Oceans & Ocean Life
Bridge: Teacher-Approved Marine Education Resources
Supported by the National Oceanographic Partnership Program, the National Marine Educators Association, and the national network of Sea Grant educators, this site does an excellent job of locating and organizing marine and ocean science education resources. Teachers will find links to the best sites, online projects, publications, lesson plans, data, and more. Special sections feature elementary resources, student research guidance, student competitions and activities, school projects, etc. This is a well-organized site for teachers K-12.
Bridge: Aquariums
Lots of great online information about oceans and marine life can be found at aquariums. Check out this extensive list of U.S. and international aquariums. Many of the aquarium sites have special education sections or areas for kids and/or teachers. Some specific sites to check out: Sea World’s links to lesson plans; Monterey Bay Aquarium links about conservation and oceans in the news; Florida Aquarium’s activities and games in Education/For Kids; Shedd Aquarium’s Animals and Exhibits featuring good online “translations of exhibits and printable Animal Fact sheets; Gulf of Maine Aquarium’s great information, photos, and lessons on marine mammals, streams and other waterways, turtles, lobsters, and more; and Calvert Marine Museum’s lighthouse links.
Treasures@Sea: Lessons Caught in the Net
What a fun site for primary students! In addition to the lesson plans and other resources for teachers, much of the site can be used directly with students. Treasure Hunts let students explore basic ocean facts; Games and Puzzles shares word searches, crosswords, quizzes, and more; and Books encourages students to read ocean picture books and then explore facts, follow-up questions, games, and more. Teachers will find lesson plans, standards, and booklists in the Teacher’s Place and more great ideas for cross-curricular study in Writing Activities and Ocean Art. This is an excellent site for grades K-3 and some activities and lesson plans can be used with grades 4-8.
MBG Net: Marine Ecosystems
Explore the world’s marine ecosystems: Shorelines, Temperate Oceans, and Tropical Oceans. Each area highlights biome facts, plant and animal life, and more. The pleasant graphics and relatively easy language make this site great for all ages. Freshwater Ecosystems -- Rivers and Streams, Ponds and Lakes, and Wetlands -- can be accessed from the Biomes home page.
Venture Into Hawaii’s Coral Reefs
This award-winning site was created by six fourth, fifth, and sixth graders at Enchanted Lake Elementary School in Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii. A lot of research and firsthand exploration of coral reefs have gone into creating a well-organized, colorful, and kid-friendly site. Text is supplemented with lots of photos, videos, and animation. Parts of the site -- like the Discovery Zone’s interactive activities -- could be used with primary students, but most sections are best for grades 3-8.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA)
This federal government organization shares research, news archives, data, and other information related to oceans, fisheries, navigation, coasts, and more. There is a wealth of information at their general site for grade 3+ research and independent study. Teachers will find the Education Resources very helpful. Teachers can check out Adopt a Buoy information on how classrooms can access data gathered hourly from stationary buoys in the ocean. The NOAA Photo Library has 11,000+ public domain images that can be used free of charge as long as photo credit is given to NOAA. Images have been sorted into collections that include fisheries, coastlines, coral reefs, animals, sanctuaries, and undersea exploration.