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What's up with that funny plastic duck? Join Natalie, Anna, and Calvin as they get to the bottom of this mystery. Along the way, they learn some cool new things about surface ocean currents, the Great Lakes, and ocean research.

This module, intended for grades 3-5, includes a storybook and three classroom activities. In the storybook, the three kids work collaboratively to explore and investigate surface currents found in the ocean and the Great Lakes while learning about the journey of a seafaring plastic duck. Three hands-on activities for the classroom further explore the science content and provide instruction in basic science process skills. These materials are aligned with the National Science Education Standards.

Storybook:

Classroom Activities:

Information for Teachers:

This module was prepared by the Office of Education and Outreach at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and Eastern Michigan University with funding from award #NA07SEC4690004 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce to Eastern Michigan University. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Last modified September 24, 2008 by Lisa Gardiner.

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Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA