to Kindergarten in May!!

Our theme this month is Sea Life!

I was on maternity leave in May, which is when we did our sea life unit. I don't have any photos of the activities we did in our class, but here are some ideas compiled from the Kinder-L mailing list! Unfortunatly I did not keep the names of the original posters, and I apologize for not being able to give appropriate credit!

I'm doing an "Under the Sea" theme next week. Here are the songs I'm doing:

Sea Creatures
Sung to: "The Wheels on the Bus"

The sharks in the sea go chomp, chomp, chomp,
chomp, chomp, chomp,
chomp, chomp, chomp!
The sharks in the sea go chomp, chomp, chomp,
all through the day!

Substitute animals and actions:

Fish in the sea go swim . . .
Crabs . . . pinch
Whale . . . squirt
Clam . . . open and shut

Dolphin Song
Sung to: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"

Dolphin, dolphin in the sea.
Dolphin, dolphin wild and free.
Swimming, swimming in the sea.
Just as free as you can be.
Dolphin, dolphin in the sea.
Swimming, swimming wild and free.

Five Little Seashells

Five little seashells sleeping on the shore.
(hold up 5 fingers, bending down one for each verse)
Swish! went a big wave, and then there were four.
(Move arms, palms up, to make the waves)
Four little seashells quiet as can be.
Swish! went a big wave, and then there were three.
Three little seashells pearly and new.
Swish! went a big wave, and then there were two.
Two little seashells having great fun.
Swish! went a big wave, and then there was one.
One little seashell lying in the sun.
Swish! went a big wave, and then there were none.
Five little seashells gone out to sea. (point out to sea)
Wait until morning, and they'll return to me. (point to self)

Oceans song to remember the names of the oceans
(Tune - "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean")
Atlantic's the name of an ocean
Pacific and Indian Too!
The Arctic is often forgotten
I know my oceans. Do you?

Tune - "Little White Duck"
There are eight tentacles swimming in the ocean,
Eight tentacles making a commotion.
Who could belong to so many feet?
The octopus does, and they help it eat.
There are eight tentacles swimming in the ocean,
Swish, swish, swish.

Here is a list of sites I have accumulated!
I have an ocean unit on my June page. here is a link to my homepage. I hope
it helps out a little bit! Mrs. Vig's First Grade page!
http://www.angelfire.com/ma/1stGrade/pageocean.html

Sea World Songs
http://www.seaworld.org/Songs/songs.html

Let's Go To The Ocean!
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/6459/ocean.html

Search Marine Species Index
http://database.mbl.edu/SPECIMENS/phylum.qry?function=form&page=2

Welcome to the New England Aquarium
http://www.neaq.org/

Ocean Planet Homepage
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/oceanplanet.html

Index of /Aquarium/
http://www.sptimes.com/Aquarium/

Welcome to WhaleNet at Wheelock College, Boston
http://whale.wheelock.edu/

Sea World/Busch Gardens Animal Information Data
http://www.seaworld.org/

Caribbean Studies
Zoom has a Shark Site
http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/subjects/sharks/

Also a Whale Site
http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/subjects/whales/

Ocean and lesson plans
http://members.aol.com/shu91/

Ocean Planet: Interdisciplinary Marine Science
http://educate.si.edu/lessons/currkits/ocean/main.html

Surfing the Net with Kids: Underwater Web Cams
http://www.surfnetkids.com/watercam.htm

Surfing the Net with Kids: Under the Sea
http://www.surfnetkids.com/sea.htm

Surfing the Net with Kids: Whales
http://www.surfnetkids.com/whales.htm

Please visit our class website on the Oceans and the Seas:
http://osage.voorhees.k12.nj.us/FOURTH/LARSEN/OCEANS/Larspage.htm

Ocean ideas
http://daycare.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa090798.htm

All About Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses
http://www.seaworld.org/Pinnipeds/introduction.html

Ocean Planet:Educational Materials
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/search_educational_materials.ht
ml

Ocean Unit
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/ckwillia/ocean.htm

The OceanThe Eagle Page from Rocky Mountain
http://www.sky.net/~emily/eagle.html

Mystic Aquarium / Institute for Exploration
http://www.mysticaquarium.org/

Links for Water / Oceans
http://www.pulaski.k12.ky.us/htmlpages/pes/watlinks.htm
This has to be one the absolute BEST sites I have ever seen. Thematic
units.. web sites.. WOW.. go there and then back to the home page.

Hedgie in the Ocean Coloring Page
http://www.janbrett.com/hedgie_in_ocean_coloring_page.htm

http://www.vbe.com/~gns/sea.html
http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow8/dec98/main.html
http://www.angelfire.com/ma/1stGrade/pageocean.html
http://www.alaska.net/~cccandc/under.htm
http://www.carolhurst.com/subjects/oceans.html

I have an ocean unit on my June page. here is a link to my homepage. I hope
it helps out a little bit! Mrs. Vig's First Grade page!
http://www.angelfire.com/ma/1stGrade/pageocean.html

Sea World Songs
http://www.seaworld.org/Songs/songs.html

Let's Go To The Ocean!
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/6459/ocean.html

Search Marine Species Index
http://database.mbl.edu/SPECIMENS/phylum.qry?function=form&page=2

Welcome to the New England Aquarium
http://www.neaq.org/

Ocean Planet Homepage
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/oceanplanet.html

Index of /Aquarium/
http://www.sptimes.com/Aquarium/

Welcome to WhaleNet at Wheelock College, Boston
http://whale.wheelock.edu/

Sea World/Busch Gardens Animal Information Data
http://www.seaworld.org/

Caribbean Studies
Zoom has a Shark Site
http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/subjects/sharks/

Also a Whale Site
http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/subjects/whales/

Ocean and lesson plans
http://members.aol.com/shu91/

Ocean Planet: Interdisciplinary Marine Science
http://educate.si.edu/lessons/currkits/ocean/main.html

Surfing the Net with Kids: Underwater Web Cams
http://www.surfnetkids.com/watercam.htm

Surfing the Net with Kids: Under the Sea
http://www.surfnetkids.com/sea.htm

Surfing the Net with Kids: Whales
http://www.surfnetkids.com/whales.htm

Please visit our class website on the Oceans and the Seas:
http://osage.voorhees.k12.nj.us/FOURTH/LARSEN/OCEANS/Larspage.htm

Ocean ideas
http://daycare.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa090798.htm

All About Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses
http://www.seaworld.org/Pinnipeds/introduction.html

Ocean Planet:Educational Materials
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/search_educational_materials.ht
ml

Ocean Unit
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/ckwillia/ocean.htm

The OceanThe Eagle Page from Rocky Mountain
http://www.sky.net/~emily/eagle.html

Mystic Aquarium / Institute for Exploration
http://www.mysticaquarium.org/

Click here: Links for Water / Oceans
http://www.pulaski.k12.ky.us/htmlpages/pes/watlinks.htm
This has to be one the absolute BEST sites I have ever seen. Thematic
units.. web sites..
WOW.. go there and then back to the home page.

Hedgie in the Ocean Coloring Page
http://www.janbrett.com/hedgie_in_ocean_coloring_page.htm

http://www.vbe.com/~gns/sea.html

http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow8/dec98/main.html

http://www.angelfire.com/ma/1stGrade/pageocean.html
http://www.alaska.net/~cccandc/under.htm
http://www.carolhurst.com/subjects/oceans.html

The room is decorated by weaving crepe paper streamers (pale green/aqua, darker green/blue) over/under fishing line strung length of room a foot below the ceiling......when the a/c and fans are on, they move about and give the impression of being "Under the Sea". Fishing net is hung down one wall and over a table - becomes the interest corner where we lace sharks jaws/teeth; seaweed; shells; sponges; dried seahorses, starfish etc; and any other flotsom and jetsom we have in the place. (As we are only 5 minutes from some fantastic beaches, these are easy to collect!)
An alternative to the net is to cover an A frame with paper, paint it a murky colour and create an undersea cave to put the interest table in.

Sea creatures are made as follows:
Octopus - cover a margarine container with coloured paper and glue on 8 streamer legs, then curl these around a pencil; add eyes and mouth.
Tissue paper fish - fold A3 sheet of paper in half and put a predrawn A4 fish inside for children to trace; remove and have them trace on other side; glue 3 tissues in middle before gluing around outer edge of fish; when dry cut out.
(Also do this for seahorses)
Jellyfish - alfoil pie tin or paper plate - add a variety of coloured streamers to it for tentacles after the children have twisted these every inch or so.
Cellophane fish - make a fish shape from thin cane by taping it together about 2 inches from ends; select piece of cellophave and put glue onto cane then place on cellophane; do same on other side; add eyes and mouth.(This is good for estimating - children have to select paper that will cover the cane) When dry, cut outside edge.
Crabs - these are made from 2 sections, the shell and body/legs - glue 2 tissues to middle of body, then on shell glue split peas/soup mix;when dry, glue shell to body ,paint and put on eyes. We display these in a paddle pool with rocks, sand and shells.
Whales - have children stuff large plastic rubbish bag with newspaper - you will need to tape the tail.....and shape it...add on eyes and mouth.

We make large drawings of sea creatures (e.g. dolphin) and then turning it over I trace it into jigsaw pieces and number them - starting at the top - ensuring there is a piece for each child and one for me....mine is the eye or the piece that will give it away. I cut it out....then each child (next day as I draw it after school finishes) gets a piece to paint. When all are dry we sit in a circle and proceed to put our jigsaw together by gluing it onto a large backing board - the numbers are the guide for joining it up. Language really comes alive as the children try to guess which creature we have made today! Usually do 3 or 4 of these.

Pirates come to visit as we make a ship with the building blocks complete with Jolly Roger and a plank! Children make hats and eye patches; and we have a treasure chest that has been made from a box - has a cellophane window and we put an item of interest in each day.

Old piece of junky jewellery and gold painted stones are "planted" in the sand pit for them to dig up.

We sing songs such as "Three Pirates Came to London Town" and we all move as we sing "Have You Ever, Ever, Ever in your ______ Legged Life" (If anyone wants the words, e-mail me direct please.With my preschoolers I once turned our whole center into an ocean. We decorated and painted giant seahorse and starfish and hung them throughout. Also we did a salt water fresh water experiment and I bought plastic sea creatures and stuffed animals and we had them at different stations. We had a water table filled with the plastic dolphins and whales and little boats, we had a sand table with crabs and turtles. We did
collaborating worksheets and art. We even took 4 chairs in a square formation and wrapped along the outside of them with blue and green saran wrap, then placed stuffed animal sea creatures in there and four kids were allowed in at a time and they dramatic played in there forever!!! We ended the day with showing little mermaid Good Luck Heidi (HPOUgal@aol.com)

A good art activity is paper plate fish. You cut out a triangle on a paperplate. Staple that as the tail
and then let the children decorate it with whatever mediums you like.
Another idea is you can hang blue streamers from the ceiling and hang up the childrens fish,whales,etc in your drama area.You can also make oxygen tanks with soda bottles. This could be their underwater adventure.

I have a really fun Shark song that my kids love. I can't explain the tune
but here are the words and actions.

Baby Shark Doot Doot Doot Doot (make a little shark out of your thumb and
pointer finger opening and closing them as you sing this) (sing this line
2 times)
Mama Shark Doot Doot Doot Doot (make mama shark with thumb and open and
close 4 fingers as one) (sing this line 2 times)
Daddy Shark Doot Doot Doot Doot (make daddy shark with 2 hands opening and
closing full hands "connected" at palms) (sing this line 2 times)
Grandma Shark "smack" "smack" "smack" "smack" (make grandma with fingers
curled in hands still "connected" at the palm) (Make "smack" sound as if
Grandma doesn't have any teeth) (sing 2 times)
Kids are swimming doot doot doot doot (make swimming motions with arms)
(sing 2 times)
Sharks are coming Doot doot doot doot (put hands together in front of you
as if they were a shark swimming in the water) (sing 2 times)

SHARK ATTACK!!!! (tickle kids)

When doing an "Ocean" theme, I prepare "octopi" for the children

One year one of the boys was really put off when I told the class what they
were getting for snack at the end of the week "Octopus? If she's serious,
I'm gonna stay home, my Mom wouldn't make me eat THAT!"

So - I asked if I'd fed him anything really gross yet? The answer was no
- so... trust me, if you like hot dogs, ("Yes"), you'll like my Octopus.
"OK"

He came, tried the snack - and wanted seconds!

Ingredients:

Hot dogs - minimum one per child

Process:

take the raw hot dogs.
one at a time, cut through the ends, lenghtwise, leaving over one inch
intact in the centre ---/ /----

Turn the hotdog 1/4 turn and repeat. Continue until all the hot dogs are cut.

Place these in a LARGE pot of boiling water. As they cook, the ends curl!
Giving you 8 "legs".

When cooked sufficiently, rinse under cold water to speed up the cooling
process.

Serve while warm. (My students just eat them with their fingers.)
Catsup is optional.

Thanks for the wonderful ideas that you are all so willing to share

Fish:
Cut out an elongated raindrop shape on white construction paper. Cut from
the thinner end to the middle - half way down the raindrop. Overlap the cut
edges and this becomes the tail of the fish
The children should decorate the fish before the cutting takes place. crayon
and dye, followed by glitter is one of our favourite ways. The children can
pleat smaller pieces of paper for the fins. (hope this explanation makes
sense).

Fish toasts:
Need fish shapes (cookie cutters) to press out a fish shape from a piece of
bread. Spread bread with fish paste or tomato ketchup and sprinkle grated
cheese on top. place in a hot oven until cheese melts.

Pirates:
Teacher prepares a cardboard cut out of a head and shoulders (include ears).
The children have fun drawing in the details --- scars and all. You will
also need to provide materials to make earrings, eye patch and a pirates
hat. Our children enjoy this every year.

Mermaids:
Children decorate with collage materials a pre-cut mermaids tail .This can
then be pasted onto a piece of paper and the body etc can be painted/drawn
on the following day. The boys loved adding a trident to their King
Neptune's.

Magnet fish:
Each child draws and cuts out their own fish, attach a paper clip to the
fish. We have fishing rods made from dowel sticks, string and a magnet
attached to the end of the string. Happy fishing.

Dramatic Play
Beach theme Dramatic play
*Suggested pretend items to put in a dress up area that I have seen,
heared of or done to make it into a beach/pool scene are swimwear,
sandals, flip flops, water shoes, sunglasses, sun hats, sun visors,
towels, (clean, epmty) sunscreen bottles, water wings, blow up water
tube, beach ball, sand toys, small lawn chairs, tape a blue towels down
to represent water and/or a tan one for sand.

Large Group
Do the Ocean Motion
Direct the children to move like different sea creatures.
Jiggle like a jelly fish
Creep like a sea snail
Soar like an eagle
Wiggle like an eel
Float like a sea otter
Bark like a seal
Walk forward, backward, and sideways like a crab
Swoop like a pelican

Fishing-
On fish cut outs I put different actions for the kids to do. They
catch
a fish and then do the action on the fish.
For example... Crawl like a snake to the door.
Count the people in the room
Hop on 1 foot 5 times
Find something yellow in our rook
Walk like an elephant to the door
Do 10 jumping jacks.
Those are just a few of the ones we do. Just to give you an idea. I have
about 22 different actions.

Science
Salty Water
Did you know that it is easier to float in the ocean than in the swimming
pool. Do you know why? Salt. The Ocean is full of salt. Salt water can hold
up more than plain water. That is why you can float in the ocean more
easily. Lets try this experiment to see for ourselfs......
(Then go on to the experiment)
wide mouth plastic jar,
warm water
salt
raw potato
measuring cup
spoon
Pour 1 1/2 cups warm water in the jar.
Add 1/3 cup salt.
Stir until all the salt is gone.
Add another 1 1/2 cups of water. Pour it over the back of a spoon into the
jar. Pour SLOWLY so the two liquids do not mix tog.
Slowly put the potato into the jar. Do NOT drop it.
Potato sinks-but stops halfway. Salt water is heavier than plain water, so
it stays on the bottom. Plain water floats on top of salt water. You cannot
see the difference though. The potato is heavier than plain water. But
potato is lighter than the salt water. That is why it sank only half way.
It is floating on top of the salt water.
**Did this last year for ocean week with the K's and they were very
impressed. Can't wait to try it next week with my new class.**

Provide shells in sand and water play areas, also in science for
exploration, sorting, etc.

Sensory table ideas
(If you dont have a wtare table-use those
rectangle dish/rubbermaid tubs)
Monday=water & toy boats. Tuesday=sand & shovels. Wednesday=blue water &
plastic sea life. Thursday=wet sand & molds. Friday=Blue coconut extract
scented water & sea life & boats!

Art
Seashell Windchime
Tie several pieces of brightly colored yarn around a cardboard tube, a
dowel, or a piece of driftwood, leaving one inch of space between each
string. Tie three or four seashells on each string, positioning them so
they will hit each other when they are blown in the wind. Glue the
shells in place. Attach a string hanger to the tube and hang it outside
where it will blow in the wind.

Jellyfish
Take a coffee filter - color with crayons or watercolor markers.
Glue or staple long streamers around the edges of coffee filter
Ta-Dah! You now have a beautiful jellyfish to hang from "fishing string"
from your ceiling!

Paper Bag Whale
needed: small paper bags, paint, construction paper(balck and white), yarn,
newspaper
Have children stuff bags with newspaper. Tie the end with yarn and create
the tail. Paint the bag gray or any other whale colors (black and white,
etc.). Cut eyes out of construction paper & glue onto bag when paint is
dry. Cut out spout shapes from white construction paper and glue to the
top.

An art activity - octopus:
Paint the palms and four
fingers of the childrens hands and make prints on paper, the palms to-
gether make the body and the fingers (excluding thumbs) make the eight
legs. Wiggly eyes and a mouth complete the octopus.

starfish
Another art activity that I saw in Mailbox magazine, but have not tried -
have children cut out star shape, use crayons to add features, then
paint with sugar, water and food coloring mixture (mix should be thick)

Paint with sea sponges (I got carried away and did my whole bathroom)

Rainbow Fish Art
Have read "The Rainbow Fish" and glued tissue paper scales on fish
shape with one "shiny scale" made out of aluminum foil.

Crab Handprints
Have children dip their hands in paper plates of red
paint. Have them place their wrists together, thumbs up, fingers out to
the outsides And Print that way on plain paper! Add wiggle eyes on
thumbs!-An adorable crab!!!

SeaShell Fossils
Have children press seashells into crayola model
magic. (May need to spray shells with cooking spray) and press to make
fossils. Remove shells and let model magic dry. When dry, children can
pick the shells and match them to the fossils!

3D Sea Life Mural
Can be made on a piece of paper for each child,
OR in a wall mural! Have children paint whole paper with blue water
color OR (water down blue paint). As it is drying, cut out paper sea
life and color/decorate. Glue sand along bottom and add sea life!

Seashell collage
Turn a seashell upside down and glue in collage
stuff (Beads, buttons, ribbons, etc!)

Cooking
Make blueberry jello in a fish bowl with gummy fish suspended in the jello.

Fish Snack
Also, I have tinted cream cheese blue, spred it on a cracker and topped it
with a goldfish cracker

Go Fishing Snack
Dip pretzel sticks in peanut butter to "Catch"
goldfish crackers!

Island Cookies
Need refridgerator sugar and chocolate cookie doughs. In the sugar
dough, add blue food dye. Make sugar ccokies on baking sheet as usual.
Press a small ball of chocolate cookie dough into center of blue sugar
dough. Bake as usual. It will look like a chocolate cookie island on the
blue cookie!

Books:
At The Beach by Eugene Booth.
If all the seas were one sea by Janina Doamnska.
Under The Sea by Eugene Booth.
Who lives in the Sea by Alice Low.

Songs and Fingerplays

The Octopus Under the Sea ( farmer in the Dell)
All kids in a circle holding hands. Choose 1 child to be the octopus and
stand in the middle of the circle. Begin singing and have the children
move
clockwise around the octopus.
The octopus under the sea,
The octopus under the sea,
Splish, splish, splash, splash
The octopus under the sea.

The octopus chooses a starfish ...........
******additional... seahorse, crab, lobster, fish, shark, jellyfish, whale.

Did you ever see a fishy? (did you ever see a lassie)
Did you ever see a fishy,
A fishy, a fishy?
Did you ever see a fishy
Swim this way and that?
Swim this way and that way
And that way and this way?
Did you ever see a fishy
Swim this way and that?
******** repeat song replacing swim with each of these words. swish,
slide,
splash.

