Sea creatures across the curriculum

Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum S E G D I R B UT O K A E BR Excerpts From Bridges in Mathematics ©2001, The Math Learning Center Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum A Math Learning Center Publication by Donna Burk & Allyn Snider illustrated by Tyson Smith Bridges Breakout Units Bugs Across the Curriculum Crossing the Pond: A Probability Game Exploring Money: Adding, Counting, Sorting and Patterning Exploring Time: Hours, Minutes and Paper Clocks Frogs Across the Curriculum Geometry: Pattern Blocks, Polydrons and Paper Quilts (Grade 1) Geometry: Shapes, Symmetry, Area and Number (Grade 2) Math Buckets: Sorting and Patterning Math with a Sock: Probability and Fractions My Little Farm: Money, Place Value and Mapping Penguins: Measuring, Sorting, Computation and More Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum P0201 Copyright © 2001 by The Math Learning Center, PO Box 12929, Salem, Oregon 97309 Tel 800-575–8130 All rights reserved The Math Learning Center grants permission to classroom teachers to reproduce blackline masters in appropriate quantities for their classroom use This project was supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation Prepared for publication on Macintosh Desktop Publishing system ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum Science, Literacy, Art, Social Studies & More Math Activities What Do You Know? What Do You Wonder? Live Visitors: A Hermit Crab Eyes-On Experiences: Picture Walks Eyes-On Experiences: Labeled Diagrams Minds-On Experiences: Songs, Poems & Books Retelling a Story: A Four-Part Chart Guided Writing Interactive Writing Independent Writing Pocket Chart Poetry A Graphic Organizer: Likenesses & Differences Good Books About Sea Animals Blackline Masters Crab Poem Sea Star Poem Lobster Song Whale Song Crab Top View Crab Bottom View Crab/Sea Star Lobster/Whale Seals pocket chart poem Shark pocket chart poem Whales pocket chart poem 12 15 ○ ○ Bridges Breakouts Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum These integrated activities are intended to enhance your use of the bucket of sea creatures, and may also be used as part of a larger unit on sea life Manipulatives and materials included in the breakout are listed below You’ll need H optional materials are listed in the text *also included in Economy Breakout Deluxe Breakout includes H bucket of sea creatures H Sea Creatures poems and songs* Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum INTEGRATED THEMES Science, Literacy, Art, Social Studies & More Math Activities Overview Because young children engage eagerly when things are framed in a context that is familiar and intriguing, we use sea animals as a vehicle for teaching sorting, patterning, graphing, counting, and computation The study of these sea animals is a fascinating topic in its own right, and you might choose to make it an integral part of your curriculum What follows is a collection of ideas we’ve used in our own classrooms to extend learning about sea creatures ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ What Do You Know? What Do You Wonder? We open any new study by finding out what our children already know about the topic There is rarely a school year that we don’t have a student who is quite knowledgeable about one or another of these animals Since many children have watched nature programs on television, nearly all of them know something about these creatures, even if they live far from any ocean It’s important to acknowledge the things your students have learned by asking them what they already know You might enter their ideas on a large class chart What you already know about crabs? Crabs live in the ocean Crabs have pinchers They have hard shells They have lots of legs They walk sideways Some people eat crabs Copyright © 2001 The Math Learning Center What you already know about sea stars? They live by the ocean Sometimes they’re on rocks Lots of people call them starfish Dead sea stars feel all bumpy You can see them at the aquarium They’re pretty colors Some are bright red or orange Bridges Breakouts • Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum (cont.) Sometimes we make a chart of questions ahead and ask our children if they know any of the answers (If they give us incorrect information, it can always be corrected later.) Questions that can’t be answered provide a focus for future investigation Sharks What they look like? Where they live? How they breathe? What they eat? Why they keep swimming? How they have babies? Students’ answers often generate new questions As these come up, we turn them into “question bubbles” and post them We then review these questions with the group prior to reading books, watching videos, or looking at pictures that have to with sharks In this way, we can alert our students to listen and watch for information that will answer some of their questions Are there different kinds of sharks? Can they see far away? Do they have noses? How big can sharks get? Do t ve hey ea rs? ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Live Visitors A Hermit Crab Teachers tell us that hermit crabs make good classroom pets You might want to investigate that possibility if you enjoy having animals in your classroom Be sure to read Eric Carle’s A House for Hermit Crab even if you don’t want a live creature in your classroom • Bridges Breakouts Copyright © 2001 The Math Learning Center Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum (cont.) ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Eyes-On Experiences Picture Walks We like to set up picture walks in our classrooms These walks provide opportunities to learn about a particular topic by studying illustrations and photographs In order to set up a picture walk, we lay out a large photograph or two at each table and set up clotheslines of pictures tied across a couple of areas of the room We’ve used calendars that feature large, beautifully colored photos of whales (We usually wait until after the new year to find these calendars on sale, and have been able to build up good photo collections over a couple of years.) We’ve also scanned pictures from books about these animals or set out the books themselves, clipped or banded to display particular pages Once we’ve set things up, we assign children to small groups or partners, and ask them to examine the pictures and find out as much as they can We start a formal rotation in the beginning, but as interest wanes, we encourage everyone to be sure they’ve seen every picture We occasionally ask for parent volunteers or fifth or sixth grade volunteers to come in and serve as a scribes to record children’s observations We seat the scribes at a few key areas As each new group comes to a picture, they first examine the picture and talk to one another about what they notice Then the scribe reads the chart for that picture to them and asks if they’d like to add anything You’ll need to consider the maturity of your group in terms of whether or not to use scribes At locations where there are no scribes, we trust children’s observations and conversation to carry the day We often go back to a set of pictures a second and third day and elicit discussion ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Eyes-On Experiences Labeled Diagrams Sometimes we create pictorials or labeled diagrams with student help Use your overhead projector to make an outline of the drawings (see Blacklines 5–6) Show children the enlarged crab picture and ask if they can label some of its body parts Are there other things they want to include on the pictorial Copyright © 2001 The Math Learning Center Bridges Breakouts • Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum (cont.) such as special features or facts that intrigue them? They love the idea that sea stars can grow new arms and that they spit out their stomachs to digest their food They try hard to imagine how those tube feet work to propel sea stars through the water Their fascination with crab eyes on stalks that can turn around makes them wish their eyes would that, and they often try walking sideways on all fours pretending to be crabs mouth parts cheliped (pincer) antenna cheliped eye mouth stomach antennule eyestalk testes gills carapace heart intestine abdomen cartilage hepatopancreas swimming leg ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Minds-On Experiences Songs, Poems & Books Books and videos, both fiction and nonfiction, add yet another dimension to any study There have been many excellent sea animals books published for young children over the past few years The best of them are simply written and beautifully illustrated with full-color photos We’ve included a list of our current favorites on pages You may find some of these in your school library or in the public library, along with others we haven’t listed Many of the most recent publications can also be ordered through Web booksellers If your school has a Reading Rainbow video collection, look for Seashore Surprises and Humphrey the Lost Whale, A True Story Having lived through the frustration of not being able to find (or afford) good factual books for our students, we’ve also included fact filled songs and poems You’ll find some printed on 11″ × 17″ sheets, which can either be bound to make big books, or backed with construction or butcher paper to make wall charts You’ll find other poems on Blacklines 1–4 These songs and poems pack a lot of data into small packages, are easy to come back to several days in a row, and won’t go out of print They triple duty in our classrooms, setting foundations for children to approach some of the math lessons with greater depth and investment, teaching science content and research skills, and providing yet another source of literacy learning • Bridges Breakouts Copyright © 2001 The Math Learning Center Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum (cont.) Seals & Sea Lions (to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”) Seals and sea lions in the sea Eating fish, sea birds, and squid They have sharp teeth but cannot chew, Some have ears but not all Seals and sea lions in the sea Eating fish, sea birds, and squid ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Retelling a Story A Four-Part Chart After a favorite story, fold a length of butcher paper into four sections and write questions similar to the ones shown on the chart What children remember about the story? Make some simple drawings as they retell the story Go back to the drawings and add phrases or sentences that summarize the things they remember Ask students to help spell some of the words as you write Humphrey, Humpback whale Who? San Francisco, He got mixed up and California then left the ocean to swim up a river and he got kind of stuck Where? What was the problem? People tried to scare him by clanging pipes They played sounds of whales eating He finally swam back to the ocean How was the problem solved? Chart shown generated by a San Jose kindergarten class a day after their teacher read Humphrey The Lost Whale, A True Story Copyright © 2001 The Math Learning Center Bridges Breakouts • Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum (cont.) ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Guided Writing Once you’ve launched any sort of animal study, you’ll find children reporting something new nearly every day Perhaps some families made a trip to the public library or children watched a nature program on television If you live near a coastal area, there may be some local news about whale watching or shark sightings If your children are sharing news in class, you might create a news chart occasionally Is there a large aquarium nearby that you might encourage families to visit? Children would definitely have some things to report if that’s a possibility ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Interactive Writing If your class has discovered some interesting information, you might a bit of interactive writing, in which the children themselves share the pen and act as scribes In this sort of lesson, the group and the teacher help with the ideas and spelling as students (and the teacher) take turns writing the words This works particularly well when children are excited about the topic and the amount of writing is held to a single sentence Be sure to post these very short pieces of class writing beside a question that has been answered or beside the picture or book from which the information came ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Independent