Ages 0-2

Preparation

For this activity you will need:

A half-full bucket, tub or tray of water to use as the sea. Alternatively, you could create your sea in a sandpit, using a plastic sheet to line a hole in the sand, and then filling this hole with water to create a little sea.
A range of toy animals suitable to get wet. Your selection should include both sea animals (such as a fish, shark, seastar, seahorse, etc.) and land animals (such as cows, birds, reptiles, etc.). You should have at least one sea animal for each child.
A range of sea-related materials, such as sand, shells, seaweed and pebbles/rocks.

This activity may be messy and may be better suited to the outdoors.

Step 1

Begin by explaining to children that they will be thinking and talking about the ocean. Using the following clip, play children some sounds of the ocean and use the prompts below to talk to them about what they heard:

Ocean Sounds with Seagulls | 12 hours of Beach Sounds (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpndP-cBE60)

I wonder what we can hear? Can you hear waves? I wonder if we can hear birds? I wonder what else we can hear?
What does it make you think about? I wonder if it makes you want to go to the beach? Does it make you think about swimming or playing on the beach?
I wonder what it makes you feel? I wonder if it makes you feel happy or excited?

Step 2

Explain to children that although you can’t visit the sea today, you can make a little sea! Show children the bucket/tub/tray of water and explain that you can pretend that this is your little sea. Talk to children about your sea, and invite them to consider the following:

I wonder what our sea feels like?
I wonder if it is hot or cold?
I wonder if it is wet or dry?
I wonder if there is anything in our sea? I wonder who lives in the sea?

Step 3

You will now look at who lives in the sea in more detail. Talk to your children about how some animals live on the land and some live in the water.

Using your collected toys, ask children to think about whether each animal lives in the sea or on the land. Lead children to the correct answer and invite children to place the sea animals in your little sea.

Encourage children to look closely at the sea animals and talk about the features of each animal and how these features help them to live in the water (e.g. fins, gills, flippers, webbed feet). Allow children to spend some time playing with the animals in the sea.

Take it further

Invite children to think about what else can you find in the sea. Show children your selection of sea related materials and talk to children about what they are, including:

I wonder what this is?
I wonder what it feels like?
I wonder if it is hot or cold?
I wonder if it is hard or soft?
I wonder if this sinks or floats?
I wonder if it looks different when it is wet?

Ask children to add these materials to the sea, and allow them some time to play with their little sea.

Provocations

I wonder which animals live in the water?
I wonder how these animals can live in the water?
I wonder what these animals eat?
I wonder how these animals can sleep?
I wonder what other things live in the water?
I wonder if plants can live in the water?

Possible lines of development

Water safety.
Build a landscape using land animals and land materials.
Float or sink - test other materials to see which ones float or sink in the water.
Create a healthy oceans diorama - download the Sea Diorama Worksheet.
Animals that live on the land AND in the sea, such as shorebirds or turtles.
Read ‘Magic Beach’ by Alison Lester.

Ages 3- 5

Preparation

For this activity you will need:

A half-full bucket, tub or tray of water to use as the sea. Alternatively, you could create your sea in a sandpit, using a plastic sheet to line a hole in the sand, and then filling this hole with water to create a little sea.
A range of toy animals suitable to get wet. Your selection should include both sea animals (such as a fish, shark, seastar, seahorse, etc.) and land animals (such as cows, birds, reptiles, etc.). You should have at least one sea animal for each child.
A range of sea-related materials, such as sand, shells, seaweed and pebbles/rocks.
A range of natural materials not normally found in the sea, such as sticks, leaves, bark, flowers and seeds and/or nuts.
A variety of waste items, such as plastic lids, plastic bags, food wrappers, etc.

This activity may be messy and may be better suited to the outdoors

Step 1

Begin by explaining to children that they will be thinking and talking about the ocean. Using the following clip, play children some sounds of the ocean and use the prompts below to talk to them about what they heard:

Ocean Sounds with Seagulls | 12 hours of Beach Sounds (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpndP-cBE60)

I wonder what we can hear? Can you hear waves? I wonder if we can hear birds? I wonder what else we can hear?
I wonder what you already know about the ocean?
I wonder if you have been to the ocean? I wonder if you would like to go to the ocean?
I wonder what these sounds make you think about?
I wonder what it makes you feel? I wonder if it makes you feel happy or excited? Or I wonder if it makes you feel calm and relaxed?

Step 2

Now explain to children that they will be making their own little sea.

Show your little sea (bucket, tray, tub, lined hole in sandpit) to children and show them both the sea-related and natural materials you have collected (not including the animals at this stage).

Talk about what materials you have found, including:

I wonder what this is?
I wonder where this comes from?
I wonder if this is found in the ocean?
I wonder what we know about this material?

Invite children to sort materials into those that could be found in the ocean and those that are more often found on the land.

