TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ............................................................. 2 

Lesson 1: Ocean Dwellers ........................................... 3

Lesson 2: Earth’s Water Moves ................................... 19

Lesson 3: The Lives of Humpback Whales ................... 28

Lesson 4: Ocean Currents .......................................... 37 

Lesson 5: A Whale of a Migration ................................ 48

Lesson 6: Fishing for Solutions .................................. 58

Lesson 7: Food Matters ............................................. 68

Lesson 8: Cycles in the Ocean ..................................... 77

Credits ................................................................... 87

Appendix ................................................................ 88
WELCOME TO THE OCEAN ODYSSEY

GUIDE FOR EDUCATORS

This guide includes 8 elementary school 

level lessons, inspired by topics from 

Ocean Odyssey, a film for IMAX and other 

Giant Screen theaters. Watching the film 

is not required to carry out any of these 

lessons, but can serve to enhance students’ 

learning experience of the topics presented 

in these activities. 

Host-narrated by oceanographer Sylvia 

Earle, Ocean Odyssey is an immersive film 

following a mother and calf humpback 

whale on their migration from the 

tropics to Antarctica. On this journey, 

we learn how ocean currents nurture 

life in diverse environments, including 

tiny phytoplankton in ocean upwellings, 

clownfish and anemone in the Great Barrier 

Reef, seabirds on a subtropical island and 

endangered nurse sharks in an underwater 

cave. Connecting it all is the understanding 

that the ocean and life on land are 

intricately interconnected.

The challenges facing the ocean and 

its inhabitants cross geographic and 

ethnic boundaries. Understanding the 

ocean and its ecosystems is essential 

to comprehending and protecting this 

planet on which we live. This is among 

NOAA’s most important missions, to 

better understand and protect our ocean 

and coasts, their ecosystems, and the 

communities that rely on them. 

We must all be stewards for a cleaner, 

healthier, and more sustainable ocean. The 

first step in that role is education. We must 

prepare and inspire today’s young people, 

who will be our leaders tomorrow. 

We hope the activities in this guide, and 

films like Ocean Odyssey which inspired 

them will help lead you and your students 

to learn more about our ocean planet, its 

myriad of wonders beneath the waves, and 

work to maintain healthy ecosystems that 

are resilient in the face of change.

USERS NOTE

All of the lessons in this guide have been 

aligned to major national education 

standards, including the Next Generation 

Science Standards (NGSS), Ocean Literacy 

Principles, Common Core State Standards 

(Mathematics and English Language Arts), 

and National Geography Standards. Titles 

or summaries of standards are at the 

beginning of each lesson. To access the full 

standards referenced, please see links in 

the appendix.

These lessons progress for use from 

younger to older grade bands, but they all 

contain aspects and resources which may 

be adapted for all grade bands. 

This guide can be downloaded online at 

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/

ocean-odyssey/

You can learn more about Ocean Literacy 

and how to integrate it into your curriculum 

at: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/

education/literacy.html

You can discover more ocean topics and 

educational resources for all ages at: 

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/

2
LESSON 1:

OCEAN DWELLERS

INTRODUCTION

The importance of ocean currents for 

marine life is clear. Ocean currents serve 

as nurseries for some animals while others 

spend their whole lives in them. There 

are a variety of plants and animals that 

live in and around the currents, and this 

biodiversity shows how important the 

ocean and its currents are for so many 

living things. 

LESSON SUMMARY

In this lesson, small groups of students use 

card sets to learn about some of the plants 

and animals that live in the ocean. They 

explore where the living thing lives, what it 

looks like and where it gets its energy. They 

share information with classmates as they 

place picture cards on a chart to show the 

depth at which the living thing lives in the 

ocean. 

3

OBJECTIVES

• Students will explore the living things 

that live in the ocean, including what 

they look like, where they live, and their 

predator-prey relationships. 

• Students will learn that different living 

things primarily live at particular depths 

in the ocean.

ESTIMATED TIME

45 minutes. If you would like to complete 

this lesson over 2 days, complete steps 1-3 

on day 1 and the remainder of the lesson 

on day 2.

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

Science (NGSS): 2-LS4-1. Make 

observations of plants and animals to 

compare the diversity of life in different 

habitats.
OCEAN LITERACY 

PRINCIPLES

5a Ocean life ranges in size from the 

smallest living things, microbes, to the 

largest animal on Earth, blue whales.

5d Most of the major groups that exist on 

Earth are found exclusively in the ocean 

and the diversity of major groups of 

organisms is much greater in the ocean 

than on land. 

5e The ocean provides a vast living space 

with diverse and unique ecosystems.

FOCUS QUESTION

How are living things that live in the ocean 

similar to and different from each other?

MATERIALS

• Ocean Dwellers card sets, see 

“Preparation”

• Ocean Depth Chart master, see 

“Preparation” for options on how to 

create the chart and the materials 

needed

• Tape 

• Plain paper, one sheet per student

• Pencils, pens, markers, and/or crayons

PREPARATION

• Print and cut apart the Ocean Dwellers 

card sets. Each set should have 4 

cards about the same living thing–a 

card about what it looks like, a card 

about where it gets its energy, a card 

about where it lives, and a card with 

a picture of it. Three of the cards have 

information and one is a picture of 

the plant or animal. Each group of 3 

students should get 1 set of 4 cards 

about a living thing. Students will use 

these sets of cards and will place the 

picture of the living thing on a chart to 

show how deep in the ocean it lives.

• If you are not able to project the Ocean 

Depth Chart master attached to this 

lesson, or if you prefer to make a larger 

chart, you can create your own by 

using three colors of construction or 

butcher paper. Create a large rectangle 

of “ocean” with the bottom third of 

the rectangle made from black paper 

to represent the midnight zone of the 

ocean, the middle third made from dark 

blue paper to represent the twilight 

zone, and the top third made from 

paper that is a lighter blue color to 

represent the sunlight zone. Students 

will need to place 10 cards with pictures 

of living things on the chart to show the 

depth at which they live, so ensure that 

the overall rectangle is large enough for 

them to easily tape approximately 3-5 

cards per depth level. Add water depth 

labels along the left side, as shown on 

the Ocean Depth Chart master. 

4
5

FACILITATION

Step 1. Ask students if they know any 

plants or animals that live in the ocean. 

Have them brainstorm their ideas. They 

may come up with some ideas, such as 

sharks, whales, or jellyfish, depending 

on their experience with the ocean. The 

students may not have many ideas at this 

point. Even if that is the case, do not try to 

prompt them as they will have a chance to 

learn about different living things through 

this activity. Tell students that they are 

going to have a chance to learn about some 

different plants and animals that live in the 

ocean and to share what they learn with 

their classmates. 

Step 2. Have students work in groups 

of 3. Give each group a set of Ocean 

Dweller cards about one living thing (see 

“Preparation” for more information). Tell 

them that one student will describe the 

plant or animal, one will describe what it 

eats and what eats it, and one will share 

where it lives. They will need to be able to 

place the card with the picture of the living 

thing on the class Ocean Depth Chart (see 

Preparation). 

Step 3. Give students time to read their 

cards to their group and make sure they 

know what the information means. Your 

students may have different levels of 

understanding about the animals listed on 

the energy cards (1 of the 4 types of cards in 

the Ocean Dwellers card set), depending on 

their prior knowledge and experience.

Circulate around the room discussing their 

ideas about the cards and determining if 

they need additional information about 

any of the animals. The Monterey Bay 

Aquarium has an Animals A to Z webpage

(https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/

animals/animals-a-to-z) that you can share 

with students to show them pictures and 

descriptions of animals with which they are 

not familiar. 

Step 4. Have each group share what is on 

their cards and tape the plant or animal 

picture in the right level of the Ocean Depth 

Chart to show where the living thing lives. 

As students are putting their animals on 

the chart, share that there are three main 

zones in the ocean where animals live. You 

may wish to add labels with the name of 

the three zones that are represented on the 

chart.

• The sunlight zone is from the surface 

of the water to about 650 feet deep. 

This is the zone where sunlight can still 

reach. It also has warmer temperatures 

because of heat from the sun. 

• The twilight zone reaches from about 

650 feet deep to about 3,300 feet deep. 

In this depth zone, any sunlight is very 

faint. Plants would no longer be able to 

make food in this zone because there is 

not enough light. 
6

• The midnight zone reaches from about 

3,300 feet to a little over 13,000 feet 

deep. The only visible light at this depth 

is made by animals themselves because 

light cannot reach this depth. 

• Beyond the midnight zone (and not 

represented on the chart in this lesson), 

there is the abyssal zone, or the abyss, 

where the water is near freezing and few 

animals can survive the pressure, and 

the hadal zone, which reaches into the 

deep trenches in the ocean. 

Step 5. Once all the animals are on the 

Ocean Depth Chart, ask students to look 

for similarities between some of the living 

things. They might choose 2-3 plants and 

animals that live in the same level of the 

ocean, animals that are similar colors, or 

other similar features. Encourage them to 

use the names of the plants and animals 

as much as possible and to share their 

similarities in a complete sentence. 

Step 6. Next, have students find differences 

between some of the living things. They 

might find plants and animals that 

have different body shapes, that live in 

different levels, or other differences. Again, 

encourage them to use the names of the 

plants and animals in complete sentences 

as they share their differences. 

Step 7. Ask students to draw 2 of the 

living things on a piece of paper and label 

them. At the bottom have students write 

a sentence that starts with one of the 

following stems. 

• These living things are alike because 

_____.

• These living things are different 

because _____.

Step 8. Lesson Summary: Ask students to 

think of their favorite plant or animal. Then 

have them think of three ways that plant or 

animal is similar to or different from a plant 

or animal that they learned about in this 

lesson. You can ask the students to focus 

specifically on the plant or animal that the 

small group they were in learned about, or 

to simply pick one of the plants or animals 

they heard about during the lesson.
7

EXTENSION

Have students choose a plant or animal that lives in the ocean and do research to describe it, list 

what it eats and what eats it, and how deep in the ocean it lives. Discuss the diversity, or the many 

kinds of plants and animals that live in the ocean. Some NOAA resources that teachers may use to 

guide their student’s research include the following.

• Marine Life Resource Collections (https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ marine-life)

• Regional Activity Books (https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/regional-activity-books. html)

• National Marine Sanctuaries Resources (https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/students/)

• Estuary Education Resources (https://coast.noaa.gov/estuaries/curriculum/index/students/)
8

OCEAN DEPTH CHART
OCEAN DWELLERS CARD SET

Kelp: What does it look 

like? 

Kelp are large, brown algae, 

which are a type of seaweed. 

They make their own food, 

like land plants, and can form 

forests underground. The 

forests help to protect many 

animals. The animals can 

hide from rough storms or 

other animals.

Kelp: How does it get 

energy? What gets 

energy from it? 

Kelp and other algae are like 

underwater plants because 

they get their energy from the 

Sun. It grows in shallow water 

so sunlight can reach it. 

Some of the animals that 

eat kelp are sea urchins, sea 

otters, and spiny lobsters.

Kelp: Where does it live?

Kelp lives in shallow, cold, 

open water. They usually 

grow in the ocean between 49 

and 131 feet deep.

9
OCEAN DWELLERS CARD SET

Giant Pacific Octopus: 

What does it look like? 

Giant Pacific Octopuses 

have very large heads and 

eight legs. They are usually 

a reddish-brown color. 

They can change colors and 

textures to blend in with what 

is around them. 

Giant Pacific Octopus: 

How does it get energy? 

What gets energy from 

it? 

Giant Pacific Octopuses hunt 

at night. They mostly eat 

shrimp, clams, lobsters and 

fish. 

Some animals that eat Giant 

Pacific Octopuses are seals, 

sea otters, sharks and large 

fish.

Giant Pacific Octopus: 

Where does it live?

Giant Pacific Octopuses get 

their name because they live 

in the Pacific Ocean. They live 

in shallow water to almost a 

mile deep. Most often, they 

live in water about 16 feet 

deep. 

10
OCEAN DWELLERS CARD SET

Anglerfish: What does it 

look like? 

Anglerfish have large heads 

and sharp teeth that are seethrough. These fish are dark 

gray or dark brown. They 

range in size from 1 foot to 3 

1⁄2 feet.

Anglerfish: How does it 

get energy? What gets 

energy from it? 

Anglerfish eat shrimp, small 

squid, turtles, and small fish. 

