Oceans cover the majority of our planet; they are home to a wealth of biodiversity and play a huge role in regulating the climate. You may have heard that the oceans are changing because of climate change, but what does that really mean? This collection of ocean lesson plans and resources will help teachers feel prepared to teach their students about the challenges facing our oceans and what we can do to save them.

Whether you are looking for ways to teach about ocean ecosystems, currents, rising sea levels, or warming waters, these ocean lesson plans will give you the tools you need to deliver a standards-aligned lesson to your students. SubjectToClimate has ocean lesson plans and resources for students in grades K-12 that cover a wide array of topics related to the health and well-being of our oceans, including how climate change is affecting marine life, such as coral, sea turtles, and even seagrass. As global temperatures rise and oceans warm, melting ice and sea level rise also present problems for life on land. The following resources will help teachers feel prepared and motivated to bring these topics into the classroom and help inspire the next generation to respect and value our fragile blue planet.

Ocean Habitat Changes

Grade: K, 1st, 2nd

Subjects: Science, Social Studies, Biology, Civics

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

How can we explain the importance of the ocean to the youngest students? This lesson introduces K-2 students to the effects of climate change on the ocean and what that means for the marine animals that live there.  Students will learn about ocean animals and how humans can help them to adapt to their changing habitat. At the end of the lesson, students will write a letter to a community leader about how climate change is impacting the animal that they learned about and what humans can do to help the animal survive.

This SubjectToClimate lesson plan requires no prep. It includes detailed directions for delivering the lesson along with a Google Slideshow, a graphic organizer, and a letter template. Students will get the chance to observe ocean animals on a live ocean feed and they will watch an informative video on how climate change impacts plants and animals. 

Teachers can use this lesson for students to practice research and writing skills in addition to comprehension skills. The lesson integrates scientific concepts (such as what animals need to survive, ecosystems, habitats, climate change, and adaptation) into a lesson that could be used for English language arts or social studies.

Additional Resources 

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Save the Sea Turtles!

Grade: K, 1st, 2nd

Subjects: Computer Science and Design Thinking

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

This well-designed lesson teaches K-2 students about the human-caused dangers that sea turtles face in the ocean, while also introducing students to the engineering design process. Students will learn about the importance of conservation and keeping our oceans clean, and they will use their problem-solving skills to develop a plan to keep sea turtles safe.

Teachers will love how this lesson combines the high-interest topic of animals with conservation and engineering. The lesson includes a Google Slideshow, a KWL chart, a brainstorming page, a Jamboard, and an engineering log - everything teachers need to make the lesson engaging and successful! This 80-minute lesson is divided into three sections: Inquire, Investigate, and Inspire. Teachers can teach the different sections of the lesson over the course of three consecutive days, or they can spread it out over a week.

Additional Resources 

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The Magic of Seagrass

Grade: K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Subjects: Science, Biology, Earth and Space Sciences

Resource Type: Presentation Slides, Lesson Plan, Videos, Artwork

Elementary

Secondary

Seagrass is probably not the first thing most teachers think about when they decide to teach a lesson on the ocean…but these lesson plans might change that! In both the elementary and secondary lessons students will learn about seagrass ecosystems and how seagrass helps to combat climate change by sequestering carbon. Packed with videos, photographs, activities, discussion questions, and ideas for extension projects, these lesson plans will change the way that students think about seagrass.

This is the kind of lesson that teachers never have time to research and create on their own; with excellent attention to detail and interesting prompts, the lesson plan brings this lesser-known topic to life. Teachers will love the well-designed Google Slideshows and the detailed speaker notes that keep the lesson structured and easy to follow. A beautifully illustrated infographic helps students to see how valuable seagrass is in maintaining a healthy ocean.

The elementary lesson would work well in a variety of science units because it covers topics such as carbon sequestration, ecosystems, and biodiversity loss. Because the secondary lesson combines elements of biology, geography, and art, it could be expanded into a cross-curricular mini-unit.

Additional Resources 

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The Magic of Coral Reefs

Grade: K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Subjects: Science, Biology, Earth and Space Sciences

Resource Type: Presentation Slides, Lesson Plan, Videos, Artwork

Elementary

Secondary

Few parts of the ocean are as magical as coral. Sadly, as climate change causes the oceans to become warmer and more acidic, coral reefs are disappearing. These well-crafted lesson plans teach students about the importance and benefits of coral, coral bleaching, coral ecosystems, and how human activity impacts coral. Each of the lesson plans includes optional extension activities. 

Teachers will love the way that the elementary and secondary lessons use interesting photographs, videos, and infographics to teach students about the delicate coral ecosystem. Detailed speaker notes make the Google Slideshows easy to deliver with little to no prep.

Both the elementary and the secondary lesson plans fit well in biology and life science classes, but these lessons could also be incorporated into English language arts courses. After the lesson, students could put their persuasive writing skills to the test by writing a grade-appropriate level op-ed or speech on the importance of prioritizing coral health in our oceans.

Additional Resources 

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Is Ice, Ice Baby?