Five Little Shells fingerplay
little shells lying on the shore,
Crash went the waves and then their was 4.
4 little shells down by the sea,
Crash went the waves! then there was 3.
3 little shells, smooth as new,
Crash went the waves! then there were 2.
2 little shells, sparkling in the sun,
Crash went the waves! Then there was 1.
1 little shell, left by itself,
I took it home, and put it on my shelf.

I'm a Fish
(tune: Little Teapot)
I'm a little fishy, I can swim
Here is my tail, here is my fin.
When I want to have fun with my friends,
I wiggle my tail and dive right in!

THE WHALES (tune of I'm a little teapot)
I'm a humpback whale,
I'm very strong.
I leap about
And sing a song.
I like to eat my fill
In the Northern Sea.
But in the winter,
South I flee.

I am a beluga,
I'm all white.
From head to tail
I'm quite a sight.
You can hear me singing
Way up north,
Playing and swimming
Back and forth.

I'm a mighty orca
Black and white.
In the sea
I'm a beautiful sight.
I'm not very big,
But I am sleek.
I hunt for my food
Cause I have teeth.

I'M A BIG WHALE( Clementine)
I am swimming, I am swimming,
I am swimming in the sea.
I'm a big whale and I'm swimming
I am swimming in the sea.

I am singing , I am singing,
I am singing in the sea.
I'm a big whale and I'm singing,
I am singing in the sea.

I am spouting, I am spouting,
I am spouting in the sea.
I'm a big whale and I'm spouting,
I am spouting in the sea.

Fish Are Swimming...(Frere Jacques)
Fish are swimming, fish are swimming,
In the sea, in the sea,
A-splishing and a-splashing,
A-splishing and a-splashing,
Look and see, look and see.

Take Me Out to the Ocean...
(Take Me Out to the Ballgame)
Take me out to the ocean
Take me out to the sea
There goes a starfish and sand dollar,
I'm having such fun, I've just got to holler
Oh, it's swim, swim, swim, underwater
Catch a ride on a whale, don't fear,
For the sea animals are our friends,
Let's give a great big cheer!

Five Little Fishes fingerplay:
Five little fishes (show fingers)
Swimming in the sea (wave hand sideways)
Teasing Mr. Shark, (shake pointed
"You can't catch me!" finger)
Along comes Mr. Shark, (hands like open
quiet as can be... mouth)
Snap!! (close hands)
Four little fishes (show fingers)
Swimming in the sea . . . .etc.

A song - Ten Little Fish (tune: Ten Little Indians)
One little, two little, three little fish,
Four little, five little, six little fish,
Seven little, eight little, nine little fish,
Ten fish swimming in a school.
Children can glue little fish cutouts to blue const. paper and count the
fish as they sing along.

A Sailor Went To Sea
A sailor went to sea, sea, sea,
To see what he could see, see, see,
But all that he could see, see, see,
Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, sea, sea

I'm A Fish
"I'm a Little Teapot"
I'm a little fishy, I can swim.
Here is my tail, Here is my fin.
When I want to have fun with my friend,
I wiggle my tail and dive right in.

Math
Fish in Bowls
*(math)This a something I have NEVER gotten to do because of the teacher
prep involved, I'm not able to do the sewing nor been able to get
someone to do it; but it sounds like it's be great for not just math but
practice buttoning, too, which also helps develope the fine motor skills
for writing. Make 5 fish bowls from heavy cloth and 15 little cloth fish
with bottonholes in each one (fish small enough to put 5 on a fish bowl,
but big enough to fit the button hole). Sew one button onto the first
fish bowl, 2 buttons onto another, 3 onto another , 4 onto the next and
5 buttons onto the last bowl. Sew the buttons onso that they are "one
cloth fish width" apart. The children button the appropriate fish onto
each bowl

We are at this time right in the middle of a Fish project that stemmed
from reading the book: Rainbow Fish.
Here are some of the things we are doing:
Art: we made many ocean background painting with blues and whites,
adding silver glitter,
collage coral reef, etc. The children throughout the weeks have been
making fish and adding them into the ocean.
Painting on foil adding fish
They have made wonderful fish from clay.
We made fish shaped books with lined paper and the children have been
drawing fish inside the books and labelling them. We have scripted many
fishing stories.
We made a magnet fishing game.
We made a poster with land and water - then looked through old magazines
for things that belong on the land and in the water.
We made a counting game with fish and worms.
We made a story board for the rainbow fish book - the children then
retell the story using the props.
Tommorrow we are bringing in real fish from the grocery store to check
out the "parts", Together as a group we will decide if we are going to
cut them open to check out what is inside.
We are making an aquarium with styrofoam fish we can put in water on
fishing line.
We brought in real fish as pets.The children watch them, feed them,
sketch them.

Our centre is now adorned with so many beautiful fish paintings and
drawings.
The water table has been a great theatre for many fish "plays". They are
acting out what they have learned about fish prtoecting themselves., We
have a number of plastic fish in the water table along with funnels,
tubes, etc.

We made blue jello in individual cups and added a gummy fish - not
nutritious - but yummy.
We served goldfish crackers in soup.

We have many shells in the block room for undersea creations.

They have made huge boats from the hollow blocks fro fishing escapades -
we brought out pictures of real boats to inspire them after we noticed
this activity.

Starfish Rubbings:

Cut a bunch of starts out of sandpaper. Lots of different sizes and
different grades of sandpaper. Give each child a plain sheet of construction
paper and crayons. I always tape the stars around the tables and the kids
can walk around and rub on anyones they want.

Oatmeal Octopus:

Ok prep for this is best done a day before. Get a variety of colored powder
paint and lots of oatmeal. Give each child a small sandwich bag with some
oatmeal in to. Let them choose any color powder paint put about a tablespoon
of paint into the bag, close and shake!!! Do this for all the colors you
want. When you are ready to do the project give each child an octopus
pattern and their choice of colored oatmeal, any and all colors!! Spread the
glue and put the oatmeal on!!

Dolphins:

This is a very simple project but kids enjoy it. Just cut a dolphin pattern
out of light gray construction paper. And let the kids water color them. If
you have never water colored on construction paper it is neat, because the
colors blend into one another!

Fish Bowls:

Pet a pattern of a fish bowl a nice size, and cut it out of a paper plate.
Paint it blue like water. Before paint dries sprinkle any color of glitter
around the bottom of the bowl. Then after its all dry, glue on one big fish
or lots of small fish, now you can cover this with seran wrap but don't have
to.

Fingerpaint:

Fingerpaint with green, blue tinted shaving cream. Offering vaious "combs"
to drag through and make ripples.

Paper Plate Oysters:

Gather a paper plate and a cotton ball for each child. Also you will need
gray and pink paints and glue. The kids should fold the plates in half and
paint the insides of the "oyster" pink. When the pink is dried they should
paint the outside of teh plate gray. To complete they can glue the "pearl"
into the center of the oyster.

Fingerplay

Five cranky crabs were digging on the shore.
One swam into a net and then there were four.
Four cranky crabs were floating in the sea.
One got tangled up in seaweed then there were three.
Three Cranky crabs were wondering what to do.
One dug a deep, deep hole. Then there were two.
Two cranky crabs were warming in the sun.
One got scooped up in a cup.Then there was one.
One cranky crab was smarter than his friends.
He hid between the jagged rocks. That's how the story ends.

* THE WHALES (tune of I'm a little teapot)
I'm a humpback whale,
I'm very strong.
I leap about
And sing a song.
I like to eat my fill
In the Northern Sea.
But in the winter,
South I flee.

I am a beluga,
I'm all white.
From head to tail
I'm quite a sight.
You can hear me singing
Way up north,
Playing and swimming
Back and forth.

I'm a mighty orca
Black and white.
In the sea
I'm a beautiful sight.
I'm not very big,
But I am sleek.
I hunt for my food
Cause I have teeth.

I'M A BIG WHALE( Clementine)
I am swimming, I am swimming,
I am swimming in the sea.
I'm a big whale and I'm swimming
I am swimming in the sea.

I am singing , I am singing,
I am singing in the sea.
I'm a big whale and I'm singing,
I am singing in the sea.

I am spouting, I am spouting,
I am spouting in the sea.
I'm a big whale and I'm spouting,
I am spouting in the sea

She made an octupus by painting a lunch sack gray. She fringe
cut the bottom for tentacles and glued wiggly eyes on the
flap. Just under the flap it was stapled to cinch it shut.

A jellyfish was made using a sandwich bag, torn scraps of
blue paper, and snips of metallic blue ribbon. Stuff the bag
with the scraps and ribbon, then tie the bag shut with
ribbon, leaving the ends long for tentacles.

AlphaLove : Good luck with your student teaching. Here are a few whale
ideas.

Whale counting rhyme, use with flannel board whales.
One little whale
Two little whales
I can see three blue little whales.

Four little whales
Five little whales
I can see six live little whales.

Ten little whales
Ten little whales
I can count all ten little whales!
You could use these same flannelboard whales for addition story problems.
Give each child a blue piece of construction paper for the ocean and 10
white lima beans for white whales and do more addition story problems.

What Is A Whale action rhyme
A whale is not as small as us. (Shake head and finger)
Most whales are bigger than a bus. (Stretch arms out wide)

A whale is not like a fish in the sea. (Shake head and finger)
A whale breathes air like you and me. (Take a deep breath)

A whale can't walk upon the ground. (Shake head and finger)
A whale must swim to get around. (Make swimming motions)

A whale is a mammal just like me. (Nod head and point to self)
But its home is in the deep blue sea! (Make wave motions with hand)

Books: I Wonder If I'll See A Whale by Frances Weller
The Whales' Song by Dyan Sheldon
Baby Beluga by Raffi
John Tabor's Ride by Edward Day

The Expedition - To prepare tell students that you will be whale watching
during the following schoolday and ask them each to bring plastic sunglasses
to cut down on the glare. Cut out construction paper whales and before the
students arrive the following day, tuck the whale cut outs into different
hiding places so the tail of the whale is all that can be seen. When you
are ready to begin, have the students put on their sunglasses and wander
around the classroom ocean looking for whales. Have each student collect
only one whale. You can count, sort, whatever with the cutouts when everyone
has one. The book, I Wonder If I'll See A Whale, is a good finish to this
activity.

