Oceanography (2026-27)
Course Description:
Students receive an introduction to oceanography including the history of marine science, exploring such topics as air and sea interaction, ocean currents, tides, ecosystems, ocean resources, pollution, and conservation. Students explore these topics through a variety of content sources including an integrated eTextbook, videos, and interactives. Each lesson includes a quiz or assignment, and each unit culminates in a unit project. Through lesson assignments and unit projects, students will demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of ways including creative presentations, hands-on activities, writing, and more.
Course Details:
| Course Title (District): | Oceanography (2026-27) | ||||||||||
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| Course Title (NCES SCED) : | Marine Science | ||||||||||
| Course Provider : | Michigan Virtual | ||||||||||
| Content Provided By : | Michigan Virtual | ||||||||||
| Online Instructor Provided By : | Michigan Virtual | ||||||||||
| Standards Addressed : | Michigan K-12 Science Standards, Next Generation Science Standards | ||||||||||
| Alignment Document : | https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vS9iYwr-z-yQcWoxoZEvmTlvtxJNlMTEUdJuhDa4lY7lxJUfaApAwZ_Hs3RHx4TuJEaq7gLWCBvCB5P/pubhtml | ||||||||||
| Academic Terms : | Semester, Trimester | ||||||||||
| NCES SCED Code : 03005 |
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How To Enroll:
| Enrollment Website : | https://slp.michiganvirtual.org/ |
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| Email : | [email protected] |
| Phone : | (888) 889-2840 |
Students and Parents: It is important to work closely with your local school counselor or registrar to follow the school's enrollment procedures. By clicking the "Start Registration Request" button below, you will be able to notify the school of your interest in registering for the online course. However, it is the responsibility of the district or school to review the registration request and approve or deny the request. Please make a note to follow up with your school after submitting a registration request.
Additional Course Information:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: (888) 889-2840
- Explain how scientists conduct research
- Explain why ocean exploration is necessary and important to sustain life, habitats, and climate systems on Earth
- Explain how the sun, earth, air, and ocean interact with one another
- Explain how ocean currents affect productivity and climates
- Recognize the properties of and different types of waves and graph tides
- Identify and explain the effects humans have on marine ecosystems
- Classify resources in marine ecosystems and analyze how humans interact with these resources
Additional Cost Description: None
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to...
NSQ National Standards for Quality Online Courses: Fourth Edition (2025)
| Rating | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| A1: A course overview and syllabus are included in the course. | Fully Met | |
| A2: Minimum computer skills and digital literacy skills expected of the learner are clearly stated. | Fully Met | |
| A3: The instructor’s biographical information and information on how to communicate with the instructor are provided. | Fully Met | |
| A4: Learner expectations and policies are clearly stated and readily accessible within the introductory material of the course. | Fully Met | |
| A5: Minimum technology requirements for the course are clearly stated, and information on how to obtain the technologies is provided. | Fully Met | |
| A6: Grading policies and practices are clearly defined in accordance with course content learning expectations. | Fully Met | |
| A7: The course instructions articulate or link to a clear description of the technical support offered and how to obtain it. | Fully Met | |
| A8: Learners are offered an orientation prior to the start of the course. | Fully Met |
| Rating | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| B1: The course objectives or competencies are measurable and clearly state what the learner will be able to demonstrate as a result of successfully completing the course. | Fully Met | |
| B3: Digital literacy and communication skills are incorporated and taught as an integral part of the curriculum. | Fully Met | |
| B4: Supplemental learning resources and related instructional materials are available to support and enrich learning and are aligned with the content delivered. | Fully Met | |
| B5: The course content and supporting materials reflect different perspectives and provide non-stereotypical forms of representation. | Fully Met | |
| B7: The course is free of adult content and avoids unnecessary advertisements. | Fully Met | |
| B8: Copyright and licensing status for any third-party content is appropriately cited and easily found. | Fully Met | |
