Ocean Habitat

Summary

This lesson plan is designed to introduce students to a Ocean Habitat. I have made the media show so that I can use it for this specific lesson (in the classroom), for additonal lessons, and for a student self discovery resource(in the computer lab).

Materials

(Teacher) A computer; TV or projector and appropriate connectors so that your computer screen can be projected up before the class (Student) On the second day they will each (or as partners) need a computer with internet access.

Background for Teachers

Students need to know what a habitat and a food chain is.

Instructional Procedures

Ask the students the following questions: What is the largest mammal in the world? Is there an animal living today that is larger than the biggest dinosaur? (Show them a picture of a coral reef.) How do these coral reefs form? Explain to your students that they will learn the answers to these questions and many more during this lesson.
Day 1
1. Review with your class what a habitat is and what a food chain is.
2. Go through the media show. As a class: read the information (You do not need to read everything, but it is good to show them the optional information.), and discuss the possible food chains.
Day 2
1. Take the kids to a lab.
2. Get your students into the Ocean Habitat Media Show.
3. Show them how to go through the media show.
4. Have students go through the media show on their own (It's good to have helpers to help monitor and help the kids.). Inform them that they will be taking a quiz at the end (The quiz is on the left of your screen in the media show. The kids just need to click on it.), and that they can retake it as many times as they want. They can even access this site on their own computer and try it at home.
Have them take the quiz, and (Optional) teach them how to e-mail you the results. They only have to e-mail one score to you. You may want to tell them that they get extra credit for e-mailing you instead of making it mandatory.
Day 3
Have them each choose a Ocean Habitat animal to do a report on. Give them the following questions and tell them that this information must be in their report. However, they may add further information if they desire.
-What is the name of your animal?
-What does it look like? (Use descriptive words)
-What does it eat?
-Where in the ocean does it live?
-What is an interesting fact about this animal that the other students probably don't know?
Inform the students that they will be presenting these reports orally.

Extensions

Have students do a KWL.
Have students do a poster for their report on an ocean habitat animal.
Have students come up with and draw their own ocean Habitat food chain.
Have students make a life size blue whale on some pavement. The lesson plan and instructions for this can be found in the Project Wild lesson book.
Do the food chain activity in the Project Wild Lesson book.
Do the activities in Habitats book referred to in the reference section.

Assessment Plan

-Review and listen to your students ocean habitat animal reports.
-If you do any of the extension activities, use them for assessment:
Review students' drawings of their own ocean Habitat food chain.
Evaluate each students KWL.
Check students quiz score.

Bibliography

Moore, Jo Ellen Habitats (Evan-Moor, 1998)