Activity Summary: Students will be able to analyze the types of sediment in cores extracted from the seafloor to practice making observations and descriptions similar to the technicians and scientists who collect and study these cores.

This lesson has students make Visual Core Descriptions of ocean sediment cores to mimic the work of technicians on board research vessels that collect these cores. Students will work on making observations that will lead to making inferences about past environmental conditions. Students should be familiar with sediment types found on the seafloor, and should have a basic understanding that the Earth’s crust is made up of tectonic plates that move.

This lesson has been revised and updated based on Core Understanding – Core Description and
Lithostratigraphy.