By: Maureen Moriarty
Literature Focus Unit
EDU 315
Literature Selection
 One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish By: Dr. Seuss
 Rainbow Fish to the Rescue! By: Marcus Pifster
 Ocean Fish School By: Bob Reese
 The Ocean Alphabet Book By: Jerry Pallota
 Island of the Blue Dolphins By: Scott O’Dell
Theme Study
 Students will take part in a thematic unit on fish and
marine life. This unit will integrate reading and
writing with social studies, science, mathematics, art,
music, and physical education.
 Students will develop an understanding of the marine
life and fish, different types of sea life, and different
areas around the world.
Language Arts: Reading Activities
 Students will read various fiction and non-fiction
books and poetry about fish and marine life through
silent reading, partner reading, guided reading,
reading aloud, and reader’s theatre.
 Students will share their papers on their life as a fish
 Students will share poems they wrote on marine life
 Teacher will read aloud from Island of the Blue
Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
Language Arts: Writing Activities
 Students will write a one to two page paper about life
as a fish. They will include where they live, what they
eat and etc.
 Students will write a concrete poem about marine life
or fish
 Students will list and discuss good and bad things
about the marine life environment
 Students will write personal reflections about their
interactions with fish and marine life
Language Arts: Speaking Activities
 Students will discuss advantages and disadvantages
about the marine life environment.
 Students will trade off reading out of Island of the Blue
Dolphins
 Students will share the stories that they wrote with
other peers in front of the class
Language Arts: Listening Activities
 Students will listen to the different types of fish and
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marine life presented by the teacher
Students will listen to the other students in their class’
stories.
Students will listen while teacher gives out other
information on marine life and fish
Students will listen to readings from Island of the Blue
Dolphins
Students will listen to different types of poetry
Students will listen to guest speaker: marine biologist
Language Arts: Viewing Activities
 Students will view photographs I show them from my
home town where there are tide pools
 Students will view a power point with pictures, video
clips, and list the several different types of fish and
marine life and where they live
 Students will view videos and magazines on National
Geographic portions for fish and marine life
Language Arts: Visually
Representing Activities
 At the end of the unit teacher will show the movie
Finding Nemo to the class and eat popcorn.
 Students will present their poems in an artistic way
 Students will create a fish bowl mural in their room of
the rainbow fish they make.
Science Activities
 Students will take a trip down to the river or a pond near by to
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test the ammonia, pH, D.O., and Nitrate of the water with test
kits.
Students will learn different types and kinds of fish and research
them on the internet
Students will understand marine life areas such as tide pools,
estuary's, etc.
Students will locate the different marine life environments on
the globe around the world
Students will learn the food chain for fish and other marine life
Students will listen to a marine biologist who will come into the
classroom and discuss their job and about marine life
Mathematics Activities
 Students will survey who has been or seen different
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marine life outside of the state.
Students will mark down how many different states
each classmate has been to and discuss with the class
at the end
Students will measure the water from the pond or river
for the test kit
Students will count the different marine life animals or
amphibians and list them
Discuss the important math has on science and
explain the reasoning for math in scientific jobs, etc.
Social Studies Activities
 Students will locate on the map the different areas of
the world that have a marine life environment or
habitat
 Have students list and locate all of the major oceans on
the planet
 Students will make travel brochures or vacation
brochures on places with unique fish or marine life
(Galapagos Islands, Monterey Bay Aquarium, etc)
Music and Art Activities
 Students will listen to different noises and sounds made by
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marine life (technology oriented, power point, you tube
video clips)
Students will create a rainbow fish, decorate it, and paste it
on top of a large class watercolor mural in the classroom
which will be the ocean
Students will make their own rain sticks and it will
represent the sound of the water one the rocks of the tide
pools.
Students will use their rain sticks during music time
Students will make a frog and tell the name, where they
live, what they eat and hang it on the ceiling above their
desk
Physical Education Activities
 Students will take a field trip to a pool and have a
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swimming party
Mermaid vs. Merman relay, students will hop in a sack
like a mermaid with no legs around the cone and back
with split ups groups.
Have a jellyfish balloon toss in the gym or playground.
Play a “fish toss” game with plastic fish
Play Sharks and Menno’s
Technology
 http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/
 http://marinebio.org/
 Show audio clips via http://youtube.com on exciting
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marine life clips
Show Finding Nemo and other audio facts movies about
marine life
Show digital photography of my pictures from back home
as examples
http://classroomclipart.com/cgibin/kids/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Animals/Marine_Life
National Geographic’s
Language Arts Strategies
 Activating background knowledge: students will share what they
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already know about marine life and fish in beginning discussion
Brainstorming: students will think of advantages and
disadvantages of living near a marine life environment
Discussion: students will get the change several times to discuss
with each other the different types of marine life , what they
know and don’t know
Connecting: students will connect this unit to their lives as they
write stories and poetry about it
Visualizing: students expand their creativity by doing the art
projects and viewing the pictures and video clips to open up
there mind and teach them about the different parts of the world
Language Arts Skills
 List: students will decorate with color the different
vocabulary associated with this unit in the beginning
 Language: Students will apply different skills in each
of the subjects areas
 Charting: students will learn how to track data and
record it
Grouping Patterns
 Large group: students will engage with their
classmates on fieldtrips and whole class activities
 Small groups: students will learn to work with partners
or a couple of other students to test water, participate
in relay, etc.
 Individual: students will write papers and poems
Calendar (for one week)
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesda
y
Thursday
Friday
Language
Arts
*Intro
conversation
*Discussion
on the
advantages
and
disadvantage
s about
marine life
*Students
write a short
reflection on
their
experiences
with marine
life and fish
*Finish
personal
reflections
*Go over
poetry
*Students
write a
concrete
poem on fish
or marine life
*View power
point of
pictures from
my home
*Read stories
and show
magazines
and clips
from
National
Geographic
*Write a story
about for
their
“rainbow
fish” and
research and
write where
the fish is
from, what it
eats, what
he/she likes
to do, etc
*Watch
Finding Nemo
and discuss
different
marine life
and fish
shown
Art/Music
*Listen to
different
noises and
sounds made
by marine life
*Complete
rain sticks
*With rain
sticks the
class will sing
*Begin
making
rainbow fish
*Finish
rainbow fish
*Show and
tell in front of
class your
rainbow fish
and his or her
Assessments
 Poems and stories will be handed in for grade
 Science results and data sheets will be turned in after
testing water
 Portfolio artwork will be handed in for teacher to put
up in the classroom
 Walking around and observing during group work and
activity will help me determine if the students are
conveying the message or not