How Do Oceans Circulate?
Provided by: Crash Course|Published on: April 27, 2021
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Videos
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Geography
Authors: Crash Course
Region: Global
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This video discusses how and why oceans circulate, the major ocean circulation patterns, how ocean circulation patterns affect global weather patterns and regional climates, and the issue of plastic waste in the oceans.
- The video shows the importance of these ocean currents in maintaining important fisheries, biodiversity hotspots, global transport routes, and regional weather patterns.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This video breaks down the content and provides nice animations and images to support the narrative.
- The speaker in the video presents information using humor and an engaging tone.
Prerequisites
- The video does a nice job of defining terms, but students should be familiar with the basic geography and properties of water.
Differentiation & Implementation
- This video can be incorporated into classes and lessons about plastic pollution, oceans, climate, marine life, density, salinity, pressure gradients, and the Coriolis effect.
- Social studies classes can use parts of this video to connect the vulnerability of many communities to changes in ocean circulation patterns caused by climate change.
- This is a great video for geography, biology, Earth science, and marine science classes.
- Other resources on this topic include Interactive Exploration of Coral Bleaching, Into the Dead Zone, this video about coral reefs, and this StC lesson plan about carbon sinks.
The resource explains the process of ocean currents and wind patterns in influencing global atmospheric circulation and climate. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
