Ocean: The Motion Potion

Sphere Demo

©2018 Pacific Science Center

Created as part of the Exploring Earth Systems Science grant; This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services grant number MA-10-13-0107-13.

Please direct questions to:

Terms of use:

  • These materials are for non-commercial use only, and cannotbe sold.
  • These materials are for your organization’s internal use only. Additional requests should be made before sharing beyond your organization.
  • If these materials or a portion of these materials are copied as is, please credit as follows: “Ocean: The Motion Potion demonstration created by Pacific Science Center, Exploring Earth Systems Science grant. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services grant number MA-10-13-0107-13”.
  • If new activities are created that are based on this original activity, please credit as follows: "Activity modified from the Ocean: The Motion Potion demonstration created by Pacific Science Center, Exploring Earth Systems Science grant. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services grant number MA-10-13-0107-13”.

Description

Ocean: The Motion Potion is a live, 20 minute demo best for grades 6-8, featuring Science on a Sphere, a dynamic interactive data modeling tool. In this show, students will use standard science practices such as planning an investigation and analyzing data to explore ocean currents and their impact on climate. Using hands-on props and interaction with a live science interpreter, they will learn about wind-driven surface currents as well as density-driven deep ocean currents, and how the movement of water can make it warm in Europe and cool in California.

Props and Materials

Permanent

  • iPad
  • Laser pointer
  • Science Toolbox
  • Signs for Science Toolbox
  • Ask A Question
  • Investigate
  • Analyze Data
  • Communicate Information
  • Metal sign holders
  • Easel
  • Whiteboard
  • Laser pointer
  • Bottle with message inside
  • Books
  • Map
  • Giant yellow key
  • Legend for key
  • 2 large plastic beakers
  • 2 thermoses
  • 2 stir sticks
  • Ladle
  • Measuring spoon
  • Yardstick
  • Laminated white circle
  • Round magnet
  • Drying rack

Consumable

Material: / Quantity: / Resupply Information:
Ice / Full vase / Café
Food coloring / 2 colors / Grocery store
Salt / 1 container / Grocery store
Dry erase marker / 1 / Office supply store
Wet erase marker / 1 / Office supply store

Packing

  • iPad: Put away in the cabinet in the office, making sure it is locked.
  • Laser pointer: Put away in the Sphere cabinet.
  • Science toolbox, toolbox signs, books: Store in the demo cart in the cart closet.
  • Metal sign holders: Store in labeled drawer in cart closet.
  • Easel and whiteboard: Store against the wall in the cart closet by the demo cart.
  • Giant key, yardstick, laminated white circle: Store with general demo items in the cart closet.
  • Glass bottle with message inside, legend for key, salt, food coloring, measuring spoon, salt, magnet, wet erase marker: Store in drawer labeled “Oceans” in cart closet.
  • Large beakers, thermoses, stir sticks, ladle: Store these items on the drying rack next to the demo items in the cart closet.

Maintenance

  • After each demo, all items for the water experiments should be washed thoroughly in the catering closet. This includes the large beakers, thermoses, stir sticks, and ladle. Place these items upside down on the drying rack to dry for the next demo.

Safety

  • Take care with volunteers for this demo. Warn them about hot liquids and be careful with food coloring, which can stain clothes. Choose volunteers who are old enough to safely stir a hot liquid or dispense food coloring.

Key

GGuest

PPresenter

Bold italics indicate action.

Italics indicate a note to the presenter.

indicates a cue

Data-sets

Blank – Ocean: The Motion Potion, Live Presentation starting here soon

NASA Sea Currents

Ocean Surface Vector Winds

Ocean gyres overlay

NASA Sea Surface temperatures

Ocean conveyor belts animation

NASA Sea Surface temperatures

Ocean gyres overlay

Ocean: The Motion Potion

Concepts

  • Maps are a way of organizing data that can help scientists find patterns and form theories about the ocean.
  • Surface currents are driven by winds that are partially dictated by the rotation of the Earth.
  • Deep ocean currents are driven by salinity and temperature of water at different depths.
  • Sea surface temperatures change the temperature of the air above water; therefore ocean currents are a large part of climate patterns.

Learning Objective

  • Using a key to decipher a map, visitors will combine their knowledge of ocean currents and sea surface temperatures to draw conclusions about climate.
  • Visitors will manipulate a two dimensional model of the Earth to understand how the Earth’s rotation affects winds, comparing it to ocean data in order to interpret currents.
  • Visitors will see an experiment demonstrating that colder, saltier water sinks and use this knowledge to interpret a deep ocean current diagram.

