Download An Overview of the Ocean

Quest Atlantis Unit Plan
Science/Social Science
An Overview of the Ocean
4th – 7th Grades
4 Week Plan
“Our Oceans”
This unit, The Ecosystem Beneath the Surface, is designed for Questers to understand and appreciate: the various sources and
contents of ocean water; the relationship between ocean and atmospheric patterns; that variation in density, temperature, and light
in ocean water determines the life forms that thrive there; and that the diversity of life that exists in each ocean “zone” is dependent
on people’s responsibility to provide and maintain a clean and healthy marine environment.
Introduction
The overall focus of this
unit is to bring about
student understanding
and appreciation of: the
relationship between
ocean and atmospheric
patterns; how depth
relates to ocean
content; the diverse life
forms in each ocean
“zone”; and our
responsibility to
improve/maintain a
healthy marine life
environment.
Page 2
McRel
Standards
Unit standards come
from Science and
Social Studies, with
emphases on ocean
and atmospheric
patterns, the
locations and types
of marine life
diversity, and our
responsibility for
improving the
Goals
Activities
Teacher Tips
The goal of this unit is
to have Questers
demonstrate an
understanding of
marine water content
and boundaries, the
relationship between
ocean water and
atmospheric patterns,
and how human
behavior affects the
health of diverse
marine life forms.
There are six activities
related to the unit goals.
The Unit begins with an
in-class group discussion;
involves completion of six
Quests; and culminates
in the development of
a Predator/Prey Party
located in the school
classroom or, on a
broader scale, the library
(or similar area) where
students from other
classes may learn about
this environment.
Teacher Tips for this
Unit include Activity
(Lab) options, notes
for lab activities,
methods for crosscurricular integration
using Quests, and
additional resource
material for Teachers
and/or Quests.
Page 4
Page 5-14
Page 15
environment.
Page 3
Assessment – The appended questions and rubric may be used to assess the work of
the activities in this unit. You may choose to create a supplementary rubric for some of the
activities.
Page 16-17
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Quest Atlantis Unit Plan
An Overview of the Ocean
4 Week Plan
“Our Oceans”
4th – 7th Grades
Introduction
The overall focus of this unit is to bring about student understanding and appreciation of the complexity of our oceans: the relationship
between ocean and atmospheric patterns; how ocean depth relates to ocean content; the diversity of marine organisms and what determines
their specific ocean habitat; the results of nature’s and human influences on marine life; and what can to done to improve/maintain a healthy
ocean environment.
The unit begins with an in-class activity (Activity One: “Ocean Formation, Content, and Patterns”) where students and the teacher
discuss: how ocean water forms, as well as how, when, and where it might change. A further discussion might lead to what and how human
actions or natures patterns might affect the health of those organisms, as well as what we can do to help improve their marine environment.
The second activity, (“Distribution of Water on Earth” Quest) allows students to estimate, through a demo/lab, the quantity and type of
water that exists on Earth: in the ocean, in fresh water, fresh water locked up in ice, fresh surface water, underground fresh water, water in soil
and air. They will then demonstrate the actual amount as we know it today. This leads them to information (“What do you Know; A Water
Sandwich!” Quest) on how water in an area, but with different contents, “finds its level” and will not be a homogeneous mix. Following this,
Activity Four a , (“Living in the Zone or To Each His Own” Quest) introduces students to what factors scientists use to determine which
organism lives where in the ocean waters and to create a zone labeled collage of the ocean. Activity Four b (This is my home! Quest), asks
students to develop a visual food chain (or if Co-Questing, to develop a food web) in a particular zone and place that on the collage. In Activity
Five (A River IN the Ocean? Quest), the students perform a lab experiment to show how currents form and behave in ocean waters. El Nino
and La Nina are presented as newspaper articles developed by the students to inform the “public” of their cause for concern when learning of
the relationship between deep ocean and atmospheric patterns (El Nino and La Nina: What Kind of Children Are They? Quest). Doing
Activity Seven (Why Should We Care: not a Quest) encourages students to discover the types of pollutants that endanger marine life at
different levels and zones. Students bring those pollutants or representations of those items to school and place them in a net which is hung in
the QA site. This will be visible as the students invite parents/other students to their culminating event: a Predator/Prey Party, with the Guest
of Honor being a class - selected animal that feeds in the selected zone. For example, if the reef is used for the selected sunlit zone, the
guest might be a shark or octopus. The food prepared should represent it’s prey; the guests (students) should be those that also live on the
reef. Students will dress as an organism found in that zone, and send invitations they created to those they wish to attend their event. One
surprising moment will be when a student (teacher, administrator, or parent) arrives dressed as a pollutant), “crashes” the party, and students
must respond by stating what can be done to rid them of this item that endangers their existence!
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Quest Atlantis Unit Plan
“Our
Oceans” Studies
Science/Social
An Overview of the Ocean
4 Week Plan
“Our Oceans”
4th – 7th Grades
MCREL Standards (Grades 4 – 7)
Earth & Space Sciences
Standard 1: Understands atmospheric processes and the water cycle
Level II, Benchmark 4: Knows that most of Earth's surface is covered by water, that most of that water is salt water in oceans, and that fresh water is
found in rivers, lakes, underground sources, and glaciers
Standard 2: Understands Earth's composition and structure
Nature of Science
Standard 12: Understands the nature of scientific inquiry
Life Sciences
Standard 6: Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment
Level II, Benchmark 3: Knows that an organism's patterns of behavior are related to the nature of that organism's environment (e.g., kinds and numbers
of other organisms present, availability of food and resources, physical characteristics of the environment)
The World in Spatial Terms
Standard 1: Understands the characteristics and uses of maps, globes, and other geographic tools and technologies
Level IV, Benchmark 2: Knows the characteristics and uses of geographic technologies (e.g., geographic information systems (GIS) and satelliteproduced imagery)
Writing
Standard 1: Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process
Level IV, Benchmark 6: Uses strategies to adapt writing for different purposes (e.g., to explain, inform, analyze, entertain, reflect, persuade)
Standard 4: Gathers and uses information for research purposes
Standard 9: Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media
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Quest Atlantis Unit Plan
Science/Social Studies
An Overview of the Ocean
4 Week Plan
4th – 7th Grades
“Our Oceans”
Goals
The core goals of this Unit are to have Questers:



demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between ocean and atmospheric patterns.
demonstrate an understanding of the water type/content areas of our planet Earth
understand and demonstrate how ocean depth relates to ocean content.

think and talk about everyone’s responsibility to actively participate in helping maintain the delicate balance of diverse life forms from
shoreline to continental shelf.
QA Benchmarks

The child is able to think critically about the cause/affect or interaction among natures global patterns.

The child has an appreciation for ocean life.

The child develops an appreciation for the interdependency of all living things.

The child develops a sense of activism for protecting the environment.

The child should have a sense of agency that they can affect the world.
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Quest Atlantis Unit Plan
Science/Social
Science/
SocialStudies
Studies
An Overview of the Ocean
4 week
Weekplan
Plan
4th – 7th Grade
“Our Oceans”
Activity 1: Ocean Formation, Content, and Pattern Discussion
In class Discussion Activity
The focus of this activity is to encourage your students to think about how the ocean might have formed, the relationship between ocean content and depth, the
relationship between ocean and atmospheric patterns; how changes in these patterns might affect marine and land life; and ultimately, the students understanding
that all life is dependent on each of us helping to improve and maintain the health of those environments.
Begin your In-Class Activity with a discussion on how ocean water might be different from fresh water. This might include responses such as salt or mineral content,
warm and cold water streams running through the ocean, life forms that exist only in salt water and so on. Then introduce the concept of possible
relationships/similarities between marine water patterns and the patterns in their atmosphere. Ask if they have heard about El Nino and La Nina, and to what those
titles refer. Discover if your students are aware of a cause and effect relationship between weather patterns on the continent or land and certain patterns in the ocean.
See if students consider the subsequent health and life span of organisms when the ocean temperature changes. A further discussion might lead to how human
actions might affect the health of those organisms, and what we can do to help improve this marine environment. We have included some text below that you might
want to use to begin the discussion:
“The Atlantian Council has discovered that young people on Earth as well as on Atlantis are not aware of the types or various places water may be on their planet.
