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Lesson 11: El Niño
Filetype[PDF-859.82 KB]


Details:
  • Description:
    Lesson 11 applies the information students have already learned about oceanic-atmospheric interactions to explain and explore the El Niño phenomenon. The lecture describes the physical mechanisms behind El Niño and explains how scientists determine whether an El Niño event is occurring. In the activity, students then interpret real NOAA data to decide whether they think 2009-2010 was an El Niño year.
  • Keywords:
  • Document Type:
    Lesson Plan
  • Collection(s):
    Education and Outreach
    National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
  • Main Document Checksum:
  • File Type:
    1. Filetype[PDF - 762.89 KB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      Lesson 18 provides a survey of common marine invertebrates including sponges, corals, lobsters, crabs and sea stars. It provides students with the basic taxonomy of major invertebrate phyla. In the activity, students demonstrate different sampling me...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 762.89 KB]
    2. Filetype[PDF - 1.20 MB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      Lesson 9 presents an overview of waves in the ocean, including related terminology, physics, and mathematical equations. The lesson defines tsunamis and describes ways that scientists predict and prepare for tsunamis. In the activity, students apply ...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 1.20 MB]
    3. Filetype[PDF - 523.34 KB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      Lesson 3 describes the ocean as a carbon sink that absorbs atmospheric carbon. Students read evidence that increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the ocean are correlated with decreasing ocean pH. In the activity, students develop and test a hypot...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 523.34 KB]
    4. Filetype[PDF - 539.55 KB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      Lesson 8 presents the mechanisms that drive surface and deep ocean currents. The process of global ocean circulation is presented, emphasizing the importance of this process for climate regulation. In the activity, students play a game focused on the...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 539.55 KB]
    5. Filetype[PDF - 864.55 KB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      Lesson 12 presents some common technologies that are used to monitor the ocean. In the activity, students examine temperature and density data to detect the presence of hydrothermal vents in the ocean.
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 864.55 KB]
    6. Filetype[PDF - 504.51 KB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to the ocean sciences by encouraging them to think about their personal experiences with the ocean and its resources. The lesson also introduces students to the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB), ...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 504.51 KB]
    7. Filetype[PDF - 949.84 KB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      Lesson 13 introduces students to geological oceanography by presenting the basic structure of the Earth and the properties of Earth’s primary layers. Students learn the structure and composition of oceanic and continental crust and the theory of pl...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 949.84 KB]
    8. Filetype[PDF - 517.04 KB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      This lesson provides an overview of the types of sediments in the ocean including their origin and composition. Common classification methods by size and origin are presented and then students are encouraged to think about how sediments of various ty...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 517.04 KB]
    9. Filetype[PDF - 673.83 KB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      Lesson 6 presents the importance of ocean chemistry with an activity about salinity, a measure of salt content in ocean water. Both salinity and temperature vary throughout the ocean. Because both salinity and temperature affect the density of water,...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 673.83 KB]
    10. Filetype[PDF - 811.40 KB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      This lesson describes advanced technologies for underwater exploration and navigation. In the activity, students simulate the use of sonar for ocean floor mapping by poking a stick through holes in the lid of the box and taking depth measurements of ...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 811.40 KB]
    11. Filetype[PDF - 634.69 KB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      Lesson 14 builds on the previous lesson on plate tectonics in which students learned about Earth’s layers and plates. This lesson presents specific types of plate movement and describes how this movement formed Earth’s geological features over ti...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 634.69 KB]
    12. Filetype[PDF - 798.53 KB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      Lesson 10 describes the basic causes of tides and defines the fundamental terminology scientists use to categorize and characterize tides. Students observe tidal charts and describe reasons tides are important to humans and marine life. In the activi...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 798.53 KB]
    13. Filetype[PDF - 530.34 KB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      Lesson 2 gives students a brief overview of the history of oceanography. They will learn some of the important events in the history of oceanography including dates of voyages and inventions which will also serve as preparation for the Bowl. In the s...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 530.34 KB]
    14. Filetype[PDF - 496.04 KB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      Lesson 4 introduces the concept of biogeochemical cycles, emphasizing the mechanisms by which elements move through Earth’s systems. In the activity, students read an article about the Southern Ocean Divide, a discovery that improved scientists’ ...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 496.04 KB]
    15. Filetype[PDF - 648.00 KB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      Lesson 16 presents some of the natural processes and human activities that shape our coasts. The lecture describes different ways of classifying coasts (e.g., active vs. passive coasts) and the ways in which several types of coasts are formed. In the...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 648.00 KB]
    16. Filetype[PDF - 465.90 KB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      Lesson 7 introduces students to the primary ocean layers, as well as relevant terminology (e.g., thermocline, pycnocline). In the activity, students graph ocean temperature data to determine how temperature-depth profiles vary by latitude and season.
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 465.90 KB]
    17. Filetype[PDF - 393.05 KB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      This lesson familiarizes students with taxonomic classification as preparation for the series of lessons (17- 20) that provides a survey of marine life. The lecture provides basic life history information about plankton. In the activity, students cat...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 393.05 KB]
    18. Filetype[PDF - 689.61 KB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      This lesson provides a primer on marine ecosystems. The lecture describes the different ocean zones and some common organisms that live in each zone. In the activity, students analyze abundance data for Chesapeake Bay blue crabs. They apply their kno...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 689.61 KB]
    19. Filetype[PDF - 806.67 KB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      Lesson 19 provides a survey of common marine vertebrates including reptiles, fish, sharks, rays and reptiles. It provides students with the basic taxonomy of these classes, with a focus on fish and the management of commercial fish populations. In th...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 806.67 KB]
    20. Filetype[PDF - 938.14 KB]
      Published Date:
      2010
      Series:
      NEMO Curriculum
      Description:
      Lesson 20 provides an overview of marine mammal taxonomy including cetaceans and pinnipeds. The lecture presents the characteristics of common mammalian orders and provides some examples of each. In the activity, students use a dichotomous key to ide...
      File Type:
      Filetype[PDF - 938.14 KB]

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