The Mid-Ocean Ridge

Objectives:

To identify and explore the job of a marine geologist
To identify and explore the Mid -Ocean Ridge

Materials:

2 shoeboxes
aluminum foil
big rubber bands
clay or play dough
package of drinking straws
pencil and paper
ruler
Computer with Internet access

Procedure:

1. Visit Dive and Discover, to introduce your students to the Mid-Ocean Ridge.  Define the job of a marine geologist- a person that studies the history, origin and structure of the land under the sea.  Explain to students that today they will be marine geologists for the day.  Their job will be to create a map of the Mid-Ocean Ridge. They will build and map "undersea" mountains.
2. The students must first get into groups of two.  Use play dough or clay to build a mountain range inside your shoebox.  Include high peaks and low valleys.  Don't let your partner see what you have built.
3. Cover the shoebox with a sheet of aluminum foil, and hold the foil in place with the rubber bands. 
4. Challenge your partner to draw a map of your invisible mountain range by first placing a ruler on top of the aluminum foil.  Then push one straw per inch through the foil, using the ruler as a guide.  Stop pushing when the straws touch the hidden mountains.  Use about 9 straws.
5. Measure the distance from the top of each straw to the foil.  Write down the distance for each straw.
6. Create a graph using Microsoft word.  Use dots to represent the height of each straw.  Then connect the dots to show your map of the hidden mountain range.
7. Take the top off your shoebox.  How accurate was the map?  Now it's your partners turn to build a mountain and your turn to draw the map.

Vocabulary Words:

Marine Geologist
Mid-Ocean Ridge
Mountain peaks
Valleys

Assessment:

The students will be graded on their completion of the mountain and graph based on appearance and accuracy.

Guest Speaker:

Invite a marine geologist to visit your classroom.  Before the guest arrives, have students come up with a list of questions that they would like to ask.

Homework:

Visit Dive and Discover.  The web site allows children to take part in the scientists' adventures, exploring the Mid-Ocean Ridge.  The students must e-mail a scientist with their opinions, questions, and their own experiences as a "Marine Geologist".  The students must bring in a copy of their e-mail to class.

Extension Activity: Underwater Volcanoes

• Students will research seamounts or underwater volcanic cones
• There are more than 20,000 seamounts under the earth's surface; some are more than one mile in height and are still active
• Visit: Hawaiian Volcanoes and Iceland - click on Land of Fire and Ice
• Have students answer: 
  Why are scientists interested in volcanic activity on the ocean floor? (Many islands on the Earth were formed from volcanoes beneath the seas. Iceland and Hawaii are two examples.
  How were these islands created? (Molten volcanic rock, or magma, piled up high enough to break through the ocean's surface and form islands.)
• Use desktop publishing to create a compare/contrast diagram of the volcanoes of Hawaii and Iceland. Have students brainstorm compare/contrast chart design. Add clip art
• Proofread, spell check, publish