One World Ocean Time: 30-45 minutes Materials: Per class Spoons Pitcher (s) to fill up baking Paper towels Blow-up globe (blow up dishes and cups with water before activity)

Per pair Activity 1 – Follow that Current Two colored ice cubes (colored with See-through container (large Hot water from DARK food coloring), prepared before plastic pan) tap Activity 2 – Currents in the Wind A spice, such as oregano, that See-through container (can use the Room temperature will show up in clear water same container as activity 1) water Activity 3 – Fresh Water Floats? Food coloring (Dark colors work best) Salt Two clear glass jars (this should be taller than the Room temperature water container used in activities 1 and 2)

Introduction/Motivation Ask the following questions and go over the answers with the students. Let them try to answer the questions first!  How much of the world is water, specifically oceans? Show the students the globe, and point to the oceans. There are four oceans (the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic) and they make up about 97% of the water on Earth.  Is all the water in the oceans the same? Point out their locations – the water is going to be much colder by the poles than by the equator.  What do you think happens when the warm and cold water meet? The mixing temperatures cause currents, or movements of water in an ocean or lake. The ocean's water currents move continuously around the Earth and actually help keep its temperatures regular.  What else can cause currents? Wind causes currents on the surface of the ocean.  How is ocean water different from lake water? The oceans are full of salt water instead of fresh water. The amount of salt in water is called its salinity. The salinity of the oceans and seas are different throughout the world, but the average salt content is 2.2 pounds of salt for every cubic foot of water.

Tell students that they will be performing three experiments to learn more about ocean currents and salinity using ice cubes, tap water, and salty water. Activity 1 - Follow that Current 1. Fill up baking dishes three quarters of the way to the top with warm/hot tap water. 2. Give each group 2 colored ice cubes (prepared ahead of time). 3. Ask them to observe what happens to the colored ice cubes. Where does the colored water go? 4. Tell students to take out a sheet of paper. Put the Oceans Away Worksheet (last page) on the Elmo or write the questions on the board. Have the students answer the question for the first activity. Activity 2 - Currents in the Wind 1. Fill up baking dishes three quarters of the way to the top with room-temperature tap water. (Or, if continuing from Activity 1, use the resulting water.) 2. Sprinkle a small amount of spice over the water. 3. Direct students to lightly blow over the surface of the water. 4. Ask students what happens to the spices as you blow over the surface of the water? Have them write or draw the answer on their paper. Activity 3 - Fresh Water Floats? 1. Pass out two glasses to student groups. 2. Fill the first glass three quarters full with room-temperature tap water. 3. Fill the second glass one quarter full with room-temperature tap water. 4. Have students add one spoonful of salt to the second glass (the one with less water) and stir. They should continue to add salt until no more salt will dissolve in the water (one or two spoonful’s should be enough – don’t let them add too much!) 5. Have students add a drop or two of food coloring to their salt water and mix. 6. Pour the colored salt water slowly into the glass containing the clear fresh water. You may need to help students with this. 7. Ask students what happened to the salt water on top? Did it sink or float? Have them write an answer on their paper. 8. If time permits, do activity again except put colored salt water in first and add clear fresh water on top. What happens to the fresh water on top? Does it sink or float?

Discussion: Ask the students and discuss as a class:  What is a current? (Answer: The movement of water in an ocean or lake.)  What are two causes of currents? (Answer: Temperature differences and wind.)  Does salt water float on top of fresh water, or sink? (Answer: It sinks. This happens because salt water is denser than fresh water.)  Would you want to drink water from the ocean? Why or why not? (Answer: No, it is very salty and would eventually dehydrate you due to the consumption of too much salt.)  Can you think of other uses for water? (Examples may include daily activities such as brushing teeth, drinking, watering plants, cleaning dishes, as well as other things like fish tanks and swimming pools.)  How many of those things need fresh water? Probably most of them. Engineers are designing systems that would take the salt out of ocean water and turn it into fresh water. This means we have much more usable water.

Engineering Connection As resources on land become more and more scarce, engineers are looking to the ocean to meet needs for food, minerals and transportation. Engineers develop systems for operation on, and in, the ocean. A huge area of interest for ocean engineering is hydrodynamics and acoustics — to communicate underwater using sound. To understand sound, engineers must understand the fluid dynamics of the ocean and sound waves. Engineers also work on many other projects involving the ocean, including the design of seaports, ships, and submarines. They work with geologists to design better equipment for drilling oil deep on the ocean floor and with marine biologists to monitor natural ecosystems within the ocean. Lastly, there are engineers who design equipment that can measure the temperature and depth of the ocean from space.

On The Job Environmental Engineer Environmental engineers use cutting-edge technologies in the fight against pollution, including autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles to take air quality samples. Well, clearly, almost any work environmental engineers engage in helps make the planet a better place, whether they’re helping to cut urban air pollution or reduce the use of pesticides on farms.

Environmental engineering graduates have many career options at their disposal. Certainly many work for major environmental engineering/consulting firms (Groundwater and Environmental Services, Roux Associates, Greeley & Hansen, Veolia Environment), as well as construction companies (Clark Construction). Several federal agencies -- particularly the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior -- are big sources of jobs, as are environmental advocacy groups (Sierra Club, National Wildlife Fund). States also have environmental protection and natural resources department. From global warming to water shortages, the Earth’s ecosystem is in crisis. Environmental engineers develop water distribution systems, sewage treatment plants, recycling methods, and other pollution prevention and control methods to solve current problems and prevent new ones. One World Ocean Activity – Oceans Away Worksheet

Activity 1 – Follow that Current Draw a picture to show what happens to the colored water, when the ice cubes dissolve in the warm water.

Activity 2 - Currents in the Wind Draw a picture to show what happens to the spices as you blow over the surface of the water.

Activity 3 - Fresh Water Floats? Did the salt water on top sink or float on top of the fresh water? Draw a picture of what happened when you added the salt water.