Grade: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Subjects: Science, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Earth and Space Sciences

Resource Type: Lesson Plan, Worksheet, Experiment, Video

You’ve probably heard that glaciers are melting and sea levels are rising, but you may not know that only melting land ice can cause sea levels to rise. This interesting lesson includes a hands-on experiment that demonstrates this phenomenon.

Teachers will love how this lesson teaches students about melting land ice and sea level rise using an experiment and two youth climate story videos that show how coastal erosion and rising sea levels affect people in their daily lives. The lesson also includes a short informational article, reflection questions, and a student data sheet. 

This lesson is unique because it teaches students about scientific topics such as the properties of water and the effects of climate change on the oceans, but it also explores a deeply personal side of climate change, as students will see how people their age are being impacted by rising global temperatures and melting ice.

Additional Resources 

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Isle de Jean Charles

Grade: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Subjects: Science, Social Studies, Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, History, Justice

Resource Type: Lesson Plan, Video

Unfortunately, the impact of sea level rise and increasingly severe weather has impacted a variety of communities around the world. This lesson will introduce students to one of those communities. The lesson centers around a beautifully filmed short documentary about a small island community off the coast of Louisiana called Isle de Jean Charles, which is quickly disappearing. With reflection questions and writing prompts, this lesson will give students the chance to connect on a personal level with the impacts of climate change on coastal communities.

Teachers will appreciate how this lesson gives students a chance to reflect on how climate change is causing unique cultures to vanish. Islands and coastal regions are uniquely impacted by sea level rise, forcing many people from these communities to seek new homes.

While the lesson itself is geared to students in grades 6-12, the film will appeal also to younger students (i.e. grades 3-5).  Teachers can modify or expand the discussion questions and writing prompts to suit their students’ needs. This lesson would also be an excellent way to start a research project on sea level rise and climate migration.

Additional Resources 

Coral Reefs and Global Warming

Grade: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Subjects: Science, Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, World Languages, Spanish

Resource Type: Activity, Lesson Plan, Worksheet, Data

It can be challenging for students to comprehend how scientists use data to understand the changes occurring in our oceans. This interesting lesson gives students the chance to see what scientists see when they analyze data. Students will learn how warming temperatures affect corals and graph the temperature data from a specific coral reef site to assess the risk of coral bleaching in the area. 

Teachers will love that all of the materials for this lesson are available in English and Spanish. Few lessons allow students the chance to interpret data on their own in order to understand a concept. The data in this lesson, which comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, will help students to see why scientists are so concerned about the future of coral reefs and ocean biodiversity.

The lesson includes data for 28 different locations, so teachers can assign each student their own location or have students work in pairs. Students can use a variety of spreadsheet programs to complete this data analysis activity. 

Additional Resources 

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The Math Behind Sea Level Rise

Grade: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Subjects: Math

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

How much would sea levels rise if Antarctica melted? In this innovative SubjectToClimate lesson students use geometry to answer this question. Math lessons that use hands-on demonstrations and real-world scenarios give students the opportunity to put their math skills to the test. 

This lesson uses SubjectToClimate’s Inquire, Investigate, Inspire framework to get students invested in finding a way to calculate how much sea levels could rise. Students will use that information to understand the problems that coastal communities will face in the future if global temperatures continue to increase. Teachers can use this lesson to show students real-life applications for volume and surface area formulas.

Additional Resources 

The Ocean and Climate Change

Grade: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Subjects: Science, Chemistry, Biology, Earth and Space Sciences

Resource Type: Podcast, Activity, Lesson Plan, Worksheet

This resource gives teachers all the tools they need to teach a comprehensive mini-unit on climate change and the ocean. Students will learn about ocean acidification, absorption rates of carbon dioxide for cold and warm water, ocean currents, and Argo floats.

This lesson plan from MIT includes two podcast episodes, instructions for an experiment, class activities, articles, infographics, maps, discussion questions, and more. Teachers will be impressed with the level of detail and organization in the Educator Guide. Teachers can pick and choose which components to use for a single lesson, or use the entire lesson plan over the course of a week or two. Teachers can also assign podcast episodes for students to listen to before the lesson.

Additional Resources 

The more you learn about the importance of the ocean in regulating climate, providing a habitat for marine life, and acting as a carbon sink to sequester excess carbon dioxide, the more you will want to share with your students. While this list covers an enormous number of topics, SubjectToClimate’s website offers even more resources, lesson plans, and news articles on the ocean. The oceans are changing as a result of human activity, and it won’t be long before today’s students are the ones making important decisions about how we treat our planet. You can prepare your students to face this enormous responsibility armed with scientist-approved factual information so they feel empowered to make a difference.

About the Author

Emily has a bachelor’s degree in English and French and a master’s degree in library and information science. She spent seven years teaching information evaluation and research skills as a school librarian in K-8 public schools. As a lifelong resident of Southern Louisiana, Emily has a particular interest in how climate change affects coastal regions. She hopes to connect educators with resources that will help them to teach their students about the disproportionately adverse effects of climate change on historically marginalized communities.