We provide lesson plans, websites and other resources to help instructors engage in classroom instruction to prepare their students for expeditions, as well as lessons and reflection activities for use on the expedition. SEA staff can work with teachers to modify and design additional lessons and units to more specifically meet the unique needs of their programs.
Except as noted, documents are Microsoft Word files.
Curriculum for Pre-expedition Classroom Instruction
- Navigation Unit (PDF document)
- Presentation Rubric
- PowerPoint Presentation Rubric
- Poster and Brochure Rubric
- Examples of Themes/Essential Questions for Integrated Service-Learning
- General Directions for Weather Station
- Weather Data Sheet
- Beaufort Scale (PDF document)
- Salinity (PDF document)
- Plankton Data Sheet (PDF document)
- Plankton Physical Characteristics Data Sheet (PDF document)
- Plankton Secchi Data Directions

Journal and Reflection Resources
These are links to reflection resources and sample journal questions for your expeditionary learning programs. Reflection is a critical component of service-learning and expeditionary learning, and SEA recommends that reflection take place during all stages – pre-expedition, during the expedition and post-expedition. SEA staff will assist you in developing specific reflection and journal tools for your specific programs and provides these documents as samples to begin that process.
- SEA Sample Expedition Itinerary
- SEA Pre-Expedition Reflection
- SEA Sample Expedition Journal Questions
- SEA Sample Journal Reflection Questions
- SEA Sample Reflection Tools and Activities
ECO Net
ECO Net is the Education, Communication and Outreach Network of professionals working on engaging and informing the public of Puget Sound on environmental issues in support of the Action Agenda for Puget Sound recovery by 2020.
Links to Lesson Plans and Educational Resources
Citizen Climate Curriculum
willstegerfoundation.org/index.php/programs/k-12-education-program/citizen-climate-curriculum
CritterZoom
www.critterzoom.com/
Facing the Future
www.facingthefuture.org/
Identification Guides: Freshwater Mussels of the Pacific Northwest
www.xerces.org/freshwater-mussel-guide/
Maritime Trade Opportunities
If you're a young person interested in learning more about the maritime trades, check out the Youth Maritime Trade Assocation's website.
www.ymta.net/
Military Time
Did you know that on marine vessels military time is used? To learn more about how to convert regular time to military time, see www.spacearchive.info/military.htm
National Weather Service Forecast Office, Seattle: Educational Information
Puget Sound weather forecasts from NOAA, with slide shows on understanding weather patterns in our area
www.wrh.noaa.gov/sew/educational.php
Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS)
www.nanoos.org/
Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative
www.nwstraits.org/
Ocean Links lesson plans and units for marine science
oceanlink.island.net/teachers.html
Oil Spill Task Force
www.oilspilltaskforce.org
Orca Network: Report Dead or Stranded Marine Mammals
www.orcanetwork.org/strandings.html
People for Puget Sound: What's Your Puget Sound Critter IQ?
www.pugetsound.org/learn/students/whats-your-puget-sound-critter-iq
People for Puget Sound: What do you know about the Habitat of Puget Sound?
www.pugetsound.org/learn/students/what-do-you-know-about-habitats-of-the-sound
People for Puget Sound: Puget Sound Explorer's Guide
Year-round activities for the family, teachers, and kids of all ages
www.pugetsound.org/learn/parents/puget-sound-explorers-guide
Pierce County water quality education lessons
www.piercecountywa.org/pc/services/home/environ/
ed/waterpresentations2.htm
Plankton lessons and protocols
Phytoplankton Monitoring Network: www.chbr.noaa.gov/PMN/voldatasheets.htm
The Virtual Plankton Tow: www.coexploration.org/bbsr/classroombats/html/virtual_plankton_tow.html
Plastics in the Environment
www.algalita.org/plastics-in-the-environment.html
www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/capt_charles_moore_on_the_seas_of_plastic.html
PRISM: Puget Sound Regional Synthesis Model
www.prism.washington.edu/
Puget Sound Partnership Educational Resources
http://www.pugetsoundstartshere.org/resources/educational-resources/
Puget Sound Passport
Outdoor activities for families, kids and adults
www.pugetsound.org/learn/parents/puget-sound-passport/puget-sound-passport-welcome
Reading List for Puget Sound lesson planning – fiction and nonfiction
www.pugetsound.org/learn/education-resources/readlist/
Sample lesson plan: Where Fresh and Salt Water Meet (grades 6-8)
www.forsea.org/PSP4.HTML
Sample lesson plan for grades 9-12 on oxygen issues in Puget Sound
www.forsea.org/PSP9.HTML
The SeaDoc Society
www.seadocsociety.org/
Seattle Aquarium: Orca Whale Curriculum
www.seattleaquarium.org/NetCommunity/Document.Doc?&id=159
Seattle Aquarium: Window on Washington Waters
www.seattleaquarium.org/NetCommunity/Document.Doc?&id=387
Sound Citizen
SEA will be engaging in Sound Citizen's data collection "citizen science" programs – learn more at their site!
www.soundcitizen.org/

Team-building activities, initiative games, & problem-solving exercises
wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html
Tides and currents for Puget Sound
www.mobilegeographics.com/pugetsoundcurrents.html
Tides and Currents Information
How to understand tides and currents
tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/education.html
University of Washington NatureMapping Program
depts.washington.edu/natmap/education/
Washington Sea Grant
Information on "Orca Bowl" opportunities for all high schools interested in this great marine-based
program!
www.wsg.washington.edu/
Also, check out this site for information on the NOAA/Sea Grant sponsored
summer camp for middle school students with an interest in marine studies!
www.wsg.washington.edu/education/events/noaa.html
Washington State Boating Law Basics
www.boatus.org/onlinecourse/statelaws/Washington.html
Washington State Department of Ecology Environmental Education
www.ecy.wa.gov/services/ee/index.html
Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife: Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program (PSAMP)
www.wdfw.wa.gov/fish/psamp/
Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife: Wildlife Science
wdfw.wa.gov/wildlife/management/index.html
Washington State Parks
Did you know all boaters in the State of Washington between the ages of 12 and 20 are required in 2008 to gain a Washington State Boater Education Card in order to legally operate a boat? Learn more about how to earn you boater's card at www.parks.wa.gov/boating/default.asp
Web Resources for developing lesson plans on estuaries
www.ngeo.com/xpeditions/lessons/11/g912/tgestuaries.html
Yes! Magazine Resources for Teachers
www.yesmagazine.org/default.asp?ID=29




