Aquarius Lesson Plan
Focus
Grade Level
Focus Question
Learning Objectives:
Sea Creatures
Elementary Special Ed
What creatures live in the ocean near Aquarius, and how
are they different?
NC State Objective and Goal Being Addressed:
Kindergarten Science Common Core Essential Standard:
Science as Inquiry
Structures & Functions of Living Organisms
1. K.L.1 Compare characteristics of animals that make
them alike and different from other animals and
nonliving things.
Learner Objective(s): At the completion of this lesson,
students will be able to:
Students will be able to identify creatures that live in the
ocean (fish, sharks, dolphins, whales), and differentiate
between them. Students will be able to identify the
environment
(note: remember that learning=knowing+doing+using when it
matters)
Materials
Audio/Visual Materials
Teaching Time
Seat Arrangement
Maximum Number of Students
Key Words
Background Information (Prior Knowledge)
Opening Activity
Learning Procedure ( Activity)
Paper plates, ribbon, blue cellophane, sand, glue, grass,
foam fish shapes, markers, scissors
Picture of Aquarius, Map, Pictures of sharks, fish, and
dolphins, whales – in PowerPoint/SMARTBoard
presentation
Fifteen Minutes
Tables of 4, facing front.
N/A
Sand, Seaweed, Fish, Shark, Dolphin, Whale, Undersea,
Porthole
Humans do not live in the water and cannot breathe
underwater, definition of bones
Have students in seats – watch clips of OWOO video
“Entering Aquarius” (36 seconds-55 seconds and 1 min 16
seconds- 1 min 19 seconds). http://youtu.be/gj6frb_mHzQ
During video point out fish, divers, Aquarius, and porthole
Show PowerPoint/SMART Presentation, explain Aquarius,
teach the differences between fish, sharks, dolphins and
whales, teach underwater environment.
Aquarius:
-undersea research (give undersea and research
definitions)
-porthole window
-Florida Keys(show map)
Fish:
-many different types (show several examples)
-have fins, gills, bones, and breathe water
Sharks:
Aquarius Lesson Plan
Connections to Other Subjects
Closing Activity and Assignment
Assessment
-cartilage (different from bone), fins (top fin is large), many
teeth
Dolphins:
-breathe air, have fins, blowhole, long skinny nose
Whales:
-breathe air, have large fins, BIG (show size comparison)
Undersea Environment:
-seaweed (give definition), sand, and water
Social Studies/Geography – location of Aquarius, Reading –
reading words on Powerpoint.
In their groups, students will make porthole windows from
two paper plates, one with center cut out and covered
with blue cellophane, stapled together, filled with things
that would be found in the ocean. The fillings will be glued
to the back plate. This activity is a sensory activity, utilizing
many textures such as sand, ribbon, grass, and foam fish
shapes. As the students are working on their projects, the
teacher will discuss the materials they are including in
their porthole windows, and what sorts of sea creatures
they are including. (This craft is modified from
http://crafts.kaboose.com/paper-plate-porthole.html)
Teacher will have several sample pictures of fish, sharks,
whales, and dolphins. Teacher will use these pictures to
orally quiz students on their retention of the information
learned in the lesson. Students can also practice writing
the words fish, dolphin, shark, whale if they are able.