Out and About in the Ocean Community
Unit Activities
Tuning in
Using a map
Using a globe or map talk with students about the world’s oceans. Look at oceans surrounding Australia and other continents of the world. Identify the world’s major oceans.
Ask students to label the world’s oceans and seas on a world map.
Students draw/identify the people in their community who work with the ocean. Ask students to share drawings/understandings and talk about:
• Who lives near the ocean?
• How do they know this?
• How do these people help protect the ocean?
• Things they can do to help the ocean because ‘it is under pressure’.
Photo Gallery
Students bring photographs of the ocean and its islands, animals, plants and other organisms to share. In groups, talk about features of the ocean such as:
• Size/depths
• Types of animals found in it
• Types of plants found in it
• Other types of living things found in it
• Ocean areas for shipping, research, boating, fishing, visiting, and other recreational activities.
Establish students’ prior knowledge by asking questions such as:
• What things would you expect to find in the ocean?
• Who uses the ocean?
• What do they use it for?
Shared Book Approach
Read picture books about seas and oceans as open places to use and enjoy. For example:
Baker, J. Where the Forest Meets the Sea, Julia McRae, 1987.
Brown, A. Turtle’s Song, University of Queensland Press, 2001.
Carle, E. A House for a Hermit Crab, Hodder & Stoughton, 1996.
Cooke, A. Fun by the Sea, Wetpaper, 2001.
Freymann, S. One Lonely Seahorse, Scholastic, 2000.
Grant, J. Everyone likes the Sea. Wetpaper, 2001.
Hook, C. Coral Oceans, Macmillan, 2000.
Lister, A. Magic Beach, Allen & Unwin, 1990.
Maris, S. At the Beach, Wetpaper, 2001.
Rose, D.L, Into the A, B, Sea, Scholasic, 2000.
Toft, K.M.& Sheather, A. One Less Fish, University of Queensland Press, 1997.
Winters, B. Be safe at the Beach, Wetpaper, 2001.
Winters, B. Sea Creatures, Wetpaper, 2001.
Discuss the special and unique parts of the ocean and its surrounding environment.
Ask students:
• What is this place?
• What is this place like?
• Where is it?
• How is it used?
• What is happening at this place at this time?
Predict and list features students think would be the most common in the ocean and its surrounding environment. Test these by counting the number of times the feature occurs. Make a class graph of results.
Read and discuss stories or show videos where the ocean is the major setting. Draw students’ attention to the variety of settings, features and uses of the ocean.
Where do I live?
Make a large map of your region’s coastline and have students pin where they live on it to show their proximity to the ocean. Pin a photograph of each student nearby too, if possible.
Talk about the area in which students live. Discussion could include where they live in proximity to the ocean, features they like about living there, what they might like to do on the waters of the coast etc. |
