Lessons on Ocean Issues
http://nobel48.geographer.me
Ocean Acidification
Prepared by Jonathan D. Steffen (student), Univ of Wisconsin-Fox Valley
E-Mail: jonathansteffen1@gmail.com
Web: http://nobel48.geographer.me
Lessons on Ocean Issues
Ocean Acidification
2
Acknowledgements
Prepared by Jonathan D. Steffen, an undergraduate student, as a capstone
project for the GLG 291 seminar on ocean issues at the University of WisconsinFox 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 Jonathan D. Steffen (jonathansteffen1@gmail.com), undergraduate at UW-Fox Valley.
For digital copies and additional teaching resources on ocean issues: http://nobel48.geographer.me
Lessons on Ocean Issues
Ocean Acidification
3
Figure 1.1: A healthy coral reef, with fish community (Flickr user ‘Sam and Ian’)
About Ocean Acidification
Anthropogenic emissions that are caused by the burning of fossil
fuels, are releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, in turn
fundamentally altering chemistry of the global ocean waters. In short,
ocean
acidification
is
caused
by
increasing
atmospheric
concentrations of CO2, some of which dissolves into the ocean when it
contacts the surface and forms a weak acid (carbonic acid) through a
series of chemical reactions. Under increasing conditions of carbon
dioxide exposure, additional acidity is produced in the oceans waters.
This increase in acidity – alternatively referred to as the lowering of pH
- threatens the bases of many food chains and other organisms that
build their skeletons and shells out of calcium carbonate, which is a
known buffering agent to acidic conditions. As ocean acidity continues
to increase, the ability of marine ecosystems’ such as coral reefs and
plankton communities to sustain themselves and continued
calcification & growth greatly diminishes.
Prepared by Jonathan D. Steffen (jonathansteffen1@gmail.com), undergraduate at UW-Fox Valley.
For digital copies and additional teaching resources on ocean issues: http://nobel48.geographer.me
Lessons on Ocean Issues
Ocean Acidification
4
In addition, many researchers
have
predicted
that
ocean
acidification
will
have
catastrophic consequences for
these ecosystems within the next
century.
Nevertheless, ocean
acidification remains one of the
most misunderstood and under
discussed set of environmental
consequences that have ever
resulted from human actions.
Figure 1.2: Dead coral reef ecosystem (Flickr user ‘prilfish’)
This lesson plan, with its
extended learning experiences,
will begin to familiarize students
with the causes and effects of
ocean acidification: the process
by which our ocean is becoming
increasingly
acidic.
By
constructing this brief overview
and lesson plan, it has become a
goal to inform the generational
youth about ocean acidification
through
simple
hands-on
experiments,
informed
instruction, and peer discussion.
In each lesson, the students will
build on their previous scientific
education by continuing to apply
proper scientific methods.
The first hands-on lesson includes a simple experiment with minimal
preparation, a short PowerPoint to aid the students through the
procedure, and optional readings with worksheets.
This experiment
may take the course of few days to complete, really affording the
student plenty of scientific observational time and opportunities for
data collection. The instructor may also easily modify this lesson plan
as needed to conduct further inquiry with additional forms of acid.
Visit http://nobel48.geographer.me to download these resources.
Prepared by Jonathan D. Steffen (jonathansteffen1@gmail.com), undergraduate at UW-Fox Valley.
For digital copies and additional teaching resources on ocean issues: http://nobel48.geographer.me
Lessons on Ocean Issues
Ocean Acidification
5
State Educational Standards
This lesson meets the following states’ educational standards:
Wisconsin
Science Standards for 5-8
A.8.1 Develop their understanding of the science themes by using
the themes to frame questions about science-related issues and
problems
A.8.6 Use models and explanations to predict actions and events in
the natural world
C.8.6 State what they have learned from investigations*, relating
their inferences* to scientific knowledge and to data they have
collected
C.8.7 Explain* their data and conclusions in ways that allow an
audience to understand the questions they selected for
investigation* and the answers they have developed
E.8.1 Using the science themes, explain and predict changes in
major features of land, water, and atmospheric systems
E.8.6 Describe through investigations the use of the earth's
resources by humans in both past and current cultures, particularly
how changes in the resources used for the past 100 years are the
basis for efforts to conserve and recycle renewable and nonrenewable resources
F.8.8 Show through investigations how organisms both depend on
and contribute to the balance or imbalance of populations and/or
ecosystems, which in turn contribute to the total system of life on
the planet
F.8.9 Explain how some of the changes on the earth are
contributing to changes in the balance of life and affecting the
survival or population growth of certain species
F.8.10 Project how current trends in human resource use and
population growth will influence the natural environment, and
show how current policies affect those trends.
Source: http://standards.dpi.wi.gov/stn_sciintro
Illinois
Middle/Junior High School
11.A.3a Formulate hypotheses testable by collecting data.
11.A.3b Scientific experiments control all but one variable.
11.A.3c Collect and record data accurately using consistent
measuring and recording techniques and media.
11.A.3d Explain existence of unexpected results in a data set.
11.A.3f Interpret. represent results of analysis, produce findings.
11.A.3g Report and display the process and results of a scientific
investigation.
Source: http://www.isbe.net/ils/science/standards.htm
Figure 1.3 (top): Healthy coral ecosystem (Flickr user prilfish).
Figure 1.4 (bottom): Dead coral from same region (NOAA, public domain)
Minnesota
8.2.1.2.1 Identify evidence of chemical changes, including color
change, generation of a gas, solid
8.2.1.2.4 Recognize that acids are compounds whose properties
include a sour taste, characteristic color changes with litmus and
other acid/base indicators, and the tendency to react with bases to
produce a salt and water.
Source:http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/EdExc/StanCurri/K12AcademicStandards/index.htm
In the second hands-on experiment,
students will extend their experience
by simulating the process of ocean
acidification with their own breath. This
also requires minimal preparation and
may take approximately one hour to
effectively complete. For this lesson, a PowerPoint that carries
Prepared by Jonathan D. Steffen (jonathansteffen1@gmail.com), undergraduate at UW-Fox Valley.
For digital copies and additional teaching resources on ocean issues: http://nobel48.geographer.me
Lessons on Ocean Issues
Ocean Acidification
6
students through the procedure and a handout is also available from
http://nobel48.geographer.me.
This lesson plan is based upon the educational standards set forth by
the National Science Education Standards (1996) & the Board on
Science Education (BOSE). It is also consistent with a number of
regional standards and benchmarks including the States of: Wisconsin,
Illinois, and Minnesota (see inset, page five). The purposes of this
lesson plan will remain focused to accommodate students that are
enrolled in scientific learning programs within grade levels 5-8.
Skills: By grade levels 5-8, students should have been developing the
abilities necessary for scientific inquiry, including concrete and formal
thinking skills, such as problem solving and assessment. They should
have a general understanding of the scientific process through their
educational experience between grade levels K-4. The abilities that are
necessary to carry out the scientific method, as well as a working
knowledge of chemical properties and their changes, are typically
developed between grade levels 5-8 according to acceptable content
standards. The intent of this lesson plan is to continue to develop
these skills within students currently enrolled in grade levels 5-8. It is
then the purpose of this lesson plan to tie these scientific skills into
the known cause and effect relationships of global ocean acidification.
Prepared by Jonathan D. Steffen (jonathansteffen1@gmail.com), undergraduate at UW-Fox Valley.
For digital copies and additional teaching resources on ocean issues: http://nobel48.geographer.me
Lessons on Ocean Issues
Ocean Acidification
7
Impacts of Ocean Acidification Activity
Objectives:
Literacy skills through note taking and journaling.
Students should be actively taking notes and or journals to describe
their observations and measurements, as well as actively discussing
the process and results of their experiments. Data collection and
graphing skills by practice. Students should be collecting data relative
to this experiment and synthesizing that information into a graph. The
data collected could include: time to dissolve, weight of shells, before
and after pH measurements.
Students also should be doing
preliminary research to discover what types of organisms are sensitive
to acid and calcium, and be able to give examples.
Connection to Students & Previous Lessons: Students continue to
expand their knowledge of marine species and environments, and will
establish introductory familiarity with various calcium-dependent
marine species through facilitation of this lesson plan. Ocean
acidification affects marine species differently. Some of the most
obviously effected marine species will be more familiar to students at
grade levels 5-8, including: coral reefs, plankton, and other shell
producing ocean organisms that require calcium carbonate.
A PowerPoint presentation has been assembled to guide instructors,
and is available
along with
other course
supplements:
http://nobel48.geographer.me
Materials (see Figure 2.1):
 A sufficient number of clear containers, preferably 50mL
chemical lab glassware. Otherwise, these containers would need
to be suitable for use with mild acids like vinegar. One per
student or peer group is needed
 A sufficient amount of distilled white vinegar, 5% acidity. This is
generally available at most grocery markets, and it should be
procured with class size in consideration. An ideal amount of
vinegar per student or peer group would be approximately four
(4) ounces of vinegar.
 A sufficient amount of seashells, corals, limestone, eggshells,
or other calcium/calcium carbonate based materials. Note that
larger pieces of calcium material take longer to completely
dissolve in any acid.
Prepared by Jonathan D. Steffen (jonathansteffen1@gmail.com), undergraduate at UW-Fox Valley.