They think that the oceans formed with salt already in it, and that once they did form, they then stayed the same for millions of years. We are curious if this is so, or if
something affects ocean patterns and causes these patterns to change. Also, do the changes in nature affect the organisms in the water as well as on land? Also, we
are curious what determines which marine organisms live where. Can they survive and thrive anywhere in the ocean? To find answers to these questions, the Council
wants you to have a discussion in your class at school about how ocean water forms, how, when, and where it might change, and how these changes might affect life
in other parts of the ocean as well as on land. Your teacher can help to lead this discussion. Be sure to participate in this discussion by both offering your ideas to the
group and listening carefully and respectfully to others.”
Teacher references: How the Ocean may have formed: http://www.sfos.uaf.edu/msl111/notes/origin.html#3; Oceans forming and changing:
http://www.mos.org/oceans/planet/change.html; If oceans always changing, where does the water come from:
http://www.mos.org/oceans/planet/cycle.html
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Quest Atlantis Unit Plan
Science/ Social Studies
An Overview of the Ocean
4 Week Plan
4th – 7th Grades
“Our Oceans”
Activity 2: Distribution of Water on Earth (Demonstration/Lab; not a Quest)
Introduction:

“Earth as seen from space is clearly a water planet. About 71% of the surface of the planet is covered by water. Water is found in the
oceans, rivers, ponds, lakes, groundwater, ice caps, glaciers, and in the atmosphere as water vapor and clouds. Water changes state
and moves from place to place through the water cycle of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Although earth's water
supplies seem almost limitless when viewed from an ocean beach, water forms only a thin film on the surface of the planet. The
average depth of the oceans is about 3.5 - 4.0 km, while the average radius of earth is 6371 km.”*
Goals:
 Students will estimate the quantity and type of water that exists in the ocean, fresh water, fresh water locked up in ice, fresh surface
water, underground fresh water, water in soil and air by adding their estimation of the amount of tinted blue water (salt water) or clear
water into several same-size bottles using the graduated cylinders for other measuring devices.
Have students put their “guess-timations” (hypotheses) on a chart, with the same headings as those in chart provided by website.**
 Students will then use the figures from the guide provided by the teacher (see website) to add water to another set of bottles to
demonstrate the location and type of water that actually (approximately) exists on planet Earth.
 More advanced students can calculate from the total amount of water on Earth (given) and percentages/category, the amount of water
in each category.
Resources:
Access the website provided below to have your students do the demonstration to help them visually see the placement of water on our
planet, using percentages. Older children can calculate the percentages.
Waters of the Earth: http://www.sea.edu/k12lessonplans/K12WatersEarth.htm
*Demonstration set-up by Pete Barsness. Adapted from Project Wild Aquatic, "How Wet is Our Planet." 1987, Western Regional
Environmental Education Council.
** Modification to include estimation by Jo Gilbertson, Quest Atlantis Project.
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Quest Atlantis Unit Plan
Science/ Social Studies
An Overview of the Ocean
4 Week Plan
“Our Oceans”
Activity 3:
4th – 7th Grades
The Ocean: What do you Know; A Water Sandwich! Quest
Quest Description
We have been wondering about the water in your oceans on Earth! Is the water all the same? Is the material in the water evenly distributed
throughout? We hear that the water is salty, but is there the same amount of salt in all parts of the ocean?
What experiment could we do that would help us demonstrate an answer? Please send us the results of any experiments that you do. We are
really curious to know the answer.
Your Goal(s): This experiment is great for Co - Questers:
 Access the website provided below. Under the supervision of your teacher, QA Mentor, or parent/guardian, do the experiment, "Stacking
Water."
 Under the Heading "Procedures (Steps to follow),"do numbers 1 through 8.
 Write the Conclusions your team reached by doing this experiment; do you think saltwater does stay in a uniform solution in the ocean. Be
sure and explain your answer.
 Submit the results of your experiment with the Council through the OTAK.
