Reflection: I feel by writing a second science lesson plan I had the opportunity to
express what I had learn in my inquiry science class this semester. I believe this lesson
showcase my understanding and knowledge of the ACEI standard 2b. ScienceCandidates know, understand, and use fundamental concepts on the subject matter of
science-including physical, life, and earth and space sciences-as well as concepts in
science and technology, science in personal and social perspectives, the history of
nature of science, the unifying concepts of science, and the inquiring processes
scientist use in discovery of new knowledge to build a base for scientific and
technological literacy
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Date of Lesson May 4, 2009
Time 60 minutes
Length of lesson 1 class period
Curriculum Area _Science_ Content Area: Earth science
Title of Lesson (identify concepts taught) Composition of ocean water
Age/Grade level 6th grade Teacher’s Name Kristy Stas
1. Learning Objectives (What the student must do or demonstrate [action verbs])
a) Students will be able to explain the composition of the of ocean water
b) Students will be able to interpret and evaluate data in order to form a
conclusion
c) Students will be able to use a model to understand a process
2. New York State Learning Standards (Science, Math Art, Language arts, etc…as needed)
Standard 4, Science, Physical setting:
Key idea 2: Many of the phenomena that we observe on Earth involve
interactions among components of air, water, and land.
Key idea 3: Matter is made up of particles whose properties determine the
observable characteristics of matter and its reactivity.
Key idea 4: Energy exists in many forms, and when these forms change
energy is conserved.
Standard 1, Language arts, speaking and writing:
Key idea 1: Listening and reading to acquire information and
understanding involves collecting data, facts, and ideas; discovering
relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and using knowledge from
oral, written, and electronic sources.
Key Idea 2: Speaking and writing to acquire and transmit information
requires asking probing and clarifying questions, interpreting information in
one’s own words, applying information from one context to
another, and presenting the information and interpretation clearly,
concisely, and comprehensibly.
3. Materials
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Paper and pencil
Handout, Salinity Notes (used for the explain)
Two wide-mouth jars
Water
Two eggs, uncooked
Salt
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4. Lesson Process
(A) Engage / Introduction (10 minutes)
To start the lesson I want to review what the students know about the Earth’s
oceans and the properties of the ocean water. I can do this by asking the
following questions:
 Why is salt put on icy sidewalks and roads? ( I am looking for an
answer similar to, because salt melts the ice)
 Which do you think freezes at a lower temperature, salt water or
fresh water? (salt water)
I will write the students’ answers to the questions on the board, so we can
discuss there answers. I will next try to guide the students to the conclusion that
salt in the ocean water interferes with the formation of ice, making the ocean
freeze at a lower temperature then fresh water.
(B) Explore / Learning procedures relating to objectives (10 minutes)
My students will next do an experiment on how salinity directly affects the density
of water. They will be broken into their experiments groups; each group has 3 to
four students. Each group will be given be given two wide-mouth jars and two
uncooked eggs. In one of the jars they will fill it up with 1 quart of tap water and
lab it freshwater. In the second jar they will fill it with 1 quart of tap water and add
1 tablespoon of table salt. This jar will be labeled ocean water. In each of the
jars they will place an uncooked egg. Next they will observe what happens to the
egg in each of the jars.
At the end of the experiment I will have the students write in their science journal
what they observed while doing the experiment. They will also answer the
following question:
What does this demonstration tell you about the difference between salt
water and fresh? (I hope by doing this demonstration they are able to
understand that the egg in the salt water will float and the egg in the fresh
water will sink. This means that salt water is denser than fresh water.)
(C) Explain / Conclusion (40 minutes including time for the quiz)
First I will discus the question that I had asked the student to write in their journal
and the experiment that the students have just completed. I want my students to
be able to explain that the egg in the salt water floated and the egg in the fresh
water sank, which means that salt water is denser than fresh water.
Each student will get the handout called salinity notes, so that as I am giving the
lesson they are able to write the notes on this handout and I am able to collect at
them at end for review. We are now going to discus why the ocean is salty.
Attached is filled out copy of the salinity notes, it explains the science behind the
lesson and the new material that I will be teaching the students.
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(D) Extend, Expand, or Elaborate
If there is extra time at the end of the class I will have my students work on a
worksheet. They can either work with a partner or by themselves. After the
students have completed the worksheet we will go over and discuss the students’
answers.
