Caveat Academy course · Grades 9 to 12

Oceanography

A semester of ocean science: how the seafloor was mapped by echo, why it spreads apart at ridges, what makes seawater salty and why its pH is falling, how wind and density drive currents and El Niño, how waves, tsunamis and tides work, and what warming, runoff and fishing are doing to ocean life. Six modules at your own pace, with a check in every lesson and a certificate at the end.

Start the courseSee the modules
$19one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $19

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the High school electives library, $119 for 66 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 13 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: The ocean planet

    Describe the size and shape of the world ocean and compute seafloor depth from echo times and water pressure at depth.

    • One connected ocean
    • Mapping the seafloor
    • Exploring the deep
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: The seafloor and plate tectonics

    Explain the evidence for seafloor spreading, compute spreading rates and predict seafloor sediment from depth and setting.

    • A moving seafloor
    • Seafloor sediments
    • Hydrothermal vents
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: Seawater

    Explain how water's polarity shapes the ocean, compute density and salinity, and interpret pH change during ocean acidification.

    • Water's unusual properties
    • Salinity and layers
    • Gases, pH and a changing ocean
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Ocean circulation

    Explain how wind, the Coriolis effect and density drive surface currents, upwelling, ENSO and the global conveyor.

    • Winds and surface currents
    • Upwelling and El Niño
    • The global conveyor
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: Waves, tides and coasts

    Compute wave and tsunami speeds, predict longshore drift, and explain the causes of spring and neap tides.

    • How waves work
    • Breaking waves and changing coasts
    • Tides
    about 2.3 h

  6. Module 6: Ocean life, climate and people

    Analyze ocean food webs, the ocean's role in climate and sea-level rise, and human impacts such as dead zones and overfishing. Evaluate proposed responses to ocean problems, such as catch limits or no-take marine reserves, using simple quantitative evidence.

    • Life zones and the base of the food web
    • The ocean and climate
    • Human impacts and solutions
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 5 · How waves work

Worked example: how fast a tsunami crosses an ocean

  1. The ocean is about 4,000 meters deep along the path.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Academics · High School$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished semester of oceanography: you can compute depth from a sonar echo and pressure at depth, explain the magnetic-stripe evidence for seafloor spreading and compute a spreading rate, predict which sediment covers a site, compute density and salinity and read what a drop in pH means, trace a current with the Coriolis effect and Ekman transport, explain upwelling and El Niño, compute wave and tsunami speeds, predict longshore drift and tides, and judge a fishing plan with numbers. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 9 to 12 who are curious about the sea, are preparing for an earth science, environmental science or marine science class, or are thinking about careers in ocean research, fisheries, coastal engineering or climate science; homeschool families who want a complete semester unit. Home demonstrations use salt, water and food coloring; beach and tide-pool activities are optional and follow posted safety signs and tide times.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 145 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 13 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the High school electives library ($119) and the Academics Suite pass ($149), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The High School space in Caveat Academics.
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

Start the course

Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. NOAA Ocean Service, education tutorials on tides, currents and ocean exploration: oceanservice.noaa.gov/education
  2. NOAA, ocean acidification resource collection: noaa.gov
  3. NOAA Climate.gov, El Niño and La Niña explained: climate.gov/enso
  4. Argo program, how the float array works: argo.ucsd.edu
  5. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Sixth Assessment Report, Working Group I, on ocean heat uptake and sea level: ipcc.ch
  6. Paul Webb, Introduction to Oceanography, a free open textbook: rwu.pressbooks.pub/webboceanography

Oceanography is a self-paced course from Caveat Academic Services. It follows the sequence of a typical one-semester oceanography elective but does not replace a school course or supervised lab or field work and awards no credit. Figures such as average depth and salinity are rounded, well-established values; example numbers in worked problems are labeled as examples. Safety notes about rip currents, tsunamis and tide pools are general guidance; follow lifeguards, posted signs and local warnings. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.