Resources:
You may access the website provided below.
Follow the instructions carefully; don't forget to make a guess (hypothesize) what the results will be. That makes experimenting much more
fun. You may use the following link(s):
Stacking Water http://www.sea.edu/k12lessonplans/k12StackingWater.htm
Resources
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You may access the websites provided below.
Follow the instructions carefully; don'thttp://atlantis.crlt.indiana.edu
forget to make a guess (hypothesize) what the results will be. That makes
experimenting much more fun!
You may use the following link(s):
Quest Atlantis Unit Plan
Science/ Social Studies
An Overview of the Ocean
4 Week Plan
4th – 7th Grades
“Our Oceans”
Activity 4a: Living in the Zone! or “To Each His Own!”
While learning about the ocean, we Atlantians wonder if marine animals swim about huge areas and in many depths, dive to the bottom of the ocean, or
stay in just one area? What about plants? Yes, we know they don’t swim or dive, but do they float about throughout the ocean depths? What determines
which plant or animal lives where? Please send us something to look at to help us understand the answers you have for us
Your Goal(s):
You need to
o access the website below to see the types of "zones" that scientists observe when identifying organisms in the ocean; and
o read about what criteria or conditions scientists use to help them designate these boundaries of certain areas or “zones” in the ocean.
Now, explain to the Council these conditions to the Council through a letter.
To illustrate your information to help the Council understand, create this visual:
o Tape a large sheet of paper on the classroom or QA room wall; draw and label the parts of the ocean that are divided into zones or special areas.
o Label each area appropriately; color the diagram/drawing to indicate the amount of light that enters the water.
o If depth in meters is given, add that information to your ocean illustration.
o Take a photo of the visual aid (illustration), upload it , and submit this to the Council, along with your letter, through the OTAK.
Resources
The composition of sea water and zones: http://www.mos.org/oceans/planet/cycle.html
Optional: Lab Activity, Access Density Dynamics and follow the instructions to set up a working model demonstrating the formation of
deep water masses in the oceans.
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Resources:
Density Dynamics: http://www.sea.edu/k12lessonplans/k12Density.htm
Quest Atlantis Unit Plan
Science/ Social Studies
An Overview of the Ocean
4 Week Plan
4th - 7th Grades
“Our Oceans”
Activity 4b: This is my home! Quest (to fully benefit form this Quest, the students should have
completed Activity 4a)
Description:
Now that we understand why organisms live where they do in the ocean, we are curious what types of plants and animals live in particular zones in the
ocean and how they survive there! What are the special adaptations that they have to help them survive in their zone and no other place? Where do they fit
into the food web that exists in that zone? That is, what do they eat and what eats them?
Please answer these questions in a visual way that we can display for other Atlantians to see and understand.
Goals:
Refer to the diagram that you did in Activity 4a and then
Access the website http://www.sea.edu/k12lessonplans/K12SpecializedSEA.htm, and do the activity OR
o access the websites provided below to learn about the organisms that live in each zone;
o select one organism that you find interesting. Read about it carefully and then answer these questions:
o In which zone does it live?
o How does it protect itself from predators? What other types of adaptations does it have to survive where it lives?
o Now, create a collage that shows your selected organism, what it eats and what eats it. Make it colorful.
o You may print out a picture or photo of each organism, draw one, or cut one from a journal or magazine (with an adult’s permission, of
course); place the name of the organism by it’s picture. You have now created a food chain in your selected zone
o Now hide a photo of YOU in one of the zones! Why did you select that particular zone?
o Take a photo of your collage, upload it, and submit it and your responses to the Council through the OTAK.
