This lesson will equip students to analyze ocean instruments, understand data, and explore how these tools assist with ocean research.

Students will engage in an activity to understand how scientists collect and interpret data from the ocean. This card game allows students to explore various oceanographic devices, learn about their design, function, and real-world applications. Finally, the lesson encourages students to think about the broader societal and environmental impacts of oceanographic research, fostering critical thinking about the role of technology in understanding our planet’s oceans.

Topics

Authors

Alexandra Boitor, Andrea Gingras

Student Resources

Next Generation Science Standards

Crosscutting Concepts
  • Stability and change
  • Patterns 
Core Ideas
  • PS4.C: Information Technologies and Instrumentation
  • LS1.D: Information Processing
  • ETS2.B: Influence of Engineering, Technology, and Science on Society and the Natural World
Practices
  • Asking Questions and Defining Problems
  • Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Ocean Literacy Fundamental Concepts

  • 1: The Earth has one big ocean with many features.