They are not picky and will 

eat almost anything that will 

fit in their mouths.

In general, anglerfish do not 

have predators that eat them. 

Humans can catch and eat 

them.

Anglerfish: Where does 

it live?

Anglerfish live in the Atlantic 

and Antarctic Oceans. Some 

live in shallow water. Most of 

them live up to a mile (5,280 

feet) deep in the ocean where 

no sunlight can reach. 

11
OCEAN DWELLERS CARD SET

Tube Worm: What does 

it look like? 

There are different kinds of 

tube worms. The tube worms 

that live in the Gulf of Mexico 

can grow to be 10 feet long. 

They grow slowly and can live 

over 250 years. They live in 

clusters of hundreds of tube 

worms. The tube worms are 

white with red at the end. 

They do not have mouths, 

eyes, or stomachs. 

Tube Worm: How does 

it get energy? What gets 

energy from it? 

Tube worms get energy from 

bacteria that live within their 

bodies. The tube worms live 

in places where their bacteria 

get what they need to make 

energy. The tube worms and 

bacteria live together so both 

get what they need. 

Many kinds of fish eat tube 

worms to get energy.

Tube Worm: Where does 

it live?

There are many different 

types of tube worms. One 

type of tube worm lives in 

the Gulf of Mexico. It stays at 

about 2,000 feet deep. 

12
OCEAN DWELLERS CARD SET

Jellies: What does it 

look like? 

Jellyfish are dome-shaped 

bodies with tentacles. They 

do not have spines, so jellies 

are a better name for them 

than jellyfish. The smallest 

jellies are about half an inch 

wide. The largest can be 6 feet 

wide. The tentacles on these 

large jellies can be more than 

49 feet long! 

Jellies: How does it 

get energy? What gets 

energy from it? 

Jellies eat almost anything 

they run into. Most eat 

plankton, which are tiny living 

things that drift along in the 

water. Larger jellies can also 

eat small fish and shrimp.

Sea turtles, fish, and even 

other jellies get their energy 

from eating them.

Jellies: Where does it 

live?

Jellies are found in all of the 

world’s oceans. They are 

found in shallow and deep 

water, between 985 feet and 

4,500 feet deep. 

13
OCEAN DWELLERS CARD SET

Horseshoe Crab: What 

does it look like? 

Horseshoe crabs have a 

hard, rounded shell that is 

brownish-green. They have 10 

legs and 10 eyes. Females can 

be 18-19 inches long while 

males are a little smaller. 

They are tan to dark brown in 

color.

Horseshoe Crab: How 

does it get energy? What 

gets energy from it? 

Horseshoe crabs eat small 

clams, worms, and algae. 

They do not have teeth, so 

they crush their food with 

their legs before they put it in 

their mouths. 

Sharks, sea turtles, and 

seagulls eat horseshoe crabs. 

Horseshoe crab eggs are also 

an important food for these 

animals.

Horseshoe Crab: Where 

does it live?

Horseshoe crabs live in the 

Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, 

and Indian Ocean. Adults 

prefer shallower water, up to 

90 feet deep. 

14
OCEAN DWELLERS CARD SET

Clownfish: What does it 

look like? 

Clownfish are yellow, orange, 

or a reddish color. Many of 

them have white stripes. They 

are usually 3-6 inches long. 

Clownfish: How does it 

get energy? What gets 

energy from it? 

Clownfish mostly eat 

plankton and algae. They can 

eat other small foods in the 

ocean.

Clownfish are food for large 

fish, eels and sharks. 

Clownfish: Where does 

it live?

Clownfish live in the Indian 

Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and 

along the Great Barrier Reef. 

They are usually found in 

shallow water, from about 

three feet to about 40 feet 

deep. 

15
OCEAN DWELLERS CARD SET

Sea Lion: What does it 

look like? 

Sea lions are large animals. 

California Sea Lion males 

are up to 8 feet long and can 

weigh up to 660 pounds! They 

have short, thick hair and a 

big chest and belly. They can 

walk on all 4 flippers. 

Sea Lion: How does it 

get energy? What gets 

energy from it? 

Sea lions eat fish, squid,and 

octopus. 

Sea lions are large animals. 

Their predators are orcas and 

sharks. 

Sea Lion: Where does it 

live?

Sea lions live along the coasts 

of North and South America, 

Australia and Asia. They live 

in shallow water but can dive 

as deep as 600 feet to get fish 

and squid. 

16
OCEAN DWELLERS CARD SET

Orca Whale: What does 

it look like? 

Orcas are very large. Males 

are 20 to 26 feet long and can 

weigh up to 12,000 pounds. 

They have black on the upper 

side of their bodies. They are 

white on the underside of 

their bodies. 

Orca Whale: How does 

it get energy? What gets 

energy from it? 

Orcas get energy from eating 

fish, birds, sea turtles and 

other animals. 

Orcas are large and do not 

have any predators.

Orca Whale: Where does 

it live?

Orcas live all over the world. 

They can live in different 

temperatures of water. 

Scientists think that they 

mostly live between 850 to 

1,500 feet deep in the water. 

17
OCEAN DWELLERS CARD SET

Blacktip Reef Shark: 

What does it look like? 

Blacktip Reef Sharks have 

dark backs and white bellies. 

They also have black tips on 

their fins. They have short, 

round snouts and teeth that 

look like a saw. 

Blacktip Reef Shark: 

How does it get energy? 

What gets energy from 

it? 

Blacktip Reef Sharks mainly 

eat fish.

Other sharks and large 

grouper fish can eat the 

Blacktip Reef Sharks for 

energy.

Blacktip Reef Shark: 

Where does it live?

Blacktip Reef Sharks live 

in the Pacific Ocean along 

Thailand, Japan, the 

Philippines and Australia. 

They can also live in the 

Indian Ocean. These sharks 

live in water from about 65 to 

250 feet deep. 

18
LESSON 2:

EARTH’S WATER MOVES

INTRODUCTION

The ocean is one body of water that is 

interconnected across the world. Ocean 

currents serve as nurseries for some 

animals while others spend their whole 

lives in them. There are many kinds of 

plants and animals that live in and around 

ocean currents. This biodiversity shows 

how important the ocean and its currents 

are for so many different types of living 

things. 

LESSON SUMMARY

In this lesson, students have a chance 

to see how much of Earth is covered by 

water using a map and mathematics skills. 

They use an investigation to see one way 

that water moves around the world then 

consider why these currents are important 

for living things. 

19

OBJECTIVES

• Students will be able to describe how 

much of the Earth is covered by water.

• Students will explore ocean currents 

and gyres.

• Students will learn the locations of the 

major ocean gyres across the world, and 

what moves with these currents.

ESTIMATED TIME

60 minutes. If you would like to complete 

this lesson over 2 days, consider pausing 

the lesson between steps 5 and 6. 

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

Science (NGSS): 2-ESS2-2. Develop a 

model to represent the shapes and kinds of 

land and bodies of water in an area.
20

OCEAN LITERACY 

PRINCIPLES

1a The ocean as a defining physical feature 

of our planet

1c “Global ocean conveyor belt”

3a The interaction of oceanic and 

atmospheric processes controls weather 

and climate.

3c Heat exchange between the ocean and 

atmosphere can result in dramatic global 

and regional weather phenomena.

3f The ocean has had, and will continue 

to have, a significant influence on climate 

change.

3g Changes in the ocean-atmosphere 

system can result in changes to the climate 

that in turn, cause further changes to the 

ocean and atmosphere.

Mathematics (CCSS): 2.MD.D.10 Draw a 

picture graph and a bar graph (with singleunit scale) to represent a data set with up 

to 4 categories. Solve simple put-together, 

take-apart, and compare problems using 

information presented in a bar graph.

Geography: Standard 1.4 The 

interpretation of geographic 

representations.

Standard 3.2 The distribution of people, 

places, and environments form spatial 

patterns across Earth’s surface.

FOCUS QUESTION

• Print and cut apart the Ocean Dwellers 

card setside, as shown on the Ocean 

Depth Chart master. 

MATERIALS

• Map that includes the area where 

students live and the nearest ocean, 

to project or display. Students should 

be able to clearly see where they live 

and the nearest ocean basin on the 

map, so a map with colors and state/

country boundary lines may be helpful 

depending on your location. Maps on 

the Internet often allow for different 

views or layers, which will allow you to 

project a version that will support your 

students.

• World Map handout, one per student 

and one to project using a document 

camera or LCD projector
21

• Markers, crayons, or colored pencils, 

in sets of one blue and one green or 

brown. One set per 1-2 students.

• Small paper straws, one per student. 

Please do not use plastic straws as 

they are a major source of litter, marine 

debris, and have a very detrimental 

impact on all types of animals living on 

land and in the ocean. Paper straws can 

be placed in paper recycling following 

use.

• Baking dish or pie pan, one per group of 

4 students

• Enough water to fill each baking dish or 

pie pan to a depth of approximately 1 

inch 

• Coarse ground pepper

• Gyres of the world handout, see 

“Preparation”

PREPARATION

• Make enough copies of the Gyres 

handout for each group of 2-3 students 

to have one description. There are 4 

descriptions per handout, so for a class 

of 30 (with 10 groups of 3 students) 

make 3 copies of the handout. Cut apart 

the descriptions. 

FACILITATION

Step 1. Project or display a map that 

includes where your students live in 

relation to the nearest ocean. Help 

students locate where they live and the 

nearest ocean on the map. For your own 

information, and to share with students 

as it comes up, the ocean is one body 

of water that is interconnected across 

the world. Ocean basins are bounded 

by the continents and have distinct 

characteristics. The ocean basins include 

the North and South Pacific, North and 

South Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic Ocean 

basins. Scientists also recognize the 

Southern Ocean, which circles Antarctica. 

Step 2. Help students understand that the 

ocean is a very large body of water that is 

all interconnected. You might have them 

compare the closest ocean basin to a pond, 

lake, or river that is close to where they live 

and is visible on the map. 

Step 3. Tell students that you can get an 

idea of how big the ocean is based on the 

map. Distribute the World Map handout. 

Ask students to color in squares that are all 

or mostly water with blue and squares that 

are all or mostly land with green or brown. 

You may wish to also display a world 

map that shows water in a different color 

from land so that students can use it as a 

reference. 
22

Step 4. When students have colored in all 

the squares, ask them to count the number 

of blue squares and record that number 

in the appropriate place on the handout. 

Have them do the same for the number of 

brown squares. 

Step 5. Ask students to draw a bar graph to 

show the amount of land and the amount 

of water on Earth. To do this, they should 

graph the number of squares they counted 

for each surface. Then have students 

compare how much of the Earth is covered 

in water versus land. They should be able 

to say that there is more water than land 

on Earth. About 70 percent of the Earth’s 

surface is covered by water, so the bar for 

that surface should be more than twice as 

high as the bar for land.

Step 6. Share with students that there is 

more to the ocean than the map shows. 

The wind affects the way the water in the 

ocean moves. Have the students complete 

the activity in the NOAA resource, How It is 

Currently Done (https://www.noaa.gov/

ocean/ll-current). Ask them, what is 

happening when the “wind” is blowing the 

water? 

How it is done:

The constant pushing of air molecules 

into each other is the reason we feel wind. 

As one molecule bumps into another, it 

transfers energy into the next molecule. 

The wind constantly pushing on the 

ocean’s surface also transfers energy to 

the water. 

This energy transfer is responsible for 

the motion of the world’s ocean currents. 

Students will make their own ocean 

currents using straws and black pepper.

Total time: 10 minutes

Supplies: One small paper straw per

student, one baking pan (or pie pan) for 

each group of 4 students, coarse ground 

black pepper

Procedure:

1. Fill the baking pan with water to about

1 inch deep.

2. Position one student on each corner of

the pan.

3. Sprinkle some black pepper in one

corner of the baking pan.

4. At each corner position, have the

students aim their straw along the side

of the pan to their left.

5. Have each student gently blow through

the straw across the top of the water

and observe the motion of the pepper.
23

Step 7. Tell students the following 

information. 

As you’ve seen, one of the ways that water 

moves is because wind blows it. In the 

oceans, there are five areas where winds 

and the rotation of Earth cause major, 

permanent currents. The water in these 

currents travel in a circular motion over 

thousands of miles. These currents are 

known as gyres. 

