Reading Block: Introduce the Ocean Unit by showing the globe and maps, discuss and ask questions. Do a KWL chart to see what students know and what they want to learn about the ocean. Watch a video from Sea World on life under the sea. Read "Big Blue Ocean" by Bill Nye and discuss.
Writing Block: After I have read the story Magic School Bus On the Bottom of the Ocean", students will write a paragraph about something they learned on their "trip" on The Magic School Bus. (Students will begin with a topic sentence and have at least two supporting details.)
Day Two:
Reading Block: Read Katie K. Whale and discuss. We will use a Venn Diagram to compare whales to fish. Students will put the story (on sentence strips) in sequencial order. Then students will do a Katie K. Whale word search.
Writing Block: Students will write a story using the starter "One day in the life of a killer whale...". Students should make sure to have a topic sentence and at least two supporting details.
Day Three:
Reading Block: I will introduce the book "Flossie Flounder" by Suzanne Tate. We will discuss ways fish move and what a flat fish is. I will read the book to the class and discuss after reading. Students will put the story (on sentence strips) in sequencial order. Students will then complete a Flossie word find.
Writing Block: Students will draw picture of "When Floyd found Flossie again" and then write a paragraph about their picture. The paragraph should have a topic sentence and at least two supporting details.
Day Four:
Reading Block: I will introduce the book "Tammy Turtle". We will begin with a KWL chart to see what students kow about turtles. We will compare sea turtles to land turtles using a Venn diagram. I will read the story to the class. Students will then color the turtles.
Writing Block: After reading the story, we will fill in the turtle graphic organizer. Students will use this to help retell the story. Students will use their color sheet to write a story of a turtle.
Day Five:
Reading Block: I will introduce the book "Stevie B. Sea Horse". Ask what is known about sea horses and then read the book. Students will do the label the sea horse picture. Finally students will complete the sea horse word search.
Writing Block: Students will write a story using the starter "Stevie B's adventures in the sea...". Students should make sure to have a topic sentence and at least two supporting details.
Day Six:
Introduction: Hermit Crab outgrows his shell and has to go out into the ocean to find another. Hermit spends a year getting his shell just the way he wants it only to find out that it's time for him to move again. Hermit crabs live on the ocean floor. They protect themselves by withdrawing into their borrowed shells. Hermit needs to get to his new home before he gets eaten.
Reading Block: Read aloud the story A House for Hermit Crab and have students chart what happens monthly to the crab. Students will color their crab shell and then add the objects they have chosen to decorate it.
Writing Block: Students will write a story about what happened to their Hermit Crab's shell as each decoration is added.
Day Seven:
Introduction: I will show students a sample of coral. I will explain that we call this coral, but it is actually the skeleton of the coral. I will discuss how coral reef colonies are made up of millions of tiny coral animals (called polyps) that build up limestone as they grow. It takes many years to grow enough coral to produce a reef, and it is a delicate and balanced environment. Fish, plants, algae, invertebrates and coral live in harmony and depend on each other.
Reading Block: We will watch Treasures of the Great Barrier Reef, a video about coral reefs. Students will brainstorm creatures recalled from the video as I write them on the board. Students will then color the worksheet about coral reefs.
Writing Block: Students will write several ways that creatures living in a coral reef help each other and then they will draw and color a picture of one of those relationships.
Day Eight:
Reading Block: Introduce students to the creatures of the sea by reading the book Mysteries and Marvels of Ocean Life. Tell students that not all creatures in the sea are fish and they live at different levels (3 layers) of the ocean.
Writing Block: Students will compare animals of the ocean. Using the Venn diagram, students will compare a dolphin with another animal.
Day Nine:
Reading Block: Students will work in groups reading sea animal cards to answer questions.
Writing Block: Students will write descriptive sentences about the ocean in an up and down pattern (like waves). Students will draw and color sea animals to decorate their paper.
Day Ten:
Reading Block: Students will read definitions then label the shark parts. Then students will read and complete the crab paper. We will then watch a movie about the ocean. We will wrap up the unit by completing our KWL chart.
Writing Block: Writing names of sea animals under the pictures.
