Elementary students, as scientists, investigate strategies for communication over long distances to answer the following driving question: How can a UUV in the deep ocean send a message to the surface? Students begin by considering what they know about the ocean and the deep ocean. Facts are provided about the depths that humans and submarines can reach. Next, they are introduced to a phenomenon: A photograph was captured 800 meters underwater and sent to a computer in a laboratory on the surface. A series of numbers was also sent to the computer. Students ask questions and consider how to investigate the phenomenon. They determine that they should read about how messages are sent over long distances in the ocean and test different methods of communication. Students read an article that introduces UUVs and run tests of how oral communication conveys different types of information over different distances. Using the information from the article and data from their tests, students develop an initial model that explains how the UUV sent the photograph over a long distance to the computer on the surface. 

This lesson is Lesson 1 of the Mysteries of the Deep: UUVs and Digitizing Ocean Communication Playlist. 

This playlist was created in collaboration with Northrop Grumman and supported by the Northrop Grumman Foundation.

Click the Download PDF button above for the complete Lesson Plan.

Student Materials

Per Group

• Meterstick

Per Student

• 1 Messenger Card
• Lesson 1 Student Guide

Teacher Materials

• NG_ES_PLAY_Lesson 1 Slides
• Playlist Front Matter
• Playlist Storyline Outline
• Playlist Model Tracker

Optional Teacher Resources

• Additional Ocean, UUV, and Digital Information Resources