Estuaries 101 Middle School Curriculum - Estuaries NOAA

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Technical RequirementsThe Estuary Education website is optimized for a 1028 x 768 pixel screenresolution and for the following browser versions: Internet Explorer (6.0 orhigher), Firefox (1.5 or higher), or Safari (2 or higher). Earlier browser versionsmay not display optimally onscreen and may not run some enhanced features ofthe site. Cookies and JavaScript must both be enabled in your browser.Plug-InsPlug-ins are software programs that extend the capabilities of your Web browser,giving you the ability to perform special functions using your browser; forexample, view videos and play audio.• Adobe Reader — PDF document viewing program• Adobe Flash Player — Browser plug-in for videos, animation, interactivityand soundEstuaries 101 Middle School Curriculum Overview 5
Research Question Activities Learning Objectives Estuaries Climate Extension ObjectiveStudents will:• Describe the relationshipbetween ocean temperaturesand ocean currents.• Make predictions about SeaSurface Temperature by linkingsatellite data to concernsabout global climate change.• Describe the impacts ofwarming ocean temperatureson estuaries.No climate extensionEstuaries 101 Middle School Curriculum Overview 6Estuaries 101 Middle School Curriculum MapPrinciple 1: Estuaries are interconnected with the world ocean and with major systems and cycles on Earth.What are estuaries? Activity 1: Where RiversMeet the SeaStudents are introduced to theEstuaries 101 program andwebsite. Here they take a short,online quiz to check their initialestuary knowledge, examineMobile Bay as an example of anestuary and practice identifyingdifferent types of estuaries.Students will understand that:• An estuary is a body of water, partially enclosed byland, where salt water from the ocean and freshwater from the land can mix.• Estuaries can be found in coastal areas of the oceanworldwide.• The National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRS)are a system of estuary sites located around thecoasts the United States and Puerto Rico and theGreat Lakes that set the baseline for research andmonitoring in estuaries.Weeks BayNERR, ALJobos BayNERR, PRPrinciple 2: Estuaries are dynamic ecosystems with tremendous variability within and between them in physical, chemical, and biological components.What are the physical(geographic, weatherand climate) factors thatinfluence and regulatelife in the estuaries?Activity 2: Seasonal SwingsStudents will learn about theNERRS System using an onlinemap that has a brief descriptionabout each of the 28 Reserves.By comparing and contrastingdata from two Reserves, studentswill understand that extreme airand water temperaturedifferences are related to theirgeographic location, particularlytheir latitudes relative to eachother.Students will understand that:• Weather can affect water properties.• Seasonal changes in weather and a Reserve’sproximity to the equator or the poles create conditionsthat cause variety amongst the nation’s estuaries.Elkhorn SloughNERR, CAKachemak BayNERR, AK
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Estuaries 101 Middle School Curriculum - Estuaries NOAA

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