Lesson Plan

4. Describe life in the ocean

N22-23-04

Intent

Lesson Outcomes

  • Learn about different ocean life
  • Understand an ocean habitat
  • Learn about the blue whale

National Curriculum

  • Identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited and describe how different habitats provide for the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants and how they depend on each other
  • Identify and name a variety of plants and animals in their habitats, including microhabitats

Working Scientifically

  • Asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways

Resources

Resources: Materials to create a collage, including paper, paints, corrugated card, coloured card, glue, scissors, sticky tack, pens and pencils.

Core Handout (2): A selection of animals for the children to cut out and stick onto their ocean cross-section.

Rocket words

  • plankton
  • ocean
  • ecosystem
  • coral reef
  • trench

Enquiry Skills and Approaches

Enquiry Approach - Identifying, grouping & classifying

Using observations, data and findings to name, label and organise items in a variety of ways.

Enquiry Skill - Recording data, results and findings

Using tables, a variety of graphs, labelled diagrams and models to record observations, measurements, results and findings.

Implementation

Starter

The word marine means something related to or found in the sea. Biology is the study of living things. Ask the children if they know what a marine biologist does and what they might study.

Main Teaching

Rocket Thinking - Teacher Notes: A key question is an open-ended prompt that can facilitate discussion, address misconceptions or give children the opportunity to probe more deeply into a topic. This question directly addresses a misconception that children may have - that only fish live in the sea. Discuss how the ocean is home to many different creatures – mammals, such as whales, seals and dolphins; reptiles, such as turtles; coral and plants. It is a habitat which provides the means for these living things to thrive. You could extend the discussion to include where in the world these animals can be found.

Ask the children to read through the information about ocean life. Then, they should create a cross-section of the ocean using coloured paper, pens and other craft materials. On this, they should label the sea floor at 2,000m and create another mark at 1,000m. It may help some children to include a 500m mark as well.

Ask the children to draw ocean animals, cut them out and stick them onto the collage in the appropriate location. The children can stick the pictures down with sticky tack to allow them to move and play with the creatures.

Expert Film: Professor Dr Rhian Waller talks about her trip to the Antarctic.

Mission Assignment

Ask the children to create a cross-section of the ocean using coloured paper, pens and other craft materials. On this, they should label the sea floor at 2,000m and create another mark at 1,000m. It may help some children to include a 500m mark as well.

Ask the children to draw ocean animals, cut them out and stick them onto the collage in the appropriate location. Alternatively, you can use the handout, which contains animal pictures for the children to cut out. The children can stick the pictures down with sticky tack to allow them to move and play with the creatures. Use the knowledge gained in the lesson as well as any extra facts found in your library or the internet to complete the fact file template on the handout.

Challenge Task: Ask the children to create their own display about a chosen ocean animal.

Impact & Assessment Opportunities

Plenary

The children are to share the facts they have discovered about the blue whale.

Teacher Mastery

The ocean is a vast and diverse ecosystem that is home to a wide variety of life forms, ranging from microscopic plankton to giant whales. Life in the ocean is influenced by a variety of factors, including water temperature, currents, salinity, and depth.

Some of the main types of organisms found in the ocean include:

Phytoplankton: These are tiny plants that drift near the surface of the water and form the base of the ocean's food chain. Phytoplankton are important because they produce oxygen and are a major food source for many other organisms.

Zooplankton: Zooplankton are small animals that also drift near the surface of the water. They feed on phytoplankton and are in turn eaten by larger organisms.

Fish: Fish are one of the most common types of marine animals. There are many different species of fish, ranging from tiny minnows to massive sharks and rays. Fish are an important food source for humans and other animals.

Marine mammals: These are mammals that have adapted to life in the ocean. Examples include whales, dolphins, seals, and sea lions. Marine mammals are highly intelligent and social animals that play important roles in the ocean ecosystem.

Invertebrates: Invertebrates are animals without a backbone. They include a wide variety of organisms, such as jellyfish, corals, crabs, and lobsters.

The ocean is also home to a wide variety of unique and fascinating habitats, including coral reefs, kelp forests, and hydrothermal vents. These habitats provide important shelter and resources for many marine organisms.

However, life in the ocean is facing a number of threats, including overfishing, pollution, and climate change. These problems are disrupting the delicate balance of the ocean ecosystem and threatening the survival of many marine species. Conservation efforts are needed to protect and preserve ocean habitats and the biodiversity they support.