To help with the planning of our deep sea mission, the Mission Director needs a diagram showing the different layers of the ocean and extra information about underwater exploration and some of the life found in the deep. It is very important that your diagram is to scale, otherwise the expedition might get lost!

Activity steps - Chalk version

1. First you need to measure out a space for your ocean diagram. This should be a whole number of meters, e.g. 2m, 3m, 4m, to make measuring the different ocean zones easier.
2. Mark the top and bottom of your ocean diagram with lines 50cm wide, and then join them up to form a long, thin rectangle.
3. Continue with the 'Activity steps - Both versions' below.

Activity steps - Paper version

1. To make a paper version of your ocean diagram, you need to stick sheets of paper together to make a long, thin rectangle.
2. Lay sheets of paper on the floor and add enough to make a total length of 2m.
3. Continue with the 'Activity steps - Both versions' below.

Activity steps - Both versions

1. Now mark and label 1000m intervals along the side of your ocean diagram. This will divide your diagram into ten equal sections. If your total diagram is 2m long, each 1000m marker will be 20cm apart.
2. As the sunlight layer is very thin, you will need to divide the top 1000m into five equal sections of 200m each. If your total diagram is 2m long, each 200m marker will be 4cm apart.
3. Mark and label the different zones on your diagram using the information on the Deep sea poster or the 'Find out more' tab of this activity.
4. Choose different colors to shade these zones using chalk or paint. Maybe different shades going from lighter to darker, to show how sunlight only gets through the very top layers of the ocean.
5. Add more information to your diagram. Use the Deep sea poster to add different examples of underwater exploration and animals on your diagram. Make sure these are at the correct depths.
   
   If you are using paper, you can draw these on separate bits of paper. Then cut these out and stick them on.

More ideas

Make it simple
For younger children, adults can create the paper version of the deep sea diagram. Download the Deep sea coloring booklet and have younger children color in some examples of deep sea life and exploration. Then cut these out and stick them at the correct depths. This can make a great wall display.

• Tape measure or ruler

For chalk version

• Colored chalks
• Paved area such as a patio or playground

For paper version

• Poster paint
• Coloring pencils or pens
• Sticky tape
• Glue
• Scissors

Download the poster here

This activity introduces children to marine life and habitats. It gives them a sense of the enormity of the ocean and how little we know about its depths.

The challenge activity can help children compare their exisiting knowledge of terrestrial habitats and scales with the marine world.

Ensuring that the different ocean layers are drawn to scale, will help with numeracy and proportions.

• The sunlight zone is 200m deep.
• The twilight zone is 800m deep.
• The midnight zone is 3000m deep.
• The abyssal zone is 2000m dee[.
• The hadal zone is 5000m deep.
• The full depth of the ocean is 10000m.

To make the ocean layers to scale we will need to do some simple math.

If you are using a 2m length for your diagram, we can calculate the thickness of the sunlight layer as follows:

Sunlight zone is 200m out of a total 10000m:

200 ÷ 10000 = 0.02

Then calculate the proportion of 2m:

0.02 x 2m = 0.04m or 4cm

So your sunlight zone will be 4cm out of your total 2m of ocean. Use the same method to calculate the thickness of the other zones.

Extra challenge

Math The deepest point of the ocean is estimated to be 10994m, but this makes the math pretty hard. For extra challenge, see if you can work out the math, using this depth rather than the simplified 10000m.

Land & sea For a further challenge, research heights of different objects on land and mark these on your map. How deep would Mount Everest reach? What about the highest flying bird or the tallest building?