For additional discussion: The wind 

systems over the Atlantic and Pacific 

Oceans in the northern hemisphere move 

in a clockwise motion. The wind transfers 

some of its energy to the sea surface 

generating currents in the same clockwise 

direction. In the Southern Hemisphere, the 

wind moves in a counter-clockwise motion. 

As a result, the ocean’s currents also move 

in a counter-clockwise direction.

Step 8. Divide students into groups of 2-3 

and give each group a description from 

the Gyres handout. Have them read the 

information and determine how they 

would draw the gyre on the map. You will 

likely have multiple groups with the same 

information. When groups share, they can 

discuss if all groups agree on where to draw 

the gyre.

Step 9. Project the world map handout 

and hold a class discussion about the 

location of the gyres. Point out where 

North America is and ask if, in the previous 

step, any groups read about a gyre that was 

near that continent. Have one of the groups 

come forward to point out where their gyre 

should be. If you are projecting the map 

onto a board, have them draw the gyre 

where it belongs. If you are projecting on a 

screen or have a physical map, give them 

one of your prepared pictures of a gyre and 

have them tape it where it goes. If more 

than one group had the same description, 

allow one group to share where they think 

the gyre should go and allow the other 

group to agree or share their ideas. 

Step 10. Share with students that the 

currents in the ocean help to move heat 

and warm water, food, and salt around 

the world. These materials help plants and 

animals, including humans, live by bringing 

nutrients to different parts of the world and 

spreading heat out across the globe. 
24

EXTENSION

If your students are interested in the gyres, a NOAA resource called JetStream Max: Major Ocean 

Currents (https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/ocean/circulations/jetstream-max-major-oceancurrents) is an interactive map that can help students visualize the different currents. If you 

would like to have your students explore this, share the link with them, along with the 

information in the following table that includes the currents associated with each gyre, and in 

different parts of the ocean. Students can check the specific currents to see where the water in 

the gyre is warm and where it is cold, so they can look for patterns in both the temperature and 

direction of the water.
25

GYRES (POTENTIAL EXTENSION)

Gyre North Atlantic South Atlantic

Currents • Gulf Stream

• North Atlantic

• Canary

• North 

Equatorial

• South 

Equatorial

• Brazil

• West Wind Drift

• Benguela

North Pacific South Pacific Indian

• North 

Equatorial

• Kuroshio 

• North Pacific

• California

• West Wind Drift

• Peru

• South 

Equatorial

• East Australia

• West Wind Drift

• West Australia

• South 

Equatorial

• Agulhas
WORLD MAP

26
27

GYRES OF THE WORLD

North Atlantic Gyre

• This gyre makes a large 

circle.

• It is north of the equator.

• It is east of North America.

• It is west of Europe and 

Africa.

North Pacific Gyre

• This gyre makes a large 

circle.

• It is south of the equator.

• It is east of South America.

• It is west of Africa.

.

South Atlantic Gyre

• This gyre makes a large 

circle.

• It is north of the equator.

• It is east of Asia.

• It is west of North America.

South Pacific Gyre

• This gyre makes a large 

circle.

• It is south of the equator.

• It is east of Australia.

• It is west of South America.
LESSON 3:

THE LIVES OF HUMPBACK WHALES

INTRODUCTION

Every year, humpback whales make a grand 

migration. During this journey, the whales 

travel thousands of miles, communicate 

with one another and look out for 

predators. The whales spend summers 

feeding in the areas around Alaska, 

Washington and Oregon, then migrate to 

warmer waters in the winter to breed. Baby 

whales make these journeys alongside their 

mothers, meeting many of the milestones 

of their life. In this lesson, students have 

an opportunity to explore more about the 

milestones in a whale’s life and compare it 

to their own development. 

LESSON SUMMARY

In this lesson, students work in small 

groups to compare the life milestones that 

are similar and different between humans 

and humpback whales. They consider that 

humpback whales travel in pods, and use 

evidence to explain why this strategy helps 

the whales survive. 28

OBJECTIVES

• Students will explore the milestones in 

humpback whales’ lives and compare 

them to human milestones. 

• Students will describe evidence for why 

humpback whales might travel in pods.

ESTIMATED TIME

60 minutes. If you would like to complete 

this lesson over 2 class periods, consider 

pausing the lesson between steps 6 and 7. 

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

Science (NGSS): 3-LS1-1. Develop models 

to describe that organisms have unique 

and diverse life cycles but all have in 

common birth, growth, reproduction, and 

death.
29

3-LS2-1. Construct an argument that some 

animals form groups that help members 

survive.

OCEAN LITERACY 

PRINCIPLES

5d Ocean biology provides many unique 

examples of life cycles, adaptations, and 

important relationships among organisms 

that do not occur on land.

7b Our survival hinges on understanding 

the ocean.

7d (with extension) New technologies, 

sensors, and tools are expanding our ability 

to explore the ocean. 

FOCUS QUESTION

What are the significant events in a 

humpback whale’s life compared to a 

human’s life? How do those events help 

them survive?

MATERIALS

• Index cards or sticky notes, 3 per group 

of 4 students

• Whale Milestone card sets, one per 

group, see “Preparation”

• Human Milestone card sets, one per 

group, see “Preparation”

• Humpback Whale Pods handout, one 

per student

PREPARATION

• Make copies of the Whale Milestone 

card set and the Human Milestone 

card set so that each group of students 

has 2 complete sets to use. Consider 

whether you would like to laminate the 

card sets so that they may be reused for 

additional classes of students. 

• Cut apart the Whale Milestone card set 

and the Human Milestone card sets and 

organize them so that you can provide 

groups of students with 2 complete sets 

of cards. Consider making laminated 

copies of the cards for multiple uses. 

Originals can also be downloaded 

at https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/

education/ocean-odyssey/ 
30

FACILITATION

Step 1. Tell students that they are going 

to have an opportunity to learn about 

humpback whales and their lives. Share the 

information from the introduction to this 

lesson, making the point that baby whales 

make these long journeys just as adults do. 

Let students know that in this lesson they 

will have the opportunity to learn more 

about the milestones, or significant life 

events, in a humpback whale’s life. 

Step 2. Ask each group of 4 students to 

use index cards or sticky notes to make 

labels for 3 categories. The labels should be 

“baby,” “growing,” and “adult.” 

Step 3. Give each group a set of Whale 

Milestone cards and a set of Human 

Milestone cards. Tell them that one pair 

in the group should work with the whale 

cards and one pair should work with the 

human cards. Share that the cards show 

different milestones or life events in 

human lives and in whale lives, such as a 

human learning to walk. Have them try to 

put each card into the correct category to 

describe when it would happen in a whale 

or a human life. Students may struggle to 

know what ages to put into each category. 

Try to help them reason through the ideas, 

guiding them to the idea that an animal is 

a baby while it is drinking its mother’s milk, 

and growing until it reaches its full size. 

For the whales, milestones up to a year 

should be in the baby category and 

between one and 10 years in the growing 

category. For humans, up to a year should 

be “baby” and up to about 18 should be in 

the growing category. 

Step 4. Once both pairs in a group have 

completed their sorting, have them 

compare the two timelines. Ask them to 

mark the milestones that appear in both 

the human and the whale timeline using 

a check mark or other symbol. Consider 

having students pair up with another 

group to check if they sorted the cards 

in the same way and checked the same 

milestones. If there are differences, ask 

them to discuss their ideas and decide if 

any cards should be moved to a different 

category.

Step 5. Hold a class discussion to talk 

about the different milestones. Ask 

students to share what they found 

interesting or surprising about the 

humpback whales. 

Step 6. Ask students which milestones 

were common between humpback whales 

and humans. They should realize that 

both have milestones for birth, growth, 

reproduction, and death. 
31

Step 7. Tell students that they are going to 

continue thinking about humpback whales. 

Ask the groups to pull out the cards that 

have a star in the corner and set the other 

cards aside. Share that the milestones 

on these cards are a few things that help 

the humpback whales to survive. In their 

groups, ask them to discuss how they think 

the features listed on the cards with stars 

help the whales live and survive.

Step 8. Once students have had a chance to 

discuss their ideas, hold a class discussion 

to help them learn more about the whales 

and how the starred milestones help them 

survive. Discuss the migration card last 

as it is likely to be more challenging for 

students. For that reason, the remainder of 

the activity helps them learn more about 

this survival tactic.

Step 9. Ask students to brainstorm as many 

ideas as they can about why whales might 

travel in groups or pods. Write their ideas 

on the board or a chart where students can 

see them easily. If students have trouble 

thinking of reasons, share with them some 

of the ideas that scientists have had. These 

include

• Whales travel with their families

• A group of whales can find food more 

easily

• A group of whales can keep predators 

away more easily because there are 

more of them

• A group of whales is better able to find 

their way when traveling 6000 miles 

or more. Certain whales may serve as 

leaders.

• A group of whales allows one to look 

out for predators or other dangers while 

others sleep

• A male whale can protect a female 

whale 

• Whales communicate with one another 

in both loud songs and quiet whispers

Step 10. Distribute the Humpback Whale 

Pods handout. Share that the small groups 

whales travel in are called pods. Ask 

students to choose one of the ideas from 

the list you created during the brainstorm 

that they think might be the reason whales 

travel in pods. Have them write their idea in 

the area at the top of the handout. 
32

Step 11. Share that the bottom of the 

handout has several facts about humpback 

whales. For each one, they should write 

• a smiling face if it supports or would 

serve as evidence for the idea they 

wrote at the top, 

• a frowning face if it would be evidence 

against the idea at the top, or 

• leave the space blank if it is not 

evidence for or against the idea. 

Step 12. Once students have had time to 

work individually, have them talk with a 

partner or small group about how they 

completed the handout. Tell students to 

make sure they understand what their 

partners chose for their ideas and to ask 

questions or share any new ideas they 

have. 

Step 13. Hold a class discussion about 

each idea. Tell students that you can rule 

out ideas that have evidence against the 

statement. Through the discussion, try 

to narrow down the ideas to one or two 

that only have ideas that support them. 

Share that while we cannot be completely 

sure, scientists’ current understanding is 

that whales likely travel in pods so others, 

particularly males, can help protect 

against predators and to allow for more 

communication during the long migration.

EXTENSION

The Passive Acoustic Cetacean Map 

(https://apps-nefsc.fisheries.noaa.gov/

pacm) shows where several kinds of 

whales, including Humpback whales, have 

been recently. Listening devices detect 

when the whales make sounds and show 

the number of times the whales were 

heard.
33

The site offers a tour to use the map, a user guide, and the map itself. Spend some time during 

class showing students the map and then check back regularly to see how the patterns of where 

whales are spending their time change. 

NOAA’s Ocean Sound and Impact of Noise Resource Collection (https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/

education/teachers/ocean-sound/) includes background information, lesson plans, videos, 

webinars, and more to help people learn about sound in the ocean, how animals that live in 

the ocean use and are impacted by noise, and how NOAA is working to monitor and understand 

underwater sound.

Lesson 3 NOAA References

• Passive Acoustic Cetacean Map. 2021. Woods Hole (MA): NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science 

Center v1.0.6.(https://apps-nefsc.fisheries.noaa.gov/pacm)

• National Marine Sanctuaries Ocean Sound and Impact of Noise Resource Collection (https://

sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/teachers/ocean-sound/)
34

Humpback whales 

drink milk from 

their mothers until 

they are about a 

year old. 

Humpback whales 

can swim as soon 

as they are born.

Humpback whales 

grow until they are 

about 10 years old.

Humpback whales 

can have babies 

once they are 

about 6 years old.

Humpback whales 

eat up to 3,000 

pounds of food per 

day.

Humpback whales 

can be 40-50 feet 

long, or about the 

size of 2 school 

buses.

Humpback whales 

can weigh up to 

80,000 pounds.

Humpback whales 

“whisper” to their 

mothers while the 

pair migrates.

Humpback whales 

migrate in groups of 

2-15 each year.

Humpback whales 

learn to hunt and 

eat solid food 

during their first 

year of life. 

Humpback whales 

leave their mothers 

when they are 

about a year old.

In the wild, 

humpback whales 

live to be about 50 

years old.

WHALE MILESTONES
35

Humans learn to 

walk when they are 

about a year old

Most humans grow 

to be between 5-7 

feet tall.

Humans drink their 

mother’s milk or 

formula until they 

are about a year old.

Humans begin 

losing their “baby 

teeth” when they 

are around 5-7 

years old. 