| B9: Documentation and other support materials are available to support effective online course facilitation. | Fully Met | |
| B2: Where applicable, the course content is aligned with accepted state and/or other accepted content standards. | Not Met | The learning objectives, materials, activities and assessments are aligned with the content standards. For example, Lesson 3.4’s standard is “HS-ESS1-4 Use mathematical or computational representations to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system.” The course objective is “Recognize the properties of and different types of waves and graph tides” and the lesson objective is “Graph the tide as it ebbs and flows in a 24 hour time period”. The activities (video and two articles) support the objectives. The assignment assesses students' understanding of the objective. The syllabus and course worksheet outline alignment to the Michigan K-12 NGSS standards. An alignment map is also provided for the course with course objectives, unit objectives, assessments, tools, and activities. The overall course objectives demonstrate weak alignment to the stated content standards. For example, the course objective CO2 asks learners to explain why ocean exploration is necessary but the content standards expect learners to plan and conduct an investigation of the properties of water. The content standards demand a level of reasoning, modeling, and investigation from learners. However, the course objectives to not meet the demand of the standards, relying on explaining, identifying, and recognizing. - Michigan Virtual response: 'Michigan Virtual acknowledges the content standards alignment gaps identified and while we continue to make the current course offering available, we have committed to develop an entirely new Oceanography course offering for the 2027-2028 school year.' |
| B6: The course materials (e.g., textbooks, primary source documents, Open Education Resources “[OER])” that support course content standards are accurate and current. | Not Met | There are many instructional materials available to students as they move through the course, and the materials are generally well aligned to the lesson objectives and content being taught. For example, in Lesson 3.1, the objectives are to “Identify different types of waves” and “Describe the properties of waves.” Students read instructional text related to the objectives, view diagrams, and then use a wave simulator to apply what they have learned. They also watch a video about large waves, which helps connect the content to a real-world example. However, this level of alignment is not consistent across all of the course standards and objectives. In Lesson 6.1, the instructional materials support the general lesson topic, but they do not appear to provide students with the information or practice needed to create or revise a simulation showing the effects of human activity on biodiversity, as required by HS-LS4-6. This standard also does not appear to be addressed elsewhere in the unit. The course presents a variety of instructional materials to support learners, including readings, multimedia, diagrams, and interactives. While the instructional materials can be clearly aligned to the related lesson objective or topics, the overall connection to the content standards and the course objectives is not clearly established. For example, 6.1 gives a list of materials that speak directly to the topic and lesson modules but does not prepare learners for the creation or revision of a simulation of human impacts on biodiversity as noted in standard HS-LS4-6 and this standard is not addressed elsewhere within the unit. - Michigan Virtual response: 'Michigan Virtual acknowledges the content standards alignment gaps identified and while we continue to make the current course offering available, we have committed to develop an entirely new Oceanography course offering for the 2027-2028 school year.' |
| Rating | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| C1: The course design includes activities that guide learners toward promoting ownership of their learning and self-monitoring. | Fully Met | |
| C3: The course is organized by units and lessons arranged in a logical sequence. | Fully Met | |
| C4: The course content is appropriate to the reading level of the intended learners. | Fully Met | |
| C5: The course design includes introductory assignments or activities to engage learners within the first week of the course. | Fully Met | |
| C6: The course provides learners with multiple learning paths as appropriate, based on learner needs, that engage learners in a variety of ways. | Fully Met | |
| C7: The course provides regular opportunities for learner-learner interaction. | Fully Met | |
| C8: The course design provides opportunities for learner-instructor interaction, including opportunities for regular feedback about learner progress. | Fully Met | |
| C9: Course instructional materials and resources present content in an effective, engaging, and appropriate manner. | Fully Met | |
| C2: The course’s content and learning activities promote the achievement of the stated learning objectives or competencies. | Partially Met | There are different types of assessments. Short quizzes are autograded, and most of the projects and assessments are uploaded for the instructor to grade. The tests have open-ended responses for the instructor to grade as well. When students complete a quiz, they can see their grade, but cannot see what questions they missed or receive immediate feedback. Lower stakes assessments are provided throughout the course to allow learners to reflect on their progress. The assessments build throughout the unit, allowing learners the opportunities to remediate before reaching a summative assessment. Learners may receive autograded feedback, feedback from their instructors, or even feedback from a peer. - Michigan Virtual response: 'Michigan Virtual acknowledges the content standards alignment gaps identified and while we continue to make the current course offering available, we have committed to develop an entirely new Oceanography course offering for the 2027-2028 school year.' |
| Rating | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| D2: Valid course assessments measure learner progress toward understanding of content. | Fully Met | |
| D3: Assessment practices provide frequent and varied opportunities for self-monitoring and reflection of learning. | Fully Met | |
| D4: Assessment materials provide the learner with the flexibility to demonstrate their understanding in a variety of ways. | Fully Met | |
| D5: Rubrics that clearly define expectations for varied levels of proficiency are created and shared with learners. | Fully Met | |
| D1: Learner assessments align with stated course, unit, or lesson-level objectives or competencies. | Not Met | The course includes an alignment matrix that connects lessons, objectives, standards, and assessments. Overall, the matrix shows that assessment is built into each unit. However, some of the listed objectives do not appear to have a clearly identified assessment that measures student mastery, especially for higher level objectives/standards. One example occurs in Lessons 1.2 and 1.3. Lesson 1.2 focuses on topics such as scientific research, ocean exploration, and the scientific method, while Lesson 1.3 shifts to oceans and seas. These lessons are grouped together under the 1.2–1.3 Quiz, but it is difficult to determine how the quiz measures all the objectives listed for Lesson 1.2. An alignment matrix is provided in the course worksheet and within the course. The alignment matrix shows a progression of assessments throughout each unit. There are gaps to the alignment where certain objectives or standards that are stated with specific assessment are not addressed or addressed in full. For example, Quiz 1.2-1.3 shows alignment to the following objectives and standards under 1.3. However, 1.2 lists different content standards and objectives, that do not show to be assessed by the 1.2-1.3. quiz. The course includes a variety of learning activities that are generally well aligned to the individual lesson objectives. For example, in Lesson 4.2, the objective is to “Discuss why it is important to protect the euphotic zone from pollution.” Students watch a video about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and then participate in a discussion board where they consider what may have happened to missing plastic in the Pacific Ocean and the possible environmental consequences. This activity gives students an opportunity to apply the lesson content and directly supports the stated lesson objective. However, this alignment is not consistently clear when compared to the broader content standards and course-level objectives. In some areas of the alignment matrix, it is difficult to determine how the listed learning activities help students meet all parts of the identified standards or course objectives. There are also places where standards or objectives do not appear to be connected to a specific learning activity. The learning activities are varied and are clearly aligned to the specified lesson objective. These are outlined in the alignment matrix and the lesson introductions. However, the content standards are not clearly addressed by each learning activity and there are gaps in the alignment matrix that do not indicate overlap of standards or course level objectives and how those activities help learners to achieve the specific targets of the identified standards. - Michigan Virtual response: 'Michigan Virtual acknowledges the content standards alignment gaps identified and while we continue to make the current course offering available, we have committed to develop an entirely new Oceanography course offering for the 2027-2028 school year.' |
| Rating | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| E1: Course navigation is logical, consistent, and efficient from the learner’s point of view. | Fully Met | |
| E2: The course design facilitates readability. | Fully Met | |
| E3: The course provides accessible course materials and activities to meet the variable needs of learners, following Universal Design for Learning principles. | Fully Met | |
| E4: Multimedia in the course is easy to use. | Fully Met | |
| E5: Vendor accessibility statements are provided for all technologies required in the course. | Fully Met |
| Rating | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| F1: All technologies and tools included for use as part of the course ensure that learner privacy is protected in accordance with the Acceptable Use Policy and applicable law. | Fully Met | |
| F2: The course tools further the learning objectives and course competencies. | Fully Met | |
| F3: The course technology allows for customization and personalization. | Fully Met | |
| F4: The course operates within a platform to score and record assessments and calculate earned course points or grades. | Fully Met | |
| F5: Courses utilize emerging technologies that can enhance the learning experience, prioritizing learners and outcomes. | Fully Met |
| Rating | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| G1: The course uses multiple methods and sources of input for assessing course effectiveness. | Fully Met | |
| G2: The course is regularly reviewed to ensure that the course is current and relevant. | Fully Met | |
| G3: The course is updated on a continuous improvement cycle for effectiveness based on the findings from ongoing reviews. | Fully Met |
Review Conducted By: Quality Matters
Date of Review:
09/16/2026
Unit 1: Intro to Marine Science
Unit 2: Ocean Highways
Unit 3: Waves and Tides
Unit 4: Ecosystems
Unit 5: Resources A
Unit 6: Resources B
Unit 7: Pollution
Unit 8: Future of the Plane
| Term Type | Enrollment Opens | Enrollment Ends | Random Draw Date | Enrollment Drop Date | Course Starts | Course Ends | # of Seats | Course Fee | Potential Additional Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester | 04/01/2026 | 12/18/2026 | 07/01/2026 | 12/04/2026 | 11/20/2026 | 02/19/2027 | 100 | $370 | |
| Semester | 04/01/2026 | 12/18/2026 | 07/01/2026 | 12/18/2026 | 12/04/2026 | 03/05/2027 | 100 | $370 | |
| Semester | 04/01/2026 | 12/18/2026 | 07/01/2026 | 12/25/2026 | 12/11/2026 | 03/12/2027 | 100 | $370 | |
| Semester | 04/01/2026 | 12/18/2026 | 07/01/2026 | 01/01/2027 | 12/18/2026 | 03/19/2027 | 100 | $370 | |
| Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 | 07/01/2026 | 01/15/2027 | 01/01/2027 | 05/21/2027 | 100 | $370 | |
| Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 | 07/01/2026 | 01/22/2027 | 01/08/2027 | 05/28/2027 | 100 | $370 | |
| Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 | 07/01/2026 | 01/29/2027 | 01/15/2027 | 06/04/2027 | 100 | $370 | |
| Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 | 07/01/2026 | 02/05/2027 | 01/22/2027 | 06/11/2027 | 100 | $370 | |
| Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 | 07/01/2026 | 02/12/2027 | 01/29/2027 | 06/18/2027 | 100 | $370 | |
| Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 | 07/01/2026 | 02/19/2027 | 02/05/2027 | 06/18/2027 | 100 | $370 | |
| Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 | 07/01/2026 | 02/26/2027 | 02/12/2027 | 06/18/2027 | 100 | $370 | |
| Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 | 07/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 | 02/19/2027 | 06/18/2027 | 100 | $370 | |
| Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 | 07/01/2026 | 03/12/2027 | 02/26/2027 | 06/18/2027 | 100 | $370 | |
| Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 | 07/01/2026 | 03/19/2027 | 03/05/2027 | 06/18/2027 | 100 | $370 |
| Drop Policy | Completion Policy | Term Type | Enrollment Opens | Enrollment Ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2026 | 12/18/2026 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2026 | 12/18/2026 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2026 | 12/18/2026 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2026 | 12/18/2026 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2026 | 03/05/2027 |
Students can use email or the private message system within the Student Learning Portal to access highly qualified teachers when they need instructor assistance. Students will also receive feedback on their work inside the learning management system. The Instructor Info area of their course may describe additional communication options.
Students will require a computer device with headphones, a microphone, webcam, up-to-date Chrome Web Browser, and access to YouTube.
Ensure that your school or district network and device administrator establishes network access permissions or exceptions for online resources relevant to the course in which you are choosing to enroll. Ref., Michigan Virtual Course Allow List
Please review the Michigan Virtual Technology Requirements.