Another teacher at school had her kids draw and paint (watercolors) fish and
sea animals. She fed them through the laminator and then cut strips (she
didn't cut each individual creature out). Then, she hung the strips on her
classroom door, so when you entered, it was as if you were entering the
ocean.

I had the kids make big fish, jellyfish, shells, out of paper and decorated
them with glitter, paint etc... and hung them from the ceiling to create an
under the sea environment.

Teach the names and locations of the 5 oceans.

Seriate fish by size order (read Swimmy by Leo Lionni). Talk about food
chains.

Read The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor (it's long)

Make blue jello. Either make it in a large clear bowl or clear cups. Put it
in the fridge and let it set a little, then drop gummy fish in it. If you
drop them too early, they set to the bottom. If you really want to be
creative, you can do it in layers (let one layer set, add fish, then pour
more jello in, let set, add fish, pour more jello in etc....).

Mix up plain, cheese and pretzel Pepperidge Farm goldfish. Make a goldfish
graph and give each child a scoop (1/4 - 1/2 cup, depending on the size of
your graph). Have them graph the results, then eat the goldfish. I made a
ton, and we ate it for snack for a while (I didn't want to give them too much
for fear of the results not fitting on their graphs).

Make a class Ocean Math book. Each child draws an ocean math picture and you
write the math story (i.e. There were three fish and two swam away. How many
fish are there now?). Then go through each page and try to figure out the
answers.

Estimate how many cupfuls or scoopfuls of sand it will take to fill a
container (jar, box, bowl etc...).

do you know the song "Slippery fish?" It leads into a discussion about the
food chain in the ocean!

Slippery Fish, Slippery Fish
swimming in the water
slippery fish, slippery fish
(gulp, gulp, gulp...)

Oh no, it's been eaten by
an
octopus, octopus
squiggling in the water
octopus, octopus,

(gulp gulp gulp)
oh no, it's been eaten by
a

tuna fish, tuna fish
flashing in the water
tuna fish, tuna fish
(gulp gulp gulp)

oh no, it's been eaten by a
great white shark, great white shark
lurking in the water
great white shark, great white shark

(gulp gulp gulp)

oh no, it's been eaten by a
humongous whale humongous whale
spouting in the water,
humongous whale humongous whale

(gulp.....gulp.....gulp...

BURP...
pardon me

Diver, diver, what do you see? You can make a big book along the lines of
Brown Bear, Brown Bear. Each child makes a page with "Diver, diver, what do you
see?" on the top and "I see a ___________ looking at me" on the bottom. They
fill in the sea creature word and draw a picture.

5. Sink or float. The children experimented to see if objects would sink or
float in both fresh water and salt water. The salt water works best if it is
very warm and there is a LOT of salt. If I remember correctly, carrots, boiled
eggs, and crayons would sink in one and not the other.

http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow8/dec98/main.html

Collaborative Thematic Unit
Theme: Oceans and Undersea Life

by Lara Chapman and David Herring

This unit can be presented as a school wide theme or for an individual
class. It is not all inclusive and does not represent all that is
available for classroom instruction where oceans and undersea life are
concerned. The unit is divided up into sections allowing the teacher to
pick and choose to fit their needs

Focus: Students will study the oceans and seas of the world, the animal
life that swims in them and the countries that border them.

Grade Level: Primary (K- 5th)

Suggested Objectives (Not All Inclusive):
1. Know how much of the world is covered with water.
2. Name the four oceans and the major seas.
3. Name the countries bordering the four oceans.
4. Know the difference between salt and fresh water.
5. Know the foods that we eat which come from the oceans.
6. Students will have a concept of environmental issues affecting the
ocean and its organisms.
7. Know the food chains, life cycles and plant life found in the oceans.
8. Know how oceans/seas effect our weather.
9. Name and locate the island nations of the world.
10. Know the animal and plant life of the different oceans.
11. Name the major explorers who sailed the seas and why they are
famous.

I. Getting Started
1. Ask students, "What do you know about the ocean?"Accept all
contributions without correction. Give students a chance to discuss
their personal experiences relating to oceans. Then ask,"What would you
like to learn about the ocean?" Record responses on a chart and display
the list for future reference.

II. Classroom Decor
1. Dress up classroom windows like a ship's portholes.
2. Adopt a sea creature/animal for your class or each class and make a
banner or cut-out of the creature/animal to hang outside and/or in your
room.

a. Devote a part of a classroom wall as your sea creature/animal
display. This could include pictures, biological facts, migrating
habits, food chain, and life cycle.
3. Have a "helping hands" octopus showing all the class helpers for the
week, i.e. line leader, office messenger, board eraser, etc.

4. Display a "catch of the day" net. Every time a students is recognized
for their good behavior for the day, their name goes into the net.
Whoever has their name in the net the most times at the end of the month
wins a prize or gains a privilege. This concept can also be expanded to
include the student who reads the most books dealing with an ocean theme
or books in general.
5. Display a compass rose on a wall making sure it is pointing in the
correct position.

6. Display a beach scene sometime during the winter months complete with
sand, seashells and flora.

7. Display a relief map showing what the ocean floor looks life.(
National Geographic magazine is a good source for one of these.)

III. Literature/English
1. Divide the school or class into four sections and assign one of the
four oceans, Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific, as a research
project or thematic unit.
a. Each class researches animals/creatures and plant life within their
ocean.

2. Each student develops a "Ship's Log". It can be a composition
notebook, folder, sheets of paper stapled together and decorated, etc.
and used to record writings, research, observations, etc.

4. After reading Monster Beach by Betty Paraskevas, have your class pick
a dangerous sea creature (real or imagined) and write about a narrow
escape from one of these creatures.

5. Pass Follow Me! by Nancy Tafuri around the classroom and allow each
student to look through the book and then complete the following
activities.
&middotCreate a Sandy Scene. With an empty soup can, scissors,
construction paper, and a variety of materials such as shells, seaweed,
yarn or buttons. Let children recreate the beach scene from the book
focusing specifically on the animals and their beach home.

&middotHave students write a poem about "A Day in the Life of the Sea
Lion". Place their poems in the can.

&middotHave students write a dialogue for the pictures. Ask them to
think about what the sea lions would say when they noticed the red crabs
or while they floated on their backs in the ocean. Place these scripts
in the cans also.

&middotHave the students form small groups and share their writings from
their cans.

Discussion Questions
1. If you had a sea lion what would you name it? Why? Where would you
keep it?

2. Why do you think the sea lion was so interested in following the
crabs?

3. If you were the curious sea lion what other animals would you choose
to investigate. What would you like to find out about them?

IV. Poetry/Songs
1. Author Title Publisher
Armour, Richard. Strange Monsters of the Sea. McGraw-Hill.

Bender, Lione. Creatures of the Deep. Gloucester Press.

Foster, John. Sea Poems. Oxford.

Heard, Georgia. Creatures of the Earth, Sea, and Sky. Boyds Mill.

Hopkins, Lee B. "The Sea Is Calling Me," Harcourt Instructor Staff
Poetry Place Anthology Instructor.

Donnell, Elizabeth. Twelve Days of Summer. Morrow Jr. Books.
Prelutsky, Jack. The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. Random
House.

Windham, Sophie. The Mermaid and Other Sea Poems. Scholastic.

Worth, Valerie. All the Small Poems. Farrar,Straus.

2. Learn the song "Under the Sea" from the movie The Little Mermaid. Ask
the students to identify what is 'under the sea."

3. Read aloud some poems about the ocean. Then work on innovation.
Brainstorm some things that could be changed about a particular poem-its
title, the creatures mentioned, adjectives, etc. Make a Word Bank on the
chalkboard, chart paper,or over-head. Then replace the words in the
original poem with words from the Word Bank. An example of an innovation
follows: Original Poem Innovation The Sea The Sea Behold the wonders of
the mighty deep, Behold the wonders of the mighty sea, Where crabs and
lobsters learn to creep, Where sea anemones love to be, And little
fishes learn to swim, And tiny starfish like to play, And clumsy sailors
tumble in. And hungry catfish feed all day.

4. Read Sea Gifts by George Shannon aloud to the class. Discuss and list
some of the treasures found by the man who trades with the sea
(anemones; a blue glass bubble from a fishing net; and empty shell).
Then make a list of what he did with these objects (put them on his s
helf; saves wood to mend his home; carves wood). Have students choose
one phrase form each list and use them to write an original Sea Gifts
poem.

5. Limericks: Read a variety of limericks to to the class. One good
source is John Ciardi's The Hopeful Trout and Other Limericks (Hougton
Mifflin, 1989). Write a limerick on the chalkboard or overhead
projector. Establish the aa, bb, a rhyming pattern of the limerick such
as the following:

There once was a mermaid named Cloris /Who liked to sing in a chorus.
/But one day she fled /'Cause she didn't want to wed /The serpent whose
nickname was Boris.

Suggest the following helpful method for writing limericks - list words
that rhyme with the first and third lines. Cloris fled Boris Morris
chorus bed fed red wed Horace Doris dead head read Tyrannosaurus said
lead Ted

V. History/Social Studies
1. Research the Christmas customs of countries bordering oceans and if
these customs have been influenced by their proximity to the water.

2. Identify the island nations of the world and located and mark them on
a world map.

3. Research all the seas battles which changed the course of world
history and mark their location on a world map.

4. Where in the World?: Reproduce a world map and create a transparency
of the map and use an overhead projector to draw an enlarged version for
a bulletin board. Have students label the five oceans (Atlantic,
Pacific, Indian, Arctic, and Antarctic) along with as many seas, gulfs
and bays as possible. Have students draw real sea ceratures and pin them
to the board on the oceans where they are found.

5. Have students find out more about one of, but not limited to, the
following ocean related occupations and report their findings to the
class or write a short report titled 'A Week in the Life of a ________.'
A good source to start with is I Can Be an Oceanographer by Paul Sipera.
Students may wish to include in their report how they think this job
might change in the future.
&middotCommerical Fishermen-catch ocean creatures to sell to markets
&middotMarine Geologists-study rocks and the formation of the ocean
floor
&middotMarine Biologist-study the animal and plants of the ocean
&middotDivers-assist in finding sunken treasures, repairing underwater
equipment, gathering information for research, etc.
&middotOceanographers-explore and study the ocean
&middotOffshore Drillers-explore beneath the ocean floor for deposits of
petroleum and natural gas to be used for various forms of energy
&middotMariculturists-raise or farm fish and other sea life for food
and/or restocking the ocean &middotMarine Ichthyologist-study fish,
their habitats, the food they eat, their relationship to their
environment, etc.
&middotMarine Ecologists-study the relationships between sea creatures
and their environment, like the effects of pollution on a particular
species, etc.
&middotCaptain/Crew of a ship-work on a commercial boat or cruise ship
&middotNavigatiors-use directions to determine the shipís course at sea

6. People Dependent on the Sea: Many cultures, such as the Aleuts or
Hawaiians, are dependent upon the sea. This dependency is reflected in
their foods, fashions, folklore. Have students, indiviually or in
groups, study a culture highly dependent upon the ocean and report their
findings. This can be done as cooperative groups with the findings
depicted in a mural.

7. Lighthouses: Read Beacons of Light: Lighthouses to your students.
Then have them bring pictures of lighthouses to class. Create a display
by attaching yarn from each picture to the lighthouseís approximate
location on a map. Students research additional information to be
compiled in a lighthouse mini-book.

VI. Math
1. Plot points on a graph according to the specific times high tides and
low tides occur in one week.

2. Count the number of sea shell that it takes to fill a container. Have
the students estimate how many shells are in the container and see who
comes the closest.

3. Use the lengths of whale species to help students use and understand
basic math concepts: Humpack Whales 50ft.; Fin Whales 80 ft.; Killer
Whales 30 ft.; Grey Whales 45 ft.;Sei Whales 60 ft.; Blue Whales 100ft.

4. Ordering: Give each group two or three dozen seashells of various
types. Have them place their shells in order: -smallest to largest
-lightest to heaviest -shortest to longest -thinnest to thickest

5. Serving Up Seafood: Have students create a seafood menu and establish
prices for their food items. Groups of students role play restaurant
owners, servers,and customers. Students order their seafood menu. Using
calculators, students add totals with tax. Customers pay with play money
and restaurant owners make the change. All participants must agree on
the calculations before the roles change.

6. The book Sea Squares beautifully integrates the subject of math with
literature. While sharing this book, pause frequently to allow the
students to count the total number of items on each two-page spread.
While counting is reinforced, the concept of mutiplication (limited to s
quaring numbers from 1 to 10) is also introduced. After reading this
book, individuals or pairs of students can create their own sea counting
pictures in a similar format. Combine pictures into a class counting
book.

7.Create a Habitat. Instruct students to visit the Whale Information
Network (http://chopper.macmedia.com.au/whales/whales3.html) and the
Discovery Channel's H2Oceans
(http://school.discovery.com/spring97/themes/h2oceans/index.html) What
would it take to create a habitat for a whale that is 25 feet long and
weighs four tons? Challenge your students to consider the necessary
life-support requirements for creating an artificial habitat at their
local aquarium.

8. Effects of Commercial Whaling. After reading about whales at the
Whale Information Network site, ask your students to create a graph
showing the effects of commercial whaling on nine species of whales.
Materials for this activity include whale population estimates, so that
students can create graphs and determine the actual numbers of whales
harmed by fishing.

9. Visit The Jason Project site (http://www.jasonproject.org). Have them
locate the shark tracking data files. Based on the data let students
plot their own shark charts.

VII. Health/Science
1. Using a Venn diagram, compare two oceans and find at least three
similarities and three differences.

2. Make a collage from magazine cut-outs that depicts many products,
food or industrial, that come from the ocean.

3. Children and adults alike, are often curious why the oceans are so
salty. After reading Why the Sea Is Salt and Ocean's chapter "The Water
Cycle" have students perform the following experiment.
&middotHave children get into small groups.
&middotEach group will need two glass jars, 4 tablespoons of Kosher
Salt, and two hard boiled eggs. &middotFill both jars with water.
&middotDissolve 3-4 tablespoons of salt in one jar of water. Label the
jar "salt water".
&middotCompare what happens when a boiled egg is placed in each jar.
&middotContinue adding salt to the salt solution until the egg floats in
the middle of the jar.

Discussion questions
1. Why is the ocean salty?
2. Why did the egg float in the salty jar?
3. Would you rather swim in salt or fresh water? Why or why not?

4. In Oceanarium many types of fish are featured. Have the students
choose their favorite fish and then proceed to the following activities.

&middotMaterials needed: banner paper; markers, paint or crayons; yarn,
old newspaper, scissors, hole puncher.
&middotAsk students to draw the outline of their favorite fish on a
large piece of banner paper (approximately 2 feet long).
&middotNext have them cut out the outline and trace its exact dimensions
on a second sheet of banner paper. Instruct them to cut out the second
outline also.
&middotThey can now decorate their fish the way it is presented in
Oceanarium.
&middotStaple both sides together leaving an opening to stuff newspaper
in between them.
&middotWhen the fish is stuffed finish stapling it.
&middotPunch a hole at each end of the fish and tie yarn through it.
&middotHang fish from the ceiling or around the classroom and have
student try to identify their proper names.

Discussion Questions
1. Why did you choose your fish as your favorite?

2. What is the normal length of your fish.

3. Can you tell the class any interesting facts about your favorite type
of fish?

5. Allow children to view the video Jack, the Seal and the Sea.

&middotThis activity will help students understand the dangers that
plastic resents to the oceans and its inhabitants. Collect several
plastics objects such as a garbage bag, food bag, wrappings from a food
item, toy car or a drinking straw. Students should form small groups and
select a plastic object to discuss. Each group should discuss and list
the problems each plastic item could present to ocean life. Have them
share their list with the class.

&middotAs a class, write a letter to the following address voicing your
concerns and offering suggestions for stopping pollution to our oceans.
Marine Conservation 1725 DeSales Street, NW Suite 500 Washington, DC
20036

VIII. Arts/Crafts
1. Make a submarine or boat out of household products such as plastics
container, straws, plastic bottles, etc.

2. Mobles are fun to make and neat to look at while they are hanging. A
Tides Mobile will be useful in helping students understand the positions
of the moon, sun, and earth during spring and neap tides.
Materials needed: Clothes hangers, straws, string, colored construction
pap cardboard, scissors, paper clips, tape, markers, glue, one-hole
punch.
&middotWith a pencil or marker draw a moon, sun, earth, and star on
construction paper. Remember to keep them proportional.
&middotGlue the drawings to cardboard and then cut them out.
&middotWith the hole punch make a hole in the top of each piece; put
string through each hole and tie securely.
&middotAttach the ends of the string to the clothes hanger to the straw
and then to the hanger.
&middotWeight the with paper clips if needed.

3. With sand, glue, construction paper or cardboard a neat sand picture
can be created. Spread newspaper over the working area. Draw a design or
ocean scene on the construction paper or cardboard. Apply glue along the
outlines of the design. Pour sand onto the glue and allow to dry. Gently
shake the picture over the newspaper or a waste basket to remove excess
sand.

4. Ask students to visit the Jason Project site (
http://www.jasonproject.org). Students can research different aquatic
animals at this site and then make a quilt piece illustrating the
creature. These can be pieced together for an ìoceans quilt.î. You will
need squares of old cloth, scissors, needle and thread, glue and any
other materials to be creative with.

IX. Internet Resources
1. The Jason Project
http://www.jasonproject.org
Websight based on an investigation by Dr. Robert Ballard and other
researchers into the marine ecology and habitats of Southern Florida. A
teacher's guide is available.

2. Oceans: A Study via Remote Sensing Introduction
http://k12science.ati.stevens-tech.edu/curriculum/oceans/open.html
This site uses data collected from ocean buoys and ships in various
science and math activities.

3. H2Oceans (Discovery Channel)
http://school.discovery.com/spring97/themes/h2oceans/index.html
This page offers a variety of information to help explain and explore
the H2Oceans theme, including an overview, a complete list of programs,
interesting theme-related classroom activities, and useful links.

4. In Search Of The Giant Squid/Smithsonian
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/squid.html
This online exhibit explores and interprets the mystery, beauty, and
complexity of giant squids.

5. Ocean Planet/Smithsonian
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/ocean_planet.html
The Ocean Planet site is a companion exihibit to the Smithsonian
Institutuion's National Museum Of Natural History traveling exhibition.

6. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution
http://www.hboi.edu
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution a non-profit organization
involved in research and education in marine biology, aquaculture, and
ocean engineering.

7. Ocean Color
http://inspire.ospi.wednet.edu:8001/curric/oceans/ocolor/index.html
This site is an online activity that uses graphics to draw conclusions
about plant production in the world's oceans.

8. North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
http://www.sips.state.nc.us/EHNR/DMF
Sponsored by a state agency. Features a kid's page and activities for
children which are instructional as well as fun. An interactive fish
quiz is included.

9. Sea World
http://www.bev.net/education/SeaWorld/homepage.html
Website organized around three topics; Animal Info.; Career Info; and
Educational Resources.

10. Welcome to Mystic Seaport
http://www.mystic.org/
Based on the waterfront site in Connecticut which tell stories of
America and the sea.

11. The Birch Aquarium
http://aqua.ucsd.edu/
Part of the Scripps Oceanography Institute and features extensive lesson
plans for teachers.

12. The Florida Aquarium
http://www.sptimes.com/aquarium/default.html
A virtual visit to Tampa Bay's newest attraction. Contains sections
titled: Habitats; Hands On; and Play Pond.

13.Monterey Bay Aquarium On-Line
http://www.usw.nps.navy.mil/~millercw/aq/
A handy "e-q" guide helps the user find information and the smoothest
path. Topics include: Habitats Path; and At The Core: Conservation,
Research & Education.

14. New England Aquarium
http://www.neaq.org/
Sponsored by the New England Aquarium of Boston, MA., offers a rich
resource on oceans and maritime life.

15. Osaka Aquarium
http://www.hitachizosen.co.jp/info/kaiyukan/kaiyukan-e.html
This Japanese aquarium featuring diverse environments found along the
"Ring of Fire." Includes information about the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf
of Panama, and the Tasman Sea. Each category tell what the water
temperature is and lists what creatures are present.

16. Waikiki Aquarium
http://www.mic.hawaii.edu/aquarium/
Focuses on the aquatic life of Hawaii and the tropical Pacific Ocean.
Has good information on animals and plants. The Discovery Page is
probably best page for kids, featuring a monthly word scramble and an
animal of the month, which comes with a coloring sheet.

