KS3 SCIENCE
Curriculum link: Earth and Atmosphere
HYDROTHERMAL VENTS LESSON PLAN
Introduce students to the idea of life living in extreme conditions on the sea floor.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Resources required: Internet connection, paper

1. FIRE STARTER
Students could watch:
http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-videos/hydrothermal-ventcreatures which is specifically about the hot water vents
in the Galapagos or one of the clips at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/habitats/Hydrothermal_v
ent which are more general. Students then explain how a
hot water vent is formed; this could be in the form of a
simplified diagram.
2. GAINING GROUND
Students view another of the programmes from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/habitats/Hydrothermal_v
ent. Students explain the nature of the hostile
environment which surrounds these vents. For example
they should mention lack of light, high pressure, toxic
chemicals.
3.
MAKING WAVES
Students study the adaptations of organisms to the hostile
environment and the place of organisms in the food chain
http://www.marineconservation.org.uk/thermalventlife.html is a useful source
of
information
for
extension
work,
as
is
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/learning/5_chemosynt
hesis/activities/hydrothermal.html#activity
4. FUTURE FOCUS
Hot water vents sometimes only last for a few years.
Students could discuss what would happen to the inhabitants
of the vent area then.
A RESOURCE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE GALAPAGOS CONSERVATION TRUST (REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1043470) AND THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY
To
understand
there
are
hydrothermal vents at the bottom of
the sea
To understand that an ecosystem has
developed
in
these
extreme
conditions
STUDENTS’ OUTCOMES



To identify the extremely hostile
environment by the hydrothermal
vents
To understand the adaptations of the
organisms
living
around
hydrothermal vents
To understand a simple food chain