Special Collection
George F. Mobley/National Geographic Creative
National Geographic Encounter is a first-of-its-kind, truly immersive experience that opens with Ocean Odyssey. Using technology, students embark on a virtual underwater journey across the Pacific Ocean, exploring some of the ocean’s greatest wonders and mightiest creatures. Created in a 60,000-square-foot space in Times Square, students can walk across an ocean floor and investigate a variety of ecosystems that come to life through groundbreaking technology. Video mapping, 8K photographic animation, mega-projection screens, sound, and interactive, real-time tracking bring students face-to-face with sea life—from great white sharks and humpback whales to Humboldt squids and sea lions.
At the completion of the transect, students resurface to learn more about the creatures and habitats they encountered. They engage further with more interactive technologies—such as holograms and touch screens—that highlight important ocean conservation and scientific research themes.
Visit National Geographic Encounter for more information on how your students can have the ultimate undersea experience without getting wet!
These guides can help you make the most of your trip to
National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey in Times Square
Use these curated materials to teach about ocean topics
Students learn about bioluminescence and conduct an experiment to learn how ocean animals use bioluminescence for camouflage.
Students learn about reef ecology with a focus on biodiversity and symbiotic relationships in the coral reef ecosystem. They play a matching game to identify reef organisms and roles and they discuss human threats to coral reef health.
Students brainstorm and analyze competing ocean resources and uses. They experiment with designating a marine protected area along an imaginary coastline and discuss the challenges of deciding on rules and restrictions within it.
Students discuss how they and other organisms adapt to survive in different environments. They discover the characteristics of deep-sea extremophiles that help those organisms survive in several deep-sea ecosystems.
Students describe their experiences with beaches, compare and contrast photographs of beaches, and brainstorm how humans living near the ocean affect ocean plants and animals.
Students brainstorm how people living along coasts harm ocean animals and plants. Then they analyze specific examples.
Students learn about waves by comparing and contrasting photographs and watching a hands-on demonstration.
Students use an interactive tool to create their own waves.
Students investigate people's historic relationship with whales and compare it to people's attitudes toward whales today.
Students use observation skills to determine taxonomic differences between seals and sea lions.
Students measure and use measurement conversions to learn about the size of six ocean animals and compare the animals' sizes to their own.
Students categorize photos and other representations of organisms as plants, invertebrates, fish, birds, reptiles, mammals, or amphibians. Then they use a diagram of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem to identify species that live in the Gulf of Mexico and categorize them.
Students learn about trophic levels in a marine food pyramid. Students play a game and complete mathematic equations to learn what happens to coral reef health when shark populations decrease.
Students plot the migration routes of actual leatherback sea turtles using data from satellites tracking the turtles as they cross the Atlantic Ocean.
Students work together to illustrate the water cycle as a class. Each student writes an imaginary story about the journey of one drop of water going through the water cycle. Then students discuss some of the reasons why our ocean is important.
Students research members of the team behind the historic DEEPSEA CHALLENGE expedition and then take on the role of a team member in a simulation of a deep-sea expedition.
Students study whale migration routes using a map scale. They create stories of whale migrations drawing upon the reasons behind animal migration.
Students brainstorm and display on a map a variety of ways they are connected to the ocean.
Students analyze three broad ocean habitats, the characteristics and conditions of each, and research the animals of each zone and their adaptations.
Students explore the boundaries of Earth's five oceans, recognizing that they are all connected. Students discuss what this means for conservation of the one world ocean.
Students compare percentages of protected land and protected ocean and discuss the value of marine protected areas.
Students read about the establishment of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument and discuss why it is important to preserve the Mariana Trench and surrounding area.
Students learn about the three ocean light zones, make predictions about deep-sea resources, and read about those resources and their value to science and businesses.
Students research five species of sea turtles and compare and contrast them. Then they use a map of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill to discuss the effect of oil on sea turtles.
Students analyze data and maps to understand how increased population growth impacts the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay. Then they explore how the health of the bay affects its animals.
Students use maps to learn about ocean currents, research case studies of ocean spills, and discuss the role of oceanographers.
Students locate the Mariana Trench on a map, discuss who has jurisdiction over it, and identify the challenges of exploring the deepest place on Earth.
Students watch demonstrations and a video to understand where water travels when it goes down a drain and how water pollutants impact a larger area.
This project-based learning experience culminates with students using their new knowledge about marine ecology and human impacts on the ocean to create and propose a management plan for a Marine Protected Area.
Students research and compare three deep-sea exploration vehicles to determine how the designs of these vehicles have changed over time.
Students investigate types of marine ecosystems, identify examples of these ecosystems and their characteristics, and locate the ecosystems on a map of the world's oceans.
Students learn about the world’s largest “landfill,” make a connection to their own lives, and calculate how much trash they generate in a week, a year, and ten years.
What was done to clean up the oil that spilled into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010? How effective were those efforts?
National Geographic has set out to protect 20 of the ocean’s wildest places by 2020. Learn more about this project and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Enric Sala.
Exploring and protecting some of the last truly wild places in the ocean
Learn more about National Geographic Explorers working to protect the oceans
Gregg Treinish is a 2013 Emerging Explorer dedicated to conservation and connecting outdoor adventurers with scientists in need of data from the field.
Profile of Dr. Sylvia Earle, an oceanographer and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence.
A voice for a group of “unorthodox” whales in the Indian Ocean, Asha de Vos is the first and only Sri Lankan to earn a Ph.D. in marine-mammal-related research.
Jessica Cramp is known for for saying sharks are the gateway drug to ocean science. Learn more about her work here.
Every marine turtle species is endangered. Meet Jose Urteaga, the explorer working hard and fast to reverse that trend.
Marine biologist, ocean explorer, and professor David Gruber searches the undersea world for bioluminescent and biofluorescent marine animals.
Explore these dynamic ocean-themed GeoStories
Filmmaker James Cameron's journey to the deepest-known place on Earth
Pivotal events in undersea understanding
Rhyme your way through ecosystems of marine protected areas
Use these maps to help your students understand their geographic relationship to the oceans
A map of the world's ocean from the September 2012 issue of National Geographic magazine.
Visit our collection of black-and-white maps. Download, print, and customize your own!
Dive into these ocean images with your students
Build your ocean with this fun matching game!
This interactive game takes students on a journey through the Indian, Atlantic, Pacific, Antarctic, and Arctic Oceans.
