Ocean Currents and Climate Lesson Plan

TEACHER NAME:
LESSON SUBJECT: STEM
LESSON TITLE: Oceans
GRADE: 8
LESSON DATE: December 6, 2017

RATIONALE

This lesson is part of the First Peoples Inquiry Project. It explains how ocean currents move, and the role that the
ocean has in influencing the climate. It highlights the interconnected relationship we all have with the ocean; we
depend on the ocean for survival, and the survival of the ocean depends on us. MALE COW - We’ll focus on
Mountain Barriers (Wind effects), Altitude, Latitude, Continental Location, Ocean Currents.

LEARNING INTENTIONS & ASSESSMENT

Learning Intentions: Activity Assessment

Students will be able to: - Class discussions

- Explain: the difference
between freshwater and - Think-pair-share
saltwater, how the ocean
affects climate, and how Scavenger hunt worksheet will go
- Scavenger hunt
ocean currents work in their duotangs. Make sure they
- Explain the difference are filling them out and have the
between weather and climate correct answers.
- Understand why the oceans
are important and how they
affect our lives
- Understand factors that
affect climate (WELCOM)
- Understand why oceans
move in currents (density,
temperature = Energy
transfer)

PREREQUISITE CONCEPTS AND SKILLS

- Note taking skills

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES (REFERENCES) NEEDED FOR THIS LESSON

- Teacher needs:
- PowerPoint
 - Worksheets for every student
- QR codes around the classroom
- Students need:
- Writing utensils
- Paper
- Phones to scan QR codes
- Headphones would be helpful

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION (ACCOMMODATIONS)

- Notes can be taken on Chromebooks

FIRST PEOPLES PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING

- Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on
reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place).

- Learning involves recognizing the consequences of one’s actions.

LESSON ACTIVITIES

TEACHER ACTIVITIES STUDENT ACTIVITIES CLASS MANAGEMENT PACING

CONSIDERATIONS (Minutes)
Review
- Short review of yesterday’s class (weathering Students answer questions Ensure that all students 5
and erosion) posed by teacher. are settled in and ready
to take notes (paper and
pens out).
Introduction

- Question: Why are the oceans important for Students participate in 5

survival? class discussion.

Body
 - Explain key differences between freshwater Students will be provided
and saltwater with a note-taking
- Salinity worksheet.
- Freezing point
- Density

- Explain how oceans affect climate This is a lot of

- High heat capacity of water explaining...if the 20
- Moisture from the ocean students are getting
- Windward vs leeward (wet vs. dry, restless give them a brain
coast vs. interior) break.

- Explain ocean currents Students fill in their note-

- Surface currents vs deep currents taking worksheet.
- What affects them
- La Nina/El Nino
- Think-pair-share question

- Scavenger hunt. There will be QR codes Students complete

placed around the classroom that will take scavenger hunt worksheet.
students to websites/videos regarding the
topic for the day. Students will have a 30
worksheet to complete.

Closure
- Ask students “what did you learn today?” and
make sure they understand the relevance of 5
the lesson for the First Peoples Inquiry
project.

REFLECTIONS

- This activity worked well for a lot of student, they worked hard and quietly
- This method was great for monitoring student progress as they worked in google docs
- I found a lot of students attempted to bring their background knowledge to answer the questions,
instead of reading the resources