Ocean Theme
Activities

Grade Level: 4 to 8 years old


What is an Ocean?

Objective: To be able to understand the difference between land and bodies of water on a globe and gain increased awareness of oceans and life.
Materials:
globe, Maps, Pictures of oceans, Books about water and sea life

Vocabulary:
water, oceans, globe, land mass, gulf, continents

Activities
1. The teacher will read books about the Seashore, water and the earth.
2. After reading the book, show children a globe, discuss how the bodies of water are blue and land masses are other colors. Show different land masses and identify continents and show the place where we live.
Language: Make a fish book.
Science: Use a water table or large tubs, fill with water and put in plastic sea creatures. Wear goggles and fins, and use plastic fishing poles to “fish” for creatures.
Math: Counting Fish- Use precut fish and blue construction paper and instruct students to put on eyes and mouth. Children can then count and group. Sing the song 1 Little, 2 Little 3 Little Fishes to the tune of "Ten Little Indians"
Art: Fish Bowls - Cut a fish bowl pattern from a 12x18 piece of construction paper, folded in half. Place two sheets of wax paper in the fold as indicated on the pattern. Use green and blue shades of shaved crayon and sprinkle between wax papers. Children can then add strips of tissue to simulate seaweed and/or cut fish from construction paper. After it is all assembled teacher will iron wax paper together and glue to the fish bowl Create a mural where all the children color the background in different shades of blues, add their fish, rocks, and sea life. Cover with saran wrap to give the glossy look.




Oceans verses Lakes

Objective:
Children will be aware of the differences between ocean water and lake water by smelling, tasting and seeing.

Materials:
salt, water, two large plastic containers, pictures of lakes and oceans, small drinking cups, spoons, coffee stirrers.
Vocabulary:
salt, water, lake, float, sink

 

Activities

1. Introduce a lake by showing pictures of a local lake or by going on an outing to see one. Then the teacher will tell students that our drinking water comes from a lake. Visit the local reservoir or have a guest speaker come in
2. Review what an ocean is and show poster or picture of an ocean. Discuss how oceans and lakes are both water but we can’t drink ocean water because it’s too salty.
3. Read books about fresh and salt water.
4. After reading the book, discuss with students that sea water is salty. If some are not familiar with salty taste, have them think of how popcorn taste. Show them salt.
5. Have two plastic containers filled with water, and discuss how they are same.
Then begin adding large amounts of salt to one of the containers until dissolved. Then ask if they are the same? Why or why not? As students are discussing, let them taste the difference by pouring into small paper cups and use coffee stirrers to taste.
Science: Egg Float - Fill two containers with water; add generous amounts of salt to one and stir until dissolved. Place a raw egg in each container. The egg in the unsalted water should sink and the one in the salted water should float. Discuss why they float or sink.
Art: Salt painting - Mix a variety of colors of dry tempera with salt have students brush thinned glue on a pattern. Then students sprinkle on different color salt to create an ocean scenic.
Math: Salt measuring - Using salt or sand and assorted measuring spoons and cups. Let student free explore measurements and compare amounts.
Cooking: Edible Oceans - Students will spoon soft set blue gelatin into serving cups; sprinkle in gummy fish and sea creatures. Eat and enjoy.
Music/Movement: Large motor game similar to "Duck Goose."
The fish can live in the lake.
The fish can live in the sea.
The fish jumped out of the water.
Can the fish really catch me?
This song is to the tune of "My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean." As the students sing, one person is it and walks around the circle tapping each child on the head. At the end of the verse the child who is tapped chases the “it” and tries to catch him/her before they make back to their place.
Extended Activities:
Read Rainbow Fish and discuss how generous and caring the Rainbow Fish is to his friends. A follow-up activity is to make a Rainbow Fish. To do this draw a fish onto a multi-colored piece of construction paper. Have children use fabric paint (glitter, shiny or puff) to make the scales on Rainbow fish. Finish the fish by putting a large silver sequin in his fin. Also may be done with paint, tissue paper or torn construction paper..




Sea Life in the Ocean

Objective: Student will locate the three layers of the ocean. Student will recognize common ocean life.
Materials:
plastic sea creatures, poster of layers in ocean, pictures of ocean and ocean life.
Vocabulary:
sea life, creatures, ocean floor, ocean surface, open sea

