have more
familiarity with the Fahrenheit scale than the Celsius scale). To make a connection to temperatures
they are likely to use in their daily lives, ask students, What would the temperature of a warm summer day, say 80°F, be if converted into degrees
Celsius? (26.5°C)
Ocean Temperatures • Activity 56
A completed version of the table is shown below.
Response to Table: Temperature Conversions
Temperature (°C)
Temperature (°F)
0°
32°
5°
41°
10°
50°
15°
59°
20°
68°
25°
77°
30°
86°
Discuss with students the “jigsaw” method of
instruction in the classroom. Explain that they will
work in their “regional” groups to complete Student
Sheets 56.1a–d, “Mapping Mean Ocean Surface
Temperatures.” Ask them to decide who in the
group will investigate which particular region.
Make sure students understand how the jigsaw procedure works, and identify the areas of the room
where different regions will meet. To reduce confusion, you may want to hand out the different versions of Student Sheet 56.1 once students move to
the regional meetings, rather than in advance.
DOING THE ACTIVIT Y
3. (GI ASSESSMENT) Students compile a map of
ocean surface temperatures.
Before students begin to work in their regional
groups, use Transparency 56.2, “How to Complete
Student Sheets 56.1a–d, ‘Mapping Mean Ocean
Surface Temperatures’” to instruct them how to
color in their maps.
At the regional meetings, students should color the
temperature areas following the Temperature Color
Key shown on student sheets 56.1a-d. Note that
according to the key, temperatures below zero correspond to the color white. For ease of coloring, students can opt to leave these areas blank white if the
maps have been colored on white paper. Students
observe how the colors are distributed on the map,
and discuss patterns in ocean surface temperatures
for that region. An example for one region is provided below.
Sample Analysis: 56.1a Northern Pacific
Ocean and part of Indian Ocean
Temperature range is 0°C–33°C. Ocean surface
temperatures are warmest at the equator and
become increasing cooler approaching the North
Pole. In general, the temperature changes in horizontal bands. From 0 degrees to 20 degrees north
latitude, ocean surface temperatures stay within a
25°C–33°C range. Temperatures drop very quickly
within the next 20 degrees of northern latitude,
going from 25°C to 15°C. The ocean surface temperatures in our part the Indian Ocean remain in the
25°C–30°C range.
After discussing regional patterns, students present
their findings to their original groups. Here is where
you might use the GROUP INTERACTION (GI) Scoring
Guide to assess how well students are working
together. Students will position the four sections of
Student Sheet 56.1 together to create a single world
map like the one on Transparency 56.1. You might
want students to tape the corresponding edges
together. They then work together to prepare a written summary of global patterns in mean ocean surface temperatures. Note that there will be some
overlap between the analysis of individual regions
of oceans and of all of them together. A sample
response is provided below.
Sample Analysis of Mean Global Ocean Surface Temperatures
The temperature range of mean ocean surface temperatures on earth is 0°C–33°C. Temperatures are
warmest at the equator and become increasing
cooler approaching the poles. The warmest temperatures are found in the southern Pacific Ocean off the
northern and northeastern coast of Australia.
In general, the temperature changes in horizontal
bands. From 0 degrees to 20 degrees north and
south latitude, ocean surface temperatures remain
within 25°C–33°C. Temperatures change very
quickly within the next 30 degrees of northern and
southern latitudes, going from 25°C to 10°C.
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Activity 56 • Ocean Temperatures
Note that this map represents average sea surface
temperatures averaged over a period of years.
SUGGESTED ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
1.
There is an area in the Pacific Ocean, off the northwest coast of South America, where the temperatures are cooler than in other oceans of the same
latitude. There is also an area in the northern
Atlantic Ocean, between North American and
Europe, where the temperatures are about five
degrees warmer than the northern Pacific Ocean at
the same latitude. These warmer temperatures do
not match the other, mostly horizontal temperature
bands at similar latitudes due to ocean currents.
Temperature range of mean ocean surface temperatures on earth is from -2°C to 33°C.
2. How do temperatures vary with latitude? Support
your answer with evidence from this activity.
Ocean surface temperatures are warmest near
the equator, with temperatures from 25°C to
33°C between 0 degrees and 20 degrees north
and south latitude. Temperatures become cooler
approaching the poles. Temperatures change
very quickly within the next 30 degrees of northern and southern latitude, going from 25°C to
10°C. They continue to drop until they hit -2°C
in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica and in
other oceans toward the North Pole.
FOLLOW-UP
4.
Students summarize the relationship
between latitude and climate.
You may want to ask regional groups to color their
section of Transparency 56.2 with transparency
markers so it can be referenced as you discuss the
analysis questions as a class. Use Analysis Questions
1–3 to summarize the relationship between latitude
and climate.
Discuss how the activity simulated the work of climatologists. Ask, How did working with others help
accomplish your goal of collecting and analyzing
data from all of the oceans? Students should recognize that they were able to accomplish much more
as a group than as individuals. Point out that the
approach they took to sharing information is similar to how scientists analyze climate patterns. By
spending time discussing ideas within their groups,
students modeled how scientists collaborate on
ideas in addition to data collection.
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What is the temperature range of mean
ocean surface temperatures on earth?
3.
Compare your answer to Question 2 above
with your answer to Analysis Question 2 of
Activity 53, “Weather and Climate.” What similarities and differences do you notice?
The pattern of warm temperatures near the
equator and colder temperatures near the poles
is the same on land as on water.
4. Hurricanes start in areas where the ocean surface
temperature is above 26.5°C (80°F). At what range
of latitudes would you expect most hurricanes to
begin? Explain.
Most hurricanes begin in the tropics, between
30°south and 30° north latitude.
Issues and Earth Science • Transparency 56.1
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World Map: Pacific Ocean Projection
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How to Complete Student Sheets 56.1a–d,
“Mapping Mean Ocean Surface Temperatures”
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Look at the mean ocean surface
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Land areas have been shaded gray.
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©2006 The Regents of the University of California
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Issues and Earth Science • Transparency 56.2
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Issues and Earth Science • Student Sheet 56.1a
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TEMPERATURE
COLOR KEY
Red 30°C and up
Orange 25–29°C
Yellow
20–24°C
Green
15–19°C
©2006 The Regents of the University of California
Date
Name
Mapping Mean Ocean Surface Temperatures
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Mapping Mean Ocean Surface Temperatures
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Issues and Earth Science • Student Sheet 56.1c
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TEMPERATURE
COLOR KEY
Red 30°C and up
Orange 25–29°C
Yellow
20–24°C
Green
15–19°C
©2006 The Regents of the University of California
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Mapping Mean Ocean Surface Temperatures
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