For digital copies and additional teaching resources on ocean issues: http://nobel48.geographer.me
Lessons on Ocean Issues

Ocean Acidification
8
A scientific scale capable of measuring increments of grams.
Figure 2.1: Materials for this activity, including vinegar, chemical glassware, gram scale, sea shells.
The use of seashells for this activity is highly recommended, as it
relates more to previous ocean biology lessons the students should
have already been exposed to. The educational outcomes will be more
effective than the use of any other calcium based material due to the
seashells corporeal connections to marine animal life. Seashells are
generally available through most scientific supply companies; however
if access to such outlets is limited, seashells are readily obtainable at a
minimal cost at pet stores, or can be collected on a field trip to your
local water habitats or shorelines. It’s important to note that if a field
trip should occur, previous inquiry into the site rules and regulations
on sample collection should be performed and respectfully observed.
Prepared by Jonathan D. Steffen (jonathansteffen1@gmail.com), undergraduate at UW-Fox Valley.
For digital copies and additional teaching resources on ocean issues: http://nobel48.geographer.me
Lessons on Ocean Issues
Ocean Acidification
9
Engaging Demonstration for Instructor
Figure 2.2: Coral in hydrochloric acid. (photo: Jonathan Steffen)
If possible, the instructor may procure some hydrochloric acid with a
concentration of 10% acid to 90% Water, and begin dissolving
seashells or other calcium based materials by placing them into a
small beaker of the acid (see Figure 2.2). Since hydrochloric acid is a
stronger acid than vinegar, it is not recommended for student use
even though the risks are only marginally greater. The stronger acid
will cause the calcium to dissolve much more rapidly, and this
dramatic reaction will engage students in preparation for their own
vinegar-based experiments.
A video of this demonstration is provided in the supplemental
materials for this lesson: http://nobel48.geographer.me
Prepared by Jonathan D. Steffen (jonathansteffen1@gmail.com), undergraduate at UW-Fox Valley.
For digital copies and additional teaching resources on ocean issues: http://nobel48.geographer.me
Lessons on Ocean Issues
Ocean Acidification
10
First Hands-On Activity
For this lesson plan, a simple experiment to visually depict the effects
of ocean acidification on calcium dependent organisms has been
tailored to fit within the aforementioned content standards. Expansion
of the following experiment is easily accomplished by observing and
documenting the effects of other forms of acidic liquids
simultaneously or without the vinegar. For example, the students
could use lemon juice, carbonated beverages or even some household
cleaning products to compare results.
Procedure:
1. Fill desired containers with 40mL of
distilled white vinegar or other
preferred acid (Figure 2.3).
2. Have the students weigh the calcium
object (Figure 2.4) before placing the
calcium materials into a vinegar filled
container (Figure 2.5).
3. Ask the students to observe and
document the reaction that occurs
over time. Depending on how thick
the calcium is and how fast it
dissolves, the students can be asked
to use a scale display their findings.
 The students could look for
holes or other inconsistencies
within the calcium and count
how many they see over the
course of a fixed timeframe
and the plot that information
on an (X,Y) graph.
 To take this part of the
experiment further; if it’s
possible while the calcium is
dissolving, it will inflate full of
gas. By doing this, the
students will get a visual
Figure 2.3 (top): 40mL of vinegar
Figure 2.4 (middle): Weight before.
Figure 2.5 (bottom) Dropping in vinegar
Prepared by Jonathan D. Steffen (jonathansteffen1@gmail.com), undergraduate at UW-Fox Valley.
For digital copies and additional teaching resources on ocean issues: http://nobel48.geographer.me
Lessons on Ocean Issues
Ocean Acidification
11
demonstration of the amount of carbon dioxide that is
released as a result of acidification induced
calcium reactions.
 A brief video demonstrating this
activity is available with the supplemental
materials
for
this
lesson
from
http://nobel48.geographer.me
4. Following the completion of each set
of measurements, a brief discussion can be
encouraged among the students to build
connections to the scientific ideas and foster
scientific thought.
5. During the discussion, it may be
important to consider the following key
points, and encourage students to use
research and reasoning skills to answer each
question:

Figure 2.6 (top): HCL vs Vinegar
Figure 2.7 (bottom): Weight after.




Why does the vinegar dissolve the
shells?
What gas is being released in this
reaction?
How does this affect ocean organisms
that build shells?
How does this affect the ocean food
chains and stability?
How would food chain stability affect
coastal populations?
Science Skills Used: The students will practice the steps of the
Scientific Method, as well as gain experience in preparing and
measuring materials for scientific experimentation. Also, by properly
arranging their experiments themselves, students will gain confidence
preparing for and conducting scientific experiments overall. The
students’ scientifically orientated observational skills will become
developed further over the course of an ongoing experiment. Try
having the students compare and describe the different observable
effects between the various acids that were used either hands on, in
class, or for the Engaging Demo.
Prepared by Jonathan D. Steffen (jonathansteffen1@gmail.com), undergraduate at UW-Fox Valley.
For digital copies and additional teaching resources on ocean issues: http://nobel48.geographer.me
Lessons on Ocean Issues
Ocean Acidification
12
Applied Math/Language Arts Skills: Instructors will build math skills
within the students by requiring them to document and calculate the
rates of calcium dissolution over time. This can be done by measuring
the weight of shells at each interval of time during the course of the
experiments. These kinds of measurements also could be done with
varied levels of acidity by diluting the vinegar mixtures with purified
water. The students could then begin plotting the information they
gather on a graph. Language and social skills are also reinforced in
the peer discussion phase of the experiment. Also, an instructor could
require the student to complete a series of notes or journals that
document the students’ observations and overall findings.
Another hands-on activity on the next page!
Prepared by Jonathan D. Steffen (jonathansteffen1@gmail.com), undergraduate at UW-Fox Valley.
For digital copies and additional teaching resources on ocean issues: http://nobel48.geographer.me
Lessons on Ocean Issues
Ocean Acidification
13
Second Hands-On Activity
To extend the classroom experience, another simple acidification
experiment has been designed for the purposes of this lesson plan.
The extended experience experiment demonstrates that carbon
dioxide in breath can acidify small quantities of liquid in short periods
of time. This experiment connects the anthropogenic emissions of
carbon dioxide with the known culprit of ocean acidification, which is
carbon dioxide dissolution into seawater. By making these
acidification connections visual and through discussion, the student
will better understand the causal relationship between carbon dioxide
emissions and the changes in calcium dependent marine organisms.
Additional Materials:
 3mL of distilled water
 1mL of a calcium (chloride) solution – Available from science
and/or Pet stores as a commercial coral supplement or
limestone slurry.
 Phenolphthalein base indicator solution
 Small beaker or flask
Procedure:
1. Mix 3mL of distilled water with 1mL of the calcium solution in
the beaker or flask.
2. Add 2-3 drops of phenolphthalein base indicator solution, or as
needed until the solution turns pinkish-red.
3. Ask the students to blow or simply breathe across the mixture,
sometimes agitating the mixture, until the solution returns to a
clear liquid. Ask student to record approximate time of
breathing required to “acidify” the liquid, and the approximate
changes in color over the duration of the experiment.
4. Following the completion of each set of measurements, a brief
discussion can be encouraged among the students to build
connections to the scientific ideas and foster scientific thought.
Prepared by Jonathan D. Steffen (jonathansteffen1@gmail.com), undergraduate at UW-Fox Valley.
For digital copies and additional teaching resources on ocean issues: http://nobel48.geographer.me
Lessons on Ocean Issues
Ocean Acidification
14
Lesson Summary
By completing this lesson, students should understand the impacts of
ocean acidification on calcium-based sea life (from the instructor
demonstration and first hands-on activity), as well as the
anthropogenic causes of ocean acidification (as demonstrated in the
second hands-on activity). Additional resources for this lesson, and
other oceans lessons, are available for free download and use from
http://nobel48.geographer.me
Imagery Sources
Figure 1.1: Flickr user ‘Sam and Ian.’ “Coral Reef.” 2008.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sam_and_ian/89250252/. Released by
author to the Creative Commons.
Figure 1.2: Flickr user ‘prilfish.’ “Dead corals.” 2010.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/silkebaron/5122082306/. Released by
author to the Creative Commons.
Figure 1.3: Flickr user ‘prilfish.’ “Corals.” 2010.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/silkebaron/5122082306/. Released by
author to the Creative Commons.
Figure 1.4: Burdick, David. Reef3206. N.d. NOAA's Coral Kingdom
Collection. http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/reef3206.htm Public
domain.
Figures 2.1-2.7: Photographs by Jonathan D. Steffen. Released by
author to the Creative Commons.
Bubbling coral image in supplemental PowerPoint: Korallenriff Mit
Lokal Stark Erhöhter CO 2 Konzentration. N.d.. http://www.mpibremen.de/Ozean-Versauerung_und_Korallenriffe.html, 5/31/2011.
Video in supplemental clips: Filmed by Jonathan D. Steffen on the
campus of the University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley.
Prepared by Jonathan D. Steffen (jonathansteffen1@gmail.com), undergraduate at UW-Fox Valley.
For digital copies and additional teaching resources on ocean issues: http://nobel48.geographer.me