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Cite evidence that the ocean has had a significant influence on climate change by absorbing, storing, and moving heat, carbon, and water.
Standard #: SC.912.E.7.9
Standard Information
General Information
Subject Area: Science
Grade: 912
Body of Knowledge: Earth and Space Science
Idea: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning
Standard: Earth Systems and Patterns - The scientific theory of the evolution of Earth states that changes in our planet are driven by the flow of energy and the cycling of matter through dynamic interactions among the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, geosphere, and biosphere, and the resources used to sustain human civilization on Earth.
Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08
Content Complexity Rating: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning - More Information
Date of Last Rating: 05/08
Status: State Board Approved
Related Courses
Related Access Points
  • SC.912.E.7.In.9 # Recognize that the ocean absorbs most of the solar energy reaching Earth and loses heat primarily by evaporation.
  • SC.912.E.7.Su.9 # Recognize that the ocean absorbs heat from the Sun and then warms the air.
  • SC.912.E.7.Pa.6 # Recognize that the Sun heats the water in the ocean.
Related Resources
Lesson Plans
  • Lesson 4: Interannual Variability- El Nino & La Nina #

     This lesson covers:

    •The El Niño-Southern Oscillation cycle

    •How El Niño/La Niña events affect Florida

    •How El Niño/La Niña events affect productivity off the coast of Peru

  • Lesson 2: Currents and Temperature # This lesson covers:
    • How wind influences ocean currents
    • How currents transport heat and water around the world
    • Florida specific currents and oceanography
    • How currents connect the world’s climate
  • Sea Ice Analysis # The changing climate is an important topic for both scientific analysis and worldly knowledge. This lesson uses data collected by the National Snow and Ice Data Center to create and use mathematical models as a predictive tool and do critical analysis of sea ice loss.
  • Climate Change and Future Effects on Coral Reefs # Students will learn about how the oceans absorb CO2 and because the oceans are absorbing CO2 at such an alarming rate, the oceans are acidifying. Students will learn about the effects of acidification on the oceans. Students will research on their own, using reliable websites given by teacher, the past, present, and possible future effects of acidification on coral reefs, and gather information about where this has taken place already and the effects. Students will create a poster of the past, present, and possible future amounts of CO2 absorbed in the ocean and discuss the effects on the health of coral reefs.
  • Sea Ice Analysis # The changing climate is an important topic for both scientific analysis and worldly knowledge. This lesson uses data collected by the National Snow and Ice Data Center to create and use statistical analysis as a tool to evaluate the sea ice loss. Students will use technology to quickly generate graphs for each month looking for trends, patterns or deviations over time.
  • Researching Remote Regions: Role of the Southern Ocean # In this lesson, students will analyze an informational text on the carbon dioxide/oxygen exchange in the Southern Ocean. The extent to which massive Southern Ocean currents, other biotic and abiotic factors, and ocean color impacts global warming is currently not known. Scientists will use a modified plane set up as a laboratory to gather this data. The lesson is designed to support reading in the content area and includes a note-taking guide, text-dependent questions, a writing prompt, answer keys, and a writing rubric.
  • What Lies Beneath: Coastal Blue Carbon # In this lesson, students will analyze an informational text that addresses the issue of releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from carbon sink sites located in coastal habitats. This informational text is designed to support reading in the content area. The text describes how carbon that has been stored for potentially thousands of years is getting released into the atmosphere due to coastal habitat destruction of mangrove forests, salt marshes, and sea grass beds. The lesson plan includes text-dependent questions, a writing prompt, answer keys, and a writing rubric.
  • Climate and Ocean Currents # Students will research climate and current conditions and try to establish correlations. They then will draw conclusions and make predictions as to the role of ocean currents in climate.
  • Ocean Heat and a Warming World # Students will reinforce previously taught concepts, such as water taking longer to heat up (and longer to cool down) than land, but extend their understanding using the NOAA link "Ten Signs of a Warming World." They will focus on the tab "Ocean Heat Content," and explore the ways in which scientists are measuring ocean temperatures. They will examine the data concerning ocean heat content and obsere the large effects that oceans are having in a warming world.
  • Global Climate Change and Sea Level Rise # In this activity, students will practice the steps involved in a scientific investigation as they learn why ice formations on land (and not those on water) will cause a rise in sea level upon melting. This is a discovery lesson in ice and water density and displacement of water by ice floating on the surface as it relates to global climate change.
Perspectives Video: Experts
Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiasts
Text Resources
  • Coastal Blue Carbon # This informational text resource is designed to support reading in the content area. The text describes different ecosystems that store carbon, like forests, and goes into how carbon is stored more efficiently in coastal ecosystems. The text goes on to advocate for conserving and protecting our coastal ecosystems to keep the carbon stored and prevent the carbon from being released into the atmosphere to further impact the planet through climate change. The text also explores other benefits for conserving coastal ecosystems.
  • Flying Lab to Investigate Southern Ocean's Appetite for Carbon # This informational text resource is designed to support reading in the content area. The text describes how scientists led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) are set to launch a series of flights over the Southern Ocean in order to collect data on how the air and seas surrounding Antarctica exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. It is hoped that this data will help us with future predictions about climate change, and maybe even lead to new insights on how the ocean works.
  • Climate's Troublesome Kids # This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. Did you know that climate has two not-so-nice children? Meet El Niño and La Niña, the "boy" and "girl" spawned by the global climate every 3-7 years. They can give the world a climate that's quite troublesome, depending on which one is causing the disturbance.
  • Warming Arctic May Be Causing Jet Stream to Lose Its Way # This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. The text explains that changing weather patterns can be linked to a weakening of the jet stream. It is known that the jet stream is responsible for changeable weather patterns, and the weakening of the stream is causing weather conditions to stay in locations for longer periods of time. The article concludes that the fuel source of the jet stream (the differences in temperature between the tropics and the arctic) is becoming less dramatic, which in turn is weakening the winds.
Video/Audio/Animation
  • Will an Ice Cube Melt Faster in Freshwater or Saltwater? # With an often unexpected outcome from a simple experiment, students can discover the factors that cause and influence thermohaline circulation in our oceans. In two 45-minute class periods, students complete activities where they observe the melting of ice cubes in saltwater and freshwater, using basic materials: clear plastic cups, ice cubes, water, salt, food coloring, and thermometers. There are no prerequisites for this lesson but it is helpful if students are familiar with the concepts of density and buoyancy as well as the salinity of seawater. It is also helpful if students understand that dissolving salt in water will lower the freezing point of water. There are additional follow up investigations that help students appreciate and understand the importance of the ocean's influence on Earth's climate.
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