The £2 Tuition Hub

M2 – Seawater (Part 1)

In this hands-on 6-week block, we're going to investigate the science behind the most important substance in Marine Science, if not the whole of Biology...water! We'll zoom right down to particle level to explore solids, liquids and gases, changes of state and diffusion, before looking at how these processes help drive the water cycle and influence our oceans.

We'll play with ice and water to explore what happens to sea level when ice melts, watch diffusion in action, investigate dissolving and solubility, explore elements, compounds and mixtures, and discover what pH can tell us about seawater, freshwater and rainwater. We'll then dive into salinity: what is actually dissolved in seawater, how salinity is measured and why it varies between oceans, seas and estuaries.

With practical demonstrations, simple hands-on investigations, interactive Kahoot quizzes and IGCSE-style questions woven throughout, students won't just learn the properties of seawater, they'll investigate the science that makes our oceans behave the way they do.

Course Objectives:

By the end of this block, students should be able to:
• Describe and explain the properties of solids, liquids and gases using particle theory.
• Explain temperature in terms of particle movement and kinetic energy.
• Describe and explain changes of state, including melting, freezing, evaporation and condensation.
• Interpret cooling curves and relate changes in temperature and state to energy transfer.
• Use particle theory to describe and explain diffusion.
• Investigate the effect of melting ice on water level and relate this to sea-level change.
• Describe and interpret the water cycle, including evaporation, condensation and precipitation.
• Explain and use the terms element, compound and mixture.
• Describe dissolving using the terms solute, solvent and solution and investigate how temperature affects solubility.
• Use the pH scale to describe solutions as acidic, neutral or alkaline.
• Investigate and compare the pH of seawater, freshwater and rainwater.
• Describe the composition of seawater and explain salinity in terms of dissolved salts.
• Describe salinity using parts per thousand (ppt).
• Compare and explain differences in salinity between estuaries, seas and oceans.

Specialist Resources Needed:

A detailed equipment list will be provided before the block begins, along with suggested alternatives where appropriate. Most of the practical activities in this block use inexpensive household or kitchen items and lots of water! Learners may use items such as ice, salt, sugar, food colouring, glasses or clear containers, spoons, measuring equipment and simple craft materials to model particles and investigate changes in seawater. Some investigations may use pH indicators or other simple science equipment, but live demonstrations will always be provided where specialist equipment is involved. Learners will also need access to the course worksheets, which will be available on the dashboard. Please don't worry if you don't have specific items – students can still fully participate by watching the demonstrations, making predictions, analysing results and completing the accompanying activities.

If you definitely do not require your live space for this course, please opt to cancel your registration through the link in your Zoom confirmation email.
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