Humans learn to 

talk when they are 

around a year old. 

Humans leave their 

mothers when they 

are around 18 years 

old. There is a large 

range when this can 

happen.

Humans grow until 

they are about 18 

years old.

Human bodies 

can begin to have 

babies in their 

teenage years. In 

the United States, 

the average age for 

becoming a parent 

is around age 26.

Humans eat 3-4 

pounds of food per 

day. 

In general, humans 

live to be 70-75 

years old.

Adult humans can 

weigh from around 

90 pounds to more 

than 300 pounds.

Humans begin 

school around age 

5. 

HUMAN MILESTONES
HUMPBACK WHALE PODS

I think humpback whales travel in pods because:

Follow your teacher’s instructions on how to fill out the last column.

 # FACTS ABOUT WHALES Or /

1 Humpback whales travel in groups for only 

short amounts of time.

2 Most pods have one male and one female or 

a mother, baby and male.

3 All Humpback whales have magnetic material 

in their brains that help them know where to 

go when they swim.

4 A pod may have a mother and baby, but 

if there are 2 adults in a pod they are not 

related.

5 Sometimes scientists have seen Orcas, 

which are a predator for Humpback whales, 

following the singing and other noises that 

whales make.

6 Humpback whales may rest by floating but 

do not sleep the way we think of it. They do 

not rest for more than about 30 minutes at a 

time because their body temperature drops 

too much if they stay inactive for longer.

7 Humpback whales do not generally eat while 

they are migrating.

36
LESSON 4:

OCEAN CURRENTS

INTRODUCTION

There is a clear connection between ocean 

currents and climate. Ocean currents help 

to move heat, support rainforests on land, 

and make life possible for animals across 

the globe. Without ocean currents large 

parts of Earth would be unlivable. Humans 

are already seeing the impact of climate 

change on life in the sea. 

LESSON SUMMARY

This lesson helps students explore the 

role of the ocean in climate. They do this 

through an investigation to show how 

hot and cold temperatures help to move 

water around the world. Students examine 

temperature and precipitation data from 

two cities and use their understanding 

of water movement to explain why these 

cities have differences between their 

temperatures and rainfall. 

37

OBJECTIVES

• Students will use a demonstration as a 

model to explain how water moves in 

the ocean. 

• Students will analyze data about rainfall 

and temperatures in two cities in the 

world. 

• Students will describe how water 

movement and proximity to the ocean 

affect the climate in a location. 

ESTIMATED TIME

60 minutes. If you would like to divide 

this lesson among multiple days, good 

break points are between steps 4 and 5 or 

between steps 7 and 8. 
38

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

Science (NGSS): 3-LS4-3. Construct an 

argument with evidence that in a particular 

habitat some organisms can survive well, 

some survive less well, and some cannot 

survive at all.

3-LS4-4. Make a claim about the merit of 

a solution to a problem caused when the 

environment changes and the types of 

plants and animals that live there may 

change.

3-ESS2-1. Represent data in tables and 

graphical displays to describe typical 

weather conditions expected during a 

particular season.

3-ESS2-2. Obtain and combine information 

to describe climates in different regions of 

the world.

OCEAN LITERACY 

PRINCIPLES

1a The ocean is the defining physical 

feature on our planet Earth.

1c Throughout the ocean there is one 

interconnected circulation system.

FOCUS QUESTION

How do currents in the ocean affect 

weather and climate on land? 

MATERIALS

• Ice water

• Hot water, heated in an electric kettle, 

on a hot plate, or from a coffee machine

• Clear or transparent container (glass or 

heat resistant). A deeper container will 

help students observe the results more 

easily; however, a dish such as an 8” x 

8” baking dish will work if that is what is 

available.

• Two distinct colors of food coloring, 

such as red and blue

• World Map master, one for display

• Milwaukee and Hobart Climate Data, 

one per student

• Oceans and Climate, one per student

PREPARATION

• Read Lesson 2 in this guide. Consider 

if completing that lesson with your 

students might help support their 

learning in this lesson. 
39

• Practice the demonstration, as 

described in step 3 below, to ensure 

that your set up works well. Adding hot 

water to the dish then slowly adding ice 

cold water to one side is one effective 

set up, though other variations such as 

adding ice to one side and letting it sit 

for several minutes may also work well. 

• Decide how many times you want to 

repeat the demonstration to ensure 

that all students can easily make 

observations. Ensure you have enough 

materials prepared to repeat the 

experience a few times.

FACILITATION

Step 1. Share with students that the ocean 

is very large. We cannot simply stand on a 

beach and see how the water moves. Today 

they are going to have a chance to explore 

how one kind of current in the ocean 

moves water. 

Step 2. Set up the demonstration in a way 

that students can see what happens in the 

dish from the side. To set it up, complete 

the following steps.

• Place the transparent container on a flat 

surface. Add hot water to the dish to fill 

it at least halfway.

• Add ice or ice water to one side of the 

dish. Do this very carefully to minimize 

mixing the hot and cold water. If you 

are adding ice water, try adding it very 

slowly along one side of the dish so 

that it does not disturb the water on the 

other side of the dish.

• With students watching carefully, add 

3 drops of red food coloring (or another 

color) to the hot side of the dish, about 

an inch from the side. Add 3 drops of 

blue food coloring (or another color) 

to the cold side of the dish, about an 

inch from the side. Ask students to 

observe what happens over the next 3 

minutes. You may wish to point out key 

observations, listed below, if students 

do not seem to be noticing them.

Observations: Students should be able 

to see that the food coloring on the cold 

side sinks to the bottom and then begins 

traveling toward the hot side of the dish, 

along the bottom. The food coloring on 

the hot side will disperse more quickly but 

should generally move toward the cold side 

of the dish. 
Step 3. Ask students about why they 

think the colors moved the way they did. 

They do not have to develop a complete 

understanding but should know that the 

heat and water from the warm side moves 

to the cold side. As it cools off, it sinks and 

pushes water that is already on the cool 

side out of the way, toward the warm side. 

That water warms up, rises to the top part 

of the water in the dish, and the process 

creates a current. Draw a representation on 

the board as you discuss these ideas

Step 4. Explain that there are other kinds of 

currents in the world, including some that 

move by wind, tides, and the way the Earth 

rotates. Share with students that large 

currents depend on both heat and salt, but 

for now they are going to focus on heat. To 

relate this to ocean currents, show students 

the World Map master and ask where 

temperatures are warm and where they are 

cold. Students are likely to know that it is 

hot near the Equator and cold at the north 

and south poles. Ask them to connect what 

they saw in the demonstration to the water 

on Earth. 

40
41

Step 5. Point out the two cities that 

are shown on the World Map master—

Milwaukee, WI and Hobart, Australia. Share 

with students that Hobart, the capital of 

Tasmania, is at 43 degrees latitude south. 

Tell them that in the United States, the city 

of Milwaukee, Wisconsin is at 43 degrees 

latitude north, so they are the same 

distance from the equator. Ask students the 

following questions and accept all ideas at 

this point.

• How would you describe where each 

city is and what is around it? 

• Do you think that the temperatures in 

Hobart and Milwaukee are the same or 

different? Why?

• Do you think the amount of rainfall in 

Hobart and Milwaukee is the same or 

different? Why? 

Step 6. Share with students that they 

are going to have a chance to learn 

more about temperatures and rainfall in 

the two cities. Distribute the handout, 

Milwaukee and Hobart Climate Data, to 

students. Ask them to graph the data using 

a strategy appropriate for your students. 

The following are suggestions for how you 

might have students analyze the data. 

• As a class, create a bar graph to show 

the average temperatures in each 

location and another to show the 

average rainfall in each location. If your 

students are not comfortable graphing 

on their own, this is the best option.

• Have pairs of students graph 1 of the 

4 sets of data (rainfall in Milwaukee, 

rainfall in Hobart, precipitation in 

Milwaukee, precipitation in Hobart), 

then compare the two rainfall graphs 

and the two temperature graphs.

• Have small groups of students create 

two bar graphs on one set of axes to 

compare either the rainfall in both 

places or the temperatures in both 

places. This could also be divided by 

season and have students add their 

graphs to a common class graph.
42

Step 7. Lead a class discussion to compare 

the rainfall and temperatures in both cities. 

Students should see that in Hobart, both 

temperatures and precipitation are more 

even through the year, creating a mild 

climate. Milwaukee has a more distinct 

variation in temperature and amount of 

rainfall across the year. Ask students if they 

have any ideas of why that might be but 

accept all answers at this point. 

Step 8. Tell students that they are going to 

have a chance to create a comic to learn 

more about why the two places might be 

different. Distribute the Ocean and Climate 

handout and different-colored pens or 

pencils. Show students that there are five 

boxes that will make up the comic and each 

has a description, with the fifth box being 

a summary of the other boxes together. 

Tell them that their task is to draw pictures 

for each box to show what the words are 

describing. They can discuss their ideas in 

their small groups to make sure everyone 

understands but emphasize that each 

student should draw pictures on the comic 

individually. Tell students that the goal is 

to be able to explain how the ocean affects 

climate, particularly when they think of 

Milwaukee and Hobart. 

Step 9. Lead a class discussion to talk 

about their comics. Make sure they link box 

4 of the comic to the demonstration. 

Have them discuss how the story in the 

comic relates to temperature and rainfall 

in Milwaukee and Hobart. As part of the 

discussion, share the Ocean Currents 

animation from Science on a Sphere 

(https://sos.noaa.gov/catalog/datasets/

ocean-circulation-labeled-currents/). You 

may wish to point out:

• that the animation distinguishes 

between warm surface waters (red 

arrows) and deep, cold waters (blue 

arrows), 

• gyres, which are the currents that 

are affected by heat and salt like the 

demonstration, 

• other types of currents, such as the 

equatorial currents,

• that currents move water long distances 

around the world, and

• that Hobart is on an island south of 

Australia with a warm current running 

near it while Milwaukee is far inland and 

is less affected by ocean currents.

After the discussion, encourage them to 

explain why Milwaukee has more variable 

weather than Hobart, using their comic as 

a reference. They should relate it to both 

warm currents and to evaporation of water 

leading to storms. 
Step 10. Remind students of the 

demonstration. Ask, what would happen 

if the two sides of the dish had water that 

was a similar temperature? How would 

that affect the story in their comics? If 

they struggle to reason through what 

would happen, consider repeating the 

investigation with one temperature of 

water while still using two colors of food 

coloring at opposite ends. Students should 

see that the food coloring disperses the 

same way on both ends and does not travel 

toward the other side of the dish. 

Step 11. Ask students to use the discussion 

from the previous step with their comics to 

explain how Hobart would be different if 

the water at the poles became too warm for 

sea ice to form. 

Milwaukee, 

Wisconsin, 

USA

43° North

Average High 

Temperature 

(°F)

Rainfall 

(inches)

Hobart, 

Tasmania, 

Australia 43 ° 

South

Average High 

Temperature 

(°F)

Rainfall 

(inches)

January 31 1.79 January 69 2

February 34 1.69 February 68 1.9

March 44 2.20 March 65 1.9

April 55 3.86 April 60 2

May 67 3.54 May 55 1.9

June 77 4.38 June 51 1.9

July 82 3.40 July 50 2.2

August 80 3.65 August 52 2.5

September 74 3.16 September 55 2.4

October 61 2.78 October 59 2.4

November 48 2.24 November 62 2.6

December 36 1.88 December 66 2.6

43
44

EXTENSION

Divide students and have half the class learn about the plants and animals that live in Tasmania 

while the other half learns about plants and animals that live in the Milwaukee area. Have them 

choose one plant or and learn more about its life, including what might happen to the plant or 

animal if the climate in its home area changed. Have students share what they learned with the 

class so that they hear about plants and animals in both areas, then hold a class discussion about 

what would happen to living things if the climate changes where they live. 

Lesson 4 NOAA Reference

• Science on a Sphere Ocean Circulation (https://sos.noaa.gov/catalog/datasets/oceancirculation-labeled-currents/)
WORLD MAP

45
46

THE OCEAN AND CLIMATE

1

2

3

The ocean absorbs energy from the sun, especially near the equator. This 

makes the ocean warmer, and it stores the heat. 

When the water heats up some of it will evaporate into the air. This warms 

up the air. It also makes it more humid, or moist. 

