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Lesson Plans
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Over 50 lesson plans in the Life Science and Earth Science subject areas, from grades 3rd to 12th are included. These lesson plans were developed through a partnership between teachers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and various branches of NOAA.
Each lesson plan is available as a pdf download in the tables below. Supplemental materials are also identified and linked for select lesson plans. File size is listed for each downloadable file; links with no file size listed are not file downloads.
Grades 3rd to 6th
| Lesson | Topic | Summary of Objectives | Group/Org. |
|---|---|---|---|
Aquarius Technology (214 kb) |
Building underwater habitats |
Students will learn to design and build a model of an underwater habitat. |
NOAA |
Coral Reef Community Game (157 kb) |
Changes in species composition on reefs |
Students will learn about the living requirements and ecology of three
important sessile organisms that inhabit the coral reef: corals, sponges
and seaweeds. Game cards (1.16 mb) for each organism are also available. |
NOAA |
Filter Feeding in Reef Sponges (245 kb) |
Feeding strategies |
Students will observe and describe filter-feeding in sponges and explore the ecological role of sponges on coral reefs. Lesson plan includes handouts. |
NOAA |
In My Opinion (166 kb) |
Political participation |
Students will learn how to write such influential letters to their legislators
in support of ocean conservation. |
NOAA | Remote Sensing & Coral Reefs (4.34 mb) |
Technology & coral reef monitoring (seven lesson plans) |
This curriculum contains seven lesson plans about coral reef monitoring. It
covers the electromagnetic spectrum, altimetry, coral reefs, symbiosis,
phytoplankton, sea surface temperature, and conservation issues. Supplemental materials include two slideshow presentations (Remote Sen-sing (1.63 mb) & Threats (848 kb) ) |
NOAA |
Grades 5th and 6th
| Lesson | Topic | Summary of Objectives | Group/Org. |
|---|---|---|---|
A Piece of Cake (241 kb) |
Spatial heterogeneity in deep-water coral |
Students will be able to explain what a habitat is, describe at least three
functions of a habitat, and give examples of habitats that are typical of
deep-water, hard bottom communities. |
NOAA |
Architects of Coral Reefs (278 kb) |
Reproduction in Cnidaria |
Students will be able to identify and describe at least five characteristics
of Cnidaria coral, and describe typical reproductive strategies of Cnidaria. |
NOAA |
Architects of the Deep Reef (263 kb) |
Reproduction in deep sea corals |
Students will be able to infer which reproductive strategies are likely to be
used by the deep-sea coral Lophelia pertusa, and will be able to describe
the advantages of these strategies. |
NOAA |
Deep Gardens (224 kb) |
Comparison of deep and shallow tropical corals |
Students will compare and contrast deep-sea coral communities with their
shallow- water counterparts and describe three types of coral associated
with deep-sea coral communities. |
NOAA | Easy as Pi Exploring Corals (295 kb) |
Structural complexity in benthic habitats |
Students will be able to describe the importance of structural features that
increase surface area in benthic habitats and quantify the impact of
structural modifications. |
NOAA |
Forest of the Deep (160 kb) |
Deep-sea coral associated with seamounts |
Students will be able to explain ways in which seamounts are important to
biological communities, infer ways in which deep-sea corals are important to seamount ecosystems. |
NOAA |
Friend or Foe? (324 kb) |
Symbiotic relationships |
Students will be able to describe symbiotic, mutualistic, commensal,
parasitic, facultative and obligatory relationships between organisms. |
NOAA |
Keep Away (272 kb) |
Pollution and benthic habitat |
Students will be able to make inferences about possible effects of drilling
operations on benthic communities. |
NOAA |
Save a Reef (290 kb) |
Coral reef conservation |
Students will design a public information program to improve
understanding of the coral reef crisis, and what individuals can do to help. |
NOAA |
Grades 6th to 8th
| Lesson | Topic | Summary of Objectives | Group/Org. |
|---|---|---|---|
Architects of Seamount Ecosystems (188 kb) |
Morphology and ecological function in deep sea corals |
Students will be able to describe ways in which habitat-forming deep sea corals benefit other species in deep sea ecosystems, and explain how habitat-forming deep sea corals and their associated ecosystems may be important to humans. |
NOAA | Big Fleas Have Little Fleas (302 kb) |
Physical structure in benthic habitats |
Students will learn about the importance of structural complexity to species diversity and abundance in benthic habitats, and discuss ways that octocorals may modify seamount habitats. |
NOAA |
Biodiversity of Marine Sanctuaries (146 kb) |
Biodiversity in the oceans |
In this lesson, students will explore the biodiversity of two NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries. Supplemental materials include a video (see 'Biodiversity' in Additional Materials). |
NOAA |
Climate, Corals & Change (407 kb) |
Paleo-climatology |
Students will be able to explain the concept of "paleoclimatological proxies," describe how oxygen isotope ratios are related to water temperature, and interpret data to make inferences about growth rates. |
NOAA |
Deep Sea Coral Biodiversity (286 kb) |
Biodiversity of deep sea coral |
Students will research life forms found on tropical and deep sea reefs to gain an understanding of the biodiversity of those ecosystems. |
NOAA | Design a Reef! (282 kb) |
Niches in coral reef ecosystems |
Students will describe the major functions that organisms must perform in a coral reef ecosystem, and explain how these functions might be provided in a miniature coral reef ecosystem. |
