Unit Plan

Discovering the Deep

By  Bryna Watkins, Valeta Pafford
  • Grades: 3–5

Overview

Water makes up about 3/4 of the earth's surface. In our ocean unit, we concentrate on this major component of our planet. The curriculum revolves around the following big questions: Why is the ocean salty? How does ocean water move? What is the shape of the ocean floor? What ecosystems exist in the ocean? What animals live in those ecosystems? How do we protect the ocean and ocean life? The children discover the answers to these big questions through an active, hands-on approach. One example of active learning in the classroom is our Ocean Match bulletin board.

In the second half of the unit, we expand our study by adding instruction in research techniques and by reading about the ocean in a variety of genres. The two lessons included here occur towards the end of the unit after several key concepts have been taught. Before students select an ocean animal to research, they have had lessons on animal classification and on the four ecosystems of the ocean. Before they begin the genre study, the class has already experienced several fictional and non-fictional readings about the ocean.

Objective

Students Will:

  1. Answer the big questions about the ocean and write a report about an ocean animal.
  2. Identify at least four different writing genres that they have experienced while reading about the ocean.

Lesson Plans for this Unit

Supporting Books

Books for Teaching About Oceans

  • Everything You Need:
    Oceans: Everything You Need
  • Subjects:
    Content Area Reading, Independent Reading, Literature, Reading Comprehension, Literature Appreciation, Research Skills, Nonfiction Writing, Fish and Marine Life, Habitats and Ecosystems, Real-World Science, Science Experiments and Projects, Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, Science through Literature, Teacher Tips and Strategies
  • Skills:
    Reading Comprehension, Science, Research Skills, Writing
  • Duration:
    4 Weeks
top