The extra heat and humidity cause rainstorms. These storms move long 

distances because of winds. The rain often falls on land. 
47

THE OCEAN AND CLIMATE

4

5

Heat also moves with ocean currents. Some currents are part of cycles that 

start with sea ice in the poles. Other currents move because of wind, tides, 

or the way Earth rotates.

Summary: Heat and water move around Earth both in the ocean and in the 

air. 
LESSON 5:

A WHALE OF A MIGRATION

INTRODUCTION

Twice a year, humpback whales take an 

amazing 3000-mile journey. This seasonal 

migration takes them from cold waters 

where they spend summers feeding to 

warmer waters in the winter months to 

breed and raise young calves. How do the 

whales know where to go and how do they 

make sure they arrive? 

LESSON SUMMARY

In this lesson, students learn how scientists 

identify and track humpback whales. 

They explore data and a map about the 

long migration whales make seasonally. 

They use this information with readings to 

explain how whales know where to go on 

their journeys. 

48

OBJECTIVES

• Students will explore how scientists 

identify and track humpback whales.

• Students will learn about the ways 

whales keep track of where they are and 

where they are going during migration.

ESTIMATED TIME

45 minutes. If you would like to teach 

this lesson over 2 class periods, consider 

pausing the learning between steps 5 and 

6. 

STANDARDS ADRESSED

Science (NGSS): 4-LS1-1. Construct an 

argument that plants and animals have 

internal and external structures that 

function to support survival, growth, 

behavior, and reproduction.
49

4-LS1-2. Use a model to describe that 

animals receive different types of 

information through their senses, process 

the information in their brain, and respond 

to the information in different ways.

OCEAN LITERACY 

PRINCIPLES

5 The ocean supports a great diversity of 

life and ecosystems. 

Geography: Standard 8 The 

characteristics and spatial distribution of 

ecosystems and biomes on Earth’s surface.

Mathematics (CCSS): 4.MD.A.2 Use the 

4 operations to solve word problems 

involving distances, intervals of time, liquid 

volumes, masses of objects, and money, 

including problems involving simple 

fractions or decimals, and problems that 

require expressing measurements given 

in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. 

Represent measurement quantities using 

diagrams such as number line diagrams 

that feature a measurement scale.

English Language Arts (CCSS): RI.4.2 

Determine the main idea of a text and 

explain how it is supported by key details; 

summarize the text.

SL.4.1.A Come to discussions prepared, 

having read or studied required material; 

explicitly draw on that preparation and 

other information known about the topic to 

explore ideas under discussion.

FOCUS QUESTION

How do whales know where to go when 

they migrate?

MATERIALS

• Identifying Whales, display copy

• Whale Tracking Data, one per student

• How Do Whales Know Where to Go, one 

copy per group of 3 students, cut apart

• Compass or compass application on a 

smartphone

PREPARATION

• Make copies of all the handouts. For the 

handout How Do Whales Know Where 

to Go, cut the readings apart. Divide 

the readings so that each group of 3 

students will get 1 copy of each of the 3 

readings.
50

FACILITATION

Step 1. Display the pictures of the 

humpback whale and the mother whale 

and her calf. Allow students a little time to 

observe the whales. Share that they can 

grow to be more than 50 feet long, which is 

about the length of 3-4 cars placed bumper 

to bumper. 

Step 2. Next, share the whale tails on the 

Identifying Whales master. Tell students 

that the pictures represent eight different 

humpback whales. Give them a minute to 

observe the pictures quietly. Ask students if 

they think they could tell the whales apart 

based on the pictures and describe which 

features contributed to whether they could 

identify individual whales or not. Students 

should say that the different whales have 

different patterns of white on their tails. 

They may also describe that the shape of 

some of the tails seems different. 

Step 3. Tell students that scientists can tell 

whales apart using their flukes, or the two 

lobes that make up their tails. Many whales 

have a pattern of white on their flukes that 

is unique to each whale. Scientists also look 

at the shape of the flukes; the trailing edge 

of the flukes, which is the end further from 

the body; and the notch, or V-shape where 

the two flukes come together in the center 

of the tail. By finding some unique features 

on each whale, scientists can identify 

individual whales in photographs. Ask 

students to choose one of the tails on the 

master and try to find 2-3 characteristics 

that are unique to that whale. 

Step 4. Share that being able to identify 

each whale allows scientists to track the 

whale’s movements through the water. 

Distribute copies of the handout, Whale 

Tracking Data. Ask students to examine the 

data in the table and the map to learn more 

about the migration routes that whales 

take. Depending on your students, you may 

wish to have them read the introduction 

to the data as a class, then have them 

examine the data in the table, followed by 

the map. 

Step 5. Lead a class discussion about the 

information on whale migration based 

on the whale tracking data. Ask students 

questions such as:

• Where did the whales begin and end 

their migration? These whales migrated 

from Alaska to Hawaii. Share with 

students that not all humpback whales 

follow this route but that they are an 

example to think about how whales 

migrate. Share that humpback whales 

generally spend the warm summer 

months feeding in cooler waters and 

in the winter they migrate to warmer 

waters to breed and raise young whale 

calves. For the whales observed in 

2014 and 2015, the migration pattern 

is usually to travel south to Hawaii in 

November and December. These whales 

generally travel back to Alaska in April 

and May. 
51

• How far did the whales travel overall? 

How far can they travel in a day? The 

whales traveled between 4,300 and 

4,800 kilometers or between 2,600 

and 3,000 miles. Three of the whales 

traveled around 130 to 140 kilometers 

or 80 to 90 miles a day. The other whale 

traveled around 90 kilometers or 60 

miles a day. To reinforce math skills, you 

can have students do these calculations 

by determining the distance traveled 

per day for one or more of the whales. 

• Did the whales seem to follow a 

particular route or did they seem to 

wander around? Students should see 

that whales did not necessarily take 

the exact same route, but that they did 

not swim off course, in circles, or back 

and forth. Their paths from Alaska to 

Hawaii were fairly straight routes. Guide 

students to an understanding that the 

whales must have a way to navigate and 

know where they are along the route. 

Step 6. In groups of 3, have students 

discuss how humans might know what 

route to take to get from New York City to 

Los Angeles, a distance about the same 

length as the route the whales migrate. 

Students are likely to say that they would 

use a GPS application or a map. Discuss 

their ideas, probing them with questions 

such as, how many times do you think you 

would need to go back and forth before you 

did not need a map? Would your answer 

change if you knew you only went back and 

forth once a year compared to more or less 

often? 

Step 7. Follow up on the previous step by 

having small groups discuss: 

• whether whales can use the same 

methods humans do to know where 

they are going, 

• how they think migrating back and 

forth only one time per year affects the 

whales’ abilities to navigate, and 

• how they think whales know where to 

go.

Step 8. Have students share their ideas to 

answer the question: how do humpback 

whales know where to go when they 

migrate? You may wish to give them 

some quiet time to individually write their 

ideas down before sharing with the class. 

Make a list of their ideas to display in the 

classroom. 

Step 9. Tell students that they are going to 

have an opportunity to learn more about 

how whales know the route when they 

migrate. You will use a jigsaw strategy to 

support students in their learning. Give 

each group a set of readings from the 

handout How Do Whales Know Where 

to Go? Have each small group divide the 

readings so that each student reads one of 

the sections. This will be their home group 

for the jigsaw. 
52

Step 10. Once students have had a 

chance to read, form small expert groups 

of students who read the same section. 

This should represent one student from 

each home group. Keep the groups to 

no more than 3 or 4 students to allow all 

students to participate and share. In a 

class of 30 students, this will mean that 

there are multiple expert groups for the 

same reading. Give the expert groups a few 

minutes to discuss what they read, focusing 

on making sure they know the important 

points to share with their home groups. 

Step 11. Have students rejoin their home 

groups from step 9. Each home group will 

have at least one expert on each of the 

three readings. Allow time so that students 

can share about the sections they read. 

Remind them to share the important points 

they discussed in their expert groups. Tell 

students that they should listen carefully 

and be prepared to describe all the 

ways that whales might understand the 

migration routes. 

Step 12. Briefly discuss each of the three 

sections of reading. 

• When the class discusses the 

“communication” reading, consider 

sharing some recordings of humpback 

whales from Eavesdropping on Whales

(https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/

feb21/eavesdropping-on-whales.

html). Under the “Make Some Noise” 

subheading, there are three short 

recordings of humpback whales 

communicating. 

• As the class discusses the “magnetic 

field” reading, show a compass or 

compass application on a smartphone 

so that students can see how it changes 

as a person faces different directions. 

• During the discussion about whales 

using noises to sense structures on 

the ocean floor, be sure that students 

understand that we can never know 

exactly what a whale can or cannot see, 

but using technology scientists can 

guess what whale vision might be like.

Step 13. Write the question “how do 

whales know where to migrate?” on the 

board. Ask students to make a claim and 

offer evidence and reasoning to describe 

what they learned. Share that drawing a 

representation may help. If your students 

have experience with claim-evidencereasoning, be sure to use any graphic 

organizers or other sense-making that they 

understand. 
53

EXTENSION

• If students have questions about the Earth’s magnetic field, the ESRI Story Map titled The 

Earth’s Magnetic Field: The Force That’s Always With You (https://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/

apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=3b9045c4d1aa408694d3759d1aa5ede4) offers an 

explanation of why it is important for many of the phenomena we see in our lives. 

• Students may be interested in learning more about humpback whales using the 

Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary’s website (https://

hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/). This site includes videos, history, activities, conservation 

actions, and other information to allow students to learn more about many different 

connections with humpback whales.

Lesson 5 NOAA References

• National Marine Sanctuaries, Eavesdropping on Whales (https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/

feb21/eavesdropping-on-whales.html)

• NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), The Earth’s Magnetic Field: 

The Force That’s Always With You (https://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.

html?appid=3b9045c4d1aa408694d3759d1aa5ede4)

• Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (https://

hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/)
IDENTIFYING WHALES

54

All images on page 54 and page 55 

belong to NOAA
IDENTIFYING WHALES

55
WHALE TRACKING DATA

Scientists have tracked many whales over the years. In 2014 and 2015, scientists 

observed 20 whales that were in the ocean near Alaska in November. The 

scientists tracked where the whales swam in the next 1-2 months. The table and 

map show data for 4 of the whales. 

Whale 

Tag #

Date migration 

started

Date of last 

data collected

Total days 

tracked

Total distance 

migrated

843 November 25, 

2014

December 18, 

2014

31 4,372 km /

2,717 miles

845 December 2, 

2014

January 8, 

2015

37 4,744 km /

2,948 miles

5910 November 19, 

2014

December 13, 

2014

30 4,389 km /

2,727 miles

10833 November 28, 

2015

January 13, 

2016

46 4,303 km /

2,674 miles

56
HOW DO WHALES KNOW WHERE TO GO?

Communication

Imagine walking with a group of 

people in the dark. The first person 

has a flashlight but the rest of you 

do not. The leader might call out 

when there is a curb or a rock so 

you are aware of it. 

Scientists think that humpback 

whales make sounds to 

communicate as they migrate. 

One idea is that the leaders in the 

front of the group call out to other 

whales. This helps them find their 

way. 

Scientists know that some of the 

sounds whales make can be heard 

for about 5 miles. Even if the whales 

are not traveling in a pod, these 

sounds might help them know the 

right way to go or if there are any 

dangers ahead. 

Magnetic Fields

A compass is a simple tool that can 

help people find their way. Compasses 

have a needle that always points north. 

People can use a compass and a map 

to help them navigate where they want 

to go. 

The needle in a compass points to the 

north because it is a small magnet. It 

points in the same direction because 

the Earth has a magnetic field that 

causes it to act as a magnet, too. 

Humpback whales have magnetic 

material in their brains. This may help 

them sense the Earth’s magnetic field 

and know where to migrate. Because 

the magnetic field has specific patterns 

around the planet, whales may be 

able to sense the different patterns 

and use that information to know their 

location. 

Mapping the Seafloor

Just like on dry land, the floor of the ocean has mountains, valleys, and other 

forms. These landmarks may help whales know which way to go. 

Compared to humans, whales have poor eyesight. They do not see color and their 

vision is probably between 10 and 100 times worse than what humans can see. 

But, humpback whales have another way to “see” structures in the ocean. They 

can use clicks and other sounds to help them detect objects in the water. It is 

likely that they can listen to echoes from the sounds they make to determine 

where landforms are in the ocean. In this way, they may be able to navigate based 

on landmarks they pass on their migrations. 

