Marci McGowan       H. W. Mountz School        Spring Lake, NJ
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Rocky Shores Student Activities
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~ Just One Ocean ~

In the fall, our first grade class began with a look at the ocean in general.   This fit in well with our first social studies unit as we learned to use maps and consider special places in the world.   Using a world map, students located continents and where the ocean has different names.   See our resources page with lots of websites devoted to the ocean in general.

With the change of seasons, our science focus was on the weather.  Learning about the water cycle helped us understand the ocean's importance to all living things.

The students in 1-M wrote this poem together to show what they had learned about the ocean. 

Click here to see their entire ocean poetry project.

In late winter our class adopted a whale.  Here's a picture of Colt, a 22 year old humnpback whale.  He recently was sighted with other whales off the coast of Massachusetts at Jeffrey's Ledge.  Whales are identified by their tail fluke markings.

To learn more about whale adoption, visit The Whale Center of  New England, Gloucester, MA.  This is a non-profit organization dedicated to whale and marine research, conservation, and education in  eastern Massachusetts.

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~ Salt Water in the Ocean ~

We learned how some salt reaches the ocean and how evaporation contributes to the water tasting salty.  For a better understanding of ocean salinity, check out this webpage: Why Is the Ocean Salty?

Sink & Float We made predictions and observations.  All you need is a sink or tub of water and lots of different classroom objects.  We did this using two tubs, one with fresh water and the other with salt water (Seawater recipe: dissolve 6 teaspoons salt in 1/4 cup water; get a big box of salt).

Salt Painting  We made salt paint and used it on our Porthole Paperplates.  When the paint dried, the water had evaporated and left the salt on the plate.  This is an easy and effective way to demonstrate how the ocean water stays salty (and it makes a textured painting).

Porthole Reports

Sand Dollar Porthole Report by Paige

I have a star in the center.  I have a flat, round body.  My mouth is underneath me.   I like to burrow in the sand.  I am a sand dollar.

Note:   Don't do this in hot, humid weather!  Our salt paintings were fine for about a week, but when the weather changed and became hot and humid, the salt attracted water vapor in the air.  It condensed on the portholes, making the paper plates a soggy mess!  This is similar to a dehumidifier.

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~ Water Cycle ~

We focused on this concept while learning about weather and again with our ocean study.  There are many activities young students can do to demonstrate evaporation, condensation, precipitation.  One of the best activities we found was to "act out" the cycle:

Water Cycle Chant

The sun comes out and warms the water   - kids are water droplets lying on floor (the ocean)
Chant:  e-vaporation, con-densation, pre-cipitation

Warmed water changes to water vapor and rises into the air - some kids get up with hands in air and move around (evaporation)
Chant:  e-vap-o-ra-tion, con-den-sa-tion, pre-cip-i-tation

The cooler air changes water vapor back into droplets;  some droplets bump into others and stay together  forming clouds; the wind moves clouds over the land  - kids "bump" gently and stay close together(condensation), leader or other students can be the wind and cloud moves away from ocean area
Chant:  e-vap-o-ra-tion, con-den-sa-tion, pre-cip-i-tation

When the clouds get heavy, rain falls down - kids in the cloud fall down as rain, snow, hail (precipitation)
Chant:  e-vap-o-ra-tion, con-den-sa-tion, pre-cip-i-tation

Rain and snow fall on land into rivers, lakes, streams which flow over time back to the ocean - and stil the sun warms the water... and the cycle continues on and on.
Chant:  e-vap-o-ra-tion, con-den-sa-tion, pre-cip-i-tation
Repeat: e-vap-o-ra-tion, con-den-sa-tion, pre-cip-i-tation

 

More Water Cycle Resources

Water Cycle This is a favorite site from Kidzone for information and images showing the water cycle.   Bonus:  pages to use as posters or reinforce lessons.

Water Cycle Project at Timber Ridge Virtual Science Fair   A Kindergarten class project that demonstrates how the water cycle works.  Great work!

BrainPOP   Water Cycle movie; worth seeing.

The Water Cycle: EPA This site has good image that shows the cycle clearly; links to several kids' activities about drinking water.

Water Cycle Bracelet  Here's a neat way to remember how the water cycle works:   make a bracelet with colored beads.  Directions and glossary included.

PowerPoint Presentation: Water Cycle Image slides to show while you present lesson; author name not available.

Make a Water Cycle Wheel  From Illinois EPA; links to printable page.

First Grade Water Cycle Lesson Plan From Issaquah, WA School District.

Water Cycle What happens to a rain puddle? Where does the water come from in your favorite pond? In this demonstration, follow a drop of water from the moment it falls to the earth as rain; from National Wildlife  Federation.

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~   Waves ~

What Causes Ocean Waves?
Here's a website with a good explanation for young children.

Making Waves: You need a tub of water and straws.  Students take turns blowing through their straw just over the water surface.  Try making a "gentle breeze" and then blow harder for a "big wind."

Wave in a Bottle:   One medium size water bottle per student, cooking oil or mineral oil (get in pharmacy), food coloring.  Fill with water about 2/3 of the way, add 1-2 drops of food coloring and swirl to mix, add 1/3 of oil.  Leave some room at op of bottle.   Cap very tightly.  Oil stays on top.  When bottle is turned on its side, the oil moves like a wave back and forth.  This activity is aligned with math standards for measurement and fractions; literacy standards for writing a "recipe" or directions.

Note:  If the bottles are vigorously shaken, the oil changes consistency and color (emulsifies).   It does settle over time but does not return to original appearance.  Next time I plan to use clear mineral oil instead of salad oil which has a yellow tinge.

~ Tides ~

The tides have a direct effect on animals living near the rocky shores and in tidepools.  Our students have first-hand experience with this since we live so close to the shore.  There's a good explanation about tides at:

WHAT CAUSES THE TIDES?

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~ Intertidal Zone ~


Barnacles and seaweeed on a rocky shore,
Bar Harbor, Maine

Intertidal Zone Animals-EnchantedLearning.com
This is where the land and sea meet, between the high and low tide zones. An important marine ecosystem, it is found along all coastlines and is home to many living things.  Here's a brief summary of the vertical zones and animals that have adapted to this habitat:

• Spray Zone (usually dry except for high tide spray):  barnacles, isopods, lichens, lice, limpets, periwinkles, and whelks.

• High Tide Zone (wet during high tide):    anemones, barnacles, brittle stars, chitons, crabs, green algae, isopods, limpets, mussels, sea stars, snails, whelks and some marine vegetation.
  
• Middle Tide Zone (wet and dry): anemones, barnacles, chitons, crabs, green algae, isopods, limpets, mussels, sea lettuce, sea palms, sea stars, snails, sponges, and whelks.

• Low Tide Zone (ususlly wet):  abalone, anemones, brown seaweed, chitons, crabs, green algae, hydroids, isopods, limpets, mussels, nudibranchs, sculpin, sea cucumber, sea lettuce, sea palms, sea stars, sea urchins, shrimp, snails, sponges, surf grass, tube worms, and whelks.

Intertidal Zone
Excellent page from Oceanlink

Aquatic Life Between the Tides
Learn about the types of plants and animals that live in the tidepools. Includes terrific tidepool webquest  log sheet (can be adapted for other activities).

Tidepool: Window Into the Sea
Good resource from Gulf of Maine Aquarium.

Tidepool at low tide, Bar Harbor, Maine

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