17. Baby's Tale
http://www.webcom.com/~iwcwww/whale_adoption/babytale.html
Contains basic information about the birth and infancy of baby whales.

18. The Great White Shark Facts
http://www.netzone.com:80/~drewgrgich/picshark.html
Subtitled "The Cold-Hard Facts", gives good basic information on this
creature kids, as well as many adults, are fascinated by.

19. Keiko The Killer Whale
http://www.ohwy.com/or/k/keiko.htm
Tells the story of the killer whale whose life is the basis for the
movies Free Willy and Free Willy II.

20. The Penguin Page
http://www.vni.net/~kwelch/penguins/
(Site is not working properly but it would be worth trying to see if it
is fixed.)

21. Save The Manatee Club
http://www.objectlinks.com/manatee/index.htm
Seeks to educate the public about the environmental fragility of this
animal and offers much to the classroom teacher.

22. Sea Turtle Trax
http://www.turtles.org/
Designed to educate people about the wonder & beauty of the marine
turtle.

23. South Australian Whale Center
http://www.webmedia.com.au/whales/whcent.html
Features a menu marked with whale icons from which the student can
explore different facets of whales.

24. Whale Information Network
http://chopper.macmedia.com.au/whales/whales3.html
Keeps a record of whale sightings and characteristics.

25. Whales: A Thematic Web Unit
http://curry.edschool.Virginia.EDU/go/Whales
A table of contents guides teachers to resources such as a bibliography,
book reviews, a glossary of whale terms, homework ideas and lesson
plans.

26. The History of Pirates
http://www.filmzone.com/cutthroat/highseas/highseas.html
Offers too much graphic and gory info for children to use independently.
There is useful information that is best pulled by teachers and used
independently of the Website.

27. Lighthouse Getaway!
http://zuma.lib.utk.edu/lights/lights.html
Contains information on lighthouses in New England, the Outer Banks,
California, Oregon and other locations. Beautiful, fast-loading
photographs are the most striking feature.

X. Workbook/Activity Resources
1.Kids Discover Oceans - booklet with articles and activities.

2.Oscar's Ocean - integrated unit for primary (mostly) grades by
Interact. Very good pictures for all grades.

3. A Week At The Beach - supplemental activity guide.

4. Aquatic Project Wild - education program of activities for K - high
school.

5. Atlas of Exploration - books on explorers.

6. The Ocean - grades 2-3; intergrated activities for whole language.

7. Tide Pools and Coral Reefs - primary grades; thematic unit
activities.

8. Oceans - intermediate grades; thematic unit activites.

9. Sea Animals - early childhood; thematic unit activities.

10. Endangered Oceans - K-4th; background information, resource
material, activities, and patterns.

11. Sharks by Rhoda Blumberg (Avon Books; 1976)

12. The Usborne Book Of Ocean Facts by Anita Ganeri

13. Protecting the Oceans by John Baines (Steck-Vaughn; 1991)

14. Sharks by Kay Richards (Willowisp Press)

15. Sharks In Questions-The Smithsonian Answer Book by Victor G.
Springer

16. Osborne Mysteries & Marvels of Ocean Life by Rick Morris (1983)

17. Starfish by Edith Thacher Hurd (1962)

18. Oceanography by Marion B. Carr (Golden Press)

XI. Video Resources (See Your Media Specialist About Obtaining The
Following Tapes)
1.Animal Classifications 20 Minutes 3rd Grade
If You Were A Fish

2.Bill Nye 30 Minutes 1st -3rd Grade
Oceanography
Fish
Waves
Ocean Waves

3. Community Of Living Things 15 Minutes 3rd Grade
Creeks and Oceans

4. Magic School Bus 30 Minutes 1-3rd Grade
Wet All Over
Ups and Downs

5. Nature Scene 30 Minutes 3rd Grade
Huntington
South Atlantic Beach
Hunting Island
Memories of the Sea S
C From Mountains to the Sea

6. Outside With Slim Goodbody 15 Minutes 3rd Grade
Our Watery World

7. Palmetto Places 28 Minutes 3rd Grade
Georgetown
St. Helena

8. Reading Rainbow 30 Minutes K- 3rd Grade
Louie The Fish
Come A Tide
Three By The Sea
Dive To Coral Reefs
Seashore Surprises
Humphrey The Lost Whale
Jack, The Seal, And The Sea
Sunken Treasures
Is There A House For Hermit Crab?
My Little Island
Sam The Sea Cow

9. Sandlappers Corner 15 Minutes 3rd Grade
Places To See - Carolina Coast

10. Seahouse 5 Minutes K-3rd Grade Lessons 1-20:
Marine Life/Relationship Among Living Things

11. Stories and Poems From Long Ago 15 Minutes 3rd Grade
Stories Of The Sea

12. 3-2-1 Classroom Contact 15 Minutes 3rd Grade
Oceans 3-D Environment
Antarctic Animals: Living On The Edge

13. 3-2-1 Contact 30 Minutes 3rd Grade
Oceans - By The Sea Oceans - Of The Sea Oceans - On The Sea Oceans - In
The Sea

14. World Of Nature 15 Minutes K-3rd Grade
Saving The Manatee Sea Lions: Lessons On The Beach

15. Doors of Wonder 30 Minutes K-3rd Grade
The Rainbow Fish

16. Great Plains National ITV Libraray 30 Minutes K-3rd Grade
Jack, The Seal, And The Sea

XII.. Sea-faring recipes:
1. Tuna In a Cone - Drain one 6 1/2 ounce can of tuna and place in a
mixing bow. Add 1/3 cup mayonnaise; 2 tbsp. sweet pickle relish; 1/4
tsp. salt and stir with fork. Scoop mixture into ice cream cone and top
with an olive, pickle slice or cherry tomato.

2. Starfish Sandwiches - Make sandwiches using salmon spread, fish cakes
or sardines. Add cheese. With a star-shaped cookie cutter, press out a
star shape. Decorate your Starfish with cream cheese, pimento eyes and
olive mouths.

3. Imitation Eels - Make blue gelatin and pour into a new, unused fish
bowl. Fill with gummy worms. Once the gelatin sets, the bowl resembles a
mini aquarium.

XIII. Book Selections
Fiction
Author Title Publisher
Clements, Andrew. Big Al. Scholastic.

Cole, Joanna. The Magic School on the Ocean Floor. Scholastic.

Cooney, Barbara. Hattie and the Wild Wave. Viking.

Cooney, Barbara. Island Boy. Viking .

Cummings, Priscilla. Chadwick and the Garplegrungen. Tidewater.

Ehlert, Lois. Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On. Harcourt .

Gibbons, Gail. Beacons of Light: Lighthouses. Morrow .

Guiberson, Brenda. Lobster Boat. Holt.

Heller, Ruth. How to Hide an Octopus & Other Sea Creatures. Grosset .

Hulme, Joy. Sea Squares. Hyperion.

Kimmel, Eric. Anansi Goes Fishing. Holiday.

Kipling, Rudyard. New Illustrated Just So Stories. Doubleday.

Koch, Michelle. By the Sea. Greenwillow.

Levinson, Riki. Our Home Is the Sea. Penguin.

Liddledale, Freya. The Magic Fish. Scholastic.

Lionni, Leo. Swimmy. Knopf.

Martin, Antoinette T. Famous Seaweed Soup.Whitman.

McDonald, Megan. Is This a House for Hermit Crab? Orchard.

Paraskevas, Betty. Monster Beach. Harcourt Brace.

Pallota, Jerry. Going Lobstering. Charlesbridge.

Roop, Peter & Connie. Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie. Carolrhoda.

Swift,Hildegarde &Ward.The Little Red Lighthouse. Voyager.

Tafuri, Nancy. Follow Me! Greenwillow .

Van Allsburg, Chris. The Wretched Stone. Houghton .

Waber, Bernard. I Was All Thumgs. Houghton .

Walton, Rick & Ann. Something's Fishy! Jokes About Sea Creatures.
Lerner.

Zolotow, Charlotte. The Seashore Book. HarperCollins.

Nonfiction
Adler, David. Over Amazing Ocean. Troll.

Bendick, Jeanne. Exploring an Ocean Tide Pool. Holt.

Bramwell, Martyn. The Oceans. F. Watts.

Cole, Joanna The Magic School Bus On The Ocean Floor. Scholastic.

Donnelly, Judy. The Titanic Lost . . .and Found. Random House.

Doubilet, Anne. Under the Sea from A to Z. Crown.

Feeny, Stephanie. Sand To Sea: Marine Life of Hawaii.U. of Hawaii

French, Vivian. Why The Sea Is Salty? Reader's Digest Press.

Gibbons, Gail. Sunken Treasure. HarperCollins.

Hirschi, Ron. Ocean. Bantam Books.

Hirschi, Ron. Where Are My Puffins, Whales, and Seals? Bantam Books.

Jenson, Dr. Anthony. Under Sea Mission. Gareth Stevens.

Lauber, Patricia. An Octopus Is Amazing. HarperCollins.

MacDonald, Suse. Sea Shapes. Harcourt .

Matthew, Rupert. Record Breakers of the Sea. Troll.

McMillan, Bruce. Beach for Birds. Houghton.

Mud-Ruth, Maria. The Ultimate Ocean Book. Western .

Nielson, Barbara. The Great Barrier Reef.Gallery.

Oppenheim, Joanne. Oceanarium. Bantam Books.

Pallota, Jerry. The Ocean Alphabet Book. Charlesbridge.

Pallota, Jerry. The Underwater Alphabet Book. Charlesbridge.

Parker, Steve. Eyewitness Books-Seashore. Knopf.

Pope, Joyce. Seashore. Knopf.

Robbins, Ken. Boats. Scholastic .

Rotner, Shelley & Kreisler. Ocean Day. Macmillan .

Rowland, Della. Whales and Dolphins. Macmillan.

Segaloff, Nat & Erickson. A Reef Comes to Life. Watts.

Simon, Seymour. Oceans. Morrow Jr.

Sipera, Paul P. I Can Be An Oceanographer Children's Press.

Taylor, Barbara. Shoreline. Dorling Kindersley.

Tayntor, Elizabeth. Dive to the Coral Reefs. Crown.

Wallace, Karen. Think of an Eel.Candlewick .

