Contents
Introduction …………………………………………………..……
2
Theme 1: Into the Deep ……………………………………..……
Exhibit Description ………………………………….....…….
Key Concepts …………………………………………………
Activity 1: Create a 3-Dimensional Ocean Model …………
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Theme 2: The Deep Ocean ………………………………………
Exhibit Description …………………….………………………
Key Concepts …………………………………….……….…
Activity 2: “Creatures of the Abyss” Card Game …….……
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Theme 3: The Dark Ocean ………………………………………
Exhibit Description …………………………………...……….
Key Concepts ………………………………………………….
Activity 3: Create a Deep-Sea Window …...……...……….
Activity 4: Surviving Under Pressure ……………….………
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Theme 4: Deep-Sea Destinations …………………….…..……
Exhibit Description ……………………………………...……
Key Concepts …………………………………….………..…
Activity 5: Make a Tubeworm …………………….…………
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(Note: Theme 4 in this Education Guide encompasses content from four
Deep-Sea Destination zones within the exhibition: Deep-Sea Canyons,
Abyssal Plains, Hydrothermal Vents, and Seamounts)
Theme 5: Deep Ocean Habitat …………………………………
Exhibit Description …………………………………...………
Key Concepts …………………………………………………
Activity 6: The Plastic Ocean …………………….…………
Appendix 1:
Appendix 2:
Appendix 3:
Appendix 4:
Glossary
Educational Resources and Websites
High Resolution Illustrations and Images
Activity 2 Cards - for "Creatures of the Abyss"
Card Game
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Introduction
Take a journey to the most inaccessible ecosystem on Earth – the
deep ocean. It is a world more amazing and alien than anything
one can imagine. This vast environment contains the greatest
diversity of life, yet we have explored surprisingly little of it. It is
home to some of the strangest creatures living under some of the
most inhospitable conditions on the planet. It is a cold and dark
environment, where most of the animals communicate by light, and
the pressure is almost unimaginable for terrestrial creatures like us.
It is a world without plants, and some of the animals are some of
the largest that have ever lived.
The traveling exhibition Creatures of the Abyss takes visitors down
into the deep, across the vast seafloor, up submarine mountains,
into canyons, and alongside hydrothermal vents. It is a mysterious,
immersive and awe-inspiring glimpse into another world.
This Education Guide has been developed to accompany the
Creatures of the Abyss exhibition. It provides a tool for educators to
further examine the themes and concepts presented in the
exhibition through a series of “hands-on” classroom activities. It
introduces students to the dark and cold deep-sea environment, the
strange and amazing creatures that live there, the variety of deepocean habitats, and potential threats to our ocean.
This guide provides background information and science activities
suitable for students from Kindergarten to Grade 4. The guide is
divided into five themes, corresponding to the themes of the
exhibition. The activities can be adapted and expanded as
necessary to complement course curricula.
Each theme begins with a description of the related exhibits and
key concepts. One or two activities are then described in a step-bystep format. These activities include experiments, demonstrations,
games, building activities, and research projects. Questions for
classroom discussion are provided at the conclusion of each
activity. This Education Guide also includes several appendices,
posted separately for ease of downloading and printing:
• new vocabulary words are underlined throughout this document
and defined in the glossary in Appendix 1;
• useful resources for further learning are listed in Appendix 2;
• high resolution versions of many of the diagrams and
illustrations in this guide are provided as separate files in
Appendix 3; and
• the “Creatures of the Abyss” cards for Activity 2 (Theme 2) are
provided in Appendix 4.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
Theme 1: Into the Deep
Exhibit Description
Start your journey into the deep ocean – a very inhospitable place
for visitors like us! The entrance portal transports visitors into the
deep sea. As they descend from daylight into the dark abyss,
striking images illustrate some of the strange creatures that inhabit
these depths, and a soundscape introduces unique sounds of the
deep ocean. Beyond the entrance, visitors study a world map to
locate deep-sea destinations featured in the exhibit, control their
own virtual descent in the ocean depths at a computer station, and
rotate a column that represents the ocean profile to see how
temperature, pressure and light levels change with depth.
Key Concepts
The Earth contains one vast, interconnected ocean.
Although we give names to different ocean regions, there is really
only one ocean on Earth. The Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic and
Antarctic Oceans are all interconnected and can be called different
ocean “basins”. Ocean currents circulate water, nutrients and
pollution throughout the ocean. The ocean is the Earth’s dominant
feature, covering 70% of the Earth’s surface and providing 99% of
the available living space on the planet.
The ocean bottom is not flat.
The depth of the ocean varies considerably. The tallest mountains,
flattest plains and deepest valleys are located at the bottom of the
ocean. The Mariana Trench in the Pacific basin is the deepest
location (about 11 kilometers or more than 6 miles below the water
surface).
The ocean is deep, dark, cold, under pressure and largely
unexplored.
The ocean’s average depth is four kilometers (2.5 miles). Below
1,000 meters (3,280 ft), the environment is perpetually dark, and
the temperature is a constant 2°C to 4°C (36°F to 39°F) – there are
no daylight cycles and no seasons! With increasing depth, there is
also increasing hydrostatic pressure from the weight of all of the
water above. We know that the ocean is a vast environment
containing a great diversity of life. New species are discovered on
almost every dive, yet 95% of the ocean still remains to be
explored.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
The ocean contains five depth zones:
0 - 200 meters (0 – 660 ft)
Epipelagic Zone (Sunlit Zone): contains light
200 – 1,000 meters (660 – 3,280 ft)
Mesopelagic Zone (Twilight Zone): 99% of all light is filtered out
1,000 – 4,000 meters (3,280 – 13,120 ft)
Bathypelagic Zone (Midnight Zone): total darkness
4,000 – 6,000 meters (13,120 – 19,690 ft)
Abyssopelagic Zone (The Abyss): total darkness
6,000 – 10,924 meters (19,690 – 35,840 ft)
Hadalpelagic Zone (Deep-sea Trenches): total darkness
Activity 1: Create a 3-Dimensional Ocean
Model
Students will interpret a bathymetric map of the Earth’s ocean. They
will build models of seamounts and deep-sea trenches and join
them to create a 3-dimensional model of the ocean floor. Older
students will also draw a cross-section diagram of their model and
label the five ocean depth zones.
