Remote Sensing and Coral Reefs
A Curriculum for 4th - 6th Grade Students
Satellites have revolutionized communication, entertainment, and scientific
monitoring. It becomes increasingly relevant for our 21st-century students to learn
about these objects that hover around our planet. Satellite monitoring of the
environment around coral reefs offers invaluable information to those working to
preserve these unique ecosystems.
The lessons in this unit are designed to be taught in sequence; however, many of the
activities are suited to teaching in isolation. This science unit is appropriate for
grades four through six. Some concepts tend to be abstract, so depending on
students' ability and background knowledge, this unit might be more suitable in a
gifted and talented setting.
On this CD, you will find the PDF lesson plans and Power Point presentations. You
may choose one file with the entire curriculum, or individual lesson plans.
During the summer of 2004, Margaret "Peggy" Koenig created
this curriculum unit for NOAA Coral Reef Watch as part of the
Earth/Space Science Internship Program funded by the
Maryland Space Grant Consortium in collaboration with Johns
Hopkins University. The unit was first launched by Ms. Koenig at
the Satellites and Education Conference XVII, hosted by the
Satellites in Education Association (SEA) in Los Angeles, CA in August of 2004.
Ms. Koenig has taught in Baltimore County Public Schools since 1998, and currently
teaches fifth grade at Hillcrest Elementary School in Catonsville, Maryland. She is a
graduate of the College of Notre Dame of Maryland and Loyola College, and is
pursuing a second Master's degree from Johns Hopkins University. Her internship
with NOAA Coral Reef Watch was part of her work toward this degree: a Master of
Science in Education with a concentration in Earth/Space Science.
MORE RESOURCES:
For more information about the Earth/Space Science Internship Program, see
The website that hosts these lesson plans can be found at
For more about NOAA Coral Reef Watch, and to find current data, please visit our
For more information about all of NOAA’s coral reef activities, including more
education resources, please visit the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program at
If you have questions about the lesson plans or satellite monitoring, please send us