Wheeler, Alwyne. Fishes. Usborne-Haye.

Zim, Herbert & Ingle. Seashore. Golden Book.

XIV. Interactive Multimedia
1. Microsoft Oceans(CD-ROM): Explore The Mysterious World of the Deep.

2. The Magic School Bus Explores the Ocean (Microsoft Home)

XV. Culminating Activity
Plan a trip to the seashore. Spend part of the day on the beach
observing shells and plants. Schedule a visit to a marine biologist site
and possibly take an excursion on a boat. Arrange for an appropriate
lecture with the sponsors.

XVI. Evaluation
&middotInitiate a group discussion about the day spent at the seashore.
Ask what sights, smells and sounds that were notices while there. Focus
on what was learned in the classroom setting and then reinforced during
the trip Were students eager to participate in the discussion? Did each
have a turn with expressing their thoughts?
&middotAsk students to write a short paper highlighting the major issues
that made an impression on them during the visit and while studying the
unit. Provide materials for them to illustrate the paper. Did the papers
accurately portray major themes covered? Do students seem to have a
grasp of the variety of areas concerned with ocean and undersea life?

Collaborative Thematic Unit 

Theme: Whales

by Ann Adcock & Keely McCormack

Grade level: K-3

Focus: Students will explore whales and expand their knowledge of whales
to include different types of whales, whale behavior, whale
communication, and whale preservation.

Objectives: By the end of this thematic unit, students will:
1. Know the general characteristics of whales
2. Identify at least five different types of whales.
3. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between a whale
and a fish.
4. Explain at least three behaviors that are unique to whales.
5. Explain how whales communicate with each other.
6. Understand why some species of whales are in danger of becoming
extinct.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
I. Materials & Resources

A. Print Resources
1. An arctic whaling diary: The journal of Captain George Comer, ed. by
W. Gillies Ross. 1984
2. Illustrated encyclopedia of whales and dolphins. Anthony R. Martin.
1990
3. National audubon society field guide to North American fishes,
whales, and dolphins. 1983
4. Seasons of the whale: Riding the currents of North America. Erich
Hoyt. 1990
5. Where the whales are: Your guide to whale watching trips in North
America. Patricia
   Corrigan. 1991

B. Computer/CD-ROM Resources
1. In the Company of Whales
Produced by Discovery Channel Multimedia.

2. Whales
Produced by Discis Knowledge Research, Inc.

3. "Whale," Microsoft Encarta Multimedia Encyclopedia
Produced by Microsoft Corporation.

4. "Whale," Mammals: A Multimedia Encyclopedia
Produced by National Geographic.

5. "Whale," The New Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia
Produced by Grolier.

C. Internet Resources
1. SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Animal Information Database
http://www.seaworld.org
Includes up-to-date information about J.J. the gray whale, teacher
resources, and information on different types of whales.

2. WhaleNet
http://whale.wheelock.edu/
Resources for students, teachers, and the public. Includes information
about whale watches, viewing of a whale dissection, slide shows, marine
mammal links, and a mail feature where you can e-mail questions to a
marine scientist.

3. Whale Times
http://www.whaletimes.org/
An award-winning site about whales and other marine mammals. Features a
Kids Page, with puzzles, stories, and species sleuth questions. Also
recommends some books, other links, and includes an e-mail address so
you can e-mail questions.

4. Save the Whales
http://www.tmarts.com/savethewhales/frame20.html
This page's purpose is to educate children and adults about marine
mammals, their environment, and their preservation. Includes information
about whale research, general whale information, and things you can do
to help save the whales.

5. Virtual Whale Watch
http://princeofwhales.com/virtual/
Pictures and text from a real whale watch. Excellent pictures. Also
includes some general information about the whales that were seen
(sizes, behaviors, etc.).

6. A Baby's Tale
http://www.webcom.com/~iwcwww/whale_adoption/babytale.html
A look at the first year of a baby humpback whale's life. Includes some
black and white photos. Accompanied by a word find puzzle. This page
also has an adopt-a-whale offer.

7. Virtual Whale Museum
http://www.shs.org/Whales/lobby.html
Put together by a 3rd grade class in Massachusetts. Includes information
about different types of whales and a lot of other general information.

8. Room 13 Whale Web
http://www.cyberg8t.com/mllewel/
Sixth grade reports (from a class in California) on different types of
whales. Very basic, good, brief information. Also information about a
class whale-watching trip.

9. Song of the Whale
http://www.ifaw.org/pic.htm
About the International Fund for Animal Welfare's research vessel "Song
of the Whale." A research diary (from Winter 1998), an online
educational resource center, and information about the types of animals
that are studied (including some sound bytes of the animals).

D. Audio/Visual Resources
1. The Great Whales, 59-minute video, 1987
A documentary on whales, including information on their anatomy,
communication and migration patterns. Part of the National Geographic
video series.

2. The Singing Whale, 60-minute video, 1986
Jacques Cousteau and the crew of the Calypso sail into a challenging
adventure among the colossal humpback whales.

3. Whale Watch, 57-minute video, 1988
Observes whales and their activities in the lagoons off the coast of
central Mexico and introduces viewers to the methods used in studying
and filming their behavior. Part of the Nova series.

4. Whales, 60-minute video, 1986
Tours the last surviving wooden whaling boat, views experiments with a
whale at Marine World in California, and conducts a series of studies
with whales in the open ocean.

5. Humphrey the lost whale: A true story, 30-minute video, 1986
Describes how a migrating humpback whale mistakenly entered the San
Francisco Bay in 1985 and swam sixty-four miles inland before being led
back to the sea by people concerned for his welfare.

6. Whales, book and cassette
by Gail Gibbons, Live Oak Media, 1993
A guide to the different kinds of whales and their characteristics.

7. Whale Rescue, 23-minute video, 1990
Examines freeing a 60,000 pound humpback whale trapped in a fishing net.

8. Free Willy, 112 minutes, 1993
A story about the friendship that develops between a 12-year-old boy who
knows what it's like to be without a family, and a whale confined in a
too-small tank at an aquatic park.

9. Free Willy 2: The adventure home, 98 minutes, 1995
Sequel to the popular original film.

10. Song of the Whale website
http://www.ifaw.org/pic.htm
In the sections about specific types of whales, there are sound clips
that can be downloaded of whale songs, whale clicks, etc.

E. Community Resources
1. Guest speakers - Marine science professors and/or students from the
University of South Carolina. Out-of-state speakers could include a
staff member from SeaWorld or Whales on Wheels (WOW- a part of Save the
Whales), both of whom talk to class groups.

2. Field trips - Whale watching trips. Although none could be found for
South Carolina, there are some for North Carolina and Florida.
Information for whale watching trips all over the world can be found at
the Whale Watching Web (http://www.physics.helsinki.fi/whale/). Another
field trip could be to SeaWorld (in Florida). Students can also go on a
virtual whale watch at http://princeofwhales.com/virtual/

F. Literature Resources

Fiction
Bunting, Eve. The day the whale came. Illustrated by Scott Menchin.1998
Dunbar, Joyce. Indigo and the whale. Illustrated by Geoffrey Patterson.
1996
Esterl, Arnica. Okino and the whales. Illustrated by Marek Zawadzki.
1995
Hofmeyr, Dianne. Do the whales still sing? Illustrated by Jude Daly.
1995
James, Simon. My friend whale. 1990
Phleger, Fred. The whales go by. 1959
Rylant, Cynthia. The whales. 1996
Sheldon, Dyan. The whale's song. Illustrated by Gary Blythe. 1990
Weller, Frances Ward. I wonder if I'll see a whale. 1991

Nonfiction
Archambault, John. The birth of a whale. 1996
Berger, Gilda. Whales. 1987.
Davies, Nicola. Big blue whale. 1997
Eyewitness Books (written by Vassili Papastavrou).Whale. 1993.
Gibbons, Gail. Whales. 1991
Mallory, Kenneth. Rescue of the stranded whales. 1989
McMillan, Bruce. Going on a whale watch. 1992
Tokuda, Wendy. Humphrey the lost whale: A true story. 1986

Poetry
Griggs, Tamar (compiler). There's a sound in the sea: a child's-eye view
of the whale. 1975
Livingston, Myra (compiler).If you ever meet a whale: Poems.1992
Yolen, Jane. Sea watch: A book of poetry. 1996

------------------------------------------------------------------------

II. Activities

A. Initiating Activity 
Tell students you are going to play a sound for them and that you want
them to try to identify it. Play a recording of a whale singing (either
a previously recorded copy or, while hiding the monitor from students,
one of the songs that is available on the Song of the Whale website). If
students cannot guess that it is a whale, give them hints until they
guess (the sound is made by an animal, the animal is a mammal, the
animal lives in the ocean, etc.). Explain that you played the whale song
because the class is starting a new unit on whales. Next, make a list of
the types of whales that the class presently knows (killer whales,
humpback whales, etc.) and post the list in the classroom.

B. General Activities
1. Help the students make a chart comparing sizes of the different types
of whales. Try to make the drawings to scale as much as possible so that
students can see the relative sizes of the different types of whales and
see which whales are the largest, the smallest, etc.

2. Have students pick one of the smaller or medium-sized whales (not the
100-foot blue whale!). Have students research how long a female whale of
that type would be and how long a newborn calf of that type would be.
Supervise students as they draw, cut out, and color a life-sized whale
and newborn calf. Put the cutouts on the wall of the classroom for the
duration of the whale unit.

3. Have students write 3 questions that they have about whales. Compile
all the questions into one list and e-mail the list of questions to a
contact person on one of the web sites (SeaWorld, WhaleNet, the Whale
Times are all good choices). Share the responses with the class.

4. To demonstrate how blubber keeps whales warm, have students put a
plastic glove on both hands. Cover one glove with shortening and put
nothing on the other glove. Then have students put both hands into ice
water. (This activity is from Derynoski Elementary School's Compilation
of whale activities, available online at
http://www.sboe.k12.southington.ct.us/des/whaleact.htm).

5. Start a whale story with a very simple beginning (e.g. When Lois the
blue whale woke up this morning she ________). Give the story to a
student and have the student add 2 or 3 lines and a small illustration
to the story. Pass the story to every student in the class so that each
student has contributed lines and a drawing to the story. The last
student should come up with an ending to the story. Have a student copy
the story onto a big sheet of paper. Post the story and drawings in the
classroom.

