Civic Literacy Curriculum
This curriculum guide is intended to cover questions 129 & 130.
Q129: What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
a. Atlantic Ocean
b. Pacific Ocean
c. Indian Ocean
d. Northern Ocean
Q130: What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
a. Arctic Ocean
b. Pacific Ocean
c. Southern Ocean
d. Atlantic Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in the world. In fact, it’s the largest anything in the world. The area it covers is actually larger than all of the continents combined. The name Pacific is derived from the name that the explorer Ferdinand Magellan gave it in 1521: mar pacifico, which means peaceful sea. But it is not so peaceful: it is home to active volcanoes—roughly 450 of them – seemingly bottomless trenches such as the almost seven mile Challenger Deep, and some of the most complex ecosystems ever discovered, such as the Great Barrier Reef. (Nor was it ultimately peaceful to Magellan, whose effort to circumnavigate the globe in 1519 had to be completed by other members of his expedition after he was killed by islanders on the Philippines in 1521).
While the Pacific Ocean can boast that it holds 75% of the world’s active volcanoes, the Atlantic can lay claim to icebergs, shoals, violent storms, fog, and the Bermuda Triangle -- all of which can bring down a ship, even the ones deemed “unsinkable.” The Atlantic is also home to some of the largest creatures on the planet, such as the sperm whale, which can reach 70 feet in length, and which once anchored the whaling industry of New England.
Discussion Prompts for All Learners
Background
Though Columbus was not the first to cross the Atlantic, it was his voyage in 1492 that led to the colonization of the Americas. When he returned with tales of his travels and artifacts from the new lands, he whetted European people’s appetites for adventure and wealth. On the opposite end of the Pacific Ocean were the very lands Columbus had been hoping to reach in the first place.
Prompt 1
When it comes to geography, it is important to know both the land and the waterways. What ocean is on the west coast of the United States? And what ocean is on the east coast?
Prompt 2
We know that access to water is important for a nation because it allows for basic survival as well as expansion, trade, and even defense. How did the Atlantic Ocean figure into the development of the United States? How does bordering two oceans, the Pacific and the Atlantic, help the United States in terms of trade and defence? Use current and past events to support your answer.
Lessons
Oceans
By Rachel DeChristina
Lesson Summary: Students will learn that two different oceans border the United States. By observing a map/globe or google Earth and then completing their own map, they will better understand the oceans that border the United States on the west and east.
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to identify the ocean on the West Coast of the United States.
Students will be able to identify the ocean on the East Coast of the United States.
From Coast to Coast
By Chelsea Reynolds
Lesson Summary: In this lesson, students will investigate the geographic location of the oceans on the East and West Coast of the United States. Students will also compare and contrast the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and describe why each ocean is significant to the United States.
Learning Objectives: Students will understand the geographic location, significance, and differences between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans in relation to the United States.
**This lesson is part of a unit and covers:
Q119: What is the capital of the United States?
Q120: Where is the Statue of Liberty?
Q128: Name the two longest rivers in the United States.
Q129 +130: Between Two Oceans
Q131: Name one U.S. territory.
Q132: Name one state that borders Canada.
Q133: Name one state that borders Mexico.
Title: Fast and Curious Basic Geography
By Sheila Edwards
Lesson Summary: Students will use the “Fast and Curious” method to learn facts about some of America’s important physical and physiographic features. . Using this method, students take the quiz without frontloading information, and class scores are posted. The key geographical features will be taught briefly, and students will be quizzed again. Generally, after a quick review of most missed questions, students get a third chance, which is the grade used.
Learning Objectives: Students will be able to name and locate 12 physical or physiographic features of the United States.
Ocean Organizations
By Belinda Cambre
Lesson Summary: Students will discuss and investigate federal agencies that are involved with the oceans that border the United States. They will create and present a slideshow of relevant information to share with others.
Learning Objectives: Students will learn that, although the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans border the United States, they are not fully controlled by the government. The government, however, regulates some activities involving the oceans, which students will research.