GEMS Ocean Sciences Sequence for Grades 3–5 and Grades 6–8

The GEMS Ocean Sciences Sequence for Grades 3–5 was developed with support from NOAA and in partnership with the NOAA Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve and Education Center, and Rutgers University Institute of Marine & Coastal Sciences, and other partners. The sequences are designed based on the results of an extensive study which has helped us identify which key standards occur in selected states at each grade, and which content areas are most closely aligned to the Ocean Literacy Essential Principles. These sequences will provide educators the tools to teach essential science concepts in the unique and important context of ocean science. An overview of the GEMS Curriculum Sequences approach is provided in this brief 2-page document. The Ocean Sciences Sequence for Grades 3-5 is available now from Carolina Curriculum. The Ocean Sciences Sequence for Grades 6–8 is described below; that product is currently scheduled for release in Fall of 2013. A review of the Ocean Sciences Sequence for Grades 3–5 and how it addresses both National Science Education Standards and the Next Generation science standard is here.

We also have two other sequences, the GEMS Space Science Sequence for Grades 3–5 and the GEMS Space Science Sequence Grades 6–8, each described here.

The content in the GEMS Ocean Sciences Sequence for Grades 3–5 is summarized in the table below:

Unit 1: What Kind of Place Is the Ocean? (8 class sessions)	Unit 2: What Is Life Like in the Ocean? (11 class sessions)	Unit 3: How Are Humans and the Ocean Interconnected? (6 class sessions)
• There is only one ocean; most of Earth is covered by water. • Different parts of the ocean are different in many ways including temperature, pressure, light and salinity. • Differences in temperature and salinity create layers of moving ocean water called currents. • Wind can also cause currents. • Ocean floor features include trenches, deep-sea vents, and underwater mountains. • A huge amount of all the living space on Earth is in the ocean.	• There are millions of types of ocean organisms. • All organisms have needs they must meet in order to survive. • A variety of different habitats in the ocean supports a great diversity of life. • Some habitats support more life than others. • Organisms have adaptations that help them survive in specific ocean habitats. • An organism’s adaptations are related to the habitat in which it lives. • Food webs are one way that organisms in a habitat may be connected. • Many organisms in many different habitats rely on phytoplankton. • Organisms may use different habitats at different times in their life cycle.	• People use, need, harm and protect the ocean. • Overfishing and pollution are some of the ways that people can affect the ocean. • Pollution can get to the ocean from places far from the ocean. • Different kinds of pollution can harm the ocean in different ways. • People can help to solve problems and protect the ocean.
Inquiry-based learning goals for the GEMS Ocean Sciences Sequence for Grades 3–5: • Scientist use models to help understand and explain how nature works. • Scientists use evidence to answer questions, make explanations and solve real problems in the world. • New technology helps scientists explore and measure much more of the ocean than they could in the past and discover new things about life in the ocean.

Like the Grades 3–5 units, the GEMS Ocean Sciences Sequence for Grades 6–8 is being developed with support from NOAA and in partnership with Rutgers University Institute of Marine & Coastal Sciences, and other partners. These units extend our work to create a curriculum that further supports the Ocean Literacy Essential Principles. Correlations between the GEMS Ocean Sciences Sequence for Grades 3–5 and the National Science Education Standards are here for your review.

The content for the GEMS Ocean Sciences Sequence for Grades 6–8, as currently planned but subject to change, is summarized in the table below:

How do the ocean and atmosphere interact? (13 class sessions)	How does carbon flow through the ocean, land, and atmosphere? (9 class sessions)	What are the causes and effects of climate change? (10 class sessions)
• The ocean and land are heated by the Sun unevenly. • Global movement of air and ocean water (currents, density) distribute energy. • Dynamic ocean–dynamic Earth: there are many cycles, including the water cycle. • The ocean transfers heat to the atmosphere through evaporation and condensation. • The ocean affects weather and climate; changes in global movements of air and water affect weather (e.g., El Niño). • Changes to global movements of air and water can affect ocean organisms.	• Carbon reservoirs and how carbon moves between reservoirs. • The ocean is the largest reservoir of rapidly cycling carbon. • CO2 is removed from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, absorption into the ocean, and formation of fossil fuels. • CO2 is released into atmosphere through animal and plant respiration, decomposition, combustion, from the ocean, and from human activities. • Much of the excess CO2 in the atmosphere is absorbed by the ocean, leading to ocean acidification. • Ocean acidification affects organisms and ecosystems.	• The formation and evolution of the atmosphere and ocean. • The Greenhouse Effect. • CO2 in the atmosphere affects climate (temperature and CO2 changes over time). • Much more CO2 is being added to the atmosphere in the past 60 years. • Albedo, melting sea ice and sea level rise. • Sea level changes over time. • Climate vs. weather. • Evidence for climate change: global temperature rise; sea ice melting; extreme events. • Ocean, air currents, and climate change. • Human's impact on climate change. • How ocean organisms and humans are affected by climate change. • Solutions–what we can do about climate change?
Inquiry-based learning goals for the GEMS Ocean Sciences Sequence for Grades 6–8: • Read and interpret visual representations, diagrams and simulations. • Participate in evidence-based discussions using reasoning and scientific vocabulary. • Scientists use models to demonstrate and explain how nature works. • Scientists use technology to study weather and climate.

The details listed above and throughout this site for the GEMS Ocean Sciences Sequence for Grades 6–8 are subject to change as the program goes through the field trial and revision process.

Where can I purchase the units?

GEMS Curriculum Sequences are available from our publisher, Carolina Curriculum. For details on product pricing and availability of each sequence, please call Carolina Curriculum at 800 334-5551 or view the information on their web site.

Effectiveness Research Reports:

We have three research reports available which look at the effectiveness of the curriculum seqeunces, as described below. These studies, and the video linked below, were created prior to the completion of the Ocean Sciences Sequences and therefore are completely focused on space science, but the approach to teaching in the ocean units is the same.

A report conducted by the Center for Research, Evaluation, and Assessment (REA) examines student learning, as shown by unit pre/post assessment change, in the GEMS Space Science Sequence for Grades 6–8. REA, based at Lawrence Hall of Science, conducts both internal and external evaluation and research in mathematics and science education. Evaluation questions for this project took into consideration concerns and interests of curriculum funders, the curriculum development team, and potential users. Evidence of student learning is of primary interest to all stakeholders and is therefore the overarching question for this evaluation. Download the report here.

Two studies were conducted by a team at Florida State University. The first is titled, "Comparing the Efficacy of Reform-Based and Traditional/Verification Curricula to Support Student Learning about Space Science" and reports on the relationship between reform-based curriculum and the development of students’ knowledge of and attitudes toward space science. It can be downloaded here. The second, "Learning about Space Science: Comparing the efficacy of reform based teaching with a traditional/verifications approach" explores the relationship between curriculum and teachers’ knowledge and beliefs about teaching. The full report can be downloaded here.

You can view a video overview of the curriculum sequence teaching approach in action here.