The Indian Ocean

Summary
A lesson on the geography of the Indian Ocean. The reading is accompanied by true/false questions.

Objectives
• To introduce students to the geography of the Indian Ocean.

Suggested Grades
6th Grade
7th Grade
8th Grade

Excerpt
One of the five major geographic divisions of the worlds ocean, the Indian Ocean is located in the Eastern Hemisphere. The Indian Ocean is bounded by three continents: Africa to the west, Asia to the north, and Australia to the southeast. The islands of Indonesia, located to the south of Asia and north of Australia, also form part of the eastern boundary of the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean joins the Southern Ocean at 60 degrees south latitude, which is south of the southern tip of Africa.

The third largest ocean, the Indian Ocean is smaller than the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. It accounts for roughly 20 percent of the world?s surface water while the ocean as a whole contains 97 percent of all the surface water on earth. The average depth of the Indian Ocean is about 13,000 feet or about 2.5 miles. The deepest point in the Indian Ocean is 25,340 feet or 4.8 miles.

Continued...