57
LESSON 6:

FISHING FOR SOLUTIONS

INTRODUCTION

Fishing is an important industry, providing 

both food security and income for many 

people. At the same time, overfishing is one 

of the threats to our oceans if people are 

not careful of the impact of their actions 

while fishing.

LESSON SUMMARY

In this lesson, students work in small 

groups to learn about different fishing 

methods. They demonstrate these 

methods to the class and share the 

strengths and limitations of each method. 

Based on their understanding, they 

make a recommendation about the best 

fishing methods, then watch a video 

about American Samoa to learn how 

this community uses responsible and 

sustainable fishing methods to support the 

people who live there. 

58

OBJECTIVES

• Students will learn about different 

methods of fishing and the impacts 

those have on the animals that live in 

the ocean.

• Students will explore how humans in 

different parts of the world make use of 

resources from the ocean to survive.

ESTIMATED TIME

60 minutes. If you wish to divide this 

lesson over multiple days, there are a 

few opportunities to pause the learning. 

Consider breaking the lesson up at any of 

the following points: after step 4; at steps 

6–8, sharing a few fishing methods the 

first day and a few on the second day; or 

between steps 10 and 11.
59

STANDARDS ADDRESSED 

Science (NGSS): 4-ESS3-1. Obtain and 

combine information to describe that 

energy and fuels are derived from natural 

resources and their uses affect the 

environment.

5-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information 

about ways individual communities 

use science ideas to protect the Earth’s 

resources and environment.

OCEAN LITERACY 

PRINCIPLES

6 The ocean and humans are inextricably 

interconnected.

Geography: Standard 14 How human 

actions modify the physical environment.

Standard 16 The changes that occur in the 

meaning, use, distribution, and importance 

of resources.

Mathematics (CCSS): 4.MD.A.2 Use the 

4 operations to solve word problems 

involving distances, intervals of time, liquid 

volumes, masses of objects, and money, 

including problems involving simple 

fractions or decimals, and problems that 

require expressing measurements given 

in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. 

Represent measurement quantities using 

diagrams such as number line diagrams 

that feature a measurement scale.

4.OA.C.5 Generate a number or shape 

pattern that follows a given rule. Identify 

apparent features of the pattern that were 

not explicit in the rule itself.

English Language Arts (CCSS): SL.4.1.D 

Review the key ideas expressed and explain 

their own ideas and understanding in light 

of the discussion.

MATERIALS

• Small objects for each group, such as 

coins, paper dots from a hole punch, 

paper clips, or others, approximately 50 

objects per group of 3 students

• Yarn (enough to supply approximately 

12” to each group of students)

• Methods of Fishing handout, enough 

copies for each group of 3 students to 

get information about one method (See 

Preparation section)

• Analyzing Fishing Methods handout, 

one per student

• Materials for either writing or drawing in 

step 10

• Method for showing the video in step 11
60

PREPARATION

• Cut yarn into lengths approximately 12” 

long. Each group will need one length of 

yarn.

• Divide small objects into cups or small 

bags to make it easy to distribute 

them to groups. Each group needs 

approximately 50 objects, but this 

number does not need to be exact.

• Print copies of the Methods of Fishing 

handout and cut apart the information 

about the methods. 

• Preview the video “Northeast 

Surveys: The Fisheries We Count On” 

(https://videos.fisheries.noaa.gov/

detail/videos/sustainable-fisheries/

video/6274478742001/northeastsurveys:-the-fisheries-we-counton?autoStart=true) in the Extension to 

decide if you would like to use it. Plan 

on showing the whole video, but if time 

is short, consider showing from the 

beginning to timestamp 1:38. 

FACILITATION

Step 1. Ask students what comes to mind 

when they hear the word “fishing.” They 

are likely to share ideas such as a family 

member with a fishing rod, going to a creek 

near their homes, or simply an image of a 

person catching a fish. 

Depending on their experiences, they 

may also have ideas about fishing boats 

or commercial fishing. Accept all answers 

at this point as this step is to get students 

thinking about fishing. 

Step 2. Tell students that fishing is a major 

source of food and money for people 

around the world. Many of those people are 

involved in commercial fishing, where they 

are working to catch fish that will be sold 

in restaurants and markets. Today they are 

going to have a chance to learn more about 

different methods of commercial fishing. 

Step 3. Divide the students into groups 

of 3. Distribute the small objects, yarn, 

and one Method of Fishing reading per 

group. Tell groups that they should start 

by reading about the fishing method, then 

use the materials to represent that method 

of fishing. The small objects represent 

fish, and the yarn might represent a 

net or fishing line. The students should 

represent the person fishing. One word 

that the students will need to know for the 

reading is “bycatch.” Write this word where 

students can see it and explain that it is the 

other fish and animals that are caught, that 

were not the kind of fish fishers were trying 

to catch.
61

Step 4. As students work, circulate around 

the room to make sure they understand 

the fishing method that they read about 

and what their materials should represent. 

For example, if they read about purse seine 

fishing, students might demonstrate that 

method by showing the objects in a group 

and wrapping the yarn around the outside 

of the group, then pulling it into a tighter 

circle. Tell students that they should be 

ready to share their fishing method with 

other groups and give them an opportunity 

to ask any questions before they begin their 

presentations. 

Step 5. Distribute copies of the Analyzing 

Fishing Methods handout to each student. 

Step 6. Ask for a volunteer group to 

describe the fishing method they learned 

about and share their representation. If you 

have more than one group who studied 

that method, ask other groups to share 

their representation as well and to add any 

additional information. 

Step 7. Once all the groups have shared 

about one fishing method, ask students to 

complete the section for that method on 

the Analyzing Fishing Methods handout. 

Tell students that the questions are to help 

them think about the methods overall and 

there is not necessarily one specific answer. 

Give them some time to work individually, 

then to discuss with their groups. 

Step 8. Complete steps 6 and 7 for each 

remaining fishing method. 

Step 9. Hold a class discussion about 

the fishing methods. Discuss each of the 

following points.

• Have students talk about whether there 

are methods that seem like they might 

take all the fish from an area, which 

would not leave enough to have baby 

fish that grow up and repopulate the 

area. 

• Ask students which methods seem to be 

able to collect specific kinds of fish and 

why that might be important. To help 

you with the discussion, commercial 

fishers generally only fish for certain 

fish. If they catch other types of fish, 

those fish are likely to be discarded, so 

it is better to use fishing methods that 

are specific. 
62

• Discuss which methods seem to 

limit the number of fish that people 

can catch. Ask students what they 

think is important about this idea. To 

support the discussion, help students 

understand that commercial fishers 

need to make enough money to support 

their families and that markets and 

restaurants need enough fish to meet 

their customers’ needs. If the fishers 

cannot catch enough fish, then they 

cannot meet these goals.

Step 10. Once students have discussed 

the different fishing methods, ask them 

to think about which fishing method they 

would recommend as one that makes 

sure the fish that are caught are used, 

that does not wipe out all the fish, and 

that allows people fishing to catch a 

reasonable number of fish. Ask students to 

share their ideas through either writing a 

paragraph, making a claim with evidence 

and reasoning, drawing a representation, 

or other appropriate means of sharing their 

ideas. 

Step 11. Share with students that American 

Samoa is a U.S. territory about halfway 

between Hawaii and New Zealand and 

that fishing is a big part of life there. 

Show the video We Fish! American 

Samoa (https://videos.fisheries.noaa.

gov/detail/videos/sustainable-fisheries/

video/6238536283001/we-fish-americansamoa?autoStart=true) to students and 

ask them to write down any connections 

between what they have been learning and 

life in American Samoa. 

Step 12. Hold a class discussion about 

the video to allow students to connect the 

ideas from the video to the importance of 

the fishing methods they learned about. 

Tell them that when we eat seafood that 

has been raised and caught responsibly—

in ways that keep the ocean healthy—it 

is referred to as sustainable seafood. 

Share the FishWatch (www.fishwatch.gov) 

website with students and tell them that 

it is an excellent resource for helping to 

make choices about seafood. If there is 

time, consider having students go to the 

website and look up a type of fish to see the 

information that the website offers.
63

EXTENSION

Share with students that these ideas of catching fish in the ocean and making sure that fishing 

methods maintain fish populations fall under the guidance of “fisheries.” The word fishery can 

refer to the area of the ocean where fish are caught or the business of catching them. To learn 

more about how fisheries scientists know what is happening with fish populations, have students 

watch the NOAA video Northeast Surveys: The Fisheries We Count On (https://videos.fisheries.

noaa.gov/detail/videos/sustainable-fisheries/video/6274478742001/northeast-surveys:-thefisheries-we-count-on?autoStart=true). Ask students what they noticed or was interesting to them 

in the video. Consider finding out their ideas not only about the type of information scientists 

collect and why it is important, but also whether this fits with students’ ideas of what scientists 

do. This is an excellent link for showing the variety of careers that are available in STEM fields.

Lesson 6 NOAA References

• NOAA Fisheries video We Fish! American Samoa (https://videos.fisheries.noaa.gov/detail/

videos/sustainable-fisheries/video/6238536283001/we-fish-american-samoa?autoStart=true)

• NOAA FishWatch website (www.fishwatch.gov)

• NOAA Fisheries video Northeast Surveys: The Fisheries We Count On (https://videos.fisheries.

noaa.gov/detail/videos/sustainable-fisheries/video/6274478742001/northeast-surveys:-thefisheries-we-count-on?autoStart=true)
METHODS OF FISHING

Bottom Trawling

This method of fishing involves using a net that one or two boats pull along the 

bottom of the ocean. The bottom edge of the net has weights on it. The top edge 

of the net has floats attached to it. Bottom trawling catches everything in its path 

and there tends to be a lot of bycatch. Fisheries scientists have worked to make 

bottom trawling safer for turtles by making nets that allow turtles to escape. 

Bottom trawling can seriously damage habitats on the ocean floor. 

Gillnets

Gillnets are nets that hang in the water, like a wall with holes in it. Gillnets do not 

need to be attached to a boat, which can make them easier to use. The mesh that 

makes up the net can be different sizes, depending on what fish the fishers are 

trying to catch. This also helps to not catch young, small fish. Fish swim into the 

net and get caught. Other animals can also get caught, so there is a risk of more 

bycatch. Often gillnets become “lost” at sea by fishers and float aimlessly through 

the water, killing turtles and many other marine creatures.

Purse Seine

When people fish by purse seine, they start by finding a school of fish. They may 

watch where seabirds are gathering, search for active dolphins, or use helicopters 

to find the school. The seine is a large net that the boat uses to circle around the 

school. The fishers pull the net closed at the top to create a kind of “purse” that 

contains the fish. This technique can catch other animals but because it focuses 

on a school of fish, there are usually fewer bycatch fish. 

64
METHODS OF FISHING

Longline Fishing

Longlines are very long fishing lines with baited hooks every few feet. They can be 

miles long. The average length in the U.S. is 28 miles. In some areas, there is not 

much bycatch. In other areas, not only can the hooks catch other fish, they may 

also catch turtles, sharks, and seabirds. 

Midwater Trawling

In midwater trawling, a boat pulls a net through the water without touching 

the bottom of the ocean. This means that the nets do not damage habitats 

at the seafloor. There can be bycatch because the net captures anything that 

is swimming in the water at the time. The size of the mesh for the net can be 

different, so some smaller fish may be able to escape. Trawling used to be very 

dangerous for sea turtles, but fishery scientists have worked to make nets that 

allow them to escape. 

Pole and Line Fishing

Pole and line fishing is a person with a fishing pole catching individual fish. There 

is no bycatch because fishers can immediately throw back anything that is not 

what they were trying to catch. The number of fish that a fisher can catch is much 

lower than the number that one person could net. 

65
METHODS OF FISHING

Traps and Pots

Traps and pots are generally used to catch crabs and lobsters. They are similar to 

small cages that are dropped to the bottom of the ocean with bait that attracts 

the animals. They crawl in to get the bait and cannot crawl back out. Fishers on 

boats come back later and pull the pots in. There is almost no bycatch because 

the fish may not be attracted to the bait and they cannot get into the trap easily. 

Sometimes the gear can get swept away by strong currents or storms, or the 

fishers can forget where they placed the traps and pots.