Set-up

  1. Open the Sphere cabinet, turn off daily demo, and call up the show announcement playlist.
  2. Push the benches so that there are several rows facing the Sphere.
  3. From the bin in the cart closet, take one vase and the thermos with red tape around it to Building One. Go to the café and fill the vase with ice. Go to the break room and fill the thermos 2/3 full with HOT water. Return to the cart closet with your treasures.
  4. Put both vases and the thermos labeled with blue tape on a cart and go to the catering closet.
  5. Fill the vase full of ice 2/3 full with cold water.
  6. Fill the other vase 2/3 full with lukecold water.
  7. Fill the blue-taped thermos 2/3 full with lukewarm water.
  8. Roll the demo cart back to the sphere and set it up on one side. Put 3 scoops of salt into the lukecold water and stir until dissolved.
  9. Store the vases and thermoses in the cart for easy access during the demo.
  10. Set up the easel with the whiteboard on it to one side.
  11. Set up the metal sign holders along the railing of the sphere.
  12. Make sure the correct cards for the Science Toolbox are in the Science Toolbox, and put the toolbox in the cart.
  13. Make sure you have the correct legend for the big yellow key, and put the key in the cart for future use.
  14. Put the ladle, stir sticks, and food coloring with the vases and thermoses. Store the paper map, books, white laminated circle, magnets, message in a bottle, yardstick, and markers in the cart so they are easily accessible.
  15. Have the iPad and laser pointer ready.

Script

Pre-Show

Cue next dataset, which will be a blank/black sphere.

This will let you keep the attention of your audience for the intro portion of the show.

Intro

P: Hi! My name is ______. Can everyone say, “Hi, ______?”

G: Hi, ______.

P: I’m really glad you made it today—maybe you can help me with something. I was sitting on the beach recently and I noticed this bottle. It has a message in it. Take out message from the bottle. Wanna hear what the message is?

G: Yes. No. I don’t know.

P: It says, “Am I headed somewhere cool?” I ask myself that every day. Hm. To find out where this bottle is going, I have to find out where it came from. Can anyone tell me where they think this bottle came from? Show bottle to first row.

G: Another country. Uwajimaya. Japan. Amazon dot com.

P: This language is Japanese, so maybe it came from Japan. I wonder how a bottle from Japan could end up on a beach in Washington State. I found it right next to the ocean, so seems likely that the ocean might have moved it. Do you know how the ocean moves things?

G: Wind. Waves. Poseidon! Amazon dot com.

P: We have some guesses about how the ocean moves things, but if we were to put this bottle back in the ocean, where might it travel to next? And what’s it like there—is it cool?

G:Uhh . . .

P: This is a tough question. Whenever I have a question about something, I use my Science Toolbox! I carry it with me everywhere. Takeout toolbox and pretend to dig through it. The tools in here help me figure out what to do step by step. Ooh, let’s try this one. What does it say? Put up ‘Ask A Question’ tag.

G: Ask a question!

P:Great. We have two questions—where is our bottle headed, and is it cool there? Let’s see what else is in here that we might need. What’s this one? Pretend to dig through it and put up ‘Investigate’ tag.

G: Plan an investigation!

P: Awesome! I love investigating, because it means I get to use a marker! Let’s break this investigation down. We need to figure out where the bottle is headed, so first we need to figure out what is going to get it there. Some of you said waves. Some of you said currents. We’ve all seen ocean waves—they are generally produced when the wind pushes the water’s surface, making it rise and fall. Currents, on the other hand, are directed movement of ocean water, flowing in a particular direction like a conveyor belt. Sounds like investigating currents will help us figure out what direction our bottle is going! Write ‘Currents’ on the board. Do you think currents happen in the deep ocean?

G: Maybe?

P: Sounds like we should check it out. Write ‘Surface’ in front of ‘Currents’, then add ‘Deep Ocean Currents’ below it on the board. Once we figure out where our bottle is going going, we’ll figure out whether or not it’s cool there. You all know what I’m asking is whether it’s going to be hip and groovy where this bottle is headed. No. Just kidding. What I really want to know is what the temperature is going to be like where this bottle is headed, so let’s investigate the weather last. Write ‘Weather’ on the board. Okay, that’s our investigation! What should we start with first?

G: Surface currents.

P: Great! I’m going to go back to my science toolbox to figure out how to investigate currents. What does this one say? Pretend to dig through it, then put up ‘Analyze Data’ tag.

G: Analyze data!

P: Data is information, and as it turns out, we have a lot of information about the ocean. I have books, diagrams, maps. Take out books, diagrams, and map. Oh, maybe I can use this map to find out where earthquakes happen. Look at map. Hm. Yes. Oh, I see. What, did you want to see? Turn the map around so the audience can see. This is kind of small. Maybe we can just spend the next twenty minutes looking at this one at a time. Oh, you don’t like that idea? You know what, this map isn’t really accurate anyway. It’s flat and the world is round. I wish I had something really big and round that everyone could see. Something we could all look at at the same time to analyze data about the oceans.