6. Students can work on teacher created "Whale Math" activities, either
individually or in groups. These activities would depend on the level
and mathematics needs of the students in the particular class. An
example of "Whale math" would be using word problems such as the
following:
       a. A pilot whale is 28 feet long (8.5 meters). A narwhal is 20
feet long (6 meters). How much longer is the pilot whale?
       b. A blue whale calf drinks 130 gallons of milk a day. How much
milk will it drink in two days?
       c. A dolphin can swim 70 mph. How far could it swim in three
hours?
       d. A gray whale travels 6 mph. How long will it take the whale to
travel the 5000 miles from the Arctic to Mexico?

7. Humpbacks are among the most expressive and impressive creatures when
it comes to displaying acrobatic behavior such breaching, during which
whale hurls itself out of the water only to fall back in an equally
spectacular fashion. In quieter moments, they spy-hop, seeming to stand
upright in the water with only their heads visible. Other times they
lob-tail, slapping the surface of the sea with only their tails. With
lunch paper bags, ask students to make their best hand puppet of a
humpback whale and then act out the moves of a humpback whale.

8. Adopt a humpback whale as a class project (whale adoptions are
available on the International Wildlife Coalition page at
http://www.webcom.com/~iwcwww/whale adoption/adopt.html). Adoption fee
for a whale is $19. When the information packet about the whale is
received, have students write letters to the whale, write poems about
the whale, draw pictures of the whale, etc.

C. Discussion Questions
1. Discuss the similarities and differences between whales and fish.
Although they share the same environment, there are important
differences between fish and whales. Consider the following questions:
       a. How do they breathe?
       b. How do they swim?
       c. How are their young born
       d. What kind of skin do they have?
2. Using what you know about mammals, explain why whale are mammals.
3. Some species of whales are in danger of becoming extinct. Why do you
think this is?
4. What are some things that can be done to prevent whales from becoming
extinct?

D. Literature Specific Activities

1. Fiction
The whales go by, by Fred Phleger
This easy-to-read book tells the story of a gray whale's migration from
the Arctic Ocean near Alaska to the Pacific Ocean near Mexico.

Prereading Activity
Before reading the book ask the children what problems they think whales
will go through on a migration.

Activities
1. Tell the students to pretend that they are whales. Ask what they
would bring if they had to travel for that long.

2. Have students pretend to be the whale. Have them write a letter to
their parents about the journey.

3. Chart on a map the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean (where this
whale went).

4. Ask students, with the help of the teacher, to find the distance from
the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

2. Fiction
My friend whale, by Simon James
A child's enjoyment of a whale in the sea ceases when he never sees the
whale again. A final page emphasizes the necessity of preserving whales.

Prereading Activity
Ask students to pretend that they have their own whale friend that they
visit and spend time with. Have students name the whale, draw a picture
of themselves with the whale, and write about some of the things they do
together.

Activities
1. Write to the 3 organizations listed at the end of the book for
information about how to help save the whales (the organizations are
Greenpeace, the International Wildlife Coalition, and the Center for
Marine Conservation).

2. It is noted in the book that whales can hear other whales making
sounds from 100 miles away. Have students experiment with how far away
they can hear each other whispering and talking Check for accuracy by
having the speaker say a few words. The listener must repeat the exact
same words.

3. Have student write a story about why they think the whale in the
story did not come back. What happened to it? Where did it go?

3. Nonfiction
Whales, by Gail Gibbons
Information on the lives of different kinds of whales, including how
they swim, breathe, eat, use sonar, and bear young. Concern about whales
is also addressed.

Prereading Activity
Explain to students that whales evolved from other animals millions of
years ago and that the whale's ancestors looked very different from the
way whales look today. Have students draw what they think whale
ancestors looked like.

Activities
1. The book says that female whales can only have one baby at a time.
Research how old a female whale is before she can have her first baby
and how long whales of that type live. Figure up how many babies she
might have in her lifetime.

2. Blue whales can weigh as much as 180 tons. Have students figure up
how many elephants, cars, trucks, horses, etc. (or some combination of
heavy objects) would equal 180 tons.

3. In the end of the book, there is a brief note about Humphrey the
humpback whale. Humphrey became lost and swam up California's Sacramento
River in 1985. In 1990, he got stranded in San Francisco Bay. Both
times, scientists helped Humphrey get back out to sea. Help students
make sock puppets and write a script about Humphrey's difficulties, why
he got lost twice, how the scientists helped him get back out to sea,
etc. Perform the puppet show for other classes. (More information about
Humphrey can be found in Wendy Tokuda's book Humphrey the lost whale: A
true story or in the video by the same name)

E. Culminating Activity
Students will be assigned a specific topic to research (a type of whale,
migration, communication, a whale behavior, etc.). They will work on a
report throughout the duration of the unit. The report should be at
least one page and have at least one illustration that is drawn by the
student. The teacher will instruct and guide the students about typing
their completed reports on the computer and scanning their drawings.
When all reports and drawings are done on the computer and saved to
disks, the class (guided by the teacher) will compile and organize all
of the information into a class web page. Finally, the teacher will get
the web page put onto a server.

F. Evaluation
The culminating activity can be evaluated using the following criteria:

1. Do the student reports contain information that shows an
understanding of their topics?

2. Are the student illustrations accurate? (e.g. does the illustration
of the beluga whale show it being white and not another color?)

3. On the class web page, include a link that can be clicked to send an
e-mail to the class. Ask for comments and feedback about the web page,
especially if the student-made reports allowed readers to increase their
knowledge and understanding of whales, the different types of whales,
and the various characteristics of whales.

On the first day of the unit (in the initiating activity), a chart was
made about the types of whales that the class could currently name. Add
to the chart as different types are learned and studied and add basic
information about each type of whale (size, toothed or baleen, regions
where they live, distinctive behaviors, etc.). Include a picture for
each type of whale.

A portfolio assessment will also be used. Students will be given a
folder that will hold all of the whale work they did for the unit
(stories, drawings, research for their reports, etc.). Notes by the
teacher taken for the duration of the unit will be included in the
portfolio.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related Literature
Allen, Judy. Whale. 1993
Bailey, Jill. Project Whale. 1991
Behrens, June. Whales of the world. 1987
Carrick, Carol. Whaling days. 1993
Carwardine, Mark. Whales, dolphins, and porpoises. 1992
Day, Edward C. John Tabor's Ride. 1989
Esbensen, Barbara Juster. Baby whales drink milk. 1994
Fichter, George S. Whales and other marine mammals. 1991
Fowler, Allan. The biggest animal ever. 1992
Lauber, Patricia. Great whales, the gentle giants. 1991
Lingemann, Linda. Beluga Passage. 1996
Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. All about whales. 1987
Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. Killer whales. 1993
Robinson, Jane. The Whale in Lowell's Cove. 1992
Ryder, Joanne. Winter whale. 1991
Sattler, Helen Roney. Whales, the nomads of the sea. 1987
Seymour, Simon. Whales. 1989
Smyth, Karen C. Crystal: The story of a real baby whale. 1986
Starbuck, Deborah. Manny's whale. 1986
Steiner, Barbara. Whale brother. 1988
Storr, Catherine. Jonah and the whale. 1987
Vollmer, Dennis. Joshua disobeys. 1988
Waters, John Frederick. Watching whales. 1991
Wilson, Lyn. Baby whale. 1991
Wolpert, Tom. Whale magic for kids. 1991
 By Ann Adcock (bess@scsn.net) and Keely McCormack (kemccor@vm.sc.edu)

whoever mentioned making the house for
hermit crab from the jumbo pasta shells and a crab from clay--THANK YOU!
I used the regular modeling clay we get through the school system--glued
the small movable eyes to the end of a piece of pipe cleaner for the
eyes--and they are adorable! >>

From: Dezldoc@aol.com
Subject: Re: Themes etc

My partners and I made up this poem for whales that we like.
1 little whale
feeling kind of odd,
found another whale,
and they made a whale pod.

Two little whales,
looking for a thrill,
made a big dive
and they found krill.

Three little whales,
spouting all around,
spy hopped up
And the forth was found.

Four little whales,
breaching here and there,
gave the killer whale
a great big scare.

Five little whales,
looking at the sky,
waved their flukes
as they said good-bye.

We make a great popsicle whale puppet stand to go with this.
We fold a large construction paper, blue, in half the hot dog way.
A mom slits five small cuts along the top on the fold and staples the sides
closed.
The kids draw water on the front of this paper and we cut out five small
whales out of gray paper and glue to 5 big popsicle sticks. Then they poke
the popsicle sticks through the slits on the top of the water as they say the
poem. We copy the poem to put on the back of the water to go home. It comes
out looking really neat.
Birdy in ca
 

Life in the sea (tune:Adam's family)
When they got into notion
They jump out of the ocean
With tail fluke locomotion
The Dolphin family

Swim in the sea, swim in the sea, live in a pod
swim in the sea, swim in the sea

I bet you didn't suppose
Their blow hole was their nose
And in and out the ari goes
The Dolphin family

Swim in the sea, swim in the sea, live in a pod
swim in the sea, swim in the sea

Mrs. Vig's First Grade page!
http://www.angelfire.com/ma/1stGrade/pageocean.html

Welcome to the New England Aquarium
http://www.neaq.org/

Ocean Planet Homepage

http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/oceanplanet.html

Index of /Aquarium/
http://www.sptimes.com/Aquarium/

Welcome to WhaleNet at Wheelock College,
Boston http://whale.wheelock.edu/

Sea World/Busch Gardens Animal Information
DataÉ http://www.seaworld.org/

Caribbean Studies
Zoom has a Shark Site
http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/subjects/sharks/

Also a Whale Site
http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/subjects/whales/

Please visit our class website on the Oceans and the Seas:
http://osage.voorhees.k12.nj.us/FOURTH/LARSEN/OCEANS/Larspage.htm

ocean ideas

http://daycare.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa090798.htm

All About
Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruseshttp://www.seaworld.org/Pinnipeds/introduction.html

Ocean Planet:Educational Materials

http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/search_educational_materials.ht
ml

Ocean Unit
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/ckwillia/ocean.htm

The Ocean
The Eagle Page from Rocky
Mountain Highhttp://www.sky.net/~emily/eagle.html

Mystic Aquarium / Institute for
Exploration http://www.mysticaquarium.org/

 

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