Bakulski-ILS511-Annnotated-Bibliography
The following annotated bibliography has been created for elementary
school children from kindergarten to sixth grade. The twenty nonprint
sources and five fiction books all surround a central theme: coral reefs.
These resources span the entire age range mentioned and include Internet
sites, DVDs, software programs, and books. Due to the fact that this
annotated bibliography is aimed at children, it is more eye catching and less
formal. While it still contains APA style formatting for the citations, its
titles, summaries, and evaluations are meant for students.
CAPTIVATING AND CRUCIAL
CORAL REEFS
Hello Birch Grove Elementary School! This is your school librarian, Ms.
Bakulski. I’ve put together the following sources to help you with your
project on coral reefs. After each picture is a bibliographic entry
followed by a description and evaluation of the material. These items
can be found in your school library or by using your home computer.
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Please see me with any questions about locating or using these
resources, and I will help you. Have fun!!!!
1. (1997). The Amazing Coral Reef (Motion Picture). United States: Oceanic
Research Group.
This video will show you that coral are actual living organisms
with many fish depending on them for survival. Watch the
intricate makings of an ecosystem and see how all species
depend on each other for life. “The pictures of this vast array
of sea life are stunning! These two videotapes are very well
done and would be very useful in an educational setting designed
to enrich the study of coral reefs.” (Lowell J. Bethel, University
of Texas)
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2. (2004). Biomes for Students: Coral Reefs (Motion Picture). United
States: SVE & Churchill Media and Discovery Channel School.
This video will dive underwater to take you on a tour of the
world’s many coral reefs. It teaches you all about how reefs
are formed and who’s living there now. It also shows you why
reefs are so important to protect. This video will also show you
amazing footage of the fish and other sea life that live in the
tropical underwater rainforest. Get ready to take some notes
because this video will teach you most of what you need for
your science project!
3. (1999). Coral Reef Biomes: Essential and Endangered (Motion Picture).
United States: Discovery Education.
This video will teach you about the many types of coral and the
species that live in the reef. Explore the colorful reef and
learn about how reefs are formed and how they may become
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extinct. This video will also let you learn all the terms needed
for your science project while you have fun watching divers
point out the amazing fish and coral. The waters are warm year
round, so dive in!
4. Enchanted Learning. (2010). Coral Reef Animal Printouts. Retrieved from
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/coralreef/coralreef.shtml
This fun site discusses the many aspects of the reef and then
provides printouts that can be used for learning. These
printouts contain information and you can color in the various
creatures and coral. This site is appropriate for lower grades
and is a way to begin learning about the reef. The pictures that
students color in are labeled with the various parts of the body.
5. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. (2010). Reef Ed. Retrieved
from http://www.reefed.edu.au/
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This website contains a webquest and activities for students of
all ages. It also includes brilliant images and lots of great
resources including information on how to become a future
leader for the environment. This site is relatively new and
activities are being added. You will have fun exploring this site
and all the interactive material available.
6. Interfact. (1997). Coral Reef (computer software). Lanham, MD:
Two-Can Publishing.
This is a book and software CD set that work together to teach
students about the coral reefs. The book contains facts and
illustrations, and the interactive CD contains games, activities,
and adventures that make learning fun. “This series encourages
critical thinking and is well-suited for classroom use.” (Today’s
School Media Specialist)
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7. Kidzworld. (2010). Coral Reefs 101. Retrieved from
http://www.kidzworld.com/article/4783-coral-reefs
This site is aimed towards kids and has an overview of coral
reef information including threats, types and what kids can do
to help the reef. There are many opportunities to click on
hyperlinked words, which can lead students on a treasure hunt
of information. However, beware! This site has many ads that
can be distracting and lead one off course.
8. MacGillvray, G. (2004). IMAX Coral Reef Adventure (Motion Picture).
United States: Image Entertainment.
This amazing video will bring you on a journey through the bright colors and
vivid sea life that make up the world’s coral reefs. You will not only see how
beautiful the underwater life is, but will hear about how important it is to
protect and help this vulnerable ecosystem. This DVD is a great tool to see
the many aspects of reef life while learning why it’s so important to change
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our ways. This video truly is beautiful and helps us to appreciate a foreign
world.
