1. Weather, Climate, and ME Lesson 11
OCEAN CURRENTS
What makes oceans move?
How are ocean currents formed?
Sneakers Takes a Voyage Or
Follow That Rubber Ducky

2. Let’s Explore Procedure: 1. Fill the foil pan 2cm deep with water.
2. Position one student at each corner of the pan.
3. Sprinkle black pepper in one corner of the pan.
4. At each corner, each student aims the straw along the side of the pan to the left.
5. Each student gently blows through the straw across the top of the water.
6. Observe the motion of the pepper. Discuss your observations with the group.
7. Draw and record your observations. Include how the model is an/the:
….. example of how ocean currents move and
….. movement of tennis shoes and rubber duckies in the reading.

3. OCEAN CURRENTS What does this mean?
Refer to key terms in your student journal.
What is the difference between:
Ocean Currents
and
Ocean Tides

4. It’s all about… THE SUN.
The heating of the Earth by the sun has produced semi-permanent pressure centers near the surface. When wind blows over the ocean around these pressure centers, surface wave are generated by transferring some of the wind’s energy from the air to water. This constant push on the surface of the ocean is the force that forms the surface currents.

5. Surface Current Maps
GULF STREAM
CALIFORNIA CURRENT
WARM
COLD

6. Include drawings in your explanation.
Ocean Current Map
Journal Entry
Discuss how the sun’s warming causes the ocean currents and how the ocean currents affect climates.
Include drawings in your explanation.