Diving

In diving, a fisher swims into the water to collect animals. This is a popular way 

to gather sea urchins and other bottom-dwelling seafoods. There is no bycatch 

because the divers can immediately see what they catch and release it if it is not 

the right kind of animal. Divers cannot collect as many animals as they might with 

a net. 

66
Method Does the method 

leave fish in an area 

to continue the 

population? 

Does the method catch 

specific kinds of fish? Is 

there a lot of bycatch? 

Do fishers bring in 

many fish at one time 

or just a few using this 

method? 

ANALYZING FISHING METHODS

67
LESSON 7:

FOOD MATTERS

INTRODUCTION

We often think of food webs on land. There 

are interesting food webs in the ocean, too. 

This lesson explores how scientists know 

that matter flows from food to the animals 

eating it, then links to the idea that this 

transfer of matter means that plastics in the 

ocean are a reason for concern. 

LESSON SUMMARY

In this lesson, students learn about basic 

fish anatomy and use data to determine 

what happens to the food that an animal 

eats once it is in their bodies. Using this 

information, students consider what 

happens when an animal eats microplastics 

and share ways to keep plastics out of the 

ocean. 

68

OBJECTIVES

• Students will be able to describe how 

matter flows through food webs in the 

ocean.

• Students will be able to explain the 

impact of plastic in the ocean on the 

animals that live there.

ESTIMATED TIME

60 minutes. If you would like to break this 

lesson up over multiple days, consider 

pausing between steps 8 and 9. 

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

Science (NGSS): 5-LS2-1. Develop a model 

to describe the movement of matter among 

plants, animals, decomposers, and the 

environment.
69

OCEAN LITERACY 

PRINCIPLES

5 The ocean supports a great diversity of 

life and ecosystems.

6 The ocean and humans are inextricably 

interconnected. 

FOCUS QUESTION

What happens to the “stuff” that makes up 

food when an animal eats it? What happens 

if an animal eats something it should not? 

MATERIALS

• Fish Anatomy handout, one per student

• Fish Anatomy handout, one copy to 

display (optional)

• Different-colored pens or pencils

• What Happens to Food? master, one 

copy to display

• Ocean Food Web master, one copy to 

display

• NOAA resource on the Great Pacific 

Garbage Patch, see Preparation section

PREPARATION

Read through the lesson in advance. In 

step 11, there is a choice of resources to 

use with your students. Determine which 

resource(s) you would like to use with your 

students. If you choose to use the video, 

make sure you have the materials you 

will need to show the video in class. If you 

prefer to use one or both of the readings, 

consider if you will print copies or display 

them for students to read. 

FACILITATION

Step 1. Start the lesson by asking students 

what they think happens to the food that 

they eat. They may share different ideas, 

including our bodies using it for energy, the 

food leaving the body as waste, it getting 

“digested,” or others. Accept all answers at 

this point, paying attention to those ideas 

that may represent a partial understanding. 
70

Step 2. Distribute the handout, Fish 

Anatomy, to students. You may also wish 

to display a copy of the handout so you 

can point out the different labeled parts of 

the fish. Share with students that scientists 

wanted to understand what happens to 

food when an animal eats it. Scientists 

have a way to mark the food that fish eat so 

they can trace where that food ends up. Tell 

students to think of it as soaking something 

in glow-in-the-dark paint so that the paint 

soaks into every part of the object. These 

markers stay on food particles, even when 

they break down.

Step 3. Tell students that they are going to 

have a chance to think about the different 

results a scientist might see, depending on 

what food gives to our bodies. Give each 

group one of the following scenarios and 

ask them to use a colored pen or pencil 

to draw small circles to indicate where 

scientists might find the labeled food in 

the fish if the scenario is correct. Consider 

writing each scenario on a small piece of 

paper to give to students so the group 

can continue to refer to it. If other ideas 

came up in Step 1 that would be good for 

students to think about, you may wish to 

include those. 

For your own information as you facilitate 

this lesson, the third statement about 

food breaking down into smaller pieces 

and becoming part of the body is correct. 

It represents what the scientists found in 

their investigations. The other statements 

are based on common conceptions that 

students may have. 

• We eat food to fill our stomachs so we 

can be strong. 

• We eat food to give us energy. Energy 

moves out of food particles from the 

digestive tract into the body. 

• We need food to grow and maintain our 

bodies. Food breaks down into smaller 

pieces, which move into the body and 

become part of it. 

• We need vitamins from food. The 

vitamins move out of food particles 

from the digestive tract and into the 

body.

• We eat food to help us stay strong. Food 

breaks into smaller pieces of protein 

which then move into the muscles to 

build them up.

Step 4. As students work, circulate around 

the room to make sure students are on the 

right track. Once groups have had a chance 

to finish drawing where they think the food 

would be found in the fish. The following 

table is to support you in helping the 

students.
Step 5. Ask each group to share the 

scenario they worked on and what they 

drew on the fish. If more than one group 

had the same scenario, have them compare 

what they drew on the fish. 

Step 6. Have students begin a legend for 

their fish figure by drawing a small circle in 

the color they have been using and writing 

“prediction from scenario” next to it. Then 

ask them to choose a different colored pen 

or pencil for the next part of the activity. 

Step 7. Divide students into new groups so 

that each group has one student who was 

exploring each scenario. If you did not add 

any additional scenarios, each group will 

have 5 students. Have the students sit close 

to each other to form the new groups.

Step 8. Tell students that you are going to 

share what scientists found about what 

happens to food. Display the master, What 

Happens to Food? Ask students to take 

a minute to observe the representation 

quietly. Have them add what they see to 

their fish graphic by drawing triangles with 

the new color of pen or pencil. Ask them to 

add to the legend to show that the triangles 

represent what scientists found. Then 

have students talk with their groups to see 

which scenario it seems to match. Students 

should find that the image matches that 

food breaks down and becomes part of the 

body. Hold a class discussion about their 

ideas, pointing out that the food became 

part of all the different tissues in the body. 

Describe how food breaks down and then 

becomes part of the matter—the particles—

that make up the body of the animal that 

ate the food. 71

SCENARIO WHERE LABELED FOOD WOULD BE

We eat food to fill our stomachs so we can 

be strong.

Students should draw small circles in the 

stomach and/or along the whole digestive 

system

We eat food to give us energy. Energy 

moves out of food particles from the digestive tract into the body.

Students should draw small circles within 

the digestive system.

We need food to grow and maintain our 

bodies. Food breaks down into smaller 

pieces, which move into the body and become part of it.

Students should draw small circles 

through the whole fish body.

We need vitamins from food. The vitamins 

move out of food particles from the digestive tract and into the body.

Students should draw small circles within 

the digestive system.

We eat food to help us stay strong. Food 

breaks into smaller pieces of protein which 

then move into the muscles to build them 

up.

Students should draw small circles in the 

muscles on the diagram. They may also 

draw them in the digestive system to show 

the labeled food after the fish ate it and 

before it broke down.
Step 9. Show students the master, Ocean 

Food Web. Share that this web shows 

several of the relationships between 

animals that live in the ocean. When 

animals eat food, they get energy and 

matter from the food. Have students 

choose one food chain from the web, 

starting with plankton. Explain that this 

is one set of animals that get energy and 

matter from each other in order—the same 

way a grasshopper gets energy and matter 

from grass and then a bird can get energy 

and matter from the grasshopper. The bird 

does not eat the grass directly, but the 

grass, grasshopper, and bird make a food 

chain. Ask them to draw the food chain 

they chose. Encourage them to draw the 

animals fairly large because they will need 

to add to them.

Step 10. Tell students to imagine that the 

plankton is all labeled to see where its 

matter goes. Ask them to draw colored 

triangles to show that the plankton is 

labeled. Then ask them to add in the label 

where they think they would eventually 

see it. After giving students some time, 

hold a class discussion to make sure 

students understand that the matter from 

the plankton would be incorporated not 

only into the next animal, but that once 

that animal became food, the label would 

become part of the third animal as well. 

Each of the three animals should have 

colored triangles when students have 

completed their drawings. 

Step 11. Share with students that one of 

the things scientists have found in recent 

years is a lot of plastic in the ocean. Show 

students the NOAA video, Trash Talk: What 

is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (https://

marinedebris.noaa.gov/videos/trash-talkwhat-great-pacific-garbage-patch-0)

If you are unable to play the video for your 

students, consider using one or both of the 

following NOAA resources. 

• What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? 

• How Big is the Great Pacific Garbage 

Patch?: Science vs. Myth

If you use these resources, orient students 

to the map to show that the continental 

United States is on the right side of the 

graphic and Hawaii is visible just west of 

the label, “Eastern Garbage Patch.” Have 

students use a reading strategy, such as 

popcorn reading or read-summarize by 

paragraph, to share the information with 

the class. Share that plastics have been 

found throughout the ocean, not just in 

these patches.

Step 12. Remind students that many 

animals live in the ocean. Others migrate 

through different parts of the ocean, such 

as humpback whales making seasonal 

migrations from Alaska to Hawaii. Highlight 

the last sentence of the reading that 

animals may ingest, or eat, plastics. Have 

students think about what this means for 

food chains and food webs, based on what 

they have been learning. Then have them 

discuss their ideas in their small groups. 

Step 13. Hold a class discussion about 

what may happen when animals eat 

plastics. They should come to understand 

that the plastic may become part of their 

bodies and may be passed on to other 

animals in the food web. Ask students to 

discuss ideas of how they can help keep 

plastics out of the ocean. The end of the 

video in step 11 focused on prevention 

and you can use those ideas to guide the 

discussion. 

72
73

EXTENSION

NOAA’s Marine Debris Program has many resources for teachers and students at https://

marinedebris.noaa.gov/activities-and-curricula . Consider expanding this lesson to focus 

students on other aspects of marine debris and its impacts using the resources there. 

The NOAA Ocean Today Video Collection: Every Full Moon - Trash Talk is a series of 15 videos 

discussing marine debris in more detail: what it is, where it comes from, how it harms animals, 

activities students can do in the classroom, and what students can do on their own to address the 

problem.

Lesson 7 NOAA References

• NOAA Marine Debris Program video Trash Talk: What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

(https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/videos/trash-talk-what-great-pacific-garbage-patch-0)

• NOAA Ocean Service, What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? (https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/

facts/garbagepatch.html)

• NOAA Office of Response and Restoration, How Big is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Science 

vs. Myth (https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/how-big-great-pacific-garbagepatch-science-vs-myth.html)
FISH ANATOMY

74
WHAT HAPPENS TO FOOD?

75
OCEAN FOOD WEB

76
LESSON 8:

CYCLES IN THE OCEAN

INTRODUCTION

Scientific drawing can often help students 

understand science ideas in ways that 

examining a figure does not. In this lesson, 

students will have an opportunity to 

develop a scientific drawing as a model to 

explain the ocean cycles that affect global 

climate. 

LESSON SUMMARY

In this lesson, students use a directed 

drawing to develop a model of how water 

moves around the world. Students read a 

scientific reading that describes one major 

ocean current system and how it may be 

slowing down. They consider what the 

impacts would be if this system were to 

slow significantly or stop moving water. 

77

OBJECTIVES

• Students will use scientific drawing 

to understand how water moves in 

the ocean and the impacts of that 

movement.

• Students will explain how changes to a 

major ocean current would impact the 

Earth.

ESTIMATED TIME

60 minutes. If you wish to complete this 

lesson over multiple days, divide the lesson 

to do steps 1 through 7 on day 1 and the 

remainder of the lesson on day 2. 

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

Science (NGSS): 5-ESS2-1. Develop a 

model using an example to describe ways 

the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, 

and/or atmosphere interact.
78

OCEAN LITERACY 

PRINCIPLES

3 The ocean is a major influence on weather 

and climate.

Geography: Standard 7 The physical 

processes that shape the patterns of Earth’s 

surface.

Standard 15 How physical systems affect 

human systems.

Standard 18 How to apply geography to 

interpret the present and plan for the 

future.

English Language Arts (CCSS): W.5.2 Write 

informative/explanatory texts to examine 

a topic and convey ideas and information 

clearly.

FOCUS QUESTION

What impact would there be on plants and 

animals if a major ocean current slowed 

down or stopped?

