The basics of
ocean acidification
6th - 7th grade
Theme:
What makes life on Earth possible is that we have a variety of gasses in our
atmosphere keeping it warm enough to support life. One of these gasses is called
Carbon Dioxide, or CO2. These gasses act like a blanket, trapping in heat from the
sun. This keeps the Earth’s climate comfortable for all living things. However, with
the addition of more CO2 from driving our cars or burning coal for electricity, we’ve
thickened that heat trapping blanket. As this blanket becomes thicker it’s almost
like the Earth has a fever—this makes life uncomfortable for everything living here.
Much of the CO2 in the atmosphere is due to technologies that have helped make
life better for us, like video games, cars, tablets, lamps, microwaves, and music
players. All of those technologies use electricity, and most electricity comes from
sources that spew out excess CO2.
Besides making the planet warmer, CO2 changes the Earth’s environment in other
ways, too. Looking at the globe, there’s lots of green – land, but a lot more blue –
water. That water is affected by our changing atmosphere—CO2 gets absorbed by
the water on our planet and changes the ocean’s recipe for success. As the recipe
changes it affects some animals more than others—especially animals like the
pteropod. If pteropods disappear, it will disrupt the balance of the food web and all
living things (including us) will suffer. The animals that eat the pteropods will have
nothing to eat and disappear, and then the animals that eat those animals (like
us) will also have trouble finding food. Tidepool animals may struggle to form any
calcium carbonate in their bodies, and they may have trouble since
animals will be looking for new things to eat—like them. Since
we are all connected, as they feel the effects of a
disrupted food web, so will we.
a division of
Embarcadero at Beach St, San Francisco, CA 94133 | 415.623.5300 | aquariumofthebay.org
activity summary:
In the middle of the program the class split up into two groups:
one group met the animal visitor, and the other group did a
science experiment. By feeling the hard calcium carbonate
body parts of the tidepool animals, the students were able
to better understand how these animals are directly affected
by ocean acidification caused by carbon dioxide emissions
because of their shells.
After the students met the animal visitors, they did an
experiment to see the effect of carbon dioxide on the pH of
water. They blew bubbles into a bowl of water and using pH
meters, saw the pH decrease. The pH decreasing means that
the water became more acidic. Substances that are more acidic
are more likely to “dissolve” other things.
What can we do to restore our ocean’s delicate recipe, help
these animals, and keep our food web stable? We can use
public transportation, learn about transportation options at
sparetheairyouth.org, support companies that use alternative
energy, talk to our parents or teachers about changing where
we get our energy from, and reduce our use of electricity.
key messages:
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animal ambassador:
experiment:
The atmosphere and carbon cycle are vital parts of the
Earth’s ability to sustain life.
Human actions are changing the ocean’s chemistry which is
causing life below the surface to suffer and food chains to
collapse.
We want to prevent CO2 levels from skyrocketing to help
slow down the effects of ocean acidification.
Oceans play a vital part in the Earth’s ecosystem and are a
home to marine life that contributes to the health of human
life on our planet.
All living things are connected, especially within a food
web, and we all depend on each other. It is important
to preserve plant and animal species because they are
amazing, but also because we need them to survive.
Together, we can work as stewards of our planet and
participate in actions that will leave the world a better place
for us and our children.
Tidepool animals like Sea Stars, Sea Cucumbers, Hermit Crabs,
and Whelk Snails
pH meters and straws
Name _____________________
the basics of ocean acidification
crossword
Complete the crossword below. Some of the answers are two words.
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Name _____________________
the basics of ocean acidification
crossword
Across
Down
3. When many people commute in one vehicle instead of
1. Small plant-like organisms that make up the base of the
using their own, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide
marine food wen and turn carbon dioxide into oxygen,
emitted.
providing more than half of the clean air we breathe.
6. A public transportation option in the Bay Area using
2. A habitat where many animals live that requires
trains.
calcium carbonate to make strong outer shells.
7. A marine invertebrate found in rocky intertidal habitats
3. The process by which carbon dioxide moves through
that keep our oceans clean by eating fish poop!
the biosphere, which is becoming severely out of balance
9. A process used by plants and other organisms to
due to humans’ actions.
convert sunlight into food, which also turns carbon
4. The effect on the ocean as pH drops from too much
dioxide into oxygen.
carbon dioxide in the water. This process makes it harder
10. Black rocks we burn to create electricity, which results
for animals’ shells to grow.
in a lot of carbon dioxide being added to the atmosphere.
5. The blanket that keeps Earth warm. It is made up
14. The name of the substance that some animals use to
of heat trapping gases like water vapor, methane, and
make their hard outer shells. Usually this substance floats
carbon dioxide.
freely in the ocean for animals to use as they grow.
8. Something that shows how all-living things in an
17. The name for the type of smokes that factories and
ecosystem are connected by the animals they eat and the
cars produce. It’s a heat trapping gas, and too much of it
animals that eat them.
in the atmosphere can make the Earth too hot.
11. A small winged swimming snail about half an inch in
19. The type of air we breathe in and plants breathe out.
size. They are a favorite food of many animals and are an
20. The pattern of temperatures and conditions in an area
over a long period of time. Think of ‘weather’ as the outfit
you wore today, and this word is your entire wardrobe.
important part of the food web because without them,
many other animals could not survive.
12. A green alternative transportation option that uses no
gasoline and creates no extra carbon dioxide.
13. A marine invertebrate found in rocky intertidal
habitats that are at the top of the food chain and control
mussel populations.
15. The word used to describe a substance with a pH less
than 7.
16. Substance with a pH of 7 that consists of two
hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
18. A vehicle designed to carry many passengers so
that children and adults can travel to or from school or
work while reducing the amount of carbon dioxide they
produce.
Teacher Key
Name _____________________
the basics of ocean acidification
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Complete the crossword below. Some of the answers are two words.
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