Learning Center Sample: Oceans

Name(s): Group 1: Sally, Timmy, Jane, and Joe

Group 2: Jane, Max, Maddie, Tom
Group 3: Jill, Jack, Sam, Jenny

Collaborating Teacher: Mrs. Smith

Age Group: Pre-K

Theme: Oceans

Concept: An ocean is a special kind of home for many plants and animals

Engage/Motivator:
1. Teacher calls children to the circle-time carpet and has them sit with space enough to move
without bumping into one another.
2. The teacher explains they will be singing a fun twist on a song they are all familiar with.
Instead of singing “Wheels on the Bus”, they will be using the same tune to sing “Waves in
the Sea”.
3. Teacher leads the children in song using the following verses and motions:
a. Waves in the sea go up and down (arms raised up and back down)
b. Sharks in the sea go chomp, chomp, chomp (arms open and close like jaws)
c. Fish in the sea swim way down deep (hands together and arms make diving motion)
d. Whales in the sea make a great big splash (big clap with hands)
e. Crabs in the sea dig in the sand (hands make claw motion to pinch and dig)

Minilesson:
Tell them what they are learning:
1. Today we are going to begin learning about oceans. Oceans are a special kind of home for
many plants and animals. Even though oceans, rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds are all
make out of water, an ocean has characteristics that make it a special kind of home.
2. First, oceans are very, very big. If we look on our map, you see all the area that is covered in
blue (show on world map). These are all the oceans. They are big enough for very tiny
plants and animals to live in it, but also big enough for the largest of all animals and very
large plants to live in.
3. Second, oceans are made of salty water. The salt makes the water taste different to us, but it
also changes how things move and float in the water. Animals that need the special salt
water to live cannot live in a pond, stream, lake, or river because they usually do not have
salt.
Demonstrate its use multiple times:
4. Now let’s watch a short video that shows us what it’s like to live in the ocean. While we
watch, let’s look for animals and plants and how they move. (Short National Geographic
Oceans video clip/trailer)
5. Now I have a small cup of salty water. I just took a bottle of water that we drink and added
some salt like what we cook with. Salt water is good for the animals and plants that live in
the ocean, but it is not good for humans to drink a lot of. I want you to get an idea of what
the ocean tastes like, so we are just going to put a tiny bit on a spoon and have you taste it.
Give students opportunity to practice:
6. On my posterboard, let’s see if you can name some animals or plants that only live in the
ocean. (Give ample opportunity for children to brainstorm with prompting as necessary).
7. Who has ever been to an aquarium? An aquarium gives us a tiny idea of what it might be
like to in the ocean. Call on two or three children to share some of the animals and plants
they have seen in an aquarium.
8. Who has ever been to the ocean? Could you see to the other side? No, because it is so very,
very, big. Did you see any animals or plants when you were near the ocean? Call on two or
three children to share some of the animals and plans they have seen in the ocean.
Tell them why they need to learn it:
9. It is important for us to learn about the world and all the special things in it. The ocean
covers most of our planet and it is an important resource that we need to understand so
that we can keep it healthy and clean. So this week, our learning centers are all going to be
about the ocean and how it is a special kind of home for many plants and animals.

Classroom Management Plan:

Children will work in 3 groups of 4 at a learning center. Learning center groups will rotate to a new
center every 20 minutes. Teacher will set a timer and play a transition song “Row your Boat” to
signal for children to move to next station. Groups will be assigned at the end of the Minilesson.
Pocket chart with student names corresponding to pictures representing each station (visual
reminder), rotation directions, and learning center overviews will also be explained at the end of
the Minilesson before children disperse to their first learning center rotation.
 Center One: Movement
Integrated Learning Web

LANGUAGE/LITERACY MUSIC SCIENCE

Copying the letter

X in filling out Drawing Listening to and
pictures to identifying water Sorting objects by their
data in a graphic ability to sink or float
organizer record science sounds
observations
Singing/Echoing Observing and recording
Down by the Bay data on the movement of
fish, food, and bubbles

MATH ART
Investigate mixing of Drawing with mixed
Use cups to investigate tools (markers, Mixed media in
different materials to
with sand and water crayons) to show creating ship to
build a ship that Movement direction (bubbles up, float
floated for 10 seconds
fish food down)

Following one and two

Sharing and taking step directions
turns

Sinking and floating

materials and building boat World map identifying blue
for oceans
Cleaning up after play

SOCIAL SKILLS SOCIAL STUDIES

Copying the letter X

MOTOR SKILLS

Center Map
 Listening/
Story-
Telling
Sink/Float
Aquarium Table
Objects w/Drawing Paper
Sand and and Materials
Water
Table

Pencils, Graphic
Organizers, Ship
Vocabulary Building
Words Supplies

Vocabulary Enrichment

Float

Sink

Move

Swim

Foundations

ELA 4.110 Copy an X

M5.17 Use cups and tools in sand and water
SC1.55 Sort things by attribute or characteristic
SC1.54 Investigate and talk about the characteristics of matter

Text: Printed Materials

Oceans by Jane Doe---Book on CD

World Map
Sink & Float Graphic Organizers with Rebus Pictures
Printed Student Directions with Rebus Pictures
Printed Vocabulary Word Chart

Teacher-Directed Activity 1: Sink or Float

Objectives:
At the sand and water table with one side filled with salt water resembling the ocean and one side
filled with regular tap water, students will categorize objects by the attribute of sinking or floating.

At the sand and water table with one side filled with salt water resembling the ocean and one side
filled with regular tap water, students will compare how the same object behaves sinking or
floating depending on the type of water placed in.

Materials:
Sand and Water Table
Salt Water
Tap Water
Penny
Cork
Rock
Toy People
Toy Ocean Animals
Varying Plants (with roots, without, etc)
Toy Ship
Pencils
Sink Float Graphic Organizer (12 copies)

Activity Description:

1. Given the objects above and a sand and water table with one side filled with salt water and
labeled resembling the ocean and one side labeled with regular tap water, students will
investigate whether objects sink or float in the salt water and place an X in the appropriate
box on the graphic organizer. Sample:

Object Sink Float

Ship
X
2. Students will repeat the investigation with objects using the tap water.
3. Students will compare their findings and discuss why they think some objects float and why
some objects sink