Page 109 - Livre_MOW2024_EN

To officially adopt a profiling
float, each class must give
their robot a name and
After studying the theory, the children got to work design a logo for it.
using the scientific method: ask a question, form a
hypothesis, conduct an experiment, observe, analyse
and write a conclusion. “The first years listened to
an engaging presentation on ocean currents that
was adapted to their level. They enjoyed Manon’s
approach and their discussions, and loved getting
stuck in and testing their hypotheses with her”,
commented the teacher who accompanied the class
during this workshop designed to complement the
school curriculum.

The Monegasque students have participated in the
Adopt a Float programme since the beginning of
the school year, alongside 90 other classes around
the world (a total of almost 2,000 students and their
teachers). This initiative enables young citizens to
understand and deepen their connection with the
ocean.

Students used the scientific method to understand the mechanisms driving
deep ocean currents.
IN
FIGURES

■ 90 classes participating,
■ 2,000 students and their teachers
involved

PROFILE

Adopt a Float is an educational Nothing beats an experiment to explain how the temperature and salinity of water
programme run by the Culture affect its density and flow patterns. Here, warm water (dyed red) stays at the surface,
Océan team at the Institut de la Mer while cold water remains at the bottom. The conclusion? Warm water has a lower
density than cold water.
de Villefranche (CNRS / Sorbonne
University). It invites pupils around
the world, from pre-school through to
college, to learn about the ocean and
the importance of studying it to better
understand and protect it.

How do global ocean currents work? Get your test tubes ready! The freezing, salty
waters of the North Pole (in blue) sink deep to the bottom, while the warmer, less saline
waters of the Equator (in red) rise towards the surface. The result is a global process
known as thermohaline circulation.