The Oceans of the World: The Board Game Project
Part 1: The Introduction.
A project needs an introduction. This should be an overview that explains what the project is about and gives some basic facts about the topic.
In this case we a studying the Oceans so a good place to start would be some maps as well as some facts and figures.
Maps:
A physical map of the ocean floor is essential. If you are not sure what this is then you can find a number of maps here.
Facts and figures:
Try to amaze people with some facts about the Oceans. For inspiration, look at the “Did you know?” facts in the text book and the information on page 118. For now you should collect facts and figures in a word document. These should be added to, throughout the project.
Here are some more useful links to help you find lots of facts and figures.
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/earth/oceans.html
http://savethesea.org/STS%20ocean_facts.htm
http://www.eurocbc.org/50_key_facts_about_sea_and_oceans_08jun2004page1695.html
http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/education/stuffforkids/oceanfacts/
The Game:
How can we include the information from this section into the board game? We could make cards with questions on them or challenges that the students must complete using the information. We should also think about how the board game will look. Maybe the game begins in space looking down on the earth and as players move through this section of the board, they come closer to the surface of the earth.
Part 2: The ocean floor
What would the we see if all of the water was removed?
In this section we are going to learn more about the ocean floor. In doing so you will be looking back at some of the work that you have done on Plate Tectonics as well as looking at how coral reefs form and why we find oil beneath the oceans.
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| A Black Smoker |
We will need to explain the following features using a variety of media (text, photo’s, diagrams, maps, animations, video etc.)
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The Abyssal Plain
- Ocean Ridges
- Black Smokers (Hydrothermal Vents)
- Island Arc
- Ocean trenches
- Hot Spots (Hawaii)
- The Continental Shelf
- Coral Reef formation
Task:
Your task is to create an illustrated cross section of an Ocean. Imagine following the ocean floor, you would come accross all of the features above.
You should find the location of each of these features within your chosen ocean, mark their location on a map, find photographs to illustrate them and then write a short illustration on how the are formed along with any other useful facts.
Maps of the Ocean Floor:
Map of the Southern Ocean
Useful Links
The US Navy’s Office For Naval Research has a lot of excellent information.
The Savage Sea’s Site has a range of information and animations on the Ocean Floor.
The Game:
How can we include this in the game. The board could include the same journey across the sea floor with various questions and activities that pass on information to the students playing it. We could also add in some other activities such as a, “Who wants to be a Millionaire,” style game based around a journey to the bottom of an ocean trench.
Part 3: The Essential Ocean
Life could not exist on earth without the oceans. In this section we will investigate the different ways that the oceans affect life on earth.
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| The Oceanic Food Web and the Carbon Cycle |
Areas for study in this section are;
The origins of life
The Hydrological Cycle
How the oceans affect our weather and climate
Thermohaline Circulation
Useful information:
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/
Oceans under threat:
Ocean Acidification
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| The Effect of Oceanic Acidification on Coral |
Plastic Pollution:
More Information on Plastic Pollution in the Oceans:
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| Sea turtle rescued after swallowing discarded plastic |
Over fishing and Non Sustainable Fishing Practices:
Ocean Wonders TED talks playlist