Activity of the Month

Participants of the School of Rock have adapted what they learned at this week-long, intensive workshop to create classroom activities. Below are some examples of these activities.


A “Bit” of Engineering *Activity of the Month: June, 2009* Target Grade: 5-8 Student teams test three different drilling tools on a variety of ocean bottom substrates to discover which type of drill allows them to retrieve the most intact core for study


Get Onboard the JR Using the JOIDES Resolution Website Activity of the Month: April, 2009 Grades 5-8 \| Grades 9-12 Students explore the adventures of current scientific ocean drilling research taking place onboard the JOIDES Resolution (JR) using the variety of resources available on the ship’s website.

Tracking the JOIDES Resolution Around the Globe *Activity of the Month: March, 2009* Grades K-4 \| Grades 5-8 \| Grades 9-12 Students use the JR website and a beach ball globe (or other globe) to track the JR, locate important drill sites, and learn more about the current crew.

Legacy of Scientific Ocean Drilling Poster Activities *Activity of the Month: February, 2009* Grades 5-8 In this activity, students use the ship mosaic on the Legacy of Scientific Ocean Drilling poster in a variety of ways to learn about scientific ocean drilling and to practice science and math skills. Supplemental Resources Use the Deep Earth Academy Order Form for free copies of the Legacy posters. Download the JR Paper Craft Model. Visit the JOIDES Resolution website to learn more about the ship’s research adventures.

A Reader’s Guide to Climate Change *Activity of the Month: December, 2008* Grades 9-12 \| Undergraduate Students use articles describing climate change research done by the Ocean Drilling Program to summarize how cores can help us learn about the past climate.

Measure for Measure *Activity of the Month: November, 2008* Grades 5-8 Students compare the size of the JOIDES Resolution to their classroom and use ratios and fractions to draw a scale model of the ship.

Exploring Ocean Science Careers Activity of the Month: October, 2008 Grades 5-8 \| Grades 9-12 Students explore the Deep Earth Academy’s Career Mosaic and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) OceanAge Careers web pages to learn about the diversity of careers necessary to conduct research on a scientific drilling ship or other ocean vessel.

It’s Sedimentary, My Dear Watson Activity of the Month: September 2008 Grades 5-8 In this introductory activity, students analyze core sample data and use Google Earth to make their own qualitative observations that help them determine of the types of sediments that make up the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Modeling Plate Tectonics Activity of the Month: June 2008 Grades 5-8 In this activity, students will use actual data from historic oceanographic cruises to examine sea floor spreading. They will also model sea floor spreading at a spreading center such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Supplemental Resources: Download the PowerPoint referenced in the activity.

How Small? How Big? How Much? Activity of the Month: April 2008 Grades K-4 \| Grades 5-8 Students investigate relative size using foraminifera and explore averages, magnification, and the importance of forams to the oceanic food chain.

Where in the World? *Activity of the Month: March 2008* Grades 4-8 In this introductory activity on scientific ocean drilling sites, students expand their knowledge of latitude and longitude in relation to global position. Students record and utilize metadata to find additional information.

It’s Not Just the Core That Tells the Story *Activity of the Month: February* *2008* Grades 7-12 Students read about “down-hole logging” technology, in which instruments are lowered from the drilling ship into the hole after cores have been removed to measure physical properties that reveal more about sea floor sediments and rocks. They then examine sample logs to note patterns and interpret the data.

Magnets at the Core Activity of the Month: January 2008 Grades 7-12 Students use core models made from swim noodles with embedded magnets and compasses to measure and record magnetic orientation. These model cores simulate the magnetic fields recorded in real deep-sea sediment cores obtained

Sedimentation Rates on Shatsky Rise Activity of the Month: December 2007 Grades 5-8 Students use Shatsky Rise core data to calculate sediment rates at different sites on the ocean floor to explore a real-life application of rate calculation and see what really counts as “fast” in geologic time.