If two or more of you Co-Quest in this activity, you can create food webs
Resources:
Specialized for specific zone in the ocean: http://www.sea.edu/k12lessonplans/K12SpecializedSEA.htm
Exploring the Intertidal: http://oceanlink.island.net/
Coral Reef Information with photos: http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/coral/coral4.htm
Alternative Laboratory Activity: Select a specific zone of the ocean and do a lab activity that relates to that zone.
o Surface sunlit: http://www.sea.edu/k12lessonplans/K12SinkingRaces.htm
o Intertidal: http://www.sea.edu/k12lessonplans/k12DryingOut.htm);
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Quest Atlantis Unit Plan
Science// Social Studies
An Overview of the Ocean
4 Week Plan
4th – 7th Grade
“Our Oceans”
Activity 5: A River IN the Ocean? Quest
Quest Description
It is all a bit confusing to Atlantians, and we are counting on you to explain this to us: How can there be “rivers” in the ocean? I thought rivers
just flowed on land! Do these “rivers” cause changes in the ocean water behavior, affect the organisms that live in that area, or affect land in
any way? What about affecting the atmosphere above the water or above land? We are really interested this phenomenon!
Could you do an activity that demonstrates rivers in the ocean and tell us your findings?
Your Goal(s):
 Access websites provided below and read about one of the main currents, such as the Gulf Stream or the Humboldt.
 Now do the Laboratory Activity by accessing the website http://www.sea.edu/k12lessonplans/k12CountMarsili.htm and following the
directions. (students integrate history and science while discovering how salinity affects the density of water).
 Explain what causes currents and why they are called “rivers in the ocean.”
 Submit your lab results and answers to the questions above to the Council through the OTAK.
Resources:
What causes ocean currents: http://www.triviaplanet.com/did%20u%20wonder/scienceandtechnology/ocean_currents.html
Cause and affect of ocean currents: http://drifters.doe.gov/currents/currents.html
Students integrate history and science while discovering how salinity affects the density of water
Alternative Activity: Teacher will select or provide choices for students to read about currents within a literary setting. Literature
connections: http://www.lhsgems.org/CurrentsConx.html; ask students to explain how the currents described in their chosen book
played an important part on the story that they read.
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Quest Atlantis Unit Plan
Science/Social Studies
An Overview of the Ocean
4 Week Plan
“Our Oceans”
4th – 7th Grade
Activity 6: El Nino and La Nina: What Kind of Children Are They? Quest
Description: A great Co-Quest
We are hearing the names El Nino and La Nina a lot lately! These words are always voiced with much concern and worry. How could
something that means “the child” be related to anything that brings distress? Some of the people on Earth say that these two wreck havoc on
the planet! Please explain what they do and from where they come; we are anxious to learn from you about these “children!”
Goals: Please access the websites provided below and then
o
From the two sets news headliners below, select the one that interests you and develop a newspaper article, complete with photo,
about particular aspects El Nino and La Nina related to the titles of the news articles.
Topic 1: What is the cause of El Nino and La Nina and why should you be concerned?
Topic 2: Deep Ocean Movement and the Atmosphere: How do this twosome affect each other?
Topic 3: Keeping Track of El Nino and La Nina: How do we do this today? (use of phytoplankton in the ocean)
Use a newspaper format, such as Microsoft Publisher, etc.; be sure to include the how, when, where, and why that is used as a basis of
developing news articles.
o Submit your news article, in proper newspaper format, to the Council through the OTAK.
Resources:
The Age of El Nino: http://www.firstscience.com/site/articles/elnino.asp
o
o
o
El Nino Current: http://www.galapagosonline.com/Galapagos_Natural_History/Oceanography/El_Nino_Current.htm
El Nino: http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/elnino/elnino1.htm; El Nino: http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/elnino/elnino2.htm;
Keeping Track of El Nino: http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/elnino/elnino3.htm
Climate Disasters and Extreme Events: upload
Why called El Nino? http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/oceanography_el_nino.html; Teacher resource:
http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tao/proj_over/ensodefs.html
Animation of El Nino off the South American Coast: http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tao/jsdisplay/ani.html
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Quest Atlantis Unit Plan
Science/ Social Studies
An Overview of the Ocean
4 Week Plan
4th – 7th Grades
“Our Oceans”
Activity 7: Why Should We Care? (Not a Quest)
Discuss with your students how certain types of pollution at a surface level can endanger ocean and human life. Ask them to brainstorm about pollutants that
they may be familiar to them, such as plastic, oil spills, or garbage dumped in the ocean. If you have discussed biodegradable items in previous lessons, review
this now.