9. National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis. (2004). Kids Do
Ecology: Coral Reefs. Retrieved from
http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/coralreef.html
This website has links to information on the reef’s location,
habitat, animals, people who work with the reef, and even games.
The site includes colorful pictures and links to other sites about
coral reefs. Although the information is brief, it is to the point
and clear. The games are fun and are a great way to learn
10. National Geographic. (2010). Coral Reefs. Retrieved from
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/photos/coral-reef/
National Geographic has its usual amazing photos, here in a slide
show about the reef. It also contains related content with
activities, animals, games and stories. The pictures are few but
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beautiful. You will love the activity of “creating a motion ocean”
and a game about sea monsters!
11. National Ocean Service. (2010). NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program.
Retrieved from http://coralreef.noaa.gov/
This site not only educates the viewer about coral reefs, but it
includes current events such as information on oil spills and
current restoration projects. It has topics such as About
Corals, Deep Sea Corals, Education, Threats, and Conservation.
You can get the information you want as well as be able to
watch videos about coral reefs. There are also links for
teachers to get to lesson plans and activity worksheets.
12. National Parks Conservation Association. (2010). Coral Reefs: Tropical
Rainforests of the Sea. Retrieved from
http://www.npca.org/marine_and_coastal/coral_reefs/
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This government site is chalk full of information about coral
reefs and where they are located in the United States. It also
discusses threats to coral reefs and how citizens can make a
difference. Although this site is brief, it has quality
information. However, it would be nice if the links to the
various parks worked.
13. Oracle Education Foundation: ThinkQuest. (1999). Welcome to Coral
Realm.
Retrieved from http://library.thinkquest.org/25713/
This interactive site was created by students for students. It
lets users look navigate through information on ecology and
corals along with the ability to browse a coral gallery and take a
quiz about coral reefs. This site is beautifully done and is for
upper elementary students. The interactive nature of the site
will keep your interest.
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14. The Ozone Hole, Inc. (2010). Salcomhouse Coral Reefs. Retrieved from
http://www.solcomhouse.com/coralreef.htm
This comprehensive site is for advanced readers and it contains
lots of information on coral reefs including how they are
important for people. Did you know coral reefs have been used
to help cancer and HIV patients? This site includes
illustrations to go with the explanations and videos about coral
reefs. Students will enjoy the videos and pictures that make
the text so much easier to understand.
15. Reefball Foundation. (2006). Kids’ Island. Retrieved from
http://www.reefball.org/kids/index.html
This is a site for kids in grades 2-5. It includes information on
the coral reefs and also has information on reef balls around
the world; a way kids can work to help restore coral reefs. It
also has activities and a place you can submit artwork about the
reef. This site can be inspirational for students to see how
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other kids are working to help the reefs around the world. It
has many neat activities, but the layout can be a busy and
confusing.
16. Reef Relief. (2010). Reef Relief: Preserving and Protecting Coral Reef
Ecosystems. Retrieved from http://reefrelief.org/
Through this site, students can learn, explore, and “Act Now”.
The site is comprehensive with a kids section through the
explore section. The information is brief, but to the point and
important. The beautiful photos inspire students to want to
help the creatures of the reef.
17. Sea and Sky. (2010). Sea and Sky Presents: Reef Life. Retrieved from
http://www.seasky.org/reeflife/sea2.html
This comprehensive website includes a brief overview of reefs
in general but then allows users to click on pictures of creatures
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of the coral reef to learn more about them. The information is
thorough and includes photos. This site is a great place for you
to learn about the coral and fish of the reef. The visuals will
help you to understand how these species exist on a daily basis.
18. Sheppard Software. (2010). Great Barrier Reef. Retrieved from
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/endin
gered_animals/endangeredanimals_2.htm
This site is part of a larger project about endangered animals.
As the different creatures of the coral reef swim by the
screen, the user can scroll over them to find information about
their status. A simple site, but one that has interesting facts
and is assessable for younger kids. Kids will also enjoy an
endangered animals game.
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19. University of Sydney. (2001). Reef Education Network. Retrieved from
http://www.reef.edu.au/
This awesome website comes to you all the way from Australia
to teach you about the coral reef! It gives you all the
information you’ll need on how reefs are formed, facts from
“Ask A Brain Coral”, and information on the species that call the
reef home. It’s a comprehensive site that is aimed towards
upper-elementary school grades. Unfortunately, under
“activities”, there are not interactive activities. However,
there’s some great information and even a video on sharks.
20. Upadhya, R. (2000). Time for Kids: Coral Reef Crisis. Retrieved from
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/teachers/ns/article/0,27972,59711
00.html
This is an article about from the New York Times kids section
about the current state of the coral reefs. It is aimed towards
upper-elementary school and includes worksheets, quizzes, and
graphic organizers that students can print to make sure they
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know their information. The activities are very useful even if
the article is short.
Coral reefs don’t only have to do with science! You can also use the
amazing knowledge you’ve gained for language arts too! Your language arts
teacher has asked you to read one of the following books that have
something to do with coral reefs. Choose a book that is appropriate for your
reading level. There are numerous copies of each book in the school library.
1. The Magic School Bus Takes a Dive
Cole, J. (1998). The Magic School Bus Takes a Dive. New York: Scholastic
Paperbacks.
This book is appropriate for ages 9-12. Follow Ms. Frizzle takes
her students on a field trip underwater to explore the coral
reefs. The kids in this book, of different ethnicities and
backgrounds, learn about the fish and fauna of the coral reef
while having fun. “The book, like all the other Magic School Bus
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books, teaches a lot, and has a moral. In this story the reader
can learn a lot about the coral reefs of the sea, and what kind
of creatures live there. The moral of this story is to work
together to achieve your goals.” (A Kid’s Review)
2. Finding Nemo: Reef Rescue
Croall, M. (2009). Finding Nemo: Reef Rescue. Los Angeles: Boom! Studios.
This comic book is perfect for ages 9-12. It takes Nemo and
Marlin on another adventure to save the reef. Lots of beautiful
colorful illustrations and action take place in these pages. "The
book is wonderful, sure to be a hit with kids, and a worthy
extension of the magnificent film." (Comixtreme
)
3. Hogsty Reef: A Caribbean Island Eco-Adventure
Dowd, J. & Wells, S. (1999). Hogsty Reef: A Caribbean Island Eco
Adventure.
Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers.
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This book would be appropriate for grades 5 & 6. It is a novel
about two teenagers, Jim and Julia, who travel to Turks and
Caicos to survey the endangered coral reefs. They end up
befriending a Haitian refugee and finding a seemingly abandoned
island, Hogsty Reef, where they end up having to flee for their
lives. This book is exciting with lots of adventure and suspense,
such as when Jim and Julia run out of food and have to find ways
to survive off the land. It is a more challenging read and deals
with some adult concept, so it’s more appropriate for advanced
readers.
4. On The Reef: Andrew Lost #7
Greenburg, J.C. (2004). On the Reef (Andrew Lost #7). New York:
Random House.
This book is appropriate for ages 9-12. This is the third in a
four-book series about three friends who go on an undersea
adventure. Their vehicle, the Water Bug, gets caught in the
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Great Barrier Reef and they have to find their way back home.
“These books are cute, fun to read, and actually INTERESTING
and EXCITING, even for adult readers. I highly recommend
these books, for any age.” (Natalie Bernstein, reviewed on
Amazon)
5. A Coral Reef Neighborhood
Handelsnabm, V. (2004). A Coral Reef Neighborhood. Tavernier, FL: Little
Thought for Little Ones Publishing.
This book is appropriate for ages 4-8. It is about a sponge,
named Spring, who is in need of rescuing, and he’s relying on his
neighbors. He was swept away during a strong current, and now
everyone must come together. This colorful book teaches an
important lesson about working together and also teaches about
tolerance. It’s a great read aloud too!
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