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ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCE
OCEAN SECTION PLANNING

 COURSE SECTION: Oceans
        CONCEPT: Physical and Chemical Processes
      TIMEFRAME: 
                        SUGGESTED GOALS

1. Students will understand the scientific method and will use the
   scientific method as an approach to problem solving by
   understanding how data about the oceans is collected and used.

2. Students will have a knowledge base sufficient to identify and
   understand the causes and possible solutions to environmental
   issues by understanding how the ocean systems work, and how those
   systems affect the planet on both large and small scales.

3. Student will be able to evaluate the impact of their daily life
   decisions and actions in the context of their environment by
   understanding how their actions or inaction affects the oceans.

4. Students will recognize the inter-connections between components of
   the natural universe by understanding how use of the land affects
   the oceans, and how the oceans affect land areas.

5. Students will develop a lifelong interest and concern for their
   relationship with the natural world by recognizing that life on
   Earth is possible because of the processes occurring in the oceans.


LEARNING OBJECTIVES: To reach these Goals, students will have to know:

    1.   that ocean water is a solution of many different substances
              that dissolved into the oceans from runoff from the
              land, volcanic gasses under water, from the atmosphere,
              and from the sea floor.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 3-DECISIONS, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

    2.   that salinity is the total amount of dissolved solids in
              solution.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

    3.   that increased salinity and decreased temperature makes ocean
              water more dense.

              1-SCIENTIFIC METHOD, 2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 3-DECISIONS,
              4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

    4.   that surface ocean currents are caused primarily by wind.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

    

5.   that subsurface currents are caused by differences in
              density.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

   6.   that all currents distribute heat and nutrients throughout
              the planet.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS, 5-INTEREST.

    7.   that changes in density and temperature due to atmospheric
              changes could lead to changes in ocean currents.

              1-SCIENTIFIC METHOD, 2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 3-DECISIONS,
              4-INTERCONNECTIONS, 5-INTEREST.

    8.   that waves are a mostly vertical movement of water that
              transfers energy across the surface of the water.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

    9.   that most ocean and lake waves are caused by wind, but waves
              are also caused by earthquakes.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

    10.  that breaking waves occur where the water is shallower than
              one half the wavelength, resulting in friction that
              causes the     wave to get higher as the wavelength
              decreases.

              1-SCIENTIFIC METHOD, 2-KNOWLEDGE BASE,
              4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

    11.  that the energy of the wave is transferred to the shore when
              the wave hits, causing erosion of the shore.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

    12.  that tides are a semidiurnal (4 times a day) rise and fall of
              sea level caused by the gravitational pull of the moon
              against the ocean water and the Earth as the planet
              rotates.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

    13.  that spring tides are very high and low tides that occur
              twice each month when the sun, Earth and moon are
              aligned.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

    13.  that the most coastal destruction occurs when a storm surge
              comes ashore during a high spring tide.

              1-SCIENTIFIC METHOD, 2-KNOWLEDGE BASE,
              4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

    14.  that waves and currents change the shape of shorelines by
              eroding away material, moving sediments to new locations
              and depositing sediments.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

    15.  that abrasion and removal by waves and currents creates shore
              features such as caves, stacks, marine terraces.

              1-SCIENTIFIC METHOD, 2-KNOWLEDGE BASE,
              4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

    16.  that waves that reach shore at an angle create longshore
              currents and rip currents.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

    17.  that longshore currents move and deposit sediments to form
              beaches, sand bars, and barrier islands.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

    18.  that when people build structures along beaches, they may
              change the movement and deposition of sand that created
              the beach.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 3-DECISIONS, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

    19.  that rip currents occur where water from longshore currents
              returns out to sea, and if caught in one, a swimmer
              should swim parallel to shore until out of the current,
              not against the current.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 3-DECISIONS, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS.

    20. that beyond the shore, the bottom of the ocean is in the form
              of continental shelf, continental slope, abyssal plain,
              mid ocean ridge/rift system, trenches, volcanic plume
              islands and seamounts.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

    21.  that less is known about the floor of the ocean than about
              the surface of the moon, but new technologies are
              mapping the ocean floor better.

              1-SCIENTIFIC METHOD, 2-KNOWLEDGE BASE,

    22.  deposits of the sea floor include ooze and minerals
              crystalized from sea water, and the refuse of 
              billions of people.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 3-DECISIONS, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

Estuaries
    

23.  that estuaries are the tidal waters where rivers reach the
              sea.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS,

    24.0  that estuaries are the most diverse and productive zones for
              life because of the energy and nutrients from the
              combination of fresh water flows, tides, sea water
              flows, and marine and fresh water deposition.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 3-DECISIONS, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS,
              5-INTEREST.

    24.1 how the production of organic matter in an estuary compares to other
            ecosystems. 

    24.2 the basic food web of an estuary, and how this is based on the physical 
	functioning of the estuary.

    24.3 what living organisms rely on estuary habitat and why.

    24.4 how estuaries support commercial fishing

    24.4 what tidal wetlands and mud flats are, and their function in relation to pollution
	 and coastal protection from storm waves.

    25.  that because of their location, estuaries are prime areas for
              development for homes, marinas, industrial sites and
              shipping facilities, which destroy the natural
              functioning of the estuary.

              2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 3-DECISIONS, 4-INTERCONNECTIONS,
              5-INTEREST.

    25.1 how much estuary area has been lost because of various reasons.

    25.2 an outline of the history of human use of an example estuary area, and how
           this history was influenced by the natural features of the estuary.

    25.3 how estuary quality and tourism are interelated. 

    26.  that pollution of both fresh water and oceans will affect the
              estuary.

              1-SCIENTIFIC METHOD, 2-KNOWLEDGE BASE, 3-DECISIONS,
              4-INTERCONNECTIONS, 5-INTEREST.

    26.1 sources of pollution that affect estuary areas.

    26.2 how to protect estuaries from upland and shore area pollution.

    26.3 what has been done to protect and restore estuaries.

    26.3 what estuary is most directly affected by runoff from their neighborhood.

    26.9 where to get more information about estuaries. 

    27.  about recent ocean scientific discoveries and environmental issues. 	

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