NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer: New England Seamount Chain Exploration

Classroom Lessons

Educators and scientists working with NOAA developed a series of lesson plans for students in Grades 5 - 12 that are specifically tied to the mapping technology being used on this expedition.

 

Introductory Content for Lessons Plans

Video Introduction to Multibeam Sonar

Introduction to Multibeam Sonar (pdf, 242 KB)

 

Lesson Plans

Exploring LIVE with the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer

Grade Level: 5-12
Focus: How students can become active ocean explorers while viewing live video feeds during Okeanos Explorer expeditions (Physical Science/Earth Science)

Students learn how to access the Ocean Explorer website and access a live video feed of an Okeanos Explorer expedition; explore along with the ocean science community via live feeds during Okeanos Explorer expeditions; and learn how to track an expedition using the Okeanos Atlas.

Wet Maps

Grade Level: 5-6
Focus: Bathymetric mapping

Students analyze and interpret data to explain how multibeam sonar is used to identify patterns of ocean floor structures; construct three-dimensional maps; and understand how multibeam sonar technology extends the measurement and exploration capacity of modern ocean exploration.
Addendum: Blank Wet Maps Graph

Mapping the Deep-ocean Floor

Grade Level: 7-8
Focus: Bathymetric mapping

Using EXCEL, students analyze and interpret data from the Okeanos Explorer to explain how multibeam sonar is used to identify patterns of ocean floor structures; and how multibeam sonar technology extends the measurement and exploration capacity of modern ocean exploration.

Watching in 3-D

Grade Level: 9-12
Focus: Multibeam sonar

Students explain how multibeam sonar uses the properties of sound waves in water for scientific research about topography of the ocean floor; and analyze and interpret multibeam sonar data using free iview4D software to identify patterns in the distribution of seafloor features that contribute to scientific research about large-scale interactions in Earth’s systems.

All lesson plans are correlated to: