The United Nations launched the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development in 2021. We invited the ingenious children of Canada to think up and draw invention ideas to protect the oceans!
Oceans cover more than 70% of our planet and they are essential to all life on Earth. But overpopulation and industrialization have taken their toll.
We can start building a better future for our oceans, with science, invention and innovation at the heart of it all. The more we understand our oceans, the better we can learn to look after them and get them back to health.
A selection of invention ideas were chosen to be made real and showcased during Science Odyssey in 2021.
Several other little inventors had the wonderful opportunity to submit their ideas to the Canadian Science Fair Journal and got published!
The challenge is supported by three FREE resource packs:
- The Mission Protect our oceans challenge pack (why the oceans matter, sea life and habitats, threats and challenges to ocean health).
- A world of pollution extension pack (plastic and wider pollution issues, the carbon cycle, acidification and deoxygenation).
- Climate power extension pack (the water cycle, the role of oceans in the weather, climate change issues) – Available by June 8, 2020, World Oceans Day, in time for our next school year!
The resources have been designed to support scaffolded learning for students age 5 to 15 years old to stretch their imagination and creativity! Each resource includes a PowerPoint presentation, student activity sheets and resource guide. Start by downloading The Mission: protect our oceans challenge pack and use extension packs to dive deeper into further Ocean themes.
Mission protect our oceans challenge pack
why the oceans matter, sea life and habitats, threats and challenges to ocean health!
A world of pollution extension pack
This extension pack includes three PowerPoint presentations that you can choose from, each with their own activity sheet and guide.
Ocean pollution
The plastic problem
Ocean = carbon eater
Climate Power extension pack
This extension pack includes two PowerPoint presentations that you can choose from, each with their own activity sheet and guide.
The weather and the oceans
The Arctic Ocean
NSERC Inventor's log Part I - Developing your idea!
Download our Mission: protect our oceans inventor’s log to get them to develop their idea to the full!
This log has activities that children can complete in their own time to think more about their invention, write a story or comic, do some research and get plenty of top tips!
![[rs:300]](https://www.littleinventors.org/theme/inventors/img/resources/resource-pack.png?cts=1734454525)
NSERC Oceans Inventors log part II - prototype your idea!
Take your ocean invention idea from 2D to 3D is another great way to understand how your invention could work in real life. Creating a model using cardboard or recycled materials can help you refine your idea, and might even change how you think about it! Have a go!
NSERC and Little Inventors Mini Challenge Pack 1
This is the first pack of mini challenges brought to you by NSERC and Little Inventors that deals with all sort of problems threatening our oceans.
1. Why the oceans matter? Video
In this video, you will find out about why the oceans matter and why they need our help for a
better future.
2. The vastness of the ocean Video
This video looks at Canada’s connection to the oceans, the vastness of the oceans and the different oceans habitats.
3. Ocean Pollution Video
In this video, you will find about the issue of pollution and how it affects the oceans, and why they
need our help for a better future.
4.The plastic problem Video
In this video, you will find out about the issue of plastic and how it affects the oceans, and
why they need our help for a better future.
5.Ocean = carbon eater Video
The Little Inventors challenge Mission: Protect our oceans is led by NSERC in partnership with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.
6. The weather and the oceans Video
Watch this video to find out more about how the weather effects the oceans!