1. Divide your class into teams of 2-3 students each.
2. Have each student access a different website provided below, use magazines or journals, and whatever resources you wish to provide that address the harm
done by specific pollutants near land or on the surface of the water.
3. Then ask each student to seek answers to the following questions:
 What pollutants can affect life in their selected ocean zone? Give at least 3 examples.
 How do these pollutants arrive there? Be specific.
4. How can you help prevent such life from being destroyed in this manner? Be specific.
Ask the students to now return to their assigned group and share with the members the answers they have found via their research. Together, have the students
complete the one- page information sheet provided below that contains the answers to which each team member agrees. The team will then turn in their
information sheet as a group.
Conclusion: As a conclusion to this activity, ask each group to provide at least one item or representation of an item that pollutes their ocean zone. Place all
the items in a large fishing type or woven net you have obtained from a discount store, or Target, K-Mart, Big Lots, Hobby Lobby, or Teacher Supply store.*
They are not expensive, and create a memorable and dramatic look when placed in your classroom for the Predator/Prey Party!
*Check with parents first to see if they can provide items your class may need.
Resources:
Oil spills at the waters surface: http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/living/surface.html; Oil spills along the shoreline:
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/living/shore.html;
Alternative classroom activity: http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/living/shore.html
*As there are many sites available via google.com, the teacher may access several and provide a list for the students.
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Your Goal(s):
Create a panorama of the ocean floor and the organisms that live near and on this floor.
Quest Atlantis Unit Plan
An Overview of the Ocean
4 Week Plan
“Our Oceans”
4th – 7th Grades
Activity 8: Culminating Activity (Not a Quest)
Description:
This activity is the culminating experience for the students and should demonstrate what they have learned from this unit. Using the knowledge
of the ocean zones and their food chains/webs gained from doing Quest 4b, have the students create a classroom party that celebrates life in
one particular ocean zone! The class can decide by consensus which zone that might be.
Guest of Honor: The guest of honor is a class - selected animal that feeds in the selected zone. For example, if the reef is used as the sunlit
zone, the guest might be a shark or octopus. The food prepared should represent it’s prey; the guests should be those that also live on the reef.
Invitations: to be sent to all the classroom students and parents, if you wish to make this an opportunity to display what the students have
learned. The invitation can be hand made or created through use of a computer program. It should include: the name of the group that is having
the party, the date, time and location, as well as the name of the Guest of Honor. Include an RSVP, and have the students write their response
using the correct format and given to you within the correct time alloted. On the left side of the invitation, print the menu to be served.*
Guests/Invitees: Accessing the website below, have the students choose a reef or surface animal that they would like to be and ask that they
“dress up” as that animal. An example might be an anemone costume: Use an old pillowcase or clean garbage bag over the body (with a hole
cut for arms and head of student); stuffed socks or knee - high pantihose stuffed with paper and pinned on the case or bag around the neck
edge; and a sign taped on the front and back of the student that states the name of the animal.
Menu: Now, referencing the organisms eaten by the “Guest of Honor,” list the animals eaten and have students bring edibles with the labels on
the food suggesting what the food represents. Have students place menus on a long table set up in the classroom, and display the foods as you
would for a party.
Surprise: the uninvited guest will be chosen by you or secretly drawn by a member of the class: el nino, oil spill, plastic soda can rings, etc. they
will come dressed as that item, and will “crash” the party. You will ask the class how to have this threat to the reef leave; when they can tell you,
give that person or persons first choice of food or have them be served first.
Decorations: All the products developed from the Unit Quests will be hung about the room and placed on the walls. The bag containing the
pollutants that endanger water life (Quest 9) is hung nearby.
