The students are tasked with researching and writing an introduction to a newspaper article about oceans and tsunamis. They will be divided into four groups to research and write about: 1) why the ocean is salty, 2) what causes waves and currents, 3) how currents and tides affect the ocean, and 4) what a tsunami is and how it is formed. Each group will research their topic using provided websites, record important facts, discuss their findings as a group, and write a 3-5 paragraph section on their topic for the class newspaper article. They will present their section to the class and one member from each group will have their work displayed on the bulletin board.

1. Hello students! A local newspaper is doing a section on the oceans of the world and
tsunamis. They heard that we would be studying the oceans this week, so they are in
need of our help! We will be writing the introduction to the article and they want us to
cover four main points, what makes the ocean salty, what causes waves and currents,
how do currents and tides affect the ocean, and what is a tsunami and how is it formed.
Remember to stay focused and do your best, we have a deadline to meet!
Your Task
You will be divided into four research teams to discover:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Why the ocean is salty
What causes waves and currents
How do currents and tides effect the ocean
What is a tsunami and how is it formed
You will research you topic online individually and record important facts/information.
Then, you will come together with your group to discuss the order of things. Once
everyone has had time to discuss the information, you will each write a small section on
your topic to present to the class. After which the class will vote for the best out of each
team to be hung on the bulletin board.
Time to Work!
1. Research your topic
Group 1 websites:
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/whyoceansalty.html
http://www.palomar.edu/oceanography/salty_ocean.htm
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/ocean/Salty.shtml
Group 2 websites:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/ocean/Waves.shtml
http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/what-causes-waves
http://www.virtualnjshore.com/tbwaves.html
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/facts/currents.html
Group 3 websites:
http://www.virtualnjshore.com/tbwaves.html
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/ocean/Intertidal.shtml
http://marinebio.org/oceans/currents-tides.asp
Group 4 websites:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/tsunami/
http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/springle/
http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-tsunamis#

2. 2. Record important information and facts on your topic; remember you need enough to
write about! You also need to be looking for a good picture of your topic for your final
presentation. (DO NOT throw your sheet(s) of facts/information away! You will need to
turn it in with your final project.)
3. Get with your group, discuss your findings. Are they similar? Different? Important
highlights? How should the final section be written?
4. Write your own section to the article. This should be 3-5 full paragraphs. You should
discuss a process, have at least 3 main points, and be able to describe them in detail.
Once you have either typed this, or printed it neatly, you will need to retrieve a large
piece of construction paper from the classroom. Glue your section and picture/pictures
of your topic to the paper, and get ready to present to the class.
5. Present to the class. Discuss the process, main points of your section, and anything
you found interesting or did not know before.
6. After everyone has presented we will take a class vote. One person from each group
will get their work posted on the bulletin board, and a special treat! So do your best!
Rubric
(45 possible points)
1(no effort), 2(little effort), 3(some effort), 4(good effort), 5(extraordinary effort)
Research
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Showed effort in researching topic
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Participated in group discussion
1.
2.
3. 4.
5.
Followed directions
Section of Article
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
3-5 paragraphs
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Spelling/Grammar
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Required information (accurate)
Presentation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Had relevant picture
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Spoke clearly (and covered information)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Had section and picture presented properly

3. /45 Points
Conclusion
The newspaper greatly appreciates your help and effort on this research! In return they
gave a few more websites you can browse on your own or use for your research.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/ocean/index.shtml
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/activities/new/ocean/
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/earth/tsunamis.html
http://explorations.ucsd.edu/for-kids/voyager/2012/voyager-why-is-the-ocean-blue/