Materials
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•
•
Bathymetric map of the Earth’s ocean (in Appendix 3)
Cross-section diagram of ocean depth zones (in Appendix 3)
Play dough (see recipe on page 36)
Ruler
Cardboard or paper to cover desktops
Introduction
Project a large image of the world bathymetric map (file ““COTA
Theme 1_World Map” in Appendix 3) and have the students gather
around. Explain that this is a bathymetric map of the Earth and
explain what the scale colors mean. Note that the shades of blue
represent depths below sea level of 0 – 200 meters (0 – 660 ft),
200 – 500 meters (660 – 1,640 ft), 500 – 1,000 meters (1,640 –
3,280 ft), 1,000 to 2,000 meters (3,280 – 6,560 ft), 2,000 to 3,000
meters (6,560 – 9,840 ft), and so on.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
Ask the students questions about the map, such as:
1. How many oceans are there? (The correct answer should be
one; although names have been given to sections of the ocean,
the ocean is one interconnected body of water with many ocean
basins; look up the “Ocean Literacy Network” on the web for
more information about this.)
2. How much of the Earth’s surface is covered by ocean?
(approximately 70%)
3. Is the ocean bottom flat? (no)
o Where are the deepest areas of the ocean? (darkest
colored areas, where the deep-sea trenches are located)
o Where are the shallowest areas? (lightest colored areas;
for example, the continental shelves bordering the
continents)
4. Can you point to an undersea mountain, called a seamount?
What do you notice about some of the seamounts? (Some are
associated with volcanic island chains; use Hawaiian Ridge as
an example.)
5. Can you point to an abyssal plain? What do you notice about
the size and depth of abyssal plains? (They are represented by
large areas of the same color – a uniform depth over a broad
area.)
Project the cross-section diagram (file “COTA Theme 1_Ocean
Depth Zones” in Appendix 3). Explain that this is a stylized crosssection of the ocean. Review the depth zones of the ocean with the
students. Notice that light cannot penetrate much below 200 meters
(660 ft), so the deeper zones are in total darkness all the time.
Explain that the ocean is deep, dark and cold. Since the ocean is a
3-dimensional environment, it provides 99% of the available living
space on the Earth and contains an abundance of unique
creatures. Despite years of research, 95% or more still remains to
be explored.
Activity
Teacher Preparation:
1. Project a large copy of the bathymetric map and ocean depth
zone diagram from Appendix 3 of this guide.
2. Prepare several batches of play dough using the recipe at the
back of this guide.
3. Decide whether you are going to use centimeters or inches as
the units of measure.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
Procedure:
1. Divide the students into groups of 2 or 3.
2. Give each group a different assignment, such as:
o Group 1: Build a seamount with a height of 3 centimeters
(or inches);
o Group 2: Build a deep-sea trench with a depth of 5
centimeters (or inches);
o Group 3: Build a mid-ocean ridge with a height of 2
centimeters (or inches)
3. Create the structures on top of the board or paper using play
dough. Use a ruler to measure the height or depth. Continue
adding to the model until the designated height or depth is
attained.
4. When the groups are finished, carefully put the models side by
side. Prop up the seamount structures with some books or
boxes so that the bases of the seamounts and mid-ocean ridges
are at the same level as the tops of the deep-sea trenches. Add
play dough in between the seamounts and deep-sea trench
structures to make the “abyssal plains” that join them together.
You should now have a 3-dimensional model of the ocean floor.
5. For older students: Draw a scaled cross-section diagram of
the 3-dimentional model, using a ruler. Choose inches or
centimeters as the units for the scale. Starting at the top of the
page, draw a line down one of the sides, and mark off the
depths. The deepest trench in the ocean, a place called
Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, is almost 11,000
meters (36,000 ft) deep. Assume the scale of the drawing is 2
centimeters = 1,000 meters (or you can use 1 inch = 3,300 ft),
so that the deepest trench reaches the maximum depth of the
ocean. Draw horizontal lines at the appropriate depths to
indicate the five deep ocean zones. Add labels with the zone
names and depths.
Discussion
What are some key properties of the deep ocean?
Answers: Deep; dark; cold; under intense pressure; all one
interconnected ocean; varied depth and bathymetry (for example:
seamounts, deep-sea canyons, trenches, abyssal plains).
How much do we know about the biology of the deep ocean?
Relatively little – less than 5% of the deep ocean has been
explored to date.
Hypothesize about which ocean habitats may contain the most life
(for example: seamounts, deep-sea canyons, trenches, or abyssal
plains areas; shallow water zones or deep water zones) and what
kinds of animals might live there.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
See Appendix 3, file “COTA Theme 1_World Map” for world
bathymetric map in larger size and higher resolution.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
See Appendix 3, file “COTA Theme 1_Ocean Depth Zones” for
diagram in larger size and higher resolution.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
Theme 2: The Deep Ocean
Exhibit Description
Encounter some sensational creatures, some of which freely roam
from the depths to the surface and back again in amazing
migrations or in search of prey. A life-size model of a colossal squid
– seen against the silhouette of its predator, the sperm whale –
dominates this thematic exhibit area. At the surrounding exhibits,
visitors can explore a remarkable class of creatures, the
cephalopods, which are distributed in all ocean basins and at every
depth. The exhibit focuses on squids and octopuses, which are the
cephalopods found in the deep ocean.
Key Concepts
The deep ocean contains a wide variety of uniquely adapted
creatures.
Between the surface of the ocean and the seafloor lies the largest
habitat on Earth. The deep, open ocean contains an abundance
and variety of life. Creatures of all sizes make the deep ocean their
home, from the tiny barreleye to the huge colossal squid and sperm
whale. Each of these creatures has unique adaptations (such as
coloration, physical features or behavior) that allow them to hunt,
hide, reproduce, and control their depth in a fluid world without any
walls. In the vast open water, there is nothing to rest upon, hide
behind, or use as a landmark. At any time, a predator can attack
from any direction – not only from each side, but from above and
below as well.
1) Cephalopods
Cephalopods are a class of invertebrates whose heads merge
directly with their arms. They are carnivorous, and have a horny
beak to slice their prey. Most of the cephalopods in the deep sea
are squids and octopuses. All octopuses have eight arms, while
squids generally have eight arms and two tentacles. The average
lifespan of a cephalopod is surprisingly short – less than three
years. The strategy is to grow fast, reproduce, create many
offspring, and die young. Larger species, such as the giant squid,
may live for about five years. Cephalopods have many adaptations
including:
• Intelligence: Squids and octopuses have the largest brains of
all the invertebrates. Their highly developed eyes and other
sensory organs take in a vast amount of information, which
requires a big brain to process. This intelligence contributes to
their success as predators.
• Vision: The colossal squid has the largest eyes in the animal
kingdom. In the darkness of the deep, they are well adapted to
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
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•
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detect faint light emitted by other creatures. They even have
organs that emit their own bioluminescent light. Squid and
octopus eyes have similar features to human eyes. Although
many do not see in color, they can see fine detail and even see
polarized light.
Camouflage: Shallow water octopuses and squids have
amazing abilities to change their posture, and the color and
texture of their skin. Species that live in the perpetual blackness
of the deep can use different methods of camouflage to blend
into their surroundings. Some deep-sea squids and octopuses
are red-colored or transparent so that they are difficult to see in
dim blue light or complete darkness. Some create their own
bioluminescent light to distract or confuse predators.
Locomotion: Squids and octopuses propel themselves with a
variety of methods in the deep. Some use their arms to crawl
along the bottom or move through the water. Some wave or flap
fins on the sides of their mantles to “fly” through the water.
When they need a burst of speed, they use jet propulsion. To
propel themselves using jets of water, they suck water into their
mantle, and squeeze it out through their tube-like siphons. Like
air being let out of a balloon, this high-powered jet propels them
rapidly through the water.
Ink: Most shallow-water squids and octopuses squirt ink to
defend themselves from predators. The ink acts like a smoke
screen or decoy, confusing the predator as the creature
escapes. Some transparent squids inject ink into their mantle
cavities to help them disappear into the blackness. In the total
darkness of the deep ocean, many species still use ink, but
researchers are still puzzling out how dark ink is useful in the
blackness.
Beak: Squids and octopuses have a beak at the center of their
arms where their mouth is located. It is made of chitin, similar to
the material in your fingernails. Strong muscles move the two
parts of the beak to slice prey into “bite-size” pieces.
Arms and tentacles: Both squids and octopuses have eight
arms. However, squids have two additional specialized arms
called tentacles, and squids’ appendages can be equipped with
suckers, toothed rings and hooks. Surrounding the suckers are
sensory cells that provide the animal with information about its
prey and its surroundings.
2) Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)
With adult males reaching a length of about 16 meters (52 ft),
sperm whales are the largest of all toothed whales. Found globally,
they commonly dive to 400 meters (1,300 ft), but can go at least as
deep as 1,000 meters (3,300 ft). In Antarctic waters, a big male’s
primary prey is the colossal squid. Sperm whales dive deep and
can hold their breath for over 60 minutes. In darkness they search
for and detect their prey using sound waves, called echolocation.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
Echolocation reveals the distance, movement, shape and texture of
objects.
3) Creatures of the Water Column
Many strange and fascinating creatures can be found throughout
the water column of the deep ocean. The ocean’s open water
contains a variety of different sized creatures with a wide range of
adaptations and strategies for obtaining food and protecting
themselves. These creatures live all or part of their life in open
water, and are not associated with any surface such as the
seafloor.
Representative creatures featured in the exhibit include:
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Giant larvacean: Larvaceans are small, tadpole-like creatures
that create elaborate mucus structures to capture food particles
from the surrounding seawater. Each day these sticky filter
structures get clogged with organic matter, and new ones are
built. The falling structures, called sinkers, carry large amounts
of carbon to the seafloor.
Longnose lancetfish: One of the largest midwater predators,
lancetfish slice through large prey with their curved, blade-like
teeth. A sail-like fin helps them maneuver and turn rapidly. To
make it easier to find a mate, each fish has both male and
female sex organs.
Cock-eyed squid: Swimming on an angle in the mesopelagic
twilight, a probing eye searches for food above, and a smaller
eye monitors for danger from below. As part of the largest
migration on the planet, these squids travel from deep waters to
the surface to feed each night.
Vampire squid: This is the only squid to live its whole life in the
oxygen minimum layer of the ocean. To conserve energy, it
swims by flapping its fins while dragging two tendrils behind that
may sense prey crossing its path.
Big red: Big red is a very large, red and unusual jellyfish. It has
no stinging tentacles around its bell, so it grasps its prey with its
four to seven fleshy arms. Big red was identified as a new
species in 2003.
Glowing sucker octopus: Glowing sucker octopuses swim by
flapping their fins or moving like a jellyfish, which is more energy
efficient than jet propulsion. Their suckers cannot grasp but they
can produce bioluminescent light, which is something very
unusual for octopuses.
Fishing siphonophore: A siphonophore is a collection of
jellyfish-like creatures that function as a single animal. Many
siphonophores have stinging tentacles and wait for prey to pass
by, but Erenna is unusual because it may also “fish” for prey
using red, glowing lures – an unusual color for bioluminescence!
Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
•
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Johnson’s black anglerfish: The female anglerfish sits and
waits for her food in an environment where prey may be scarce.
The bioluminescent, glowing lure on her head attracts prey, and
possibly mates. Her stomach is very stretchy, to accommodate
creatures very near her own size.
Barreleye: The barreleye fish has been known since 1939, but
the delicate, transparent shield covering its eyes was only
discovered in 2004. Its eyes can rotate forwards or upwards
within the protective shield, and may allow the fish to raid the
stinging tentacles of jellies for trapped prey.
Activity 2: “Creatures of the Abyss” Card
Game
Younger students will play a matching game in which they match
pictures of “Creatures of the Abyss” with corresponding physical or
behavioral descriptions. Older students will play a card game in
which they answer questions about deep-sea creatures pictured on
the cards. These activities can be completed as class activities or in
groups.
Materials
• Kindergarten to Grade 2: “Creatures of the Abyss” Junior Card
Set template (in Appendix 4)
• Grades 3 and 4: “Creatures of the Abyss” Senior Card Set
template (in Appendix 4)
• Cloth or plastic bag
Introduction
Ask the students what types of creatures live in the ocean. Make a
list on the board. Identify which of these creatures are likely to live
only at or near the surface (in the Epipelagic Zone) and which of
these creatures may live in the deep sea.
Ask the class if they know what a cephalopod is. Explain that
Cephalopoda is a class of invertebrate animals that includes squids
and octopuses. Ask the students to describe some of the features
of squids and octopuses and list them on the board. Review the
concept of adaptations. Explain that cephalopods have many
special adaptations that allow them to live in the deep ocean where
food is scarce and it can be difficult to hide from predators. Review
some of the special adaptations of cephalopods: intelligence, good
vision, mimicry and camouflage, various modes of locomotion,
beaks, ink, arms and tentacles.
Explain that there are many other strange and amazing creatures in
the deep ocean and that they will be playing a card game to learn
about a few of them.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
Activity
Teacher Preparation:
• Kindergarten to Grade 2: Photocopy the Junior Card Set
templates, single-sided onto cardstock or strong construction
paper. Cut out the cards. Create one set for the class.
• Grades 3 and 4: Create a 2-sided photocopy of the Senior Card
Set templates with the questions on the back of each correlated
creature card. Create one set per group.
Procedure for Kindergarten to Grade 2:
1. Use the Junior Card Set.
2. Place the creature picture cards on the floor or tape them to the
board.
3. Invite students to examine them.
4. Put the description cards into a bag.
5. Ask a student to pick a card from the bag. Read it aloud and ask
the student to place it beside the deep-sea creature he/she
thinks is the correct match. If the match is correct, proceed to
Step 6. If it is not correct, ask another student to try to match the
card correctly. Proceed until the description card is correctly
matched to the creature’s picture.
6. Repeat Step 5 until all of the cards have been correctly
matched.
7. Review the results and discuss some of the special adaptations
of the animals.
Procedure for Grades 3 and 4:
1. Use the Senior Card Set.
2. Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4.
3. Give each group a set of cards with the picture side up.
4. Player 1 takes the top card from the deck and reads the
question on the back of the card to Player 2. Player 2 can look
at the picture only.
5. Player 2 attempts to answer the question. If the question is
correctly answered, Player 2 keeps the card. If the question is
incorrectly answered, Player 1 reads the correct answer and
then puts the card back at the bottom of the deck.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with the other players and continue until
all of the cards are answered correctly.
7. All players count their cards and the player with the most cards
is the winner.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
Discussion
What do you think is the coolest creature? Why?
What did you notice about the size of the creatures?
The creatures are all different sizes. The colossal squid and sperm
whale are huge, while the barreleye is very tiny.
What types of special adaptations do some of these creatures
have that allow them to survive in the ocean environment?
Some examples are below.
• The giant larvacean creates sticky structures that catch food
particles as they fall through the water, and the vampire squid
drags two tendrils behind it to find its prey.
• Many of the creatures that live in complete blackness have the
ability to make bioluminescent light, such as the glowing sucker
octopus, the fishing siphonophore and the Johnson’s black
anglerfish.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
Theme 3: The Dark Ocean
Exhibit Description
The average depth of the world’s ocean is about 4,000 meters
(13,000 ft). In the deep sea, no light penetrates from above. It is
pitch dark, under intense pressure from the weight of all of the
water above, and persistently cold – always within the range of 2°C
to 4°C (36°F to 39°F). The animals that thrive there have special
adaptations that allow them to live under these extreme conditions,
and find prey and avoid predators.
Visitors experience the cold temperature, learn about light
penetration, and see the effects of the intense pressure at the
Deep-Sea Sensations exhibits. In the Bioluminescence Theater,
they view some of the amazing light patterns created by creatures
that live in total darkness. They become a bioluminescent creature
by donning a specially painted vest and entering a darkened blacklight area, where their glow pattern is revealed. They follow the
history of deep-sea exploration through a graphic timeline that
showcases the milestones of discovery from the mid-1800s to
present day.
Key Concepts
The deep ocean is dark.
There is very little light in the ocean. As you dive deeper, sunlight
cannot penetrate through all of the water. The deeper you go in the
ocean, the darker it gets. If you go really deep, there is no light at
all – it is completely black.
Not only does the amount of light change as you go deeper in the
ocean, but the color of the light changes. Sunlight contains all the
colors (wavelengths) of white light, but each color penetrates to a
different depth. Blue light travels the furthest through seawater – it
is the only color of light that penetrates below the top 200 meters
(660 ft) of the sea. The other colors are scattered or absorbed at
shallower depths. Below about 10 meters (30 ft), there is no red
light. Below about 100 meters (330 ft), there is no green light.
In the pitch-blackness of the deep sea, about 90% of the creatures
make their own light by bioluminescence. This light is created by
chemical reactions in their bodies. Bioluminescent light can be used
to attract prey or a mate, to frighten predators, or for camouflage.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
See Appendix 3, file “COTA Theme 3_Light” for larger version of
this diagram at higher resolution.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
The deep ocean is under intense pressure.
Creatures in the deep ocean are under incredible pressure from the
weight of all the water above them. At 4,000 meters (13,120 ft), the
average depth of the world’s ocean, the pressure is about 400
atmospheres or 400 times greater than at surface. Here, the water
exerts about 400 kilograms of force on each square centimeter
(5,690 pounds of force per square inch) of a creature’s body. That’s
like having an adult horse stand on your thumbnail!
See Appendix 3, file “COTA Theme 3_Pressure” for larger version
of this diagram at higher resolution.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
The deep ocean is very cold.
There are no seasons in the deep ocean, just a year-round
temperature of 2°C to 4°C (36°F to 39°F). Regardless of the
surface-water temperature, the temperature of the deep ocean
remains constant. At mid latitudes, surface-water temperature
varies considerably depending on location, time of day, season,
and weather. Just below this warmer surface layer lies the
thermocline, a layer where temperature drops very rapidly with
depth. Beneath the thermocline, the temperature of the deep water
is stable at 2°C to 4°C (36°F to 39°F).
See Appendix 3, file “COTA Theme 3_Temperature” for larger
version of this diagram at higher resolution.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
Activity 3: Create a Deep-Sea Window
Students will explore the properties of light, color and
bioluminescence in the deep ocean by constructing a “deep-sea
window”. This activity can be done as a class activity for younger
grades and in pairs for older grades.
Materials
• Clear blue plastic sheets (overhead plastic or report covers)
• Black construction paper
• Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple construction paper
• Glue or tape
• Scissors
• Deep-sea creature template (in Appendix 3)
• Glow stick, small flashlight, or LED light
Introduction
Explain that sea creatures look a lot different in the deep ocean
than they would at the surface. At the surface, there is bright light
from the sun and we can see all the colors of the visible spectrum
(the colors of a rainbow). But sunlight cannot penetrate very far into
the water. As you go deeper, it gets darker and darker until it is
pitch black in the deep ocean. In addition, the color of light that
penetrates the deepest is blue. So, looking at creatures in the
shallower parts of the deep ocean would be like trying to find
something in a dark closet with a dim blue flashlight.
Ask the students to describe the challenges of trying to find a small
red sock in a dark closet with a dim blue flashlight. First, everything
would be dark, so it would be hard to distinguish shapes of objects.
Secondly, the blue light would make it difficult to distinguish the
colors of objects.
Explain that in this activity, they are going to make a “deep-sea
window” and use it to observe sea creatures the way they would
appear in the deep ocean.
Activity
Teacher Preparation:
1. Photocopy the deep-sea creature template (file “COTA Theme
3_Creature Template” in Appendix 3) onto one sheet each of
black, red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple construction
paper. Roughly cut out each of the creatures.
2. Give each student one sheet of blue plastic, two sheets of black
paper and one creature of each color.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
Procedure:
1. Explain that one piece of black paper will represent the deep
ocean.
2. Students should cut out one creature of each color from the
photocopied construction paper and glue them onto the black
paper. Leave an inch of space around the outside of the black
paper.
3. Cut the middle out of the other piece of black paper to make a
frame that is approximately an inch wide on all sides.
4. Tape a sheet of blue plastic onto the black paper frame to
create a “window”.
5. Along one edge, staple the window to the black paper with the
ocean creatures.
6. Look through the window to see what would be visible in the
deep ocean.
7. Lift the window to see what creatures are actually there.
8. Introduce the concept of bioluminescence using the glow stick.
Snap the glow stick to start the chemical reaction and create
light. Explain that in the deep ocean, some animals can create
their own bioluminescent light to help them see in the dark.
9. Have the students take turns holding the glow stick/flashlight
over their window. Can they see more sea creatures with the
light of the glow stick/flashlight than they could without? What if
they shine the light under the window?
Discussion
Which colors are difficult to see through the “deep-sea
window”?
Black, red, orange, yellow.
If you were a fish trying to hide from a predator in the twilight
zone (Mesopelagic Zone) of the deep ocean, what color(s)
would be the best camouflage?
Black, then red.
How did the glow stick help you to see more creatures?
It provided more light.
What color of bioluminescence would be the best?
Blue because it penetrates the furthest distance through seawater.
Some creatures use red bioluminescence to create light that does
not travel very far in the water.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
Why might animals need a light to see in the deep, dark
ocean?
To find or attract their prey, to attract a mate, to startle a predator,
or to escape from a predator.
References
This activity was adapted from:
Glow Living Lights Teacher’s Guide, Chapter 6: Mid-Ocean Waters
and Beyond www.sdnhm.org/exhibits/glow/glow_tguide.pdf
Activity 4: Surviving Under Pressure
Students will explore the relationship between water depth and
hydrostatic pressure by attempting to blow up a balloon in the air, at
the water surface, and in deeper water. This activity can be
completed as a class activity for younger grades and in pairs for
older grades.
Materials
• Small balloons
• Duct tape
• Straws
• Rubber bands
• Tall bucket, tank of water, or very large graduated cylinder
Introduction
Have one student hold a cup of air in one hand and a cup of water
in the other hand. Ask him/her which cup weighs more. The cup of
water weighs more because water is heavier than air. The heavier
a substance is, the more pressure it can exert on an object.
Ask the students where the pressure is likely to be the strongest –
at the top of the cup of water or at the bottom. Hydrostatic pressure
is highest at the bottom because of the weight of water above it.
Ask the students to hypothesize what pressure would be like in the
deep ocean, thousands of feet below the surface. The pressure at
the bottom of the ocean is very, very high. Show them the diagram
of water pressure and depth (in “”Key Concepts” section above and
in Appendix 3, file “COTA Theme 3_Pressure”). Creatures in the
deep sea live under intense pressure!
Explain that they are going to do an activity to explore the
relationship between water pressure and depth.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
Activity
Teacher Preparation:
1. Attach two straws together securely with duct tape to make a
long straw.
2. Attach a deflated balloon to one end of the long straw and
secure with the rubber band or duct tape.
3. Fill the tank or bucket with water.
Procedure:
1. Hold the straw with the attached deflated balloon in the air and
attempt to inflate the balloon by blowing air into the straw.
2. Let the air out of the balloon; place the balloon just under the
surface of the water in the tank/bucket. Attempt to inflate the
balloon again.
3. Let the air out of the balloon. Place the deflated balloon at the
bottom of the tank/bucket or as far as the straw will reach.
Attempt to inflate the balloon again.
Discussion
In which position was the balloon easiest to blow up? Why?
It is easiest to blow up the balloon in the air because the pressure
the air applies against the balloon is less than the pressure that the
water applies against the balloon. Water is heavier and denser than
air, so it applies more pressure against the balloon.
How does water pressure change as you go deeper?
Water pressure increases as you go deeper because of the
increased weight of the water above. That is why it is harder to
blow up the balloon near the bottom of the bucket than just
underneath the surface of the water. Imagine how hard it would be
to blow up a balloon in the deep ocean!
How do deep ocean creatures survive under such high water
pressure? Could humans survive under the same water
pressure?
Deep-sea creatures survive because they are composed largely of
water, which is incompressible, so they are not crushed. Humans
could not survive under that much pressure because air-filled
spaces in our bodies, such as our lungs, would collapse. We need
our lungs inflated to be able to breathe. Some animals that live in
the deep ocean do have gas-filled swim bladders that function well
in their high-pressure environment. Problems can arise if these
animals are brought up to shallower water, where the water
pressure is lower.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
References
This activity was adapted from:
Ghosts of the Abyss Educator’s Guide, “Under Pressure”
www.ghostsoftheabyss.com
The educator’s guide can be downloaded at
http://www.walden.com/guide/ghosts_of_the_abyss/
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
Theme 4: Deep-Sea Destinations
Exhibit Description
At this point in the journey, visitors explore some of the deep sea’s
most amazing destinations. While encountering these actual
undersea locations, they can study the creatures that live in these
unique habitats. They can also meet the scientists who explore
these areas, and learn about the research being done.
Deep-Sea Destination: Deep-Sea Canyons
Deep-sea canyons are some of the most extraordinary landscape
features on Earth. They are often found at the edges of the world’s
continental shelves and can be many thousands of feet deep.
Submarine canyons are home to a great variety of marine life, and
visitors learn how life has adapted to the conditions at various
depths.
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), including some deep-sea
canyons, are being identified and created in the deep ocean. The
Gully on the east coast and the Monterey Canyon on the west coast
are some of the largest North American canyons located within
protected areas. The dramatic cliffs and profiles of these submarine
canyons rival any canyons on land, and create a variety of habitats
for unique animal communities.
Deep-Sea Destination: Abyssal Plains
The abyssal plains are the flattest places on Earth! These vast, flat
areas make up 40% of the world’s ocean floors and cover more
area than all of the Earth’s land surfaces combined. The abyssal
plains are covered with a thick blanket of sediment consisting of
organic and inorganic material that falls from above. Marine life is
not as abundant here as it is in other ocean habitats, as food is very
scarce. Many abyssal plain creatures have developed ways to
conserve energy in their search for nutrition. Visitors will be
surprised as an animatronic lizardfish lunges from near the ocean
bottom as if to devour unsuspecting prey. At the Whale Fall exhibit,
visitors learn that the arrival of a whale carcass is a tremendous
injection of food to this environment, feeding hundreds of species of
animals for decades.
Deep-Sea Destination: Hydrothermal Vents
At various locations throughout the world’s ocean, the Earth’s
tectonic plates are moving apart, and cracks are created in the
seafloor. When cold seawater enters these cracks and circulates
deep in the crust, it becomes extremely hot from the heat of molten
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
material deep below. This superheated fluid rises and spews out
like a geyser, carrying chemicals such as noxious hydrogen sulfide
from within the Earth. Hydrothermal vents may appear to be the last
place to support life, but peculiar life forms colonize them.
Hydrothermal vent ecosystems derive their energy from the
chemicals dissolved in the superheated water. Chemosynthetic
bacteria use the materials released from the vents to produce
nutrients, supporting ecosystems that are almost entirely
independent of the Sun.
At a life-size model of a black smoker vent on the East Pacific Rise,
visitors discover how hot it is at different locations by pushing
buttons to reveal typical temperatures, and learn how all vent
animals ultimately depend on chemosynthetic bacteria for survival.
At the Alvin Theater, visitors embark on virtual dives to explore
three different types of vent animal communities.
Deep-Sea Destination: Seamounts
Seamounts are undersea mountains, usually formed by deep-sea
volcanoes, which rise from the ocean floor as distinct features, but
do not reach the surface. Visitors press a button to reveal a
seamount model hidden below the ocean’s surface, and marvel at
the richness of life around it and in the water column above it.
Currents from the ocean floor swirl around many seamounts,
bringing nutrient-rich waters from the depths. As a result, many fish
and invertebrate species populate seamounts. The upwelling
nutrients can continue to the ocean’s surface, and support an
abundance of marine life above and below the water’s surface. At
the Seamount Lab, visitors examine seamount specimens,
including corals. Little-known, long-lived deep-sea corals are often
found on seamounts, and can provide important habitat, shelter and
spawning areas for certain fish species.
Key Concepts
The deep ocean is composed of the following different types of
habitats:
• Deep-Sea Canyons;
• Abyssal Plains
• Hydrothermal Vents, and
• Seamounts
Deep-sea Canyons
Deep-sea canyons contain a rich supply of food that supports an
abundance of marine life. Deep oceanic water, rich in nutrients, is
transported up the canyon to the surface. The canyon also
transports organic-rich sediment down into the deep sea.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
The Monterey Canyon is similar in size to the Grand Canyon. It
extends from the coast of central California, across the continental
shelf, to waters 3,800 meters (12,450 ft) deep. It was the first
known deep-sea canyon when it was discovered in 1857. Today, it
is one of the best-studied canyons in the world.
The Gully is a submarine canyon located east of Nova Scotia,
Canada, at the edge of the continental shelf. It is a large, steepsided canyon with an incredible diversity of habitats and a diversity
of species, including deep cold-water corals and rare northern
bottlenose whales. The Gully, the largest submarine canyon on the
east coast of North America, descends to 2,500 meters (8,200 ft)
depth.
Abyssal Plains
Abyssal plains cover 40% of the ocean’s seafloor at a typical depth
of 4,500 meters (14,800 feet). Most of the creatures are scavengers
that grow slowly, move slowly, reproduce slowly, and live longer
than their shallow-water relatives.
Hydrothermal Vents
Some of the most unique environments in the deep sea are found
at hydrothermal vents, underwater hot springs often located along
mid-ocean ridges. Cold seawater that seeps into cracks in the
seafloor is superheated by molten rock, and scalding mineral-rich
fluid spews back out. As the hot fluid meets cold seawater, minerals
are deposited, sometimes forming tall chimneys. Black smoker
chimneys can reach as high as a 15-storey building or more!
Hydrothermal vents release hot fluid into the cold, deep ocean.
While normal seawater temperatures in the deep ocean are only
2°C to 4°C (36°F to 39°F), the temperature of seawater around a
vent may be 20°C to 40°C (68°F to 104°F), and the temperature of
the fluid in a black smoker plume itself may reach 390°C (734°F).
Despite the extreme heat and noxious vent chemicals,
hydrothermal vent communities support a wide variety and
abundance of unique sea creatures, including tubeworms, “blind”
shrimp, giant clams and vent crabs. These animals are uniquely
adapted to their environment. At least 100 hydrothermal vents have
been explored in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian basins, and many
more discoveries are yet to come.
Seamounts
Seamounts are sometimes considered “oases of life” in the ocean.
Swirling currents carry nutrient-rich waters from the depths,
supporting an abundance of life. Seamounts also attract a great
diversity of creatures because their elevation creates a variety of
habitats above the often-flat seafloor. As you travel from the base
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
to the summit, life on a seamount increases in abundance – the
opposite of mountains on land.
Activity 5: Make a Tubeworm
Students will discover how hydrothermal vents bring hot fluid,
carrying minerals and chemicals from within the Earth’s crust, into
the cold deep ocean. They will learn about unique tubeworm
creatures that live in some hydrothermal vent areas. They will
observe a hydrothermal vent demonstration and build their own
tubeworms with craft materials. Part 1 of the activity should be
performed as a teacher demonstration. Individual students can
conduct Part 2 of the activity.
Materials for Part 1
• Large glass or clear plastic container
• 1 small bottle
• Food coloring
• String
• Hot and cold water
• Pictures of hydrothermal vents
Materials for Part 2
• Pictures of tubeworms
• Toilet paper or paper towel rolls (for tube)
• Colored markers
• Red pipe cleaners (for blood vessels)
• Play dough
• Construction paper
• Glue
• Red and white craft foam/felt/wool
• Small plastic bags
• Red feather boas or red plastic leis (for plume)
• O-shaped cereal pieces (for bacteria)
Introduction
Ask the students if they have ever been to a geyser or hot spring.
Ask them to describe what its appearance, smell and temperature
were like.
Pass around some pictures of hydrothermal vents. Explain that
hydrothermal vents introduce very hot fluid into the cold, deep
ocean. (For further general information about hydrothermal vents,
see “Key Concepts” and “Exhibit Description” sections above.)
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
See Appendix 3, file “COTA Theme 4_Hydrothermal Vent” for
larger version of this diagram at higher resolution.
Conduct Part 1: Hydrothermal Vent Teacher Demonstration (see
procedure below).
Explain that a variety of unique sea creatures are abundant in the
warm, mineral-rich waters surrounding hydrothermal vents,
including tubeworms, clams and mussels. Pass around a picture of
a tubeworm. There are several types, but giant tubeworms (Riftia
sp.) are very large worms that grow up to 3 meters (10 ft) long and
live in clusters near hydrothermal vents. They do not have eyes, a
mouth, stomach or digestive system. So, to get their nutrition,
tubeworms have a symbiotic relationship with a special kind of
bacteria called chemosynthetic bacteria.
A symbiotic relationship means that two organisms live together,
each helping the other to survive. The tubeworms deliver chemicals
from the vent fluid and seawater to the bacteria that live inside their
tubes; in turn, the bacteria provide nutrition to their worm hosts. If
tubeworms did not have this “partnership” with the bacteria, they
would not be able to live. Similarly, if the bacteria did not have the
tubeworms, the bacteria would not survive.
Tubeworms have long, red plumes (like gills) that are full of blood
containing hemoglobin, the same material that makes our blood
red. The hemoglobin in the blood absorbs hydrogen sulfide from
vent fluid and oxygen from seawater and transports these to the
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
bacteria that live in a structure of the tubeworm called a
trophosome. The bacteria convert these chemicals and carbon
dioxide into sugars that provide nutrition for the tubeworm. Since
tubeworms have no anus, wastes are collected in the trunk. The
tube provides protection and support for the worm. A muscle, called
the vestimentum, holds the worm in its tube and the opisthosome
anchors the worm. A worm never leaves its tube, but it can pull its
plume inside if a hungry crab comes along.
See Appendix 3, file “COTA Theme 4_Tubeworm Diagram” for
larger version of this diagram. Diagram reproduced from
http://noaa.gov
Part 1: Hydrothermal Vent Demonstration
Teacher Preparation:
1. Print the illustration of hydrothermal vents provided in Appendix
3. Download other pictures of hydrothermal vents from the
Internet. Suggested sites are:
http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/vents/nemo/explorer.html;
www.divediscover.whoi.edu
2. Fill the large glass container with very cold water.
3. Tie one end of two pieces of string around the neck of the small
bottle.
4. Fill the small bottle with hot water and add a few drops of food
coloring.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
Procedure:
1. Pass around some pictures of hydrothermal vents.
2. Explain to the students that the container of very cold water
represents the deep ocean and the bottle of hot water is the
hydrothermal vent on the ocean floor. Explain that the food
coloring has been used so that they can see the difference
between hot and cold water. The hot fluid plumes released from
real hydrothermal vents are also often colored because they
contain many minerals. The plumes from very hot black smoker
chimneys are grey to black.
3. Slowly lower the small bottle into the large container, keeping
the small bottle upright, until it rests on the bottom of the large
container. If necessary, attach the strings to the edge of the
container to keep the small bottle stable and upright. Watch
what happens!
Part 2: Make a Giant Tubeworm
Teacher Preparation:
1. Gather an assortment of craft materials, such as those listed in
the materials section.
2. Download pictures of giant tubeworms (Riftia pachyptila) from
the Internet. Suggested sites:
http://www.divediscover.whoi.edu/vents/anatomy.html;
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/abyss/life/tubewormsans.html;
http://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/viewArticle.do?id=20266;
http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/giant-tube-worm.html;
http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/deepsea/level-2/creature/tube.html
3. For younger students: create an example tubeworm from craft
materials.
Procedure:
1. Pass around the pictures of tubeworms and review the basic
structures of the animal.
2. For younger students: Show them your tubeworm and guide
them through the process of assembling their own tubeworm.
3. For older students: Show them all of the available craft materials
and challenge them to build their own model of a tubeworm.
They should make a “cut-away” model (or cross-section) using a
paper towel roll cut in half lengthwise so that they can see the
internal structures of the tubeworm.
Discussion
Part 1: Hydrothermal Vent Demonstration
What happens to the hot water in the small bottle?
It comes out of the bottle and rises upward because warm water is
less dense than cold water.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
How do hydrothermal vent chimneys form?
The hot fluid released from the hydrothermal vent contains
dissolved minerals. When the minerals come in contact with the
cold seawater surrounding the vent, the minerals precipitate out of
the hot water solution and stick together to form structures that can
resemble chimneys.
Part 2: Make a Giant Tubeworm
What are some of the most important parts of the tubeworm’s
body?
The red plumes contain hemoglobin that absorbs chemicals from
the seawater and the vent fluid, and the trophosome contains the
chemosynthetic bacteria that convert these chemicals into food for
the tubeworm.
Why would there be more animals living around hydrothermal
vents than in other regions of the deep ocean?
The warm or hot water released at vents is rich in chemicals that
provide food for vent animals. Over 300 new species of animals
have been discovered in hydrothermal vent communities.
What other types of animals live near hydrothermal vents?
Mussels and clams obtain at least some of their nutrition via similar
symbiotic relationships with chemosynthetic bacteria that live in
their gills. The chemosynthetic bacteria can also live independently.
Lobsters and crabs, eelpout fish (zoarcids), and other types of
worms are also common in some hydrothermal vent communities.
In some areas, vent communities are dominated by “blind” shrimp
(Rimicaris sp.), rather than tubeworms. These shrimp are also
directly dependent on chemosynthetic bacteria for their survival.
References
This activity was adapted from:
NOAA Ocean Explorer, Section 4: Ocean Geologic Features and
Section 7: Individual Species in the Deep Sea.
Link to NOAA educational activity:
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/curriculum/section7.pdf
Link for “Weird, Red and Slightly Gross”:
http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/noaa_documents/time_capsules/2007/disc
_7/celebrating200years.noaa.gov/edufun/book/WeirdRedGross.pdf
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
Theme 5: Deep Ocean Habitat
Exhibit Description
An interactive digital projection globe, videos and graphics allow
visitors to explore ocean topics such as the ocean’s ecosystems,
current challenges and threats, and how human activities are
impacting the ocean. Before “returning to the surface”, visitors are
encouraged to leave their own messages about the ocean and their
experience in the abyss.