Your Goal(s):
Students demonstrate knowledge of
o The physical makeup of an organism that lives in the selected zone
o the food chain and web in specific zones throughout the ocean.
o pollutants in their chosen zone.
o etiquette of planned celebrations through developing and responding to invitations, food preparation, and receiving guests. 13
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Quest Atlantis Unit Plan
/Science/ Behavioral Science
An Overview of the Ocean
4 Week Plan
4rd – 7th Grades
“Our Oceans”
Teacher Tips
*For the culminating activity:
I used this opportunity to introduce students to the etiquette of party –giving and attending: how to word an
invitation, when to send it (up to 3 weeks in advance for most parties; 6 weeks to 2 months for weddings, etc.), and
what RSVP actually means! All students used a format found in the library and on-line and were to give the letter to
me one week prior to the party so that we could count the number of students and parents attending. It was very
interesting to see how irritated students became when certain ones did not respond at all and the class had to
“guesstimate” how much food and beverage to prepare. Quite a lesson learned about the real world!
Ocean Overview for teachers: http://wps.prenhall.com/esm_tarbuck_escience_10/0,6440,219211-,00.html
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AN OVERVIEW OF THE OCEAN UNIT ASSESSMENT
Pre-Post Items
Short Answer:
1. What has current scientific research told us about the amount and types of water
found on our planet.
2. What makes a current in ocean water?
3. What are some adaptations of animals that live on the reefs or continental shelf?
4. What is an “El Nino” when talking about the ocean?
4. Name two main criteria (conditions) that determine which organisms live where in
the ocean?
5. Name three pollutants found in our oceans.
Performance-Based Task:
Have students write a description of the affects on climate of El Nino when answering
the tasks below:
Scenario A: Pre or Post
You are a meteorologist/weatherperson for a TV station, and have been asked to
describe the climate of a South American coast after being told that El Nino is coming.
State the coast affected and how the climate will be.
Scenario B: Pre or Post
You are a newspaper reporter and are covering the approach of El Nino in South
America. You need to name the coast that is affected and how the climate will be after
this phenomenon arrives.
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QA Rubric
Reviewer: __________________________________
Quester: __________________________________
Date:
Quest:
__________________________________
__________________________________
Purpose: This rubric is to assess both the Quest response and reflection according to the rubric below.
Instructions: Respond to each of the following statements with regard to the extent to which the
description is present in the work. Then, tally your responses according to the chart at the page
bottom. While a Quester is completing her first few Quests, consider using this rubric leniently to
foster motivation and buy-in.
1. Response
5 pts.
4 pts.
3 pts.
2 pts.
1 pt.
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Somewhat
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Somewhat
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Somewhat
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Somewhat
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Somewhat
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
a. The response is Accurate.
(It addresses the targeted goals of the quest.)
b. The response is Credible.
(It uses sound disciplinary content.)
c. The response is Meaningful.
(It has value for the individual or world.)
d. The response is Original.
(It is unique, imaginative, and risky, and it
shows integrity.)
e. The response is Complete.
(It addresses all of the stated goals.)
If the tally for the response totals less than 19, indicate that the section should be revised; if the tally is 19
or above, then indicate that the work has been accepted.
2. Reflection
5 pts.
4 pts.
3 pts.
2 pts.
1 pt.
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Somewhat
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Somewhat
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Somewhat
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
a. The reflection is Complete.
(It addresses the three components.1)
b. The reflection is Critical.
(It addresses specific strengths or
weaknesses of the response or the process.)
c. The reflection is Comprehensive.
(It accounts for all parts of the response rather
than isolated elements.)
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If the tally for the reflection totals less than 10, indicate that the section should be revised; if the tally is 10
or above, then indicate that the work has been accepted.
Appendix 1: The Ocean Zones
The Ocean Zones
From the shiny, clear sunlight zone to the dark, murky midnight
zone, lie facts about the three different zones of the ocean. Even
though the very bottom zone is about ninety percent of the
ocean, more than ninety percent of the ocean’s sea life lives in
the top zone, which is why it is important that we do not pollute
our oceans.
Sunlight Zone
The sunlight zone is also called the Euphotic Zone. This zone is
the top zone, and it is also the smallest. The sunlight zone is only
about 600 feet deep, but ninety percent of the ocean’s sea life
lives in the sunlight zone. This zone is home to a wide variety of
marine life because plants can grow here. Plants can grow here
because sunlight can get to the plants in this zone, so the plants
can do photosynthesis and grow. Also, the water temperature is
warmer than any other zone in the ocean. The sunlight can reach
this zone and warm the ocean water, so it is warm enough for
fish and other sea life. Sharks, tunas, mackerels, jellyfish, sea
turtles, sea lions, seals, and stingrays are a few of the animals
that live in the sunlight zone.
