Discovering the Deep

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Under the Sea

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.

LESSONS FOR THIS UNIT
Lesson 1: Under the Sea
Lesson 2: Genres, Genres Everywhere

SUPPORTING BOOKS

Books for Teaching About Oceans

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  	A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry The restoration of the dreadfully polluted Nashua River is the subject of this beautifully illustrated and well-told true story. "An important contribution to literature on water pollution." - SLJ $6.95 Paperback Book | Grades 3-5

  
  A River Ran Wild
  Grades 3-5 $6.95
  
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  The Teacher Store

  Navigating Nonfiction Grade 5 Student WorkText As students progress through the grades, more and more of their reading is done in nonfiction, or expository, materialsÑcontent area textbooks, reference books, periodicals, and informative articles on the Internet, for example. Because the main purpose for reading these texts is to acquire information, the reasons for teaching our students efficient and effective strategies for tackling this type of text are compelling. Students need explicit instruction in identifying and best utilizing the $15.99 Work Book | Grade 5

  
  Navigating Nonfiction Grade 5 Student WorkText
  Grade 5 $15.99
  

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