Consider explaining to children that it is very likely that you will find many of the materials from the land in the ocean because many of the materials found on land will end up in the ocean when the rain carries them into the reeks and rivers, all of which end up flowing into the ocean.

Encourage children to arrange materials in a way that they imagine these materials would appear in the ocean (e.g. sand at the bottom, seaweed growing out of sand, shells resting on sand, etc.); however, it is not necessary to correct children if they make a decision you disagree with. Instead, invite children to talk about what they are doing and why they are doing it.

Step 3

Now, display the animals you have collected to the children. Invite children to sort the animals into those that can be found in the ocean and those that can be found on land. Invite children to consider:

I wonder what this animal is?
I wonder if this animal lives on land or in the ocean? How do we know?
I wonder what features this animal has to help it live in the water?
I wonder why this animal couldn’t live on land/in the water?
I wonder what this animal eats or is eaten by?

Allow them some time to play with their little sea.

Take it further

Display the waste materials and invite children to suggest where these materials have come from.

Add some of these materials to the little sea and invite children to consider:

I wonder if you can find these materials in the ocean?
I wonder how they get there?
- Suggested answer: Most waste in our oceans [60-80%] comes from land. Wind blows plastic rubbish out of littered streets and landfills, and from trucks and trains on their way to landfills. It gets into rivers, streams and storm drains and then gets carried by tides and currents out to sea. Litter dropped by people at the beach is also a major source. The remaining waste comes from boats.
I wonder if they help or hurt our ocean and the animals that live there
- Suggested answer: Rubbish in our oceans can hurt animals. Some animals think that the rubbish is their food and will eat it, making them sick. Other animals get caught in rubbish – like old fishing lines or nets – and this can cut them and hurt them.
I wonder how we can stop these things from getting into the ocean
- Suggested answer: By stopping waste going into the ocean. Always make sure your rubbish is going into the bin, and pick up any litter you see if it is safe to do so and put it in the bin.

Provocations

I wonder which animals live in the water?
I wonder how these animals can live in the water?
I wonder what these animals eat?
I wonder how these animals can sleep?
I wonder what other things live in the water?
I wonder if plants can live in the water?
I wonder what other things we might find in the ocean?
I wonder how people use the ocean?
I wonder how rubbish gets into the ocean?
I wonder if rubbish in the ocean hurts or helps our ocean?

Possible lines of development

Reusing waste activities.
Go on a litter hunt or participate in a program like Clean Up Australia Day.
Build a landscape using land animals and land materials.
Float or sink - test other materials to see which ones float or sink in the water.
Create a healthy oceans diorama - download the Sea Diorama Worksheet.
Animals that live on the land AND in the sea, such as shorebirds or turtles.
Read 'Magic Beach’ - by Alison Lester.

Evaluation

Complete an analysis of learning, listing evidence about:

Belonging	Finding something of interest
Communication	Expressing an idea or feeling
Exploration	Engaging with challenges and persisting when difficulty arises
Well being	Being involved

Embedding into daily practice

Clean up your centre yard and the area around your centre, including your street or local park. Keeping waste out of our environment is the best way to keep it out of our oceans.
Encourage your centre to purchase sustainable seafood. Use the Sustainable Seafood Guide to help you.
Take action to change climate change by using less energy in your centre. Switch off lights and appliances when not in use, use cold water instead of hot where possible, dress for the weather and turn the heater down, and encourage your centre to install solar panels.
Provide children with the opportunity to connect with the environment using some of the other Blue Early Learning activities from Cool Australia, such as: From the River to the Ocean, Fish, Turtles and Sharks, Our Coral Reefs.

Some other things you can do to help our oceans

Take action against climate change - Reduce the effects of climate change on the ocean by leaving the car at home when you can and being conscious of your energy use at home and work. A few things you can do to get started today include: Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs, take the stairs, and dress for the weather instead of using a fan or heater.
Make sustainable seafood choices - When shopping or dining out, choose seafood from sustainable sources. Use the Sustainable Seafood Guide to help you. Also, check the label on your pet’s food.
Use less plastic - Carry a reusable water bottle, store food in non-disposable containers, bring your own reusable bag when shopping, and recycle whenever possible.
Help take care of the beach - Leave coral and wildlife on the beach or in the sea, and participate in local beach cleanups (e.g. Take 3).
Don't purchase items that exploit marine life - Certain products contribute to the harming of fragile coral reefs and marine populations. Avoid purchasing items such as coral jewellery, tortoiseshell hair accessories (made from Hawksbill turtles), and shark products.
Support the establishment of marine sanctuaries - Marine sanctuaries are places where minimal human involvement is allowed, giving the marine life that use those areas the chance to recover and gain strength.

Blue - Our Oceans

Go to

Summary

Lesson guides and printables

Lesson Details

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Additional Info

In this lesson