Writing We have found it useful to create a word bank to help support students’ efforts at creating booklets and journal pages These are most effective when the words are brainstormed with the children We ask for their help in spelling Many of our children utilize these charts for their own writing • Bridges Breakouts Copyright © 2001 The Math Learning Center by Donna Burk, illustrated by Tyson Smith Did you ever see a blue whale, a blue whale, a blue whale, Did you ever see a blue whale with a calf by her side? She gives birth to her calf and feeds it her milk, A newly born blue whale is seven meters long n† 26 Whale Song Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum: Poems & Songs © 2001, The Math Learning Center / Bridges Breakouts Whales (to the tune of “Are You Sleeping?”) Whales are swimming, whales are swimming, They’re headed south, they’re headed south, Seeking warmer water To give birth to a baby, Mothers and calves, Mothers and calves ˇ† 27 Whales Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum: Poems & Songs © 2001, The Math Learning Center / Bridges Breakouts Newborn whales, newborn whales, Coming up for air, coming up for air, Spouting out the old air, Breathing in some fresh air, Mothers and calves, Mothers and calves ˇ† 28 Whales Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum: Poems & Songs © 2001, The Math Learning Center / Bridges Breakouts Whales are swimming, whales are swimming, Babies drink milk, babies drink milk, Moms protect their calves from harm, Swimming right beside them, Mothers and calves, Mothers and calves ˇ† 29 Whales Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum: Poems & Songs © 2001, The Math Learning Center / Bridges Breakouts Whales have blubber, whales have blubber, To keep them warm, to keep them warm, Their noises sound like singing, Their noises sound like singing, Mothers and calves, Mothers and calves by Donna Burk, illustrated by Tyson Smith ˇ† 30 Whales Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum: Poems & Songs © 2001, The Math Learning Center / Bridges Breakouts Sharks (to the tune of “Did You Ever See a Lassie?”) Did you ever see a shark, a shark, a shark, Did you ever see a shark with a fin on its back And two on its sides For balance as it glides? Did you ever see a shark with a fin on its back? ˇ† 31 Sharks Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum: Poems & Songs © 2001, The Math Learning Center / Bridges Breakouts Did you ever see a shark, a shark, a shark, Did you ever see a shark that was swimming quite fast? Its tail helps it Swim at a very high speed, Did you ever see a shark that was swimming quite fast? ˇ† 32 Sharks Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum: Poems & Songs © 2001, The Math Learning Center / Bridges Breakouts NOSTRILS Did you ever see a shark, a shark, a shark, Did you ever see a shark with nostrils on its head? They’re not used for breathing, They smell food instead, Did you ever see a shark with nostrils on its head? ˇ† 33 Sharks Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum: Poems & Songs © 2001, The Math Learning Center / Bridges Breakouts Did you ever see a shark, a shark, a shark, Did you ever see a shark that was searching for food? They eat mostly fish But large ones eat seals, Did you ever see a shark that was searching for food? ˇ† 34 Sharks Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum: Poems & Songs © 2001, The Math Learning Center / Bridges Breakouts Did you ever see a shark, a shark, a shark, Did you ever see a shark in an underwater cave? It sinks to the bottom Unless it keeps swimming, Did you ever see a shark in an underwater cave? ˇ† 35 Sharks Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum: Poems & Songs © 2001, The Math Learning Center / Bridges Breakouts Did you know that sharks have babies, have babies, have babies, Did you know that sharks have babies? Some give live birth, Others lay eggs in “mermaid purse” cases Did you know that sharks have babies? Some give live birth by Donna Burk, illustrated by Tyson Smith ˇ† 36 Sharks Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum: Poems & Songs © 2001, The Math Learning Center / Bridges Breakouts Seals & Sea Lions (to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”) Seals and sea lions in the sea Eating fish, sea birds, and squid They have sharp teeth but cannot chew, Some have ears but not all Seals and sea lions in the sea Eating fish, sea birds, and squid ˇ† 37 Seals & Sea Lions Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum: Poems & Songs © 2001, The Math Learning Center / Bridges Breakouts They can “walk” on ice or shore With their flippers, they have four, Two in front and two in back, Along with stomach muscles strong They can “walk” on ice or shore, With their flippers, they have four ˇ† 38 Seals & Sea Lions Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum: Poems & Songs © 2001, The Math Learning Center / Bridges Breakouts When males return to the rookery, They roar and bellow and disagree They claim a space for their own place, Then wait for the females to come on shore When males return to the rookery, They roar and bellow and disagree ˇ† 39 Seals & Sea Lions Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum: Poems & Songs © 2001, The Math Learning Center / Bridges Breakouts The female gives fine care to her pup, She gives it milk on which to sup Then she leaves to go to sea, She has to eat when she’s hungry The female gives fine care to her pup, She gives it milk on which to sup by Donna Burk, illustrated by Tyson Smith ˇ† 40 Seals & Sea Lions Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum: Poems & Songs © 2001, The Math Learning Center / Bridges Breakouts ... 2001 The Math Learning Center Bridges Breakouts • Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum (cont.) such as special features or facts that intrigue them? They love the. .. yet another source of literacy learning • Bridges Breakouts Copyright © 2001 The Math Learning Center Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum (cont.) Seals & Sea. .. birth they’re the same On their left and their right, The “eye spots” on the ends Of their arms “see” light n† 12 Sea Star Poem Sea Creatures Across the Curriculum: Poems & Songs © 2001, The Math