Scientix Lesson plan

Title
OCEAN CURRENTS

Author(s)
Galani Alexandra
Abstract
Through discussion and experiments students can learn about water density and what causes
ocean currents. Students will become familiar with the features and movement of currents due
to heat and forces as well as understand the effects of currents on the planet (e.g. how the
ocean affects our climate and weather). These experiments can be conducted over a course of
study.
Keywords
Ocean currents
Fluids
Density
Movement
Heat
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The work presented in this document has received funding from the European Union’s H2020 research
and innovation programme – project Scientix 4 (Grant agreement N. 101000063), coordinated by
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Summary table Οcean currents are caused by differences in water temperature and salinity (density). In
this experiment, the students will hypothesize the cause of ocean currents and then develop a model to
help explain the role that temperature plays in deep ocean currents and how currents move in the
ocean.

Subject Science

Topic(s) within the Energy & Heat, climate Change

subject

Key real-life topic

Ocean Currents and climate and weather

Age of students
Primary school students
Preparation time 45’

Teaching time 50’

Online teaching Padlet,

material

Offline teaching
material Materials:
For discussion:
• Illustration of currents moving around the ocean.
• Globe

For the experiment:

• Frozen coloured ice (food colouring / ice cube tray / freezer – to be
done in advance)
• Jug
• Rectangle fish tank or Glass baking dish
• Water

Integration into the curriculum

2
Biology, Ecology, Earth Science
Aim of the lesson
Through discussion and experiments involving energy and forces students:

 can learn about water density and what causes ocean currents
 will become familiar with the features and movement of currents due to heat
 understand the effects of currents on the planet (e.g. how the ocean affects our climate
and weather)
Outcome of the lesson
Students know how differential heating of Earth results in circulation patterns in the atmosphere
and oceans that globally distribute the heat and discover the link between ocean currents and
our concern for current climate

21st century skills

Students will have developed questioning and predicting skills as well as the following:
 Observation
 Investing and experimenting
 Estimating and measuring
 Analysing .

Activities

Name of Procedure Time

activity
Discussion: Materials: 15’
In class using the globe, discuss with the students about how the
oceans on Earth are one large world ocean. Explain that water from
all the oceans are continuously mixing together and moving around
the earth through a number of different currents. Using the globe, ask
the children where they think the ocean is the coldest. (e.g.
Antarctic and the Arctic Ocean, or the Equator).

Experiment
:
1. In advance, mix food colouring with water and pour the 45’
solution into an ice-cube tray. Freeze it.Half fill the glass dish
with warm water. (Explain that this is a model of the ocean).

3
 Have two students place one ice cube at each end of the dish
to represent the frozen oceans. Remind the group of the
experiment they did with warm and cold water, and predict
what will happen. (Explain that the ice cubes are coloured so
they can see what happens to the cold water as it mixes with
warmer water).
2. Observe the motion of the cold (coloured) water. Where does
it go? (The cold water moves along the bottom, towards the
warmer water in the middle.). Observe what happens to the
cold water as it begins to warm (It begins to dissolve).
3. Discuss and record what has been observed in the dish. (Help
the students understand that the colder, heavier water from
the Antarctic and Arctic Ocean moves along the bottom of
the ocean toward the equator, where the water is warm. The
warmer, lighter water from around the equator moves along
the surface of the ocean toward the Antarctic and the Arctic
Ocean where the water is cold. These movements are called
currents. Because of currents, the cold waters and the warm
waters of the world oceans are constantly changing places).

Assessment
Students will be given a formative assessment in two forms:
1. As an "entry" ticket. This will be the essential question that will gauge the students prior
knowledge. What are Ocean currents? '' (Open-response question).
2. Using a worksheet after the lesson to assess what the students now know based after
content delivery and lab experience.
3. Create a padlet with "entry" ticket that can be answered before the students exit the
classroom. This will serve as another check for understanding after content is delivered.
Student feedback
The students will be given 5-7 minutes at the beginning of class to answer the question'' What are Ocean
currents? ''After the time is up, the teacher will collect the ansewrs and quickly look through the responses.
The instructor will then explain in a quick summary to the students the lesson they will learn.

The instructor will use one worksheet with following questions to assess the students' knowledge after the
lesson.
- Why do you think water on the surface of the ocean is warmer than the water in the deeper

parts of the ocean?

4
- How do you think currents affect species that live in the ocean i.e. fish found in different

temperatures and depths of the ocean.

- How do you think the currents affect our weather and climate on land?

Immediate feedback will be given after each question to clarify any misconceptions. Class
discussion is encouraged after each question to be sure each student understands the reason
for the correct answer.

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