The first graders at my school have been studying the oceans. As part of their curriculum they were to learn about the three ways ocean water moves; tides, waves and currents. To help students visualize how temperature creates ocean currents, they experimented by adding ice water colored blue and hot water colored red to room temperature water to see how they reacted. After students had a chance to interact with the materials and explore for themselves what happens, I set up a density current model using a small aquarium. The students were fascinated to see this demonstrated and were able to accurately explain that cold water is more dense and sinks deeper into the ocean while warmer water is less dense and rises closer to the surface.
You can find the Density Current Model at the following link:
http://www.mediafire.com/?28xy7fbhkp9ayy4I
Warning: View at your own risk. This was filmed by a first grader. You may experience motion sickness!
