Classroom Resources  
Lesson Plan

Keep the Ocean Blue: How Humans Impact Our Oceans

BBC Oceans Lesson Collection
In this lesson, students will explore the effects that humans have on the world’s oceans. The lesson will begin with a game of Three Truths and a Lie about the ocean to activate students’ prior knowledge about this enormous biome. Next, students will work with a partner to watch two videos and explore the relationship between various ocean animals and human activity. Students will then share what they learned with their peers and create ocean conservation posters that educate viewers about the impact of human activities on ocean animals.
Lesson Plan Info
Subject:
Science
Topic:
Environmental Science
Grades:
3-5
Time:
60 minutes
Standards
Comm
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.4
Keywords
ocean lifeoceanopen oceanoceansBlue Planethabitathabitatshabitat conservationrecyclemarine lifemarine pollutionmarinewater pollution

Learning Objectives

Students will:
• Identify what they already know about the world’s oceans;
• Analyze real-life footage to understand how human actions are affecting the world’s oceans;
• Create a poster that explains the impact of humans on ocean life.

Resources for This Lesson

Video
The Sperm Whale Mother and Calf: Deep Diver and Patient Waiter
In The Sperm Whale Mother and Calf: Deep Diver and Patient Waiter, narrator Sir David Attenborough observes a sperm whale and her calf, resting, communicating, and feeding. The calf won’t be able to dive deep enough to hunt for squid for the first six years of life, but the mother dives and hunts and returns with a store of milk for the waiting calf. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
Video
A World of Whale Sound Beneath the Sea
In A World of Whale Sound Beneath the Sea, narrator Sir David Attenborough follows scientists as they track whales. This tracking enables the scientists to redirect shipping and reduce collisions. Tracking also allows them to monitor how the whales use sound as a vital means of communication deep beneath the sea. Unfortunately, human activity and noise pollution is masking some of that sound, having an impact on whale behavior in ways that we’re still learning about. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Horizon: The Death of the Oceans, which reveals what scientists are learning about what is happening in the oceans and whether it is too late to save their remarkable diversity.
Video
Giant Creatures of the Great Barrier Reef
In Giant Creatures of the Great Barrier Reef, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores how certain animals work together to find food. Teamwork makes the dream work for these largest animals in Australia's Great Barrier Reef! This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
Video
Coral Bleaching
In Coral Bleaching, witness the effects of global warming on coral ecosystems. The world’s oceans are warming due to climate change, which negatively affects coral reefs, home to about a quarter of all ocean life. Coral is highly sensitive to temperature changes, and as ocean temperatures rise, coral bleaching becomes more extreme. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Climate Change — The Facts, a documentary that delves into the science of climate change and its far-reaching consequences.
Video
The Tool-Using Tusk Fish

In The Tool-Using Tusk Fish, narrator Sir David Attenborough suggests that tusk fish, and perhaps other fish species, may be more intelligent than people ever thought possible. When the tusk fish finds food, such as a clam, it uses coral as a tool to crack open the clam and feed itself. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.

Video
Earth’s Heat Blanket: The Power of Carbon Dioxide
In Earth’s Heat Blanket: The Power of Carbon Dioxide, geologist Iain Stewart explores how volcanoes play a vital role in releasing carbon dioxide, a gas that helps trap heat and keeps Earth warm enough for life. Without it, our planet would be a frozen wasteland, but too much of it can cause rapid climate changes. Scientists are now studying Siberia, one of the coldest places on the planet, to understand how melting permafrost could be a predictor of Earth’s future climate. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Earth: The Power of the Planet, a documentary series in which Dr. Iain Stewart discovers how Earth's forces can shape nature, species, and even the climate.

Teaching the Lesson

Engage

  • Kick off the lesson with a fun and interactive game of Three Truths and a Lie about the ocean! Share four statements about the ocean—three true and one false—and challenge your students to figure out which one doesn’t add up. It’s a great way to spark curiosity and see what they already know.

  • Use the Three Truths and a Lie Handout to guide the game. Students can show one, two, three, or four fingers to vote for their answer. Read through the facts twice if needed, then reveal the lie and dive into some cool extra ocean facts to keep the excitement going!

Analyze

  • Let your class know they’ll be watching short video clips that highlight how human actions affect the ocean and its amazing creatures.

  • Share the clips during one or more class sessions. Each video is under five minutes and dives into a unique angle on the impact humans have on the ocean.

  • Hand out the three activity sheets (Whales, The Great Barrier Reef, Tusk Fish), splitting the class so about one-third gets each sheet. If you prefer, you can pick one or more for a more focused class discussion.

  • Go over the activity sheets together, then have students in the same video group team up to work on the activities.




Collaboration & Create

  • After watching the videos again and completing their activity sheets, bring the class together for a group discussion. Ask them to share what they’ve learned about how humans can harm the ocean and its creatures. Why do they think protecting the ocean is so important?

  • Next, encourage students to turn their new knowledge into creative posters about ocean conservation. They can focus on issues like pollution, overfishing, or climate change and include ways people can help, such as using less plastic or supporting sustainable fishing. Once finished, proudly display their posters in the classroom or a school hallway to spread awareness!

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