Hydrothermal Vents
Grade Level: Grades 6-8
Content Areas: Art
Science
Writing
Basic Concepts: 3-dimensional sculpture
Creativity
Ecosystems
Color Spectrum through painting
Research Skills
General Objectives:
1. Students will have an understanding of what hydrothermal vents are and how they work.
2. Students will understand the impact that hydrothermal vents have on ocean life.
3. Students will learn about the sea creatures that live around hydrothermal vents.
Materials:Paper
Pens and pencils
Markers, Crayons, etc.
Informational books about oceanic lifeforms
Brown paper grocery bags
Pritt paste
Wire
Paint
Information handout
Tape
Newspaper
Paint brushes
Preface Information For Facilitator: Hydrothermal vents are geysers on the ocean floor. Deep-sea hydrothermal vents form along mid-ocean ridges where new sea floor is created. Before sea floor vents were actually observed, their existence was predicted because new oceanic crust cools more quickly than otherwise expected. Cold seawater penetrates deep into cracks in the earth's crust. Heat from the rock is transferred to the water along with many different kinds of minerals.
Once the water is heated, it rises rapidly, rushing out of cracks in the ocean floor. The scalding vent fluid mixes with cold ocean bottom seawater and creates a rising plume of warm water. This plume is often black where it leaves the vent because mineral particles precipitate when hot vent fluid and cold seawater mix.
Fantastic mineral deposits are created where this hot water exits the sea floor. These structures are usually made of metal sulfides.
Source: http:/www.ocean.washington.edu/exploraquarium/vent/into.htm
Procedure:
Activity #1: Introduction to Hydrothermal Vents
Objectives:
1.Students will understand what hydrothermal vents are and how they relate to volcanoes.
Time Frame: 1 hour
Materials: Paper
Pens and pencils
Markers, crayons, etc.
1. Ask students if they have ever seen geysers and if they could describe them?
2. Explain the hydrothermal vents are underwater geysers. Do not give a lot of detail.
3. Allow students to brainstorm on what it might look like in the depths of the ocean by an hydrothermal vent.
4. Have students write in their journal a brief description of what it would look like and what it would be like to snorkel down there.
5. Students will draw a picture of what they envision it to look like.
6. Show students real pictures of hydrothermal vents and explain what occurs in the ocean around the vents.
EXTENSION: Students could chose to study the hydrothermal vents of a specific area and find facts that are special to those vents.
ASSESSMENT: Use Journal Rubric.
Activity #2:Paper Mache Sea Creatures
Objectives:
1. Students will recognize that hydrothermal vents have an impact on the oceanic life that surrounds them.
2. They will learn more about these creatures by studying the creatures, filling out fact sheets, and by creating their own.
Time Frame: 5 hours (activity will have to be spread out over a few days--2 hours on first day, 1-2 hours on second day, and 1-2 hours on third day)
Materials: Informational books about oceanic lifeforms
Brown paper grocery bags
Pritt paste
Wire
Paint
Information handout
Tape
Newspaper
Paint Brushes
Preface Information For Facilitator: The waters around these deep-ocean hot springs, which can be as hot as 380 degrees Celsius, are home to a unique ecosystem. The vent provides a habitat for many creatures that are not found anywhere else in the ocean. Among some of these creatures are the giant tube worm, pencil-size Jericho worms, benthic worms, Alvinellids, mussels, shrimps with no eyes, giant clams and crabs, galatheids, amphipods, and more.
Source: http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/THML/ps_vents.html
1. Instructor will briefly discuss what the hydrothermal vents are and why the creatures that live around them are considered to be strange.
2. Students will go through informational books and find a hydrothermal vent creature that they would like to create with paper mache (no creature should be repeated more than two or three times to allow for variety in the classroom).
3. Students will fill out an informational sheet about their creature. The sheet is attached.
4. Students will mold the shape of the creature by bending wires or taping paper together to shape the creature.
5. Then they will wrap newspapers around the wire mold to ensure that it will be more three-dimensional. They may use tape to do this.
6. Students will apply first layer of paper mache by using brown paper bags and Pritt paste. They will probably only get to the first layer. Then it should be allowed to dry before it is worked on again.
7. Students will place a second and possibly third layer of mache onto the creature. Then it will have to dry.
8. Students can paint their creatures. They should try to make them look as realistic as possible. Students could possibly use other art supplies such as yarn or glitter to add to their sea creatures.
9. Sea creatures can be placed around the classroom with the information sheet attached.
EXTENSION: This could be used for any type of oceanic or land creature. It does not have to be used only with hydrothermal sea creatures. This is a great way for students to feel immersed in the oceanic life in the classroom.
ASSESSMENT: See attached rubric titled Paper Mache Sea Creature Rubric. There should be no ones. Only twos and threes will be acceptable.
Resources For This Lesson
Creatures of the thermal vents. (1998). [Online]. Available URL:
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/THML/ps_vents.html
Deep sea hydrothermal vents. (1998). [Online]. Available World Wide Web:
http:/www.ocean.washington.edu/exploraquarium/vent/into.html
Description: Hydrothermal activity. (1998). [Online]. Available URL:
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary.../description_thermal_activity.html
Exploring the deep ocean floor: Hot springs and strange creatures. (1998). [Online]. Available URL: http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/text/exploring.html
Hydrothermal venting project. (1998). [Online]. Available World Wide Web:
http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/accomp/fy96/vents.shtml