Inspiration
World Oceans Day: Virtual Activities & Books for Educators and Students
Let’s learn and educate ourselves more on nature and specifically oceans as we commemorate World Oceans Day.
Our planet’s health got better when the world went on a lockdown spree in the wake of Coronavirus. While the air cleansed itself and the sky looked bluer than ever, the water resources around the globe saw less of human-used plastic waste getting dumped in them.
But a mere realization is not enough. Let’s learn and educate ourselves more on nature and specifically oceans as we commemorate World Oceans Day.
World Oceans Day is an international day that takes place annually on the 8th of June. The concept was originally proposed in 1992 by Canada's International Centre for Ocean Development and the Ocean Institute of Canada at the Earth Summit – UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
This year’s theme is ‘Innovation For A Sustainable Ocean,’ which is set by the United Nations to spread the awareness of rising levels of water bodies and ways to prevent it. If, as an educator, you’re looking for researched data for your students, check out the following links that will provide you with necessary detailed data. Scroll through:
1. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
If you want to learn and educate your students on the functioning of water bodies, head onto this website. Learn basics and explore topics like Marine Life, Ocean & Coast, and Elementary Science. The website also includes a special category called “Data Resources for Educators” covering ocean-related resources for classrooms, climate effects, ocean & freshwater information, and many more.
Not only does this website has informative data but also has various activities that will help educators guide their students about marine life. The organization is known to organize field trips to coastal destinations for the US and Mexico-based children, especially from low-income families, along with custom coastal tours for all ages. However, the eco-tour is now available online, keeping the worldwide lockdown in mind. Explore the world of sea creatures and dive deep into learning about conservation of marine life.
3. Marine Education Society of Australasia
This website is perfect if you want to gain knowledge of specific marine species and environments. It provides information on issues and solutions of marine life in the Australia region. It includes a diverse range of news on sustainability for oceans – from experts’ opinions to factual data, sustainable ways to practice activities in oceans like fishing, recognizes industries working for the betterment of marine life, and much more.
This website by NOAA holds a plethora of informative videos. From sea creatures to facts, you’ll find various videos under this platform for yourself as well as your young students to explore marine life virtually.
Want your students to understand the depth of ocean life? Let this website help you. It covers a huge database of marine education resources. The website has recently updated the coral and marine activities and lessons for students and has labelled each with its respective education grade.