NOAA |
Exploring Sanctuaries (195 kb) |
Marine ecosystems and their protection |
Students will identify major groups of organisms living in and protected by national marine sanctuaries. |
NOAA |
Hawaiian Hot Spots (148 kb) |
Plate tectonics |
Students will explore the ways in which the unique hot spot environment has contributed to the richness of the environment at NWHI monument. Supplemental material includes a video (see 'Hawaiian Hot Spots'' in Additional Materials). |
NOAA |
How am I Supposed to Eat That? (241 kb) |
Feeding adaptations among benthic organisms |
Students will be able to describe at least three nutritional strategies used by benthic organisms typical of deep water coral communities and describe physical adaptations associated with at least three nutritional strategies used by benthic organisms. |
NOAA |
Let's Go to the Video Tape (305 kb) |
Communities on deep water coral habitats |
Students will identify some of the fauna groups found in deep sea coral communities, infer possible reasons for observed distribution of groups of animals in these communities, and discuss the biological diversity. |
NOAA |
Predators Among Us (144 kb) |
Overfishing of sharks |
Students will learn about the balance in the reef ecosystem among sharks and other carnivorous fish, their prey, and algae. Students will see that predators are an important part of a balanced ecosystem. Supplemental material includes a video (see 'Predators Among Us' in Additional Materials). |
NOAA |
Saved by a Shark (147 kb) |
Humans as predators of coral reef ecosystems |
This lesson focuses on human beings as predators, specifically in coral reef ecosystems. Issues examined include over-fishing, pollution, global warming, coastal development, and passive "predatory behavior." Supplemental material includes a video (see 'Saved by a Shark' in Additional Materials). |
NOAA |
Treasures in Jeopardy (199 kb) |
Conservation of deep-sea coral communities |
Students will compare and contrast deep sea coral communities with their shallow water counterparts and explain at least three benefits associated with deep sea coral communities. |
NOAA |
Grades 9th to 12th
| Lesson | Topic | Summary of Objectives | Group/Org. |
|---|---|---|---|
A Reef of Your Own (176 kb) |
Coral reef biology |
Students will be able to describe and explain the importance of asexual and sexual reproductive strategies to reef-building corals. |
NOAA | Bad Algae! (177 kb) |
Harmful algal blooms |
Students will be able to compare and contrasts ways in which algal blooms may be harmful. |
NOAA |
Cool Corals (278) |
Biology, ecology of Lophelia corals |
Students will describe the basic morphology of Lophelia corals, explain their significance and interpret observations on the behavior of Lophelia polyps. |
NOAA |
Currents & precious coral communities |
Students will be able to describe major forces driving ocean currents and discuss the general effects of topography on current velocity. |
NOAA | |
Do Not Bleach! (482 kb) |
Coral bleaching |
Students will be able to investigate possible causes for coral bleaching. |
NOAA | Feeding in the Flow (347 kb) |
Currents & feeding in corals |
Students will be able to describe ways in which current flow may affect the feeding efficiency of particle-feeding organisms. |
NOAA |
Fix It! (151 kb) |
Repairing damaged resources |
Students will be able to give examples of natural events and human activities that damage coastal resources. |
NOAA |
History's Thermometers (302 kb) |
Deep-water corals and climate change |
Students will be able to explain the concept of paleoclimatological proxies, learn how oxygen isotope ratios are related to water temperature and interpret data to make inferences about climate change. |
NOAA |
How Does Your (Coral) Garden Grow? (288 kb) |
Growth rate estimates based on isotope ratios |
Students will identify and briefly explain two methods for estimating the
age of hard corals and learn how oxygen isotope ratios are related to water temperature and interpret data. |
NOAA |
Is It Getting Hot in Here? (228 kb) |
Climate change |
Students will identify ways in which climate change could affect human communities and find evidence of impeding climate change. |
NOAA |
Keeping Watch on Coral Reefs (440 kb) |
Coral reef monitoring |
Students will be able to identify and explains major threats to coral reefs. |
NOAA |
No Escape (1.21 mb) |
Larvae dispersal in sea mounts |
Students will learn to use field data to evaluate a hypothesis about the influence of a water circulation cell on larvae. |
NOAA |
No Fishing? (190 kb) |
Protecting natural & cultural resources |
Students will be able to describe a process for evaluating the effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs). |
NOAA |
Protect This! (580 kb) |
Designing MPAs |
Students will describe how networks of marine protected areas (MPAs) can protect biodiversity. |
NOAA |
Seals, Corals & Dollars (451 kb) |
Monk seals, coral and economy |
Students will be able to describe the ecological relationship between Hawaiian monk seals and deep-water precious corals. |
NOAA |
Water Parks (369 kb) |
U.S. MPAs |
Students will be able to identify reasons for establishing marine protected areas (MPAs). |
NOAA |
What's Down There? (392 kb) |
Mapping coral reef habitats |
Students will be able to access data on selected coral reefs, manipulate these data to characterize these reefs, and explain the need for baseline data in coral reef monitoring programs. |
NOAA |
Who Has the Data? (228 kb) |
Coral reef monitoring |
Students will be able to access data on selected coral reefs and manipulate these data to characterize these reefs. |
NOAA |
Who's Your Neighbor? (282 kb) |
Groups in deep sea coral reefs |
Students will be able to describe common feeding strategies used by benthic animals. |
NOAA |
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