Carbon Dioxide, Shell Building, and Ocean Acidification

Notes from our reviewers

The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials.

• Teaching Tips
  Teachers will need to provide background content and a structured lesson plan to provide a quality learning experience. Excellent visualization to use with a lesson on carbonate equilibrium and ocean acidification, and impacts of rising CO2 on shell-forming organisms.
• About the Science
  This visualization discusses carbonate equilibrium in water and the effect of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide on ocean organisms. It relates the scientific method to the formation of calcium carbonate shells by marine organisms. This is easily related to ocean pH and concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Shows what 'ocean acidification' means. Comments from expert scientist: Scientific strengths: This is a great animation to understand how shell building is impacted by rising marine CO2 concentration. Suggestions: I just wish that the animation was concluded by a reference list. In particular, the animation states, "according to a hypothesis, at the molecular level, seawater..." I just wish that a bibliographical reference had been added somewhere to gather more information if needed.
• About the Pedagogy
  This is a short visualization of shell building and ocean acidification. No instructional materials or lesson plan are provided. Teachers will have to provide content, background information and a structured lesson plan for deeper learning.
• Technical Details/Ease of Use
  Technical quality is excellent: visuals are clean and colorful, animations work well, very easy to use.