Educational Materials Associated with the Ocean Planet

A large number of educational materials have either been developed specifically for the Ocean Planet Exhibition, or have been developed for other purposes but are a good complement to the materials presented in the Exhibition. If the materials are available in electronic form, you can retrieve them for use in your classroom. We will continue to add new materials as they become available.

Teacher Materials

1. Lessons and marine science activities from the Smithsonian which adapt several themes of the exhibition for use in the middle and high school classroom.
2. Sea Store Lesson Plan: There Are Algae in Your House!
3. Sea People Lesson Plan: Words from the Ocean
4. Marine Education Books for Children
5. Teacher Guide to the Ocean Planet Exhibition
6. Ocean Planet Secondary School Educational Materials
7. Smithsonian's Art to Zoo contains lesson plans on Contrasts in Blue: Life on the Caribbean Coral Reef and the Rocky Coast of Maine
8. Online course materials are available for The Sea Around Us from Penn State University.
9. Classroom Resources for Environmental Education - from EE Link
10. Lesson Plans from the AskERIC archives
11. Tales of Whales, Turtles, Sharks, and Snails: An Elementary Level Education Handbook
12. Teaching Earth Science from NASA's Earth Science Enterprise.
13. The Gulf of Maine Aquarium has a great resource on water body types and streams



Fact Sheets

1. Ocean Planet Marine Life Facts
2. Ocean Planet Oceanographic Facts
3. Ask a Scientist
4. Threats to the health of the oceans
5. Help for Ocean Planet
6. Ocean Planet Nautical Sayings
7. Ocean Planet Legends and Customs of the Sea
8. Ocean Planet Diving Records

Family Activities

1. Helping your child learn science - from the U.S. Department of Education
2. Underwater Exploration - Wisconsin Sea Grant's Underwater Exploration Web site supporting the JASON Project.

Children's Books

1. Marine Education Books for Children
2. Baru Bay: Australia - a book and musical/storytelling cassett package set in Australia.

Theater Scripts

• Media and Education Initiative
  1. Ocean Planet: Writings and Images of the Sea
     • Introduction - Judith Gradwohl, Smithsonian Institution and Peter Benchley
     • VISIONS OF THE SEA - Peter Benchley
     • Wayfarers All - Kenneth Grahame
     • SEAFARERS - Peter Benchley
     • Singlehander - Ann Davison
     • DISCOVERY - Peter Benchley
     • DISCOVERY - Peter Benchley
     • A Dark and Luminous Blue - William Beebe
     • OCEANS IN PERIL - Peter Benchley
  2. Popular Science Special Oceans Issue (May 1995)
  3. PopSci For Kids Special Oceans Issue

Ocean Planet Exhibition Floorplan

gene carl feldman (gene@seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov) (301) 286-9428
Judith Gradwohl, Smithsonian Institution (Curator/Ocean Planet)