Introduction
Have you ever wondered why the ocean water creeps up high on the beach at certain times of the day, only to pull far back hours later? What invisible force is pulling on the Earth’s oceans? In this WebQuest, you are a team of marine scientists working for the Ocean Exploration Center. The local community wants to know how the Moon and Sun affect the ocean tides and when the highest tides occur. Your mission is to investigate the gravitational forces behind tides and present your findings!
Task
Your team will create a 3-Minute Digital Presentation or Infographic Poster explaining the science of ocean tides. Your final product must answer:
1. What causes high and low ocean tides?
2. How do the positions of the Moon and Sun create Spring Tides and Neap Tides?
3. Why are tides important to ocean life and coastal communities?
Process
Follow these steps to complete your investigation:
Step 1 (Roles): Divide your team of 3 into these roles:
Role A (Gravity Expert): Focuses on how the Moon's gravity creates tidal bulges.
Role B (Solar & Lunar Observer): Focuses on the moon phases, Spring Tides, and Neap Tides.
Role C (Coastal Environmentalist): Focuses on how tides affect sea life and coastal humans.
Step 2 (Research): Use the links in the Resources section below to take notes for your role.
Step 3 (Collaborate): Meet with your team to share your notes and plan your final presentation/poster.
Step 4 (Create & Submit): Assemble your presentation or poster and review it using the Evaluation Rubric before turning it in.
Evaluation
| Criteria | Developing (1 pt) | Proficient (2 pts) | Exemplary (3 pts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific Accuracy | Explanations of gravity and tides have multiple errors. | Explains high/low tides and gravity correctly. | Clearly and accurately explains gravity, high/low tides, Spring, and Neap tides. |
| Use of Web Resources | Used minimal or non-assigned web resources. | Used assigned resources to gather basic info. | Effectively synthesized key facts from all assigned web resources. |
| Final Product Quality | Disorganized or incomplete presentation. | Clear presentation with basic visuals. | Engaging, highly organized presentation with clear diagrams/visuals. |
Conclusion
Great job, Ocean Explorers! You have successfully unraveled the mystery of ocean tides. By completing this WebQuest, you learned how gravitational forces from the Moon and Sun interact with Earth to create tidal rhythms. You now understand the science behind high, low, spring, and neap tides and how they shape life along our coasts!
Credits
Use these trusted websites to gather your information:
- NOAA SciJinks – What Causes Tides?: https://scijinks.gov/tides/
- NASA Space Place – All About Tides: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/tides/en/
- PBS LearningMedia – Interactive Tides Simulation: https://www.pbslearningmedia.org