Introduction to coral reefs
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/education/reef_remote_sensing.html
A lesson plan for grade 6 Science
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Coral reefs are known as the “rainforests of the sea.” They cover less than
one percent of Earth’s surface, but are home to one quarter of known marine fish species. Scientists estimate that there are one to eight million undiscovered species living in and around the reef.
This fourth lesson in the Remote Sensing and Coral Reefs curriculum from NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch Program, which is written by Margaret “Peggy” Koenig, will introduce students to coral reefs by identifying their locations, both in the water and around the globe.
The lessons in this unit are designed to be taught in sequence, however, many of the activities are suited to teaching in isolation. This science unit is appropriate for grades four through six. Some concepts tend to be abstract, so depending on students’ ability and background knowledge, this unit might be more suitable in a gifted and talented setting. The curriculum includes the following lesson plans:
- Remote Sensing and the Electromagnetic Spectrum
- Altimetry
- Phytoplankton and Ocean Color
- Introduction to Coral Reefs
- Symbiosis and Coral Anatomy
- Sea Surface Temperature and Coral Bleaching
- Conservation
The lesson plans and PowerPoint presentations are available for download. Users may choose a zipfile of the entire curriculum, or individual lesson plans. All files are PDF, unless otherwise indicated.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
Science (2005)
Grade 6
- Goal 1: The learner will design and conduct investigations to demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry.
- Objective 1.01: Identify and create questions and hypotheses that can be answered through scientific investigations.
- Goal 7: The learner will conduct investigations and use technologies and information systems to build an understanding of population dynamics.
- Objective 7.01: Describe ways in which organisms interact with each other and with non-living parts of the environment:
- Coexistence/Cooperation/Competition.
- Symbiosis.
- Mutual dependence.
- Objective 7.01: Describe ways in which organisms interact with each other and with non-living parts of the environment:
