Unsafe Waters: Teacher’s Guide
Grade Level: 6-8
Curriculum Focus: Earth Science
Lesson Duration: Three class periods
Program Description
Earth: The Water Planet—Dives into Earth’s oceans and examines how its seas are interconnected.
Titanic: Anatomy of a Disaster—Investigates the forces at work during the Titanic’s last hours that
helped send the ship to the bottom of the Atlantic. Sensing the Deep—Scientists examine the body
functions of and environmental influences on the humble jellyfish. Restricted Waters—Examines
the harmful effects of pollution on our water systems.
I. Earth: The Water Planet (5 min.)
II. Titanic: Anatomy of a Disaster (34 min.)
III. Sensing the Deep (5 min.)
IV. Restricted Waters (5 min.)
Onscreen Questions
Segments I & II
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What are the different types of and uses for water?
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How is water renewed in the water cycle?
Segments III and IV
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How are humans affecting some populations of sea creatures?
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How are the by-products of humans making their way into the waters of the Earth? What effect
are they having?
Lesson Plan
Student Objectives
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Discuss the challenges of deep-sea exploration.
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Research deep-submergence vehicles.
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Create a “deep-sea exploration” mural.
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Materials
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Unsafe Waters video and VCR, or DVD and DVD player
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Computer with Internet access
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Print resources about deep-sea exploration
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White paper
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Markers, glue, scissors, poster board, paint, other art materials
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String
Procedures
1. Before you begin this lesson, prepare the rudiments of a large, deep-sea exploration mural:
Include the ocean floor, with peaks and trenches, and the ocean surface; allow ample space
between levels. Divide the ocean into equally spaced depth levels and label these in 1,000-meter
increments (1,000 meters, 2,000 meters, etc.) Note: If you prefer not to make a full mural, draw a
graph to represent the ocean.
2. After watching the video, review and discuss with the class the challenges of deep-sea
exploration. Be sure to mention:
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Cold temperatures
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Absence of light
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Extreme pressure
3. Discuss how these conditions restrict divers. Mark on the mural the maximum depth reached
by a scuba diver (145 meters) and by divers using special suits (600 meters).
4. Prepare students for their research on deep-sea submersibles by introducing the precursors of
today’s vessels: The first deep-sea vessel was the bathysphere. First used in 1934, this round,
steel chamber was attached to a ship by a long cable. On its first dive, the bathysphere reached a
depth of about 1,000 meters. (Add the bathysphere to the mural at the appropriate depth.) The
next major development was the bathyscaphe. Navigable on its own, it could reach even greater
depths. Trieste was one of the earliest and best-known bathyscaphes. (Add the bathyscaphe to
the mural.)
5. Have students choose a partner. Explain that each team will research a particular deep-sea
submersible. Teams will record facts about their vessel on a fact sheet and then draw a picture
of it. Fact sheets and drawings will be attached to the mural.
6. Assign to each student pair one of the following submersibles:
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Alvin
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Argo II
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Dolphin 3K
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DSL-120A
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Unsafe Waters: Teacher’s Guide
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JASON
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Kaiko
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Nautile
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Sea Link
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Shinkai 6500
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Trieste
7. Ask teams to gather the following information about their assigned submersible and record
findings on their fact sheets. Encourage students to print out or sketch pictures of the vessel as
they proceed with their research.
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What is the maximum depth to which it can descend?
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Who invented it and when?
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How many people can it carry, if any?
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What is its length?
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What distinguishes it from other submersibles?
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What country owns or operates it?
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What type of data does it collect?
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What type of technology is used aboard the vessel?
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Name at least one major discovery made with this vessel
8. Suggest that students use print and Web resources in their research. These Web sites are good
starting points:
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Alvin, JASON II, Argo II, DSL-120A
http://www.whoi.edu/marops/vehicles/index.html
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Sea Link, Alvin, JASON, Shinkai, Trieste
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/oceanography_how_deep.html
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DSV Alvin, DSL-120, JASON, Argo II
http://www.divediscover.whoi.edu/cruise7/about/tools_main.html
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Trieste, Alvin
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/dsv.htm
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Shinkai 6500, Dolphin 3K, Kaiko
http://www.jamstec.go.jp/jamstec-e/ships.html
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Alvin, JASON
http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/expeditions/blacksmokers/water_tools.html
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Unsafe Waters: Teacher’s Guide
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Alvin
http://www.ocean.udel.edu/deepsea/level-2/mission/alvin.html
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Nautile
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2536339.stm
http://www.ifremer.fr/fleet/systemes_sm/engins/nautile/nautile.htm
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Trieste
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageseas/deep-side-journey.html
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Submersible Links
http://www.margatelibrary.org/submersibles.htm
9. After teams complete their research, allow a full class period for students to finish their fact
sheets and final drawings. (Height and width of drawings should not exceed six inches.) Have
students attach their drawings, at the proper depth, and fact sheets to the mural and connect
them with string
Assessment
Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students’ work during this lesson.
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3 points: Students actively engaged in class discussions, thoroughly researched their
submersible, produced a thoughtful report with all of the requested information, created a
detailed drawing of their submersible.
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2 points: Students participated in class discussions, satisfactorily researched their
submersible, produced an adequate report with most of the requested information, created a
clear drawing of their submersible with some detail.
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1 point: Students participated minimally in class discussions, did not adequately research
their submersible, produced an incomplete report with little or none of the requested
information, created a simplistic drawing of their submersible.
Vocabulary
aquanaut
Definition: An underwater explorer
Context: In order to descend to great depths, aquanauts must ride in a deep-sea submersible.
bathyscaphe
Definition: A submersible vehicle used to explore the deep sea and carry scientists to the ocean
floor
Context: The bathyscaphe was the first submersible that could be navigated on its own.
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bathysphere
Definition: An early sea-exploration vehicle with a steel sphere that could be raised and lowered
by a cable attached to a ship
Context: Introduced in 1934, the bathysphere was the first vehicle to carry explorers to great
depths.
remotely operated vehicle (ROV)
Definition: A robotic submersible navigated by a person outside the vehicle
Context: Because ROVs do not carry people, they can descend to great depths and remain there
for a long time.
submersible
Definition: A vehicle designed to descend and travel far below the ocean surface
Context: Submersibles can descend to much greater depths than submarines.
Academic Standards
National Academy of Sciences
The National Science Education Standards provide guidelines for teaching science as well as a
coherent vision of what it means to be scientifically literate for students in grades K-12. To view the
standards, visit http://books.nap.edu.
This lesson plan addresses the following science standards:
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Science and Technology: Abilities of technological design, Understandings about science
and technology
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History and Nature of Science: Science as a human endeavor
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
McREL's Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education
addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visit link:
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/browse.asp
This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:
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Language Arts—Viewing: Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret
visual media; Writing: Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process, Gathers
and uses information for research purposes
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Technology—Understands the nature and uses of different forms of technology
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Support Materials
Develop custom worksheets, educational puzzles, online quizzes, and more with the free teaching tools
offered on the Discoveryschool.com Web site. Create and print support materials, or save them to a
Custom Classroom account for future use. To learn more, visit
•
http://school.discovery.com/teachingtools/teachingtools.html
DVD Content
This program is available in an interactive DVD format. The following information and activities are
specific to the DVD version.
How To Use the DVD
The DVD starting screen has the following options:
Play Video—This plays the video from start to finish. There are no programmed stops, except by
using a remote control. With a computer, depending on the particular software player, a pause
button is included with the other video controls.
Video Index—Here the video is divided into four parts (see below), indicated by video thumbnail
icons. Watching all parts in sequence is similar to watching the video from start to finish. Brief
descriptions and total running times are noted for each part. To play a particular segment, press
Enter on the remote for TV playback; on a computer, click once to highlight a thumbnail and read
the accompanying text description and click again to start the video.
Curriculum Units—These are specially edited video segments pulled from different sections of the
video (see below). These nonlinear segments align with key ideas in the unit of instruction. They
include onscreen pre- and post-viewing questions, reproduced below in this Teacher’s Guide. Total
running times for these segments are noted. To play a particular segment, press Enter on the TV
remote or click once on the Curriculum Unit title on a computer.
Standards Link—Selecting this option displays a single screen that lists the national academic
standards the video addresses.
Teacher Resources—This screen gives the technical support number and Web site address.
Video Index
I. Earth: The Water Planet (5 min.)
Water is essential for all living things to grow and reproduce. Discover why Earth is often called the
water planet as you learn about ocean currents and other phenomena.
II. Titanic: Anatomy of a Disaster (34 min.)
Learn about one of the most well-known disasters at sea: the sinking of the Titanic, the world’s first
“unsinkable” ship. Watch as a scientific expedition explores the Titanic’s final hours.
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Unsafe Waters: Teacher’s Guide
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III. Sensing the Deep (5 min.)
Modern research shows that jellyfish might not be the aimless, stinging drifters we have suspected
them to be. Find out all about these fantastic ocean creatures.
IV. Restricted Waters (5 min.)
Water pollution threatens the Earth’s plant, animal, and human life. See how pollution enters our
oceans and how one company is fighting industrial pollution.
Curriculum Units
1. Our Planet’s Water
Pre-viewing question
Q: What is the importance of water?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: How much of the Earth’s water is freshwater?
A: About three percent of the planet’s water is freshwater, but only about one percent is readily
available as drinking water. Most is frozen near the Poles, and the rest is mainly water vapor.
2. Circulating Seas
Pre-viewing question
Q: What is temperature?
A: Temperature is the rate of the speed of a substance’s molecules.
Post-viewing question
Q: hat do ocean currents do?
A: Flowing at all levels of the ocean, even in the Arctic, currents circulate important nutrients, heat,
and water throughout the entire ocean.
3. Studying the Titanic
Pre-viewing question
Q: Why do you think there is still scientific interest in the Titanic disaster?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Why do you think the Titanic sank so quickly after striking an iceberg?
A: Answers will vary, but should reflect the findings presented in the program.
4. Going to the Depths
Pre-viewing question
Q: Would you go to the ocean’s depths to view the sunken Titanic, if given the chance?
A: Answers will vary.
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Unsafe Waters: Teacher’s Guide
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Post-viewing question
Q: How does sonar work?
A: Sonar works like an ultrasound, creating images by sending and receiving sound waves. The
researchers used a seismic profiler, a type of sonar, to look beneath the mud that buries part of the
Titanic.
5. The Pride of Northern Ireland
Pre-viewing question
Q: Would you have traveled on Titanic?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: How big was Titanic?
A: The largest, moving man-made object of its day, Titanic was nearly 175 feet tall and 900 feet long.
Its engines were four stories high, and each of its three propellers was larger than a house.
6. Finding the Ship
Pre-viewing question
Q: How do you think it would have felt to be the first person to see the sunken Titanic?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Why do you think researchers used sonar rather than another instrument to see the Titanic’s
buried hull?
A: Answers will vary, but should reflect information in the program.
7. The Sinking of the Titanic
Pre-viewing question
Q: Would Titanic have survived if the iceberg had hit a different section?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Why didn’t Captain Smith alter Titanic’s speed despite iceberg warnings?
A: He didn’t believe anything could sink the ship. He was confident that the Titanic could
withstand impact with almost any object.
8. Answering the Mystery
Pre-viewing question
Q: Do you think Titanic suffered a giant gash or a small hole when it hit the iceberg?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Was Titanic torn apart by a large hole or destroyed by a series of smaller ones?
A: According to sonar information, the ship suffered from a series of small holes. In fact, much of
the damage is only as thin as a finger.
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Unsafe Waters: Teacher’s Guide
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9. Questions of Sinking
Pre-viewing question
Q: If the Titanic were to have been built today, would it sink after hitting an iceberg?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What caused Titanic to begin sinking after hitting the iceberg?
A: While the iceberg may not have caused tremendous damage, a series of small holes allowed
water into six compartments of the ship’s hull. The Titanic was built to sustain damage and take in
water, but not into so many different compartments. The water replacing the air in the forward
compartments increased the ship’s weight; it became denser than the water around it and finally
sank.
10. Splitting in Two
Pre-viewing question
Q: Why do you think Titanic broke in two?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: When did the Titanic break into pieces?
A: The Titanic began breaking apart on the surface of the ocean. As the bow of the ship began
sinking, the ship’s stern rose out of the water. The enormous strain of lifting all that weight opened
an expansion joint, causing a funnel to separate from the ship.
11. Dangerous Beauties
Pre-viewing question
Q: Are jellyfish really fish?
A: No, they are invertebrates that live in the ocean.
Post-viewing question
Q: What are invertebrates?
A: Animals with no spine, or backbone
12. Reproduction of Jellyfish
Pre-viewing question
Q: What is asexual reproduction?
A: Asexual reproduction of offspring does not require mating. Some species of jellyfish reproduce
asexually.
Post-viewing question
Q: How do jellyfish develop?
A: Fertilized jellyfish eggs develop into larvae, which become polyps. Layered like pinecones, each
polyp layer will break free and become a separate jellyfish. A single polyp can release dozens of
young.
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Unsafe Waters: Teacher’s Guide
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13. Humans Cause Water Pollution
Pre-viewing question
Q: What human activity do you think causes the most pollution?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What is water pollution?
A: Water pollution is any change to water that has a harmful effect on humans and other living
things.
14. Industrial Waste
Pre-viewing question
Q: Why do some companies and businesses continue to use known pollutants?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: How do pollutants get into waterways such as the Detroit River?
A: After dumping PCBs and other contaminants into the river in the 1970s, many industries moved,
abandoning their buildings. As the buildings continue to disintegrate, any toxins inside are released
into the river.
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