Key Concepts
Some human activities are detrimental to the ocean.
The Earth has one large ocean with many different names. All of
the ecosystems within the ocean are interconnected. Human
activities affect all parts of the ocean, not just any small area.
Some of the largest threats to the health of the ocean include:
• Ocean acidification
• Overfishing
• Deep-sea mining
• Non-point source pollution, including plastic litter
Overfishing
Unsustainable harvesting of marine species for human
consumption can have devastating consequences on the food
webs of the entire ocean, even affecting creatures in the very deep
ocean. The energy of the deep ocean comes from surface and
coastal areas. Dead plants and animals from the surface fall to the
bottom and become food for animals in the deep sea (for example,
marine snow and whale falls). As more creatures are removed or
fished from surface and coastal zones, there is less food available
for creatures in the deep ocean. Remember that all of the “oceans”
are connected into one ocean, and that a continuous column of
water connects all of the water from the surface down to the
seafloor.
Ocean acidification
The ocean absorbs about one third of the carbon dioxide (CO2) that
we emit into the atmosphere. Dissolved CO2 makes the seawater
more acidic, and damages the hard parts of marine creatures such
as mussels, corals, and many of the small animals that form the
base of marine food webs. Further, as global warming continues, a
warmer ocean will become less effective at absorbing CO2 from the
atmosphere, and as more CO2 collects in the atmosphere, global
warming will continue. This is a positive feedback loop, and it
affects every living creature on our planet. Scientists are currently
conducting research to determine how the chemistry of the ocean
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
will change and how these changes may affect individual
organisms and deep-sea food webs.
Deep-sea mining
Hydrothermal vent areas of the ocean floor are rich in mineral
deposits. Deep-sea mining of those deposits is poised to begin
now. However, the mining methods are potentially destructive, and
scientists do not understand these deep-sea ecosystems enough to
know how deep-sea mining may impact them.
Non-point source pollution
Everything we put on the ground, such as garbage and chemicals,
goes into storm drains and into rivers and lakes and eventually
ends up in the ocean. This is called non-point source pollution.
Plastics are especially detrimental because they do not completely
degrade in the ocean. A piece of plastic put into the ocean today
may be there forever, may break down into very small pieces, or
may break down into chemicals that pollute our water. Sea
organisms can mistake these plastic items for food or become
entangled in them, resulting in death.
Activity 6: The Plastic Ocean
Students will discover that the ocean is full of plastic litter that may
never degrade. This plastic litter poses a danger to ocean animals,
including animals that are far down in the deep ocean. This is a
class activity.
Materials
• Different types of plastic waste from home
Introduction
Ask the students to think of ways that the health of the ocean is
being threatened by people’s actions. Some examples may include
oil spills, pollution, overfishing and plastic litter. Briefly discuss the
students’ examples and how ocean animals may be harmed.
Some impacts, such as oil spills, may affect mostly animals that live
near the surface. Others, like overfishing and ocean acidification,
can affect animals that live throughout the ocean’s water column,
including creatures in the deep ocean.
Explain that littering of plastic objects at sea is a serious threat to
the health of the ocean, at all depths.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
Activity
Teacher Preparation:
• Ask students to gather different types of plastic waste from
home and bring them to school.
Procedure:
1. Spread out all of the plastic waste items on the floor. Ask the
students to sort the waste into different types (i.e., separate
plastic bags from plastic rings from plastic bottles, and so on).
What types of plastic wastes are most common?
2. Ask the students to imagine that all of these plastics are littered
in the ocean. What are some of the ways that plastics may affect
ocean animals? (For example, animals may get tangled in them,
or confuse them for food and eat them).
3. Consider each pile of plastic waste sorted by the students, one
at a time. Ask the students how they think each specific type of
plastic might affect ocean animals. Is it a type of plastic that
ocean animals might get tangled in? If so, what type of animals
and how would they get entangled? (For example, a small
animal might get stuck in six-pack can rings.) Is it a type of
plastic that ocean animals might mistake for their prey? If so,
what type of ocean animal does the plastic type resemble?
(Plastic grocery bags might resemble jellyfish and be eaten by
predators of jellyfish).
Discussion
How do plastics get into the ocean?
Much of the plastic litter in the ocean comes from ships that dump
their garbage overboard at sea. Plastic netting materials are also
frequently lost from commercial fishing operations. Even a little bit
of plastic litter on a beach can end up in the ocean when the wind
or tides carry it away.
Hawaiian monk seals dive very deep to feed beyond the reach of
light in the deep waters. One threat to these seals is ocean debris,
including plastics.
Why are plastics one of the worst types of ocean litter?
Some plastics never decay, some break into tiny pieces, and some
release harmful chemical pollutants into the water. Plastics that are
littered into the ocean today may be there forever. Every year, more
plastics are put into the ocean, so the amount of plastics in the
ocean is continually increasing. There are large accumulations of
waste in several places in the ocean where swirling ocean currents
collect plastic litter, such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch within
the North Pacific Gyre.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
What happens to plastics that are eaten by ocean animals?
Plastics often accumulate in the digestive systems of animals,
taking up space where food should be, eventually causing the
animals to starve to death.
What can you do to help prevent pollution of the ocean by
plastic waste?
Never litter plastic in beach areas, directly into the ocean, into any
other body of water, or even in your neighborhood. Reduce the
amount of plastics you use at home (e.g., use cloth shopping bags
rather than plastic bags). Reuse and recycle as many plastics as
you can and place non-recyclable types of plastic in the garbage.
Tell others about the effects of plastics in the environment and the
ocean. Pick up plastic garbage in your area and dispose of it
properly. Take notice of the plastic packaging of products that you,
your family, and your friends buy – is all that packaging necessary?
Are there alternative products available with less packaging?
References
This activity was adapted from:
Topex-NASA Visit to an Ocean Planet - Classroom Activities,
“Plastic in the Ocean”
http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov/education/activities.html
A fantastic resource for images on these topics is Marine
Photobank: http://www.marinephotobank.org/home.php
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4
Play Dough Recipe
Stir the dry ingredients together in a saucepan:
• 1 cup flour
• ¼ cup salt
• 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
Add the following:
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons food coloring
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
Cook and stir over low/medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it
sticks together in a ball. Remove from saucepan and knead for a
few minutes on a lightly floured surface. Store in an airtight
container.
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Education Guide – Kindergarten to Grade 4