Ocean Layers

Annie Carter
Grade Level: 6th Grade Content Area: Science
Standards: RST. 6-8.7 and W.6.7
Materials List: 5- 6 oz containers, Blue food coloring, Red food coloring, Green food coloring,
Water, Paper, Scissors, Tape

Description:
Hands-on Portion:
 Begin by writing each layer of ocean on a small slip of paper then tape one onto each
container.
 Fill the container ¾ of the way full with water then add your food coloring ( All layers
but the Sunlight Zone can be shaken within the closed container)
o Sunlight Zone- Touch the toothpick to the blue food coloring then stir into the
water
o Twilight zone- 1 drop of blue
o Midnight Zone- 2 drops of blue
o Abyss- 4 drops of blue
o Trenches- 5 drops of blue, 2 drops of green, and 1 drop of red
o Hints- If you have smaller or larger containers adjust the amount of food
coloring. If you have too much food coloring in one layer dump a little bit of
water out, add more water. Continue this process until you get your desired
color.
Writing/Research Portion:
 Help your students formulate a Big Question about Ocean Layers, what lives in each
layer, how light travels through each layer, etc. (Separate them into small groups)
o The children will do a research project to answer the Big Question that they
came up with.
o They will use the school computer lab to type up the written portion of their
project and print it off.
o They may add extra facts that they learned about the ocean while conducting
their research
 This project can be adapted to the needs and wants of teacher and students. ( Getting
together after school, using toy animals in their containers, having the teacher give
them a Big Question, etc.)
 Why do Different Layers Contain Different Animals?

Sunlight Zone- There is a lot of sunlight so photosynthesis can take place and there are

lots of plants. (Life here includes algae, plankton, sharks, rays, jellyfish, and most other ocean

fish)

Twilight Zone- There is little light so there is no photosynthesis and no plants. There is

high pressure, lots of dark colored fish will big eyes and jaws, and many bioluminescent fish

Midnight Zone- 2000 ft. down there is no light and super high pressure. Dead things and

feces filter down here to feed the animals here. (Life here includes giant squid, octopi, large

whales)

Abyss- No light makes it this far down, it is super cold, near the highest pressure in the

ocean. (Life here includes giant tube worms and the like)

Trenches- There is no light, the highest pressure, and it is extremely cold. (Life here

includes invertebrates such as sea cucumbers, anemones, and gastropods.)

We have come to the conclusion that the reason different layers contain different animals is

because the pressure increases as you go deeper, and temperature decreases as does light

exposure.