G: Look behind you, stupid.

P: No, I’m not sure my head is big enough. It doesn’t have a lot of data in it anyway. Oh, you mean this?

Cue NOAA logo.

P: What a great idea! This is called “Science on a Sphere” and it was given to Pacific Science Center by NOAA, which is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Can we get a big round of applause for NOAA?

G: Clap clapclap

P: We can use the sphere to look at information about the entire Earth. A map like this isn’t useful for finding your way to Starbucks or grandmother’s house. You can’t see smaller things such as roads or buildings, but you can see information about larger things, such as landmasses, oceans, and the weather. What were we investigating again?

G: The ocean!

P: Fantastic! Let’s look at surface currents.

NASA Sea currents

P:These aren’t ocean currents! I just see a bunch of big black blobs, and big blue blobs with swirly green stuff in it. I’m going to need a key to find out what these colors mean. Hm. I think I have a key somewhere. Take out key. Do you think this will help?

G: You are preposterous. Ha haha!

P: Actually, this is exactly the kind of key we need! Turn key over to show the color code. This kind of key tells me what these colors mean. Select a guest. Hi, what’s your name?

G: Kirk.

P: Excellent, Kirk. Since we’re seeing a bunch of swirly green, can you tell me what green means using this key? Hand the key to the guest.

G: Green is fast-moving water.

P: Excellent! On this map, black is land. Dark blue is slow-moving water; green is fast-moving water, and the shades between blue and green indicate increasing speed. Let’s give Kirk a big round of applause! Now that we know what information this map is showing us, let’s analyze it. Do you notice any patterns in where the water is moving fastest?

G: Yes!

P: Right. You might notice a lot of currents along the borders of the continents. Land helps shape currents, because it serves as an obstacle for both wind and water. This creates coastal currents.

Vocab: COASTAL CURRENTS

P: If you’ve ever built a sandcastle on the beach, then gone swimming in the ocean, and after a while noticed that you’ve drifted farther down the beach than where you built your sand castle, you would have experienced one kind of coastal current.

NASA Sea currents

P: Okay, so I get how the coastlines shape coastal currents, but how about the currents that travel across the middle of the ocean? Look here—we can see the water moves fast along the east coast of the US, then up and across the ocean and over to the UK. Follow this line with pointer. What do you think causes water to move this way?

G: Wind. Katara of the Water Tribe. Dolphins.

P: I heard someone say wind. Let’s check out how wind moves, and see if it makes the same patterns as water.

Ocean Surface Vector Winds

P:This map just shows how the winds move over the oceans, not land. The continents are green in this map, so that we can focus on how the wind is moving over the water. Just as the different colors gave us a sense for how fast the water was traveling for the various currents, here, we see different colors are used to show the different wind speeds. Dark blue is for slow-moving wind, and as we go through light blue, yellow, and orange, the wind is moving faster and faster. The arrows allow us to see the direction of the winds. Does the wind travel in similar patterns to the water?

G: Maybe . . .

P: Notice how the wind curves, making these circles. Outline a gyre with the pointer. Can anyone guess why the wind is moving in a giant circle?

G: It is looking for McDonalds. It is trying to find Waldo?

P: The reason the wind moves in giant circles is because of the motion of the Earth. If the Earth didn’t rotate, the wind would move in straight lines heading either north or south due to differences in temperature and pressure. But because the Earth rotates, the wind curves—to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere. The way the rotation affects motion is called the Coriolis Effect.

Vocab: CORIOLIS EFFECT

To see how the Coriolis Effect works, I’m going to need this spinning wheel. Attach the wheel to the board, and take out the yardstick and wet erase marker. Let’s say that this wheel represents the Earth. Now I need a volunteer. What’s your name?

G: Picard.

P: Great! Picard, you are a brave soul. Please hold this marker. Now I’m going to put a yardstick on this wheel so you can draw a line straight up and down. Hold the yardstick vertically against the wheel. Can you do that?

G: Yes.

P: Excellent. This is the way the wind travels if this circle isn’t rotating. Now you’re going to do the same thing—try to draw a straight line—except now I’m going to rotate the wheel. Hold the yardstick against the wheel, and slowly spin the wheel clockwise while the visitor draws the line. Stop spinning the wheel and take the yardstick away. What happened?

G: The line curved.

P: Yep! The paths of wind are curved because the Earth rotates. Let’s give Picard a round of applause!

G: Clap clapclap

Ocean Surface Vector Winds

P: When we put coastal currents together with the Coriolis effect, get wind moving water along the coast, traveling to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere. So the Earth’s rotation causes the currents move in big circles, called gyres.

Vocab: GYRES