SEAS curriculum: Unit 2
Visualizing the mid-ocean ridge
The unit consists of three activities. Each can be downloaded separately.
Introduction
This unit
- Introduces the tools that scientists use to visualize the deep sea
- Helps students understand that maps are powerful tools for investigating remote and inhospitable areas, like the ocean floor
- Gives students an opportunity to observe and compare maps made by different techniques for different purposes
- Presents photography, in conjunction with mapping, as a means for documenting the ocean floor
- Introduces the lava formations that can be found at the East Pacific Rise spreading center
Activity 1: Reading maps of the East Pacific Rise
Familiarizes students with several types of deep-sea maps and mapping techniques currently available for scientific research.
Download Unit 2 Activity 1 now (1.5MB .pdf)
Download the maps for Unit 2 Activity 1 now (10.7MB .pdf)
Activity 2: Buliding a 3D model of the East Pacific Rise
Students use their understanding of contour maps to build a 3-D model of an area on the East Pacific Rise mid-ocean ridge.
Download Unit 2 Activity 2 now (0.75MB .pdf)
Download the maps for Unit 2 Activity 2 now (4.6MB .pdf)
Activity 3: Observing lava flows
Introduces students to lava formations and the use of photography in conjunction with mapping as a means of scientific inquiry.
Download Unit 2 Activity 3 now (1.6MB .pdf)
Download the photographs for Unit 2 Activity 3 now (4.6MB .pdf)