MATERIALS

• Paper, one or two pieces of light blue 

(preferred) or white paper for each 

student

• Colored pencils, one set per student 

(see Preparation)

• Chart paper

• Markers

• Scientific Drawing: Ocean Currents 

master, one copy to use for facilitation

• Rulers, a few for the class

• Ocean Conveyor Belt master, one copy 

to display

• Science News, one copy per student

PREPARATION

In this activity, it will be difficult for 

students to share sets of colored pencils 

because the scientific drawing will ask 

them to use certain colors for some parts 

of the drawing. It will save time if each 

student has a set of colored pencils, so 

students do not have to wait on each other 

to finish with a color.

Lesson 4 “Ocean Currents” is also about 

thermohaline circulation. Consider 

previewing the activities and resources in 

that lesson to determine if you would like 

to use any of them in conjunction with this 

lesson.
79

FACILITATION

Step 1. Share with students that 

sometimes people think that if you like 

science, you cannot like things like art or 

music or that you must grow up and be a 

doctor or a scientist. But that is not true! 

In this activity, they are going to have 

an opportunity to learn science while 

exploring an area that combines science 

and the arts. This activity focuses on 

scientific illustration to learn about some 

processes that happen in the ocean. 

Step 2. Distribute one piece of light blue 

or white paper and a set of colored pencils 

to each student. Place chart paper in a 

landscape orientation in a place where 

everyone can see it. Ask students to turn 

their paper in a landscape orientation. 

Step 3. Tell students that they are going to 

have a chance to do a scientific drawing 

to show how large ocean currents work to 

affect the whole planet. Share that you will 

take them through the scientific drawing 

step-by-step because they will be learning 

and illustrating at the same time. 

Step 4. Use the Scientific Drawing: Ocean 

Currents master to guide students through 

the drawing. The left column describes 

a possible narrative for the steps. The 

right column has an example of what the 

drawing might look like. As you go through 

each step, students should add to their own 

drawings on the blue or white paper. 

At the same time, complete a drawing 

of your own on the chart paper. In some 

cases, such as step 1 of drawing the 

horizontal line, you might do the drawing 

first. In other cases, such as drawing 

arrows, you might wish to have students 

come to consensus on where/how to draw 

on the chart paper or you might have a 

student come up to draw at that point. 

Step 5. Share with students that the type 

of current that they have illustrated is an 

example of thermohaline circulation. This 

is a process which drives large masses of 

water throughout the ocean on a current 

known as “The Great Ocean Conveyor Belt.” 

Display the Ocean Conveyor Belt master 

and have them compare what they drew to 

the image of the thermohaline circulation 

process. Students should recognize that 

there are places where warm water is rising 

and cool water is sinking as it traverses the 

globe.

Step 6. Once students have completed 

their initial drawing, have them work in 

pairs or small groups to share the “story” of 

their drawing with a partner or small group. 

Ask each student to use the scientific 

drawing to explain how ocean currents 

move water around the world and why 

they function the way they do. After each 

student explains the process, have the 

small group share any feedback that could 

make the drawing clearer or more accurate.
If students are not used to offering 

feedback to one another, you may need 

to give examples and non-examples of 

constructive feedback to help them. 

Sentence stems may help guide students in 

giving feedback. 

Step 7. Give students a few minutes to 

make any revisions to their drawings based 

on the feedback they received. Share that 

the drawing they have is a model of how 

water and heat move around the world, 

and there are different kinds of currents 

and water “conveyor belts” around the 

globe so they are going to have a chance 

to learn more about a real system in the 

ocean.

Step 8. Distribute copies of the handout, 

Science News, to students. Ask them 

to read the brief article. Support them 

by suggesting a reading strategy if your 

students would benefit from using one. 

Step 9. Ask students to summarize the 

article. This could be in small groups or as a 

class. Then ask them to use their models to 

show why the Earth getting warmer would 

keep the current from flowing. 

If you would like additional information 

about thermohaline circulation to help you 

lead the discussion, two resources that 

may be useful are

• The Global Conveyor Belt, a clickable 

animation with descriptions of the 

stages of water movement (https://

oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/

tutorial_currents/05conveyor2.html) 

and

• What is a Current, a video which 

presents the thermohaline circulation 

process in its third section (https://

oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/current.

html).

Step 10. Ask students to develop an 

explanation to answer the question, 

“What impact would the AMOC slowing 

or stopping have on plants and animals?” 

(Atlantic Meridional Overturning 

Circulation, or AMOC for short) Encourage 

students to think about the different points 

in the article, such as salt, temperature, 

nutrients, and other substances, such as 

waste. Each student can pick one area, 

but across the class encourage different 

focuses for the explanations. 

If students have done claim-evidencereasoning before, ask them to use the 

format they have used. If they have not 

created explanations previously, offer more 

guidance to help them with the process. 

The following points may support them in 

developing their explanations.

• A claim is an answer to a question. It 

should be specific, such as, “If the AMOC 

stopped flowing, the Earth would be 

too cold in some places for plants and 

animals to live and too warm in other 

places,” rather than a general statement 

such as, “If the AMOC switched to weak 

circulation it would affect plants and 

animals.” 

• Explanations use evidence. Students 

should be able to point to specific 

points on their drawings that would be 

different. Describing what they see on 

the drawings that would be different 

represents evidence. 

• Reasoning links the evidence to 

science ideas. Students should be able 

to explain the impacts each piece of 

evidence would have on the Earth. 

80
81

EXTENSION

NOAA has many resources about the impacts of climate change. Preview the information and 

resources at Climate Change Impacts (https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/

climate/climate-change-impacts). Decide if you would like students to use any of the lessons, 

videos, or other resources to further explore how climate may change and affect global currents.
SCIENTIFIC DRAWING: OCEAN CURRENTS

Possible Narrative Example of Drawing

With your page landscape (the long side going 

from left to right), draw a horizontal line near the 

center of the page. This represents where the 

ocean meets the atmosphere. The line does not 

have to be perfect, because the ocean does not 

have a straight, flat surface. Do not draw waves or 

ripples, though because we are looking at a side 

view across thousands of miles. Above the line, 

write a label that says “air” and below the line 

write a label that says “water.”

Next, we need to orient people to where we 

are on Earth and what they are looking at. Often, when we are looking at a representation of 

thousands of miles along the Earth’s surface, we 

are looking at something like a globe or a world 

map. In this case, so far we just have the air and 

the water. Let’s make sure we are helping people 

know what they are looking at. I am going to have 

you draw a rough sketch of the Earth in the upper 

right corner.

• It should start with a circle that is about 1 1⁄2 

inches in diameter. 

• Draw a line across the middle to (equator).

• Draw a rough outline of North and South 

America—it does not need to be perfect, but 

just show land that crosses the equator and 

spans from north to south. 

• Sketch in a few lines of blue in the ocean and 

a few lines of green on the land.

• Now put an A in the ocean near the north part 

of the land and a B near the equator. 

• On the main part of your picture, put an A at 

the far left near the line and a B at the far right 

near the line.

What does this tell us about the orientation of our 

picture compared to the globe? We should also 

add something to show the scale of this drawing. 

It is around 4,500 miles from the equator to the 

Arctic Circle so we will use that as a guide. If we 

say that A is close to the Arctic Circle and B is at 

the equator, and your paper is 11 inches from side 

to side, that means 1 inch is about 400 miles or 

so. Draw a line that is about 1 inch and label it as 

400 miles. 

82
SCIENTIFIC DRAWING: OCEAN CURRENTS

83

Possible Narrative Example of Drawing

Today, we are going to be creating a model for 

the “global conveyor belt” currents in the ocean. 

These are the currents that move water around 

the globe. Our description of the conveyor belt is 

going to start near our “A” label. Make a symbol or 

write the word “start” to show where our description will begin.

In the arctic, it is very cold. That starts to chill the 

water near the surface and sea ice starts to form. 

I am going to draw a thermometer that is blue to 

show how cold the air is and label it, “cold arctic 

air.” Then I am going to draw some sea ice in the 

water and label it with, “sea ice forms.” 

When the sea ice forms, it is only the water that 

freezes. It leaves behind the salt, which stays in 

the water around the ice. Let’s draw some salt 

in the water here to show that there is extra salt. 

Remember we are doing scientific drawing to 

help explain this concept, so we will need to label 

it as, “salt.”

Now we have sea ice surrounded by water that 

has extra salt in it. That water is heavier because 

it does have more salt. It is also very cold from 

being near the surface with the cold air. 

Have you ever heard the idea that hot air rises, 

like with a hot air balloon? The same idea applies to liquids where warm liquids rise, and cold 

liquids fall. Now this water is not only colder than 

the water below it, but it is also heavier. What do 

you think will happen? (The water will start to 

sink toward the bottom of the ocean.) Let’s draw 

a big blue arrow to show that this water is sinking 

toward the bottom.
SCIENTIFIC DRAWING: OCEAN CURRENTS

84

Possible Narrative Example of Drawing

As the water sinks, it pushes the water that was 

already on the ocean floor to the side. The water 

becomes warmer and less salty because it mixes with other water. But, the water on the floor 

begins moving out of the way. Draw a blue arrow 

along the ocean floor to show that this water is 

still cooler and is moving toward B. Which direction is that on our globe up here in the corner? (to 

the south)

At the same time, new water must replace the 

water that sank toward the bottom. This water 

is helped by winds on the surface. It is mostly 

coming from the south, so it is warmer. Let’s draw 

some winds on the surface as well as a red arrow 

to show that warmer water is moving into the 

arctic area.

Now we have water moving near the bottom of 

the ocean toward warmer areas of the Earth, near 

the equator. We also have water moving from 

those warmer areas toward the arctic. As the 

water warms up, it is going to begin to rise toward 

the surface and complete this cycle. Let’s draw 

a red arrow to show warmer water rising toward 

the surface. This is called upwelling so let’s label 

it with that word. We want to remind ourselves 

that the water is not as salty here, so add something to show that the water is salty, but not as 

much as it is near A where we have the sea ice 

forming.

This type of current moves water and heat 

around the world. Let’s add that to the drawing. The other thing we will want to add to give 

people a sense of how this works is to add time. 

Scientists say that if you followed one particle of 

water around through a current like this, it would 

take 1000 years to make it all the way through the 

cycle. It moves a lot of water, but it is not moving 

really fast. Let’s put something on our scientific 

drawing to show that it is roughly 1000 years to 

go through the whole cycle.
85

OCEAN CONVEYOR BELT MASTER
86
87

Brooke Bourdélat Gorman

Educational Consultant, Education Materials Developer

Bruce Moravchik

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Ocean Service Education Coordinator, 

Educational Materials Executive Producer

Mireia Villalonga

Graphic Design

Ocean Odyssey is a K2 Studios release of a Wild Pacific Media and Definition Films production.

CREDITS
88

All URLs have been verified at the time of publication.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS): 

https://www.nextgenscience.org/ 

The Next Generation Science Standards are K–12 science content standards, developed by states. 

All the standards noted in this document can be found in their entirety by typing in the standards 

“code” associated with each lesson into the keyword search box on the website. 

Ocean Literacy Principles (OLP):

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/literacy.html 

A practical resource for educators, this guide outlines the knowledge required to be considered 

ocean literate. Many scientists and educators collaborated to produce these resources, building 

on efforts to define ocean literacy and identify the principles and concepts that should be included in K-12 curricula.

Common Core State Standards (CCSS): 

English Language Arts http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/ 

Mathematics http://www.corestandards.org/Math/ 

The Common Core State Standards is a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics 

and English language arts/literacy (ELA). These learning goals outline what a student should 

know and be able to do at the end of each grade. The standards were created to ensure that all 

students graduate from high school with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, career, and life, regardless of where they live. 

National Geography Standards:

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/standards/national-geography-standards/ 

The National Geography Standards represent the consensus of the geography education community around what students should know and be able to do by the time they graduate from 

the 12th grade. More information about the standards is available from the National Council for 

Geographic Education (https://ncge.org/). 

APPENDIX
This Educator’s Guide was supported by NOAA Planet Stewards

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/planet-stewards

The contents of this educator’s guide (text and imagery) may be considered to be in 

the ‘public domain’ and CAN NOT be copyrighted. You may reproduce it and share it for 

educational purposes without express permission, but MAY NOT:

• Claim it as your own (i.e., claiming copyright for federal information);

• Use it in a manner that implies an endorsement or affiliation with the U.S. Government; 

or

• Modify the content or misrepresent the content, and then present it as official 

government material.

Credit should be given to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 

and K2 Studios and referenced back to: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/oceanodyssey/