Swimming with Marine Animals

We have ten weeks of school left in our school year before we reach our required 180 days. I plan to take a three week vacation after this year is over and before we switch over to year round schooling. That means we will have three weeks before we start the next school year. It falls perfectly around the time we take our yearly camping trip to Jekyll Island. My ten year old daughter stated last week that she would like to do a unit on Marine Animals. So I figured there is so much we could cover in ten weeks and still not even begin to uncover the mysteries of the oceans why not finish out the year doing just that. Plus to top it off we can plan our camping trip to the ocean which will really bring what we have learned to life.

As always I like to build my own unit studies using books, websites, movies, and any curriculum I can find. Boy did I find some goodies. Since I am covering two grade levels in this unit study I had to find enough material to keep both my K4 son and my 4th grade daughter engaged.

For my K4 son I remembered http://www.learningpage.com/pages/menu_wkshts/fact_oceans.html had a whole unit on ocean with fact files, worksheets, projects, teacher lesson plans. So I figured that would be great to use for him. He is still pretty young and so keeping with age oriented material is a must.  He will join in when I read books or we watch movies so this should be plenty for him.

Now for my 4th grade daughter who is extremely a visual learner I knew I needed more than the Amanda Bennett Ocean Unit study I had bought on sale. I knew I was going to have to find some colorful interactive websites as well.Homeschool share has a lapbook that goes along with the Amanda Bennett Unit here  http://www.homeschoolshare.com/amanada_bennett_oceans_lapbook.php Homeschool share also  has a great lab book for Ocean unit that is more for the younger kids here http://www.homeschoolshare.com/hello_ocean_lapbook.php 

I have created a few resources that anyone is more than welcome to use as well.

Pinterest
http://www.pinterest.com/tonacater/ocean-units/

Youtube playlist
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLDHKQUBNhrmei_X_MzvkLnuiGmCWvU6H

Link to my Symbaloo Ocean unit board where you will find links to numerous websites
http://www.symbaloo.com/home/mix/13eP26VZJF  

Printable resources
http://www.allkidsnetwork.com/worksheets/animals/ocean/ocean-life-worksheet.asp
http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/2011/07/ocean-life-august-calendar-connections/http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Under-the-Sea-Theme-Paper-Elementary-or-Middle-425538http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/lc/activities/critter_cards.asp
http://thehappyhousewife.com/homeschool/ocean-unit-study-worksheets-and-printables/
http://www.scholastic.com/browse/unitplan.jsp?id=339
http://www.marine.usf.edu/pjocean/packets/f98/f98u1le1.pdf
http://www.homeschoolshare.com/connections__oceans.php
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/Cupofish.shtml
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/lc/activities/https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/ocean-life-teachers-guide-and-unit-plan
http://www.teachingheart.net/literatureactivocean.html
http://eclecticeducation.squidoo.com/ocean-lapbook
http://www.firstpalette.com/tool_box/printables/seaanimals.html
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/coloring/oceanlife.shtml
http://www.sparklebox.co.uk/topic/living/ocean-life.html#.UwXy0c5ngwA
http://www.akidsheart.com/animals/sea/seas.htm
http://www.allkidsnetwork.com/worksheets/animals/ocean/
http://homeschoolcreations.com/oceanpreschoolpack.htmlhttp://3dinosaurs.com/wordpress/index.php/free-ocean-pack/

Other resource links
http://www.teachoceanscience.net/teaching_resources/ocean_science_curriculum/
http://www2.vims.edu/bridge/search/bridge1output_menu.cfm?q=lesson&Audience=school
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/ocean/main.html
http://www.pbs.org/kqed/oceanadventures/educators/
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/understanding-oceans.cfm
http://mjksciteachingideas.com/oceans.html




Suggested book List

Eye Wonder: Ocean
Ocean Life A to Z book and interactive DVD
Awesome Ocean Science
Over in the Ocean in a Coral Reef
What Lives in a Shell
National Geographic Weird Sea Creatures
DK eyewitness Books Oceans
Wish for a Fish
DK eyewitness Books Whales & Dolphins
Hello Ocean
You Can Be a Women Marine Biologist
A Whale is Not a Fish
Magic School Bus The Great Shark Escape
Magic School Bus The Wild Whale Watch
Who Would Win Hammerhead vs. Bull Shark
Who Would Win Whale Vs. Giant Squid
Hungry Hungry SharksMarine Biology by Ellen Doris
Invertebrate Zoology by Ellen Doris


Kindle books

An Octopus in a Strange Land
Children's Book About Fish
20 Questions:Ocean Life
Kids Look and Learn Jellyfish
Kids Look and Learn Dolphins
Meet the Seahorse

 I look forward as we swim with Marine Animals to post our adventures, art, and projects. I really hope others can use the resources to make their job just a little bit easier.