Beacon Lesson Plan Library
Plotting the Ocean Floor
Nancy Dow
Bay District Schools
Description
Learning about the topography of the ocean floor is easily accomplished when students plot points on a graph, connect the dots to make the ocean floor profile and label the topographical features.
Standards
Florida Sunshine State Standards
SC.D.1.4.2
The student knows that the solid crust of Earth consists of slow-moving, separate plates that float on a denser, molten layer of Earth and that these plates interact with each other, changing the Earth's surface in many ways (e.g., forming mou
Florida Process Standards
Information Managers
01 Florida students locate, comprehend, interpret, evaluate, maintain, and apply information, concepts, and ideas found in literature, the arts, symbols, recordings, video and other graphic displays, and computer files in order to perform tasks and/or for enjoyment.
Numeric Problem Solvers
03 Florida students use numeric operations and concepts to describe, analyze, communicate, synthesize numeric data, and to identify and solve problems.
Systems Managers
07 Florida students integrate their knowledge and understanding of how social, organizational, informational, and technological systems work with their abilities to analyze trends, design and improve systems, and use and maintain appropriate technology.
Materials
- Student copy of Plotting the Ocean Floor (attached file)
- Student copy of Ocean Floor Graph (attached file)
- Computer with Internet access
Preparations
1. Photocopy the activity plotting the ocean floor.
2. Review web links included.
Procedures
1. Introduce the Geography of the Ocean Basins by going to the World Ocean Floor on the Internet. Browse and click the map for selected close-ups and commentary.
2. The teacher will pass out the Plotting the Ocean Floor handout (see attached file)
3. The students will plot the given data on a graph (attached file)
4. Then the students will connect the points with straight lines; this will be the topography of the ocean floor.
5. The student will label the correct topographical features of the ocean floor on their graphs.
Assessments
Plotting the Ocean Floor will be assessed by correct plots on graph, and topographical features labeled correctly.
Extensions
As extended project the students can create a three-dimensional model of the ocean's major topographical features using a shoe box and paper mache.
Students can do follow-up by going to web sites (see Web Links).
Web Links
Web supplement for Plotting the Ocean Floor Plate Tectonics
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