Activities:
1. Language: Class Big Book - Create a class big book “Starfish, Starfish, What Do You See?” Let each child think of a different ocean animal. Have pre-cut pictures of different ocean animals. Each child can choose his/her animal and the teacher can print the text to match the picture.
2. Math: Goldfish graphing- Use three different types of goldfish crackers (pretzel, cheddar and plain). Have children sort according to color and lay on graph. While sorting, the children can count the different fish. The teacher can then instruct the student to place an X or glue a paper fish in the corresponding box.
3. Art: Japanese Fish Prints: Purchase a medium size fish from the market with good size scales and fins. Paint the fish then let children put paper on top and press down to create a fish print. Reapply paint as needed. Show pictures and read parts of “What it’s Like to Be a Fish.”
4. Science: Ocean Life water globes - Using clean baby food jars, fill with a mixture of water and glycerin. Children add glitter and sequin fish. They can decorate the outside with of the jar with fish stickers.
5. Cooking: Tuna fish sandwiches - Mix tuna, mayonnaise, and pickle relish together. Students can use a star cookie cutter to cut out “starfish” from sliced bread. Spread tuna mixture on bread, eat and enjoy.
6. Dramatic Play: Using clear vinyl or a clear shower curtain, hang from dowel rod. Staple pictures of sea creatures and fish. Children can use this area for reading or dramatic play.(Various styles could be hanging from ceiling with four sides or draping over a table.)



What’s on the Seashore?

Objective: The student will be introduced to the seashore environment. The environment may include sand and its changes, rocks, shells and other life forms.
Materials: shells, driftwood, hermit crab, pictures of seashore, starfish, sand dollar, sand, books about the seashore
Vocabulary: seashore, beach, driftwood, shells, hermit crab,

Circle Time: Talk about the sea life information from the previous lessons and remind students where the seashore is located. Read books about the seashore. Discuss with students the different things on the seashore in the book. Talk with the children how a hermit crab outgrows his house and has to look for a new shell to live in. Teacher can bring in a hermit crab (available from pet stores) to show how they look and feel.
This is also the time to introduce different shells and brainstorm what might have lived in them.
Use this time to discuss driftwood; it is wood that is washed up on the shore at the beach. Bring some in to show them and use in sand table

Art: Starfish- Cut out a starfish shape from tan construction paper. Brush with glue and sprinkle on crumbled Shredded Wheat cereal, or use an actual starfish to make starfish prints by brushing the starfish with paint and print on paper.

Music: "Down by the Shore" - (tune of "Down by the Bay")
Down by the Shore
In the sand and the sun,
I like to dive,
and splash and run
and as the waves
roll out and in
I’ll get warm in the sun
and have lots of fun
Down by the shore.

Language - Ocean Life Memory game- Matching pictures of ocean life. This can be a teacher made or published product. You can also do a circle game where everyone has to name one thing they would find at the seashore remembering to list everything that everybody name before that – reinforces material covered. Ex. When I went to the seashore I found a hermit crab (next person repeats and ad another item). It helps to have vocabulary or picture in the room for them to refer to.

Math - Colored shell matching- Make a game board using three different colors of construction paper. On each paper write the color word for that paper. Gather assorted shells and paint them each a different color to correspond to the game board colors. Have children sort into different color groups. Also students may sort by size or shape.

Small motor skills - Use sea scented playdough and star shapes to make starfish.

Cooking - Cinnamon Toast - Students can make their own “sandy” cinnamon toast by spreading the bread with soft margarine and sprinkling on a cinnamon and sugar mixture. Toast in toaster oven with teacher supervision.



EXTRAS

Recipe for: "Sea Scented Playdough Recipe"
3 cups flour
1.5 ounces cream of tartar
3/4 cup salt
3 tbsp. cooking oil
3 cups water
1 tbsp coconut extract
yellow food coloring
gold glitter
Combine the first five ingredients in a large pot. Whisk together until free of lumps. Stir in the coconut extract and yellow food coloring. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat until it pulls away from the sides of the pot and forms a large ball. Knead the ball lightly on a flour board until the dough is smooth. (Be careful it is hot.) Knead in the desired amount of glitter. After cooled store in airtight container.

CULMINATING ACTIVITY:
A. Beach Party - An end of the unit beach party can be planned for indoors or outdoors. For an indoor beach party, students wear or bring swimsuits, towels, sunglasses and other appropriate beach wear. Play beach tunes, such as the Beach Boys or other surf tunes. Hang posters of beach scenes from a travel agent. Bring in the sand and water in wading pools or tubs. Provide beach toys, such as buckets, shovels, beach balls etc. Serve snacks like lemonade and popsicles. If you are lucky enough to live where it is warm during this unit, have a Beach Blast outside. Provide many of the same props, and in addition to the small pools, have a slip and slide. Invite parents to the party and remember to provide sunscreen and appropriate shade if outdoors.
B. Trip to Aquatic Center to see an ocean life show.
C. Field trip to exotic pet store that would have ocean life aquariums.
D. Trip to a marina, aquarium, touch tank, beach, or a fish hatchery.

Extended Activities:
Pick a Pocket Time - Place sayings, poems, songs, rhymes, and pictures on 3”x 5” cards. The cards are randomly placed in an apron with ten numbered pockets. Children select a pocket and remove the card. Classroom participation of the selected item teaches or reinforces activities that were previously introduced. The students look forward to this activity. This activity may be used any of the previously explained lessons.




 

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