ScienceOcean LifeAges 7–9

Tides, Waves & Currents

Know that the ocean has tides (water level rises and falls twice a day, caused mainly by the Moon's gravity), waves (caused by wind), and currents (rivers of water flowing through the ocean that carry warmth and nutrients around the world)

Lesson

Set out your lesson

Distinguish tides, wind waves and currents while allowing local tidal variation.

Before teaching

Activity

Can attend to a short explanation and respond orally, by pointing, drawing or writing; check relevant prerequisite understanding rather than assuming age proves readiness.

Policy

Check readiness rather than assuming age or source graph order establishes attainment.

Printer, credit, and teaching notes

Materials

Prepared passage, cards materials are available in each step.

Preparation

Open the teaching material first. Keep the adult key and check sheet separate until their named stage. No printing, purchase or external media is required for the supplied adapted text tasks.

Safety

Indoors model only; no entering water or relying on this lesson for tide/coastal safety.

Optional Observation

Only record a real observation after the activity is actually carried out safely; otherwise mark not carried out.

Materials are ready in each step. Use them on screen or print just the current step. Put teaching examples aside before the learner tries.

Next: Show

Adult extras

What this lesson covers and its limits

These are bounded opportunities, not learner attainment. Partial and blocked source requirements remain so.

blocked: Know that the ocean has tides (water level rises and falls twice a day, caused mainly by the Moon's gravity), waves (caused by wind), and currents (rivers of water flowing through the ocean that carry warmth and nutrients around the world)
Exact source demand not established: Canonical twice a day is not universal; Sun contributes. Not all ocean waves originate in wind. Real observation/media-dependent evidence remains conditional where required.
partial: Describe tides as the regular rise and fall of water level, caused by the Moon's gravity
Bounded task opportunity only; this task samples the clause using repeated-application evidence, not full coverage or learner attainment.
partial: Explain that waves are caused by wind blowing across the water surface
Bounded task opportunity only; this task samples the clause using repeated-application evidence, not full coverage or learner attainment.
partial: Describe ocean currents as large flows of water that carry heat and nutrients around the globe
Bounded task opportunity only; this task samples the clause using repeated-application evidence, not full coverage or learner attainment.
partial: If {{name}} noticed the water level changing at the beach during the day, could they explain that tides are caused by the Moon's pull, and that the ocean also has waves from wind and currents that flow like underwater rivers?
Bounded task opportunity only; this task samples the clause using repeated-application evidence, not full coverage or learner attainment.

Canonical twice a day is not universal; Sun contributes. Not all ocean waves originate in wind.

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Distinguish tides, wind waves and currents while allowing local tidal variation.

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Learning resources

Extra practice links — they do not replace Gakuva’s teaching approach.

NASA Climate Kids · Practice link — not the full lesson

Ocean

Open practice(new tab)

Before you open · source notes

Ocean supports Tides, Waves & Currents. An adult previews and guides; this is a learning page, not a scored quiz.

Free educational page, no sign-in required for the tested path.

Before you open

Ask the learner one fact they learned and one question they still have.

Opening this link does not save learning or assess mastery.

Source, access and review notes

Public NASA Climate Kids page. An anonymous GET on 2026-11-12 returned HTTP 200 with no login or payment prompt for this URL. Opening the link does not save practice or assess mastery. An adult should preview and guide the learner.

NASA Climate Kids. “Ocean.” External page; Gakuva does not copy, host, embed, or redistribute materials.

Unknown — link only

Check understanding

Describe tides as the regular rise and fall of water level, caused by the Moon's gravity
Explain that waves are caused by wind blowing across the water surface
Describe ocean currents as large flows of water that carry heat and nutrients around the globe

“If your child noticed the water level changing at the beach during the day, could they explain that tides are caused by the Moon's pull, and that the ocean also has waves from wind and currents that flow like underwater rivers?”

Curriculum record

Type: Conceptual
Subject: Science
Domain: Ocean Life
Age range: Ages 7–9