(E) Evaluation / Assessment
(a) Students will have learned about the salinity of ocean water. Students will be
able to explain the composition of salt and that dilute solution of salts comes from
weathering and erosion of continental rocks. They will understand that the main
salt in ocean water is sodium chloride. They will have learned for the lesson that
there are factor that increase salinity and there are factors the decrease salinity.
They will have learned that there are areas of higher and lower levels of salinity.
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(b) The focus of my assessment is to see if the students understand and can
explain the composition of ocean water. They are able to explain why the ocean
is salt. The students are able to use the model to explain the process.
(c) The methods of assessment that I will use for this lesson is a quiz on the
composition of salinity and a worksheet/note sheet they will complete during the
lesson.
Attached you will find an example of both the quiz and the worksheet.
(d) Differentiation (of expected outcomes)
Differentiation of activity is to be provided and described throughout the lesson plan to
ensure that children’s individual learning needs are met. You must describe how this
will be done. You may do this in chart form.
(i) Lower level students
I want these students be able to come to the conclusion that the
egg in ocean water float and the egg in fresh water sinks.
(ii) Higher level students
I will have these students go a little further with the lesson and
came up the percents for each of the salts found in ocean water.
(e) Lesson modifications
(i) Low level students:
 They will have extra time to complete the experiment if needed
 I will read the directions of the experiment
 I will give them a note sheet with the notes on it from the lesson
 Allow for them to use the computer to type the notes from the
lesson
 Write on an overhead when doing the lesson
 Give them extra time to write the notes
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(ii) Higher level students
I will have these students write a descriptive essay on why the ocean
is salty. Also, if they haven’t already they will go work in the learning
center.
5. Assessments of lesson (Attach examples)
I will assess my students by giving them a quiz at the end of the lesson. I also
will collect the worksheet that they will fill out during the lesson to review.
6. Student work Attach any worksheets used during / after the lesson.
Attach is the quiz and the worksheet that I will have my students complete for the
lesson.
7. Learning center Provide the directions, worksheets as needed, and a list of materials.
Not available for this lesson.
8. References (Resources / sources used in creating lesson plan)
Glen, C. (2002). Ocean life. Aurora Academy. Retrieved from April 27, 2009,
from http://www.ckcolorado.org/units/6th_grade/6_OceanLife.pdf
Proujan, C., Martin, S., & Knowles, M. (2005). Sciencesaurus. Wilmington, MA:
Great Source Education Group, 187, 193-197.
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Name________________________
Date________
Salinity Notes
Why the ocean is salty
Ocean water tastes salty because the salt dissolved in it. A mixture of 1
tablespoon of table salt in 1 quart of water contains about the same amount of salt as
does ocean water. The chemical name for salt or table salt is sodium chloride. Sodium
chloride is the most abundant salt in ocean water. There are also seven other common
salts found in ocean water. The seven other common salts in ocean water are; sodium
chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, potassium sulfate,
calcium carbonate and magnesium bromide.
Salinity is the measure of the amount of salt dissolved in a liquid. The average salinity
of ocean water is 35 parts per thousand (35 ppt). This means that 35 unit of salt are in
every 1,000 unity of ocean water. Evaporation causes the salinity of ocean water to
increase. Evaporation is the process by which a liquid changes into a gas due to the
addition of heat energy. This process occurs in areas of dry climate, such as the
Mediterranean Sea, where the salinity is about 38 ppt. Salinity in seawater decrease
where rivers gain access to the sea. This is because salinity in the river is very low and
it dilutes the seawater. Others areas that have low salinity are cold icy bodies of water,
such as the Arctic Ocean. Usually the melting ice and low evaporation keep the salinity
of icy waters lower than of warmer ocean water.
Although ocean water seems to have no place to go, and rivers continually pour water
into them, the water level in the ocean does not continually rise. This is because water
leaves the ocean by evaporation. The water lost through evaporation eventually returns
to the ocean through the process of condensation. Condensation is the process by
which a gas changes into a liquid due to a removal of heat energy. This water returns
to the earth as precipitation , liquid or solid particles of water that form in the
atmosphere and then fall to the earth’s surface, such as hail, snow, sleet, and rain. As
the water runs downhill over the land, it causes weathering and erosion of continental
rocks. This in turn causes water to carry bits of minerals with it, including salt. Once
salt gets carried from land to the ocean, it is stuck. The salt has nowhere else to go.
Precipitation also falls into rivers and streams that flow over the land, bringing more
water to the ocean. As long as the loss of water through evaporation equals the gain of
water through precipitation, the water level in the ocean remains constant.
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Name_____________________________
Date_________
Salinity Notes
Why the ocean is salty.
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Name_______________________
Date________
Composition of Ocean water Quiz
Answer the following questions with a complete sentence.
1. What factors increase the salinity of ocean water and what factors decrease the
salinity of ocean water?
2. Why does an egg float in salt water but sinks in fresh water?
3. What is the average salinity of ocean water?
4. What salt is the most abundant in ocean water?
5. Would you expect salinity be high or lower in a rainy ocean near the mouth of the
river. Why?
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Answer Key- this quiz will be grade out of 10 points. I will give partial credit if a
student has part of the idea.
Name_______________________
Date________
Composition of Ocean water Quiz
Answer the following questions with a complete sentence.
1. What factors increase the salinity of ocean water and what factors decrease the
salinity of ocean water?
Evaporation increases salinity as well as freshwater from rivers and
streams flowing into the ocean. Surface water freezing into ice and
precipitation decreases salinity.
2. Why does an egg float in salt water but sinks in fresh water?
The egg floated in salt water and not in fresh water because salt water is
dense than fresh water.
3. What is the average salinity of ocean water?
The average salinity of ocean water is 35 parts per thousand.
4. What salt is the most abundant in ocean water?
Sodium chloride is the most abundant salt in ocean water.
5. Would you expect salinity be high or lower in a rainy ocean near the mouth of the
river. Why?
The salinity would be low because both precipitation and fresh water from
rivers has lower amounts of salinity.
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Name______________________
Date_____________
Performing an Experiment
Read each of the following statements and then answer the questions.
1. A scientist wants to find out why ocean water freezes at a lower temperature than
fresh water.
2. The scientist goes to the library and reads a number of articles about the physical
properties of solutions.
3. The scientist also reads about the composition of sea water.
4. The scientist travels to a nearby beach and observes the conditions there. The
scientist notes the taste of the ocean water and other factors such as the waves,
wind, air-pressure, temperature, and humidity.
5. After considering all this information, the scientist sits at a desk and writes, “ My
guess is that ocean water freezes at a lower temperature than fresh water
because ocean water has salt in it.”
6. The scientist goes to the laboratory and odes the following:
a. Fills each of two beakers with 1 liter of fresh water.
b. Dissolves 35 grams of table salt in one of the beakers.
c. Places both beakers in a refrigerator whose temperature is -1 degree C.
d. Leaves the beakers in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
7. After 24 hours, the scientist examines both beakers and finds the freshwater to
be frozen. The salt water is still liquid.
8. The scientist writes in a notebook, “It appears as if salt water freezes at a lower
temperature than fresh water.”
9. The scientist continues, “Therefore, I suggest that the reason sea water freezes
at a lower temperature is that ocean water contains dissolved salts while fresh
water does not.
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Questions: There are questions that contain multiple anwers.
A. Which statements contain conclusions?____________________
B. Which statements refer to research?_______________________
C. Which statements contains a hypothesis?___________________
D. Which statements contain observation?_____________________
E. Which statements describe an experiment? __________________
F. Which statements support the hypothesis? __________________
G. In which statement is the problem defined? ___________________
H. Which statement contains data?____________________________
I. What is the variable in the experiment? ______________________
J. What is the control in the experiment? ________________________
K. Which statement includes an inference? ______________________
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Answer key
Questions:
A. Which statements contain conclusions? ______8, 9______________
B. Which statements refer to research? _________2, 3______________
C. Which statements contain a hypothesis? ______5_____________
D. Which statements contain observation? _______4, 7______________
E. Which statements describe an experiment?_____6, 7_____________
F. Which statements supports the hypothesis?_____7, 8_____________
G. In which statement is the problem defined?_____1______________
H. Which statement contains data?______________7______________
I. What is the variable in the experiment?__________Salt______________
J. What is the control in the experiment? _________Freshwater_________
K. Which statement includes an inference?________5______________
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