life at the beach
GRADE LEVEL(S) Pre-K
LESSON OBJECTIVE
Children will learn about the plants and animals that they might find at the beach, Pier and tide pools. Lesson may include social-emotional concepts that include care giving. Children will develop critical thinking skills:
o Children will discuss what makes something “alive”
§ Plants such as sea weed.
§ Is coral alive? Is a sea star alive?
§ Why does a hermit crab need to find a new shell?
§ What kinds of birds live at the beach? What do they eat? Where do they sleep? Do they have nests?
BACKGROUND/PRIOR KNOWLEDGE NEEDED
http://www.celestin.com/seagulls/faq.html
http://secure.healthebay.org/smpa/
EDUCATION STANDARD(S)
Pre-K Learning Foundations
MATERIALS NEEDED
Photos of a variety of sea life and life cycle photos.
MOTIVATION
· Read a book,
o A House for Hermit Crab, by Eric Carle
o Informational books:
§ Over in the Ocean in a Coral Reef, Marianne Berkes
§ Seashells by the Seashore, Marianne Berkes
§ Fish Faces, Norbert Wu
§ Under the Sea/Bajo las olas Series (Capstone Press)
· Sea Horses/Caballitos de mar
· Corals/Corales
· Seals/Focas
· Clown Fish/Pez payaso
· Octopuses/Pulpos
· Sharks/Tiburones
· Show photos to children as part of vocabulary building and critical thinking
o Photos of a variety of sea life and animals that frequent the Beach and/or Pier
DIRECT INSTRUCTION
· As you show children the photos, ask them some critical thinking questions.
o For example, showing photos of pelicans and ask them what they think the pelican uses its “throat pouch” for?
o Show pictures of a sea star or even coral or mussels and ask the children if these are plants or animals or rocks. Ask them to think of why they decided that. It’s more important that they think than that they have the “correct answer.”
o Show pictures of sea weed and jelly fish and ask them whether these are plants or animals and why.
o Show pictures of lobsters, crabs and shell fish, and fish and ask them what is the same and different.
o Optional: After reading Hermit Crab by Eric Carle, ask children why the hermit crab has to find a new house. Ask the children if they have ever moved to a new house and if so, why? (be prepared for some challenging answers that might include divorce, immigration, etc.)
Optional:
· Life Cycles
o Take the photos of life-cycles of some “unusual” animals (coral is a good example).
§ Ask the children to put the photos in order.
§ Ask the children to tell if it changes their decision about whether the thing was animal/plant/rock.
§ Ask the children why they think the animals go through such changes.
ACCOMMODATIONS AND MODIFICATIONS
Cut-and-paste life cycle activity: Students color pictures of the life cycle of a selected animal and then they cut and paste the pictures in chronological order. Focus on only one or two animals for this activity and redesign lesson to reflect focus.
If the lesson were refocused, the teacher could buy a hermit crab as a pet and the students could spend time learning about and taking care of the crab.
ASSESSMENT/WRAP UP
At the end-of-the-day circle time ask the children to choose a picture of one of the animals that they enjoyed learning about. Ask them to tell what they like about the animal that they chose. Optional: child can take the picture home and share what they learned with their family.
Extended activity:
· Field trip to the Aquarium at the Santa Monica Pier
o Discuss dads that care for children
§ Sea horses
§ Talk about how their dads take care of them!
Just for fun, something teachers would appreciate:
http://thefransclan.blogspot.com/2009/01/mating-habits-of-seahorses-and-other.html