Educator Resource Database
Developed by partners in the Alaska CoastWatch for Action Project
Marine and coastal K-12 educators collaborated to create this database. It is designed to help teachers and informal community educators engage youth in community resiliency, climate change adaptation, and mitigation of coastal hazards.
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- Next Generation Science Standards—NGSS alignments are available for most lesson plans and activities
- Grade level
- Topic—coastal hazard types and other topics
- Resource type—lesson plan, citizen science data collection protocol/data sheet, poster
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Partners and funding
Plankton Chronicles: Diatoms
5 minute video that utilizes beautiful microscopy photographs and video clips to explain what diatoms are, their evolutionary history, how they photosynthesize, and their role in marine ecosystems.
Link: Visit websiteNGSS PE(s): Foundational
Grade Band(s): HS, MS
Topic(s): HABs
Lesson Type(s): Video
Plankton Chronicles: Plankton
2 minute video explaining what plankton are and their role in the ecosystem. Mesmerizing photos and video clips.
Link: Visit websiteNGSS PE(s): Foundational
Grade Band(s): 3-5, K-2
Topic(s): HABs, Marine Invertebrates
Lesson Type(s): Video
Plankton Chronicles: Protists
3 minute video that shows the diversity of planktonic life that are protists and introduces key types of protists and their natural history.
Link: Visit websiteNGSS PE(s): Foundational
Grade Band(s): 3-5, K-2
Topic(s): HABs, Marine Invertebrates
Lesson Type(s): Video
Plankton Races (CACS CoastWatch Curriculum)
Lesson plan for a hands-on (and somewhat messy) activity in which students engineer models of plankton to explore the concept of neutral buoyancy and the adaptations plankton have to achieve this.
NGSS PE(s): 4-LS1-1
Grade Band(s): 3-5, HS, K-2, MS
Topic(s): HABs, Marine Invertebrates
Lesson Type(s): Activity
Download
Plankton Studies (CACS CoastWatch Curriculum)
Lesson plan for a lab and field trip activity where students collect plankton and observe under the microscope. If you cannot collect plankton, CACS can ship you some.
NGSS PE(s): 3-LS1-1, 4-LS1-1, MS-ESS3-3
Grade Band(s): 3-5, HS, MS
Topic(s): HABs, Marine Invertebrates
Lesson Type(s): Activity, Field Trip
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Potential Solutions to Arctic Coastal Erosion
Examples and descriptions of the pros and cons of using various types of buffers and erosion control structures in arctic environments
NGSS PE(s):
Grade Band(s): HS
Topic(s): Coastal Erosion
Lesson Type(s): Images & Visualizations, Presentation
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Practicing Protocols for Beach Sampling (CACS CoastWatch Curriculum)
Lesson plan for introducing and practicing methods used in beach sampling/monitoring activities. Could be used for terrestrial ecosystems as well.
NGSS PE(s):
Grade Band(s): 3-5, HS, MS
Topic(s): Marine Invertebrates
Lesson Type(s): Activity, Field Trip
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Predicting the Path of Marine Debris (CACS CoastWatch Curriculum)
Lesson plan that uses the story of small plastic animals from a container ship spill that drifted around the world. The story and activities help students to understand predominant ocean currents. Includes links to some great digital simulators of currents and transport of marine debris in the extensions section.
NGSS PE(s): MS-ESS2-6
Grade Band(s): 3-5, HS, MS
Topic(s): Oceanography
Lesson Type(s): Activity
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Predicting Weather (using western science and traditional methods)
Students learn about the science of weather from both western and indigenous perspectives. Alaska Native Knowledge Network.
NGSS PE(s): MS-ESS3-2, MS-ESS3-3
Grade Band(s): HS
Topic(s): Weather
Lesson Type(s): Activity
Download
Pressure & Storms (CACS CoastWatch Curriculum)
Demonstration and lab activities that introduce students to messuring barometric pressure and using these measurements to predict the weather.
NGSS PE(s): MS-ESS2-5, MS-ESS3-2
Grade Band(s): 3-5, HS, MS
Topic(s): Weather
Lesson Type(s): Activity
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