The Dead Zone
Introduction | Mapping/Graphing Activities | Data Files | Other Activities | Glossary | Websites
Other Classroom Activites & Projects — Jeopardy Game
Materials
- 5×5 or 6×6 grid board.
- Printed questions and answers on opposite sides of paper
- 2 bells/ringer for answering
Group students into two or three teams (or have students participate individually). Choose a host and card flipper. Score five points for each correct answer and subtract 5 points for each incorrect answer. Optional scoring: sort questions by difficulty and increase points from the easiest (top) to the hardest (bottom). The host poses the answer and the teams compete to ask the question first.
ANSWERS |
QUESTIONS |
Nutrients | |
This nutrient is used by diatoms to form a shell. | What is silica? |
This essential element is needed for respiration. | What is oxygen? |
These two nutrients are found in fertilizers. | What are nitrogen and phosphorus? |
Water Characteristics | |
Mass and volume are important to this property of water. | What is density? |
The Mississippi River delivers this type of water into the Gulf of Mexico. | What is fresh water? |
Cold, saltwater is more _____ than warm freshwater. | What is dense? |
Water is composed of these two elements. | What are oxygen and hydrogen? |
This phenomenon occurs when water masses separate into layers. | What is stratification? |
When too many nutrients are present. | What is nutrient over enrichment? |
What Is Or Isn’t In The Water? | |
The concentration of dissolved salt in water is called this. | What is salinity? |
The absence of dissolved oxygen in water causes this condition. | What is anoxic? |
DO stands for _____ _____ . | What is dissolved oxygen? |
These three nutrients are necessary for growth of diatoms and other phytoplankton. | What are nitrogen, phosphorus and silica? |
The concentration of oxygen in water is referred to as this. | What is dissolved oxygen? |
An area is considered hypoxic when dissolved oxygen is below this value. | hat is 2 mg/L? |
What Does Water Do? | |
This term refers to the movement of water or materials from one place to another. | What is flux? |
Rainwater that flows over land anddrains into streams is called this. | What is runoff? |
This type of pollution comes from asingle source, for instance a specificpipe at a factory. | What is point pollution? |
This type of pollution comes primarily from agricultural and urban runoff and other sources. | What is nonpoint pollution? |
The land area that is drained by a stream or river is called this. | What is a watershed? |
This material is carried and deposited by water. | What is sediment? |
Processes | |
This process occurs when organic matter is broken down. | What is decomposition? |
These organisms use up oxygen while decomposing dead plants and animals. | What are bacteria? |
This natural physical force causes mixing in the ocean to occur. | What is the wind? |
This area in the water column is where the strongest change in density occurs with depth. | What is pycnocline? |
This area in the Gulf of Mexico is a place where most living things cannot survive. | What is the dead zone? |
Oxygen is consumed during this process. | What is respiration? |
This process is caused by an increase in organic production where nutrient supply is high. | What is eutrophication? |
Living Things | |
This explosive increase of phytoplankton populations contributes to hypoxic conditions. | What is an algal bloom? |
This group of organisms lives on the ocean bottom. | What is benthos? |
These animals escape hypoxicconditions by leaving the area. | What are crabs, shrimp and fish? |
These animals cannot escape hypoxic conditions because they cannot move. | What are worms and clams? |
This group of algae protects itself with a thin silicon shell. | What are diatoms? |
These free floating plants are thefoundation of the food chain in the ocean. | What are phytoplankton? |
Working In The Field And With Data | |
This diagram shows vertical features along a transect. | What is a cross section? |
Samples are taken at these places. | What are stations? |
This pre-established line is used forsystematically setting up sample stations. | What is a transect? |
This plotted line shows data vertically. | What is a profile? |
This instrument is used to determine water clarity. | What is a secchi disk? |
Dissolved oxygen is measuredin these units. | What are milligrams per liter? |
his vertical profile of water from the surface to bottom is sampled to determine physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the ocean. | What is the water column? |
Location, Location | |
In the ocean, photosynthesis occurs mainly here. | What is the surface? |
Plankton land here when they die. | What is the bottom? |
This occurs when warmer, fresher water settles over cooler, saltier water. | What is stratification? |
This shallow part of the sea is an extension of the mainland. | What is the continental shelf? |
U.S. Water Bodies | |
Hypoxic conditions have occurred in this Alabama bay. | What is Mobile Bay? |
The largest hypoxic area in the U.S. occurs in this water body. | What is the Gulf of Mexico? |
This water body drains 40% of the contigueous U.S. | What is the Mississippi River? |
Hypoxic conditions have occurred in these two Florida bays. | What are Perdido and Hilisborough bays? |
Pamlico Sound is located in this state. | What is North Carolina? |
Hypoxic conditions occur in this northeastern Bay, known widely for its blue crabs. | What is the Chesapeake Bay? |
Hypoxia has been reported in this U.S. water body, which is bordered by three states. | What is Long Island Sound? |
World Water Bodies | |
This hypoxic sea is bordered by Romania, Bulgaria and Russia. | What is the Black Sea? |
Italy shares coastlines with severalcountries along this water body where hypoxia has been reported. | What is the Adriatic Sea? |
Greece and Turkey share coastlineswith this sometimes hypoxic sea. | What is the Aegean Sea? |
This small, hypoxic sea is connectedto the Black Sea. | What is the Sea of Azov? |
Hypoxia has been reported in theSeancih Inlet in this country. | What is Canada? |
Artius Bay is in this European country. | What is Denmark? |
Hypoxic Kiel Bay borders this country. | What is Germany? |