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Climate Change “The Heat is On.” NOAA. Grades 5-12. http://coralreef.noaa.gov/education/educators/resourcecd/activities/resources/climatechng_sa.pdf. This lesson helps students understand the impacts of climate change on the world’s oceans, how energy use and fossil fuel emissions contribute to these problems, and what can be done to reduce energy consumption.

Off Base – Acidity of Oceans. NOAA Ocean Explorer . Grades 9-12. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/09lophelia/background/edu/media/09offbase.pdf. This lesson guides a student inquiry into properties of the ocean's carbonate buffer system, and how changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels may affect ocean pH and biological organisms that depend on calcification.

Keeping Watch on Coral Reefs. NOAA Ocean Service Education. Grades 9-12. http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/corals/lessons/keep_watch.html. This activity identifies and explains the benefits of and threats to coral reef systems. Students read tutorials, describe the role of satellites, analyze oceanographic data and identify actions that can be undertaken to reduce or eliminate threats to coral reefs. As a culminating activity, students prepare a public education program.

Coral Bleaching: A White Hot Problem. NOAA Sea Grant and National Marine Educators Association. Grades 6-12. http://www2.vims.edu/bridge/DATA.cfm?Bridge_Location=archive0406.html. This teaching activity addresses environmental stresses on corals. Students assess coral bleaching using water temperature data from the NOAA National Data Buoy Center. Students learn about the habitat of corals, the stresses on coral populations, and the impact of increased sea surface temperatures on coral reefs. In a discussion section, the connection between coral bleaching and global warming is drawn.

Coral Bleaching in the Caribbean. My NASA Data. Grades 6-8. http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/preview_lesson.php?&passid=51. Students examine NASA satellite data to determine if sea surface temperature has reached a point that would cause coral bleaching in the Caribbean.

Detecting El Nino in Sea Surface Temperature Data. Earth Exploration Toolbook Chapter from SERC. Grades 6-7. http://serc.carleton.edu/eet/pmel/index.html. This multi-part activity introduces users to normal seasonal sea surface temperature (SST) variation as well as extreme variation, as in the case of El Nino and La Nina events, in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Via a THREDDS server, users learn how to download seasonal SST data for the years 1982 to 1998. Using a geographic information system (GIS), they visualize and analyze that data, looking for the tell-tale SST signature of El Nino and La Nina events that occurred during that time period. At the end, students analyze a season of their own choosing to determine if an El Nino or La Nina SST pattern emerged in that year's data.

Acid Oceans. American Museum of Natural History. Grades 7-12. http://www.amnh.org/sciencebulletins/?sid=b.f.acid_oceans.20081202. This video explains the effect of rising carbon dioxide levels on the pH of the oceans and the potential effects of ocean acidification.

What is happening in the ocean? Climate Kids: NASA’s eyes on the Earth. http://climate.nasa.gov/kids/bigQuestions/oceanHappening/. This section of NASA’s Climate Kids site helps kids understand why the ocean is important and how the various effects of climate change are impacting the ocean.

EPA Climate Change Kids’ Site. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/impacts/signs/index.html. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Kids’ Site provides information on climate change and climate change impacts for children. The site also includes educator resources (see bottom of the page), including tips for teaching climate change.

Ocean Chemistry. Union of Concerned Scientists Global Warming Hot Map. http://www.climatehotmap.org/global-warming-effects/ocean-chemistry.html. Discusses how the world’s oceans are becoming more acidic and threatening sea life.

Is the Planet’s Carbon Sink Getting Too Full? NPR. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12431939. Provides a basic explanation of how climate change leads to the warming of the oceans and why this warming is problematic.
 
The Melting North Pole. NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory. http://www.nnvl.noaa.gov/MediaDetail.php?MediaID=83&MediaTypeID=2. Virtual simulation showing that the concentration and extent of sea ice in the Arctic has been on the decline since the mid-1990's. Data collected by the DMSP satellite's SSM/I sensor is shown here for 2007 - 2008. These two years had the lowest ice extents on record since satellite observations first began.

Climate Prediction Center. http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/. National Weather Service. The Climate Prediction Center produces educational materials to help students better understand the role of the climate system in our lives through the use of climate forecasts.

Ocean Temperature. Union of Concerned Scientists Global Warming Hot Map. http://www.climatehotmap.org/global-warming-effects/ocean-temperature.html. Discusses how warmer oceans put coastal communities at risk, increase infrastructure costs, endanger polar creatures and threaten coral reefs and fisheries. Perhaps most alarmingly, rising ocean temperatures accelerate the overall warming trend.

United States Global Change Research Program. http://www.globalchange.gov/. This website is a well-organized resource for information on the many facets of climate change. Users can examine climate change impacts by region (including the Great Lakes), sector (such as ecosystems and society), and agency (how the United States federal agencies are related to climate change issues).

Coastal Consequences of Sea Level Rise. PBS Teachers professional development module. http://www.pbs.org/teachers/stem/professionaldevelopment/040/. The ocean’s surface is not level, and sea levels change in response to changes in chemistry and temperature. Sophisticated satellite measurements are required for scientists to document current sea level rise. This module explores the evidence for sea level rise related to global climate change and the consequences for humanity, especially coastal-dwelling populations. References national standards.