Oil Pollution
Pollution is major problem in the sunlight zone. The main kind of
pollution that occurs in this zone is oil pollution. The two main
causes of oil pollution in the ocean are big ships leaking oil or
ships carrying oil crashing into things in the ocean.
Global Warming
Global warming is affecting many different parts of the ocean as
well. It is causing the water to rise, and when it rises, it covers
things such as low land islands with plants, animals, and even
some people’s homes on them. This can hurt animals in the
different layers of the ocean.
One other way ocean layers are affected by global warming is
that warm water, caused by global warming, is hurting and even
killing algae which is what some fish in the sunlight zone eat.
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These fish would die because all of their food would be gone.
When the fish die, it is a break in our food chain, which would
lead to a big problem for all of the animals that rely on the algaeeating fish for their food.
Twilight Zone
The twilight zone is also called the Disphotic Zone. In depth, the
twilight zone is about 2,400 feet, making it the second largest
zone. As the water becomes deeper, the water pressure becomes
higher. Almost no sunlight can reach this zone. Therefore, very
few plants can grow here. The only animals that can live here are
those that can adapt to very little sunlight, really cold
temperatures, and very high pressure. The few animals that can
live in the twilight zone are lantern fish, rattalk fish, hatchet fish,
viperfish, mid-water jellyfish, octopus, and squid.
Many animals that live in the twilight zone have bodies that
protect them from predators. The viperfish and the ratchet fish
have fangs so they can easily protect themselves and help them
eat their prey. Other fish are so thin that when a predator looks
at them, they do not even see them! Some fish are colored red
and black to blend in with their surroundings.
Some squid and fish can use their bodies to make light with
special organs in their bodies called photophores. These
photophores give off a greenish colored light, which helps them
see. Most fish in this zone don’t chase their prey. They wait for
their pray to swim by. Then they snatch their prey and eat it.
Toxic Pollution
Some of the pollution that causes problems for the amazing
creatures of the twilight zone are metals and toxic chemicals.
These toxic chemicals settle in the sea, and eventually some of
the fish eat these chemicals. Other fish eat these fish that ate the
chemicals, and these fish, too, will eventually die because they
are putting toxic pollution into their bodies.
Midnight Zone
The midnight zone is also called the Aphhotic Zone. Ninety
percent of the ocean is the midnight zone. This zone happens to
be the bottom zone, so it is completely dark. Very few creatures
in the ocean live in the midnight zone because the water pressure
is extreme and it is near freezing down that far.
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Some of the very few creatures that live down in this zone are
angler fish, tripod fish, sea cucumbers, snipe eels, opossum
shrimp, black swallowers, and the vampire squids.
Because of the lack of plants at this depth, all of the creatures in
this zone are predators. They survive by consuming bacteria
which grows from the mineral-rich materials and hydrogen sulfide
that are given off by underwater cracks in the earth’s crust. Since
there is no light down in this zone, some fish do not even have
eyes.
Anoxic Water
One problem caused by pollution that occurs in the midnight zone
is called anoxic water. This means that there is no or hardly any
dissolved oxygen in the water. When there is no dissolved
oxygen, fish and other creatures can’t breathe, and they will
quickly die from a lack of oxygen. Some of the creatures that live
at this depth might die or migrate to other parts of the ocean. If
they do migrate, there is a possibility that there could become a
problem in the food chain.
It is very important that we address the issues that affect the
ocean. Ninety percent of sea creatures live in the sunlight zone,
which is the zone that is most affected by global warming and oil
pollution. We must stop these problems because if we don’t, we
will hurt and maybe even kill our sea life.
Bibliography for Ocean Pollution
Annenberg/CPB. Sewage.
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/sewage.html. Last Visited:
2/18/02.
Castilleja School (USA). Ocean Pollution. http://www.jp.kidscommons.net/vc96/ocean_pollution/
ocean1.html. Last Visited: 2/8/02.
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