Ocean Literacy Standards
The Ocean Literacy brochure identifies the essential principles of ocean sciences that should be included in K-12 classrooms as well as the fundamental concepts that are the building blocks of these essential principles.

Grades 5 - 8
NOAA IPY Selected Lessons Aligned to the National Science Education Standards (NSES)	Three Cold Realms	Jelly Critters	Life in the Crystal Palace	Meet the Arctic Benthos	Would You Like a Sample?	Polar Bear Panic!	Where Have All the Glaciers Gone?	Frozen Out
Unifying concepts and processes
Change, constancy, and measurement
Evidence, models, and explanation
Evolution and equilibrium
Form and function
Systems, order, and organization
A - Science as inquiry
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understanding about scientific inquiry
B - Physical science
Motion and forces
Properties and changes of properties in matter
Transfer of energy
C - Life science
Diversity and adaptations of organisms
Population and ecosystems
Regulation and behavior
Reproduction and heredity
Structure and function in living systems
D - Earth and space science
Earth in the solar system
Earth's history
Structure of the earth system
E - Science and technology
Abilities of technological design
Understandings about sci. / tech.
F - Science in personal / social perspectives
Natural hazards
Personal health
Populations, resources, environments
Risks and benefits
Sci. / tech. in society
G - History and nature of science
History of science
Nature of science
Science as a human endeavor

Grades 9 - 12              Top
NOAA IPY Selected Lessons Aligned to the National Science Education Standards (NSES)	Get Smart	Is It Getting Hot in Here	I'll Stay Here if it Kills Me!	Do You Want to Risk It?	Burp Under the Ice	Let's Get to the Bottom of the Arctic!	Message in the Bottles	What's Eating You?	Current Events	The Good, the Bad, and the Arctic
Unifying concepts and processes
Change, constancy, and measurement
Evidence, models, and explanation
Evolution and equilibrium
Form and function
Systems, order, and organization
A - Science as inquiry
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understanding about scientific inquiry
B - Physical science
Chemical reactions
Conservation of energy and increase in disorder
Interactions of energy and matter
Motions and forces
Structure and properties of matter
Structure of atoms
C - Life science
Behavior of organisms
Biological evolution
Interdependence of organisms
Matter, energy, and organization in living systems
Molecular basis of heredity
The cell
D - Earth and space science
Energy in the earth system
Geochemical cycles
Origin and evolution of the earth system
Origin and evolution of the universe
E - Science and technology
Abilities of technological design
Understandings about sci. / tech.
F - Science in personal / social perspectives
Environmental quality
Natural and human-induced hazards
Natural resources
Personal and community health
Population growth
Sci. / tech. in local, national, and global challenges
G - History and nature of science
Historical perspectives
Nature of scientific knowledge
Science as a human endeavor