Lessons on Ocean Issues
http://nobel48.geographer.me
Ocean Warming
Prepared by Michelle VanCuyk (student), Univ of Wisconsin-Fox Valley
E-Mail: vancm6591@uwc.edu
Web: http://nobel48.geographer.me
Lessons on Ocean Issues
Ocean Warming
2
Acknowledgements
Prepared by Michelle VanCuyk, an undergraduate student, as a capstone project
for the GLG 291 seminar on ocean issues at the University of Wisconsin-Fox
Valley, under the direction of Dr. Beth A. Johnson and Dr. Andrew Shears.
Funding for attendance at the Nobel 48: Our Global Issues conference at
Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN generously supported by funding
from the Mielke Family Foundation of Appleton, Wisconsin.
Funding for attendance at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the Association of
American Geographers in Los Angeles, California, and the 2013 Posters in the
Rotunda at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin generously
supported by funding from University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley Student Scholars.
More information about the project, including editable lesson plans and
additional resources, visit http://nobel48.geographer.me.
This document and all of its components (unless otherwise cited to an outside
source) are released to the Creative Commons.
Prepared by Michelle VanCuyk (vancm6591@uwc.edu), undergraduate at UW-Fox Valley.
For digital copies and additional teaching resources on ocean issues: http://nobel48.geographer.me
Lessons on Ocean Issues
Ocean Warming
3
Ocean Warming Activity
Objectives: The focus of this lesson plan is to give students an
understanding of the affects of global warming across the ocean, and
the direct effects on coral reef systems. Students will gain an
understanding of how the ocean temperature has risen over time
through out the ocean, specifically in shallow coastal waters. Students
will understand how coral reefs are greatly affected by the ocean
temperature warming, as their need to remain close to the surface.
Students will understand and graph their own experiment
representing how heat is dispersed through the oceans at varying
depths.
Materials:
 One glass aquarium
o Really any tank will work, but it must be tall enough to
create different elevations. This one is recommended:
o Top Fin® 10 Gallon Glass Aquarium $14.99 at Petsmart
item number 11164156
 Three (3) glass thermometers
o Top Fin® Floating Glass Aquarium Thermometer at
Petsmart Item number 275225
 Aquarium gravel or gravel
o Aquarium gravel is recommended as it will cut down on
set up time but any gravel is usable. Also to save on
materials, large rocks or solid forms may be used under
the gravel.
o Assorted Aquarium gravel is sold at Petsmart for $4.99$16.99 for 5 and 25 lb bags
 Heat lamp, mountable over tank
 Pencil and paper for taking notes and graphing results.
Teaching Time Required:
Set up should take less than 20 minutes. The aquarium should be set
up at least an hour in advance to let sediment settle and also the
temperature rise to room temperature. Class time of 60 minutes is
needed for observation and discussion.
Prepared by Michelle VanCuyk (vancm6591@uwc.edu), undergraduate at UW-Fox Valley.
For digital copies and additional teaching resources on ocean issues: http://nobel48.geographer.me
Lessons on Ocean Issues
Ocean Warming
4
Procedure:
Set-Up
1. Place rock type material in the base of aquarium with a steep
incline of to the right side.
 The shallow end of the aquarium represents costal and coral
areas as corals rarely grow below 40m.
 This is where the greatest temperature fluctuations occur.
2. Place the heat lamp securely over top of fish tank.
3. Allow tank to heat to a constant room temperature.
Introductory Discussion
4. Begin the lesson with a short explanation of how temperature
change affects the ocean and coral reefs. Main points should
include:
 Scientists are able to track climate temperatures as far back
as 1805 through coral reef systems. Corals build their shells
with calcium carbonate and trace minerals. As corals may
live hundreds of years they form a natural record of climate
change.
 Due to the temperature increase over the last thousand
years we are starting to see the effects of a warming climate
as the corals are no longer able to survive. A slight variation
in ocean temperature over extended periods of time leads to
coral bleaching
 Show students the graph showing the ocean temperature
change and ask them to study it. What trends can they
identify?
 Notice that there is some rise and fall due to different
weather patterns and glacial run off
Activity
5. First students should build a bar graph to record the
temperature increase. In the classroom graph, the minutes
should reflect length of time students will spend observing.
 On the next page is a basic example (Figure 1).
Prepared by Michelle VanCuyk (vancm6591@uwc.edu), undergraduate at UW-Fox Valley.
For digital copies and additional teaching resources on ocean issues: http://nobel48.geographer.me
Lessons on Ocean Issues
Ocean Warming
5
30
25
temp
20
15
10
5
0
5
thermometer 1
10
15
minutes
20
thermometer 2
25
30
thermometer 3
Figure 1: Sample table showing charted data from three thermometers
6. Place thermometers in the center and at each end of the tank, at
varying depths and attach to edges with suction cups. In our
experiment we placed the tip of the first thermometer at 26cm
from the bottom, carful not to allow it to touch either the tank
or gravel. Place the second thermometer at a level 18cm from
the bottom, and the third 6cm from the bottom. See Figure 2
(below) for a basic guide.
Figure 2: Three depths in the aquarium, each measured by thermometers.
Prepared by Michelle VanCuyk (vancm6591@uwc.edu), undergraduate at UW-Fox Valley.
For digital copies and additional teaching resources on ocean issues: http://nobel48.geographer.me
Lessons on Ocean Issues
Ocean Warming
6
7. Turn on the heat lamp securely mounted over the tank.
8. Observe and record temperature change on their graph every
five minutes.
9. Students should notice the difference in temperature changes
at different depths and how this relates to how our oceans
change from the coastal areas to deeper seas.
Discussion
 Is there a concentration of heat? If so why?
 What are some things that would affect the deeper ocean
temperature such as storms, weather patterns, and ocean
currents?
 What events or processes could lower sea temperatures?
 How this would affect different creatures that live at different
depths.
 How are our coral reefs important?
 Corals tend to live no deeper then 40m below the sea surface
and generally can not tolerate a temperature variation of
more then two degrees before coral bleaching and mass dieoffs occur.
 Since we are looking at shallower areas, what effect would
temperature and corral die-offs have on erosion and
coastlines?
 What is in the future for coral reefs and the global ocean if
we continue on this trend?
Conclusion
Students should be able to graph their results and compare it to the
climate change we are currently seeing in the ocean. Through
discussion they should have an understanding of natural variables and
man made variables affecting temperature, and also what affect this is
having on the corral reef system.
Visit
http://nobel48.geographer.me
for
additional
lessons, supplemental materials and other resources.
Prepared by Michelle VanCuyk (vancm6591@uwc.edu), undergraduate at UW-Fox Valley.
For digital copies and additional teaching resources on ocean issues: http://nobel48.geographer.me