Educator Help Line Videos and Activities
Marine Debris
Discover the different impacts of marine debris on wildlife and learn how you can be a good steward for our coastline. This session features activities from the curriculum, The Educator’s Guide to Marine Debris in the Southeast and Gulf of Mexico. Demonstrated activities include (in order of presentation): The Ties that Bind (pg.7), Eating Plastic is a Deadly Meal (pg. 20), Calculate Marine Debris from Land or Sea (pg. 35), and Crinkle Can Fish (pg. 34).
Video Demonstration
STEM Buoyancy and Density Challenges
What makes something float? What makes something sink? Can you make something that neither floats nor sinks? This session uses simple materials for fun STEM (science-technology-engineering-math) challenges designed to teach about the properties of buoyancy and density. Featured activity for this session is the Clay Ball Challenge Lesson Plan and family-friendly version.
Video Demonstration
Ocean Literacy Principle – The Earth has one big ocean with many features
Does the Earth have one ocean or four? Just how much of Earth is covered with water? This session kicks off a series of Educator Help Line episodes that will feature one of the seven Ocean Literacy Principles and Fundamental Concepts . This week, we highlight Ocean Literacy Principle #1: The Earth has one big ocean with many features and discover just why Earth is considered a “water planet”. Activities that are highlighted during this session include: Globe Toss and Experimenting with Density.
Video Demonstration
Ocean Literacy Principle – The ocean shapes the features of Earth
This session continues our series of featuring one of the seven Ocean Literacy Principles and Fundamental Concepts. This week, we explore Ocean Literacy Essential Principle #2 and discover how ocean currents move across the globe and help form the shapes along our coastline and underwater. Featured activities for this session include: Causes and Effects of Our Rising Seas Lesson Plan, Beach Erosion Demonstration and Beach Sand Exploration , and Create a Deep Sea Vent .
Video Demonstration
Ocean Literacy Principle – The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate
Are you fascinated with weather and climate? This Educator Help Line session features the third Ocean Literacy Essential Principle: The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate . During this session we will explore the role of carbon and how it moves throughout the different spheres on Earth: hydrosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere. We’ll explore how carbon becomes and greenhouse gas and how these types of gases impact our climate and weather. We’ll then learn how to collect your own weather data and create your very own anemometer!
Featured activities for this session include: Carbon Cycle Poster , Carbon the World Traveler Lesson Plan, Water Cycle in a Bag , Create Your Own Anemometer and Weather Data Sheet .
Video Demonstration
Ocean Literacy Principle – The ocean makes Earth habitable
Take a deep breath – on your exhale, thank the ocean! Did you know that most of our oxygen comes from marine plants? Specifically, phytoplankton are responsible for most of the oxygen we breathe on Earth. This session focuses on Ocean Literacy Essential Principle #4: The ocean makes Earth habitable and features the following activities: A Race to the Bottom Lesson Plan, photosynthesis lab , and an art project do make your own phytoplankton (diatoms)!