Introduction
Have you ever noticed that the water level at the beach changes during the day? Sometimes the sea moves farther away from the shore, while at other times the water comes closer. These changes are called tides. But what causes tides? Why do they happen regularly? And how do the Moon and the Sun affect the oceans? In this WebQuest, you will become a young marine scientist. You will explore reliable online resources, investigate how tides occur, and use the information you discover to explain the relationship between the Earth, Moon, and Sun.
Task
Your task is to investigate why ocean tides occur and how the Moon and Sun influence them. Working individually or in a small group, you will create a digital infographic or concept map explaining: • What ocean tides are. • What causes tides. • How the Moon affects Earth's tides. • How the Sun affects tides. • The difference between high tide and low tide. • What happens during spring tides and neap tides. At the end of the activity, you will present your work to the class.
Process
Step 1: Activate Your Prior Knowledge
- What do you already know about tides?
- Have you ever observed high tide or low tide?
- What do you think causes the ocean water to rise and fall?
Step 2: Explore the Resources
- Visit the websites provided in the Resources section.
- Read or watch the materials about tides, the Moon, and the Sun.
- As you explore, take notes about important information.
Step 3: Investigate
- What is a tide?
- Why does the Moon have an effect on ocean water?
- What role does the Sun play?
- What is the difference between high tide and low tide?
- What are spring tides?
- What are neap tides?
Step 4: Organize Your Information
- Organize your findings using a concept map or infographic.
- Make sure to show the relationships between: Sun → Moon → Earth → Ocean Tides.
- Use short explanations, labels, diagrams, and pictures where appropriate.
Step 5: Create Your Final Product
- Create your digital infographic or concept map using a tool such as Canva, Google Slides, PowerPoint, or CmapTools.
Step 6: Present
- Present your finished work to the class.
- Explain your findings and be prepared to answer questions from your classmates.
Step 7: Reflect
- What is one thing you learned about ocean tides that you did not know before this activity?
Evaluation
WebQuest Rubric – 20 Points
| Criteria | 4 – Excellent | 3 – Good | 2 – Developing | 1 – Beginning |
| Scientific Content | Information is accurate, complete, and clearly explained | Information is mostly accurate and explained | Some information is incomplete or unclear | Information contains several errors |
| Understanding of Tides | Clearly explains tides, high/low tides, and spring/neap tides | Explains most concepts correctly | Shows partial understanding | Shows limited understanding |
| Use of Resources | Uses several appropriate resources and information is well supported | Uses appropriate resources | Uses limited resources | Makes little use of the provided resources |
| Infographic/Concept Map | Very organized, clear, creative, and easy to understand | Organized and understandable | Some organization problems | Difficult to follow |
| Presentation & Reflection | Explains ideas clearly and provides thoughtful reflection | Explains ideas adequately | Explanation is somewhat unclear | Provides limited explanation |
Total: 20 points
Conclusion
Congratulations, young scientists!
Through this WebQuest, you investigated one of the important processes that occurs in our oceans. You learned that tides are not simply random changes in sea level. They are connected to the interactions among the Earth, Moon, and Sun.
You also practiced finding information online, evaluating resources, working with others, organizing information, and presenting what you discovered.
Before finishing, think about this question:
How can understanding tides be useful to people who live near the ocean or depend on the sea for their work?
This activity shows that learning science is not only about memorizing facts. It is also about asking questions, investigating evidence, making connections, and explaining what we discover.