Read a book to the children that describes the ocean and the ocean floor. Tell the students that according to the Smithsonian, "Deep water is inhospitable for human divers and other animals because it's cold and dark, and the weight of water overhead exerts intense pressure." Since so little is known about the ocean floor, it will be the students' job to fill in the blanks by using their imagination. Give them a piece of paper and instruct them to draw a picture of what they think the deep ocean floor looks like. Have them include the types of fish and other animals they think inhabit the ocean floor.
Tell the students to make an ocean floor lodge. The Education Place suggests this fun project for students. They can either draw a picture or make a model. Inform students that lodges are hotels near recreation areas where people stay like in a hotel and enjoy the activities nearby. Hunting and fishing lodges are typical popular retreats. Inform students that they are to make a deep water ocean lodge. They will need to research the ocean floor and figure out the best place to put their lodge. For example, they may want to place their lodge next to Mauna Kea in Hawaii, which, counting the portion of the mountain that's under water, is actually the tallest mountain in the world. They will need to include activities the guests at their lodge will enjoy.
Since the ocean floor is so inhospitable to human exploration, many scientists and explorers have developed unmanned robots to explore for them. Robots have been used to gather sunken treasure and take pictures of deep sea oceans where the pressure is to great for human survival. Have the students make a robot suitable for ocean floor exploration. Either have them draw a robot or they can make one out of clay. The students will need to include in their work what purpose their robot is for.
The floor of the ocean is an incredibly varied environment. The highest mountain lies on the ocean floor, deep trenches exist, and beautiful coral seas abound there. Kelly Meadows posted an interesting project where students work in groups to draw the ocean floor. She states: "Students should be instructed to recreate the ocean floor from the beach to the bottom of the ocean. Students should label the beach, continental shelf, ocean ridge, and trench. Have students draw appropriate ocean animals and color." Afterwards, each group will share its project with the rest of the class.