Fifth Grade - Open Ocean
In fifth grade we study the open ocean. We create currents, observe upwelling, and learn about the links between the ocean and weather. We learn about plate tectonics and undersea volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis. We model our own ocean bottoms and create topographic maps. We examine life in the sea from tiny plankton to whales, and from the sunlit surface to the dark depths. We learn about hydrothermal vents and life based on chemosynthesis. We learn about the many forms and uses of bioluminescence, about ocean food webs, and about natural selection. We dissect squid, and put together a whale’s skeleton. And we examine the impacts and complexities of pollution and over fishing, and learn how we can better care for this vast area that makes up most of our planet.
