Life in the Ocean

Grades 4 to 9
Subjects  Science, Biology, Ecology, Oceanography

How do we stop ocean polution?
    Because the population keeps rising, and our natural resoures keep being consumed more and more every day, the oceans future is at stake.  Industries, agricultural, toxic, and everyday wastes are polluting the oceans waters, and large amounts of hazardous chemical substances infiltrate marine ecosystems around the world.  This causes imbalences and habitat destruction for marine life.  In order to stop this, what actions must be taken?

The Activity Description
      The goal of this activity is to make students aware of the problems the oceans face today.  It provides an overview of some of the most presuring topics and issues like oil spills and climate change that just recently occurred.  The students can use the inter net and encyclopedias to investigate these topics.  The activity includes discussion, posters/presentations, and reports.

Objectives
      *To learn about the causes and effects of the problems the             oceans ecosystem faces.
       *To research marine habitats and global change.

Suggested prep time:  1-2 weeks
Group sizes: 1-4 persons

The Activity

1.  The day beore you wish to begin the activity, ask the students to find an article concerning oceananic problems and bring it in. Ask them to write a summary of the article so they can share it on the following day.

2. To begin the activity, have the class share their summaries and then brainstorm on the many problems our ocean faces. Have them to then choose one topic ( not related to the summary they wrote the night before) and make a hypothesise about the problems source and its long term effects on the marine habitat.  Give them about five minutes to complete this activity. 

3.  Next, if you choose to put the students in groups, divide them now, ask them to choose a facilatator, recorder, and a spokesperson, and have them discuss their hypotheses to one another.  Then have each student give their group their summaries and have the recorder write down everyones opinons on the summaries and hypothoses.  Next have each spokesperson read aloud their groups records and have someone record all this information on the board.With this new information, lead the students int a class discussion about the students' impressions of the present state of our oceans.

4. In new groups of three, have the students list the effects of marine pollution on the following subjects: ocean, oceanography, water, marine life, coral reef, and estuary.  Allow them to use resourses such as encyclopedias and the internet in the library to further their research.  After each group has finished their research on their new topics, have them make a final list of different kinds of marine pollution, habitat destruction, and global change.  Then have each group write out on a seperate small piece of paper the actual pollution problem. Now each group should have many small pieces of paper with such things as toxic contaminants, nonpoit pollution, tourism, and ozone depletion.

5.  On a large sheet of poster board, have each group arrange their small pieces of paper to show conections between problems, causes, and effects.  Encourage students to add detail and be creative. Once the posters are finished, have each group give a five-minute oral presentation about the topics represented on their poster. This will provide a good oppourtunity for disscusion and questions.  Within the scope of disscussion, ask the students to brainstorm some ways to stop ocean pollution.

6. To wrap up the activity, have each student select one marine problem from their poster and write a 2-3 page essay defining the problem, its effects on the oceans, and at least three possible solutions.

Return to Oceanography Page