Sequence | Background | Objectives | Materials | Activity | Extensions | Evaluations

TOPIC-TITLE Physical Parameters - Where Do You Live in the Oceanic Realm? AUTHOR Jodi L. Jansky GRADE SUITABILITY Middle School SCOPE Earth Science and/or Life Science

Sequence This unit follows a unit on coral reef communities. To compare and contrast coral reef communities and physical parameters, discuss the areas of the ocean where most life exists. Discuss the technology oceanographers use to explore the ocean floor. Students should be familiar with how sound travels and be familiar with inferring distances by using sound. (See Jason Curriculum 1992 pages 99-103 for ideas.) Follow this unit with plate tectonics and thermal vents. < < go top

Background Summary Sonar technology is used by oceanographers and topographers to discover the appearance of the sea floor. This information helps us better understand the geologic features of the deep ocean and allows us to travel the oceans more safely. < < go top Objectives Students will be able to do the following: Create a map of the Atlantic Ocean floor. Label sea floor features on the map. Label oceanic life zones on the map. Draw pictures of animals found in the different life zones on the map. < < go top Materials Clear tape Colored pencils Thin line black markers Rulers Three sheets of graph paper per student team Copy of data on page 13 of Nature Scope (1992) edition or Merrill Earth Science (1995) pages 312-315. < < go top Activity Divide class into learning groups of two students each. Provide each team with three sheets of graph paper, several pieces of tape, and a copy of the "Ocean Depth Data" found on page 13 of Nature Scope (1992) or page 315 of the Merrill Earth Science (1995) Textbook. Use an overhead transparency of a piece of graph paper to demonstrate the numbering of the X and Y axes on the graph paper. Plot the first three to four depths together, then have teams finish plotting all depths. Teams should connect all points using a pencil and ruler. Teams then will trace over plotted points with a thin-line black marker. Teams will color the ocean floor using black or brown colored pencils. Teams will read pages 312-315 in the Merrill (1995) text together, then using that information, label the following areas of the ocean floor on the map: continental shelf, continental slope, continental rise, ocean basin, abyssal plain, ocean trench, sea mount, mid-ocean ridge, and rift. Have each team label the life zones of the ocean including the depths. Teams will draw and label two to three animals found in each zone. < < go top Possible Extension Investigate the mineral deposits found on the sea floor. Can they be mined? In the event the mineral deposits can be mined, who owns them? Investigate the process of "false coloring" in sonar technology and compare it to the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) process used in hospitals. Research how or which animals use sound waves for survival. < < go top Teacher Evaluation Have students respond to the following three questions in their journals: Draw a profile of the ocean floor and label the following features: continental shelf, continental slope, abyssal plain, rift zone, mid-ocean ridges, sea mount, and ocean trench. Where do most animals in the ocean live, closer to continents or in deeper water? Justify your answer. Explain how the ocean floor data used for maps were gathered. < < go top