THE OCEAN SYSTEM
Syllabus
Course Title
The Ocean System: Integrated Sciences
Course Description
Why is the ocean so big? Why is it salty? How deep is it? How does the ocean work? Starting with these simple
questions, this seminar investigates this complex system by looking at the way its components — the
atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere — interact.
The course begins by considering how plate tectonics shape ocean basins and where the water that makes up
the oceans originated. The ocean’s physical characteristics have framed the origin and diversification of life
across a variety of ecosystems. The course looks in depth at habitats such as coral reefs, mangrove forests,
tidal zones and deep-sea hydrothermal vents, as well as the characteristics of marine organisms ranging from
plankton to porpoises.
The middle section of the course examines the unique properties of the water molecule. The fact that water
exists as solid, liquid, and gas and has extraordinary heat-trapping ability has important implications for Earth’s
climate and local weather. So does the action of waves, wind, and density variations, which drive deep-sea and
surface currents.
Learners emerge with an understanding of the role that symbiotic relationships and other biological adaptations
have in the dynamics of oceans, and how this is threatened by human activities. Throughout the course, profiles
show oceanographers at work with technologies such as ocean-going robots and core-drilling programs that
herald a new era of ocean exploration.
Class Schedule
This is a six-week online graduate course with an additional week for assignment completion. The course is
asynchronous and does not have specific meeting times. Assignments and discussions change on a weekly
basis. Students are expected to complete work within the specific week it is assigned.
For the current schedule of offerings, please visit www.amnh.org/learn/calendar
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Instructors
This graduate course is co-taught by an experienced educator along with a research scientist. For example, a
recent course featured:
Ms. Pat Raynock
Palisades High School
Kintnersville, PA
Dr. Rondi Davies
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
American Museum of Natural History
For current instructor information, please contact seminfo@amnh.org.
Format
1.
The Ocean System is a six-week online graduate course with an additional week for assignment
completion. Enrollment is restricted to current or future educators. No prior course in evolutionary
science is required.
2.
Weekly activities essays and textbook readings that immerse learners in the ocean system. Biweekly
Scientist Profiles will add a human face to cutting-edge research and conservation efforts. Data
visualizations, image galleries, and videos will help learners visualize and master the content.
Computer interactives, image galleries, and videos will help learners visualize and master the content.
3.
Online discussions encourage reflection on course content, support and model the inquiry process,
and sustain interaction between the offering scientists, seminar instructors, and course members.
4.
Final Projects encourage learners to create an inquiry-based lesson plan focused on a key course
concept that you might incorporate into your teaching practice.
Required Textbook
This course requires the following textbook.
Essentials of Oceanography
by Tom S. Garrison
Paperback: 464 - 480 pages
Publisher: Cengage Learning (5th edition, 2008; 6th edition, 2010; or 7th edition, 2014)
ISBN: 0495555312, 0840061552, 1285753860
Support Services
Technical support is available by calling (800) 649-6715 or emailing semadmin@amnh.org
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Grading
Assessments are based on a detailed grading rubric developed for this course:
Course Assignments
Course Participation & Communication
Final Project
30%
40%
30%
1.
Course assignments will include reflection questions and written assignments.
2.
Class participation will be evaluated based on the quality and consistency of contribution to the
discussion forum. The grades for participation will be posted two weeks after each question opens.
3.
Final Project:
This option gives learners an opportunity to develop an application based on the
course content that could be taught to students or other educators. The final form may be a unit or
workshop plan (if it will be used as part of a professional development experience).
4.
Policy: Everything submitted as an assignment, project, or discussion post must be an original work.
References to resource materials are expected and proper citation is required. Assignments are due
on the dates specified. Late submissions will be penalized 10%. Revised assignments that
incorporate your instructor’s feedback will be accepted until the course ends.
Weekly Overview and Expectations
Week 1: How did the oceans form?
Oceans haven’t always covered the surface of Earth. How did they come into being? Where did the water come
from, and how did it promote the existence of life on Earth? We begin our investigation of the ocean system by
exploring the origin of the oceans and their related systems: the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and
geosphere. We learn that these systems have been interconnected since their formation billions of years ago and
continue to interact as a dynamic whole. This first week, we’ll also meet Dr. Adriana Aquino and Dr. Rondi Davies,
the scientists who helped create the course.
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Expectations
Review the course orientation
Understand what a system is
Learn about how the Earth and oceans formed
Explore theories about how life on Earth began
Learn about some of the factors that make Earth unique in the Solar System
Examine organisms resembling the earliest forms of life on Earth
Reflect on what we already know about how the ocean is connected to other Earth systems
Participate in the Icebreaker Discussion
Respond to the Discussion Question: What is a System?
Week 2: What does the ocean floor look like?
We’ll start with a walk across the ocean floor, exploring its unique and dramatic topography, from deep trenches to
mountain chains that stretch for thousands of miles. What happens on the ocean floor, and how does that affect the
ocean as a whole? How can life forms exist in complete darkness on the ocean floor? We’ll learn about plate
tectonics, deep-sea vents, and some of the organisms that inhabit this extreme ecosystem, to understand how the
oceans and solid Earth interact. We’ll go on a “virtual field trip” to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and meet
our featured oceanographer, Dr. Susan Humphris, to find out how oceanographers study the ocean, particularly the
deep sea, using underwater robots and manned vehicles.
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Expectations
• Understand the difference between chemosynthesis and photosynthesis
• Learn what happens when plates collide
• Learn how oceanographers study the ocean floor
• Consider how the transfer of energy from the deep Earth affects life
• Explore hydrothermal vent ecosystems
• Respond to the Discussion Question: Earth without the action
• Complete the Assignment: Find a plume, find a vent
Week 3: What is water?
If water didn’t possess a few remarkable properties, the oceans and life as we know it wouldn’t exist. How do the
physical properties of water, and seawater in particular, relate to the entire ocean system? Beyond water, we’ll study
the other stuff the ocean is made of: the elements that give the ocean its distinctive saltiness and the sediments that
cover the ocean floor. Why is the ocean salty, and where did the salt come from? What are the different types of
sediments, where do they occur, and what can they tell us about the history of the ocean and the climate system? A
case study on mangroves will illustrate the numerous adaptations this tree species has undergone in order to live in
the ocean and support a thriving ecosystem.
Expectations
• Understand the properties of the water molecule
• Understand the concepts of polarity, density, and heat capacity as they apply to water
• Learn about the processes that make the ocean salty and the implications of variable salinities across
depths
• Learn what sediments tell us about the history of the ocean basin and Earth
• Explore mangroves, one of the most productive ecosystems in the ocean
• Respond to the Discussion Question: Trees in the sea
• Complete the Assignment: Water experiments
• Present preliminary thoughts on the Final Project
Week 4: How does the ocean move?
The movement of the ocean, through wind- and density-driven currents, is a critical component in the climate
system. How does it work? First, we’ll learn about the processes that drive surface currents, which in turn affect
weather and climate, from monsoons to El Niño. Then we’ll look at deep ocean currents, which also play an
enormous role in regulating the Earth’s climate. Finally, we’ll investigate the ocean’s role in the carbon cycle and
how it all relates to global warming. Videos will address the ways in which scientists study climate and ocean
circulation so that learners can more fully understand how scientists are trying to make more accurate predictions
and assess human impact on these systems.
Expectations
Examine the processes that impact ocean current patterns
Examine how the ocean affects weather and climate
Find out some of the ways in which scientists study climate change through sediment cores and
modeling
• Be able to relate the weather in your area to the ocean
• Consider how changing carbon dioxide and solar radiation levels could affect the planet
• Learn how some species of fish have adapted to both fresh and salt water environments
• Respond to the Discussion Question: How’s the weather?
• Complete the Assignment: Follow that current?
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Week 5: How do animals live in water?
The ocean is home to the largest known diversity of life on the planet. Through essays and several stunning image
galleries, we’ll glimpse some of the amazing creatures that live in the oceans and learn about how, where, and what
they do to survive in their marine environment. We’ll look at adaptations, from breathing to eating to reproducing, and
the factors that determine their distribution. Then we’ll narrow our focus to plankton, the world’s largest known
biomass and the foundation of the marine food web. Ultimately, we’ll learn that animals don’t just inhabit the oceans
- they are an integral part of the ocean system.
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Expectations
• Find out some of the ways that animals have adapted to marine environments
• Examine controls in the distribution of marine life
• Understand what plankton are and their importance for life in the ocean system
• Understand the connectedness of animals with the physical environment
• Learn about the biodiversity and fragility of the coral reef ecosystem
• Respond to the Discussion Question: Picture this
• Complete an outline of the Final Project
Week 6: How is human activity affecting the ocean system?
The human connection to the ocean system is profound. We’ve already discussed some of the threats to ocean
health, such as global warming and coastal erosion. This week we’ll survey some others, from pollution to
overfishing. We’ll also review the emerging technologies and research methods scientists will use in the future to
understand these relationships. Ultimately, how humans impact the oceans is determined by how much we
understand about the system and how we choose to study it. A case study on blue whales will illustrate how little we
know about a beloved sea creature very much threatened by human activity.
Expectations:
• Examine some of the ways in which human activity harms ocean life and interrupts natural ocean
processes
• Understand the difference between observatory science and expeditionary science in oceanography
• Understand why ocean science is interdisciplinary
• Revisit the concept of systems to apply what we have learned about the oceans
• Respond to the Discussion Question: Interdisciplinary investigations
• Respond to the Discussion Question: What if we could manipulate CO2 levels like a thermostat?
• Complete the Final Project
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