This summer, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sent the submersible Alvin down to explore the biology, physics, and chemistry of seafloor methane seeps off the coast of the southeastern U.S. Now educators can bring the Windows to the Deep expedition to the classroom with a set of lesson plans available at this Web site. Designed for grades 5-12, these "hands-on, inquiry-based activities include focus questions, background information for teachers, links to interesting Internet sites, and extensions." Life science topics are well-represented, with lessons focused on methane hydrate ice worms and hydrate shrimp, biodiversity in cold seep communities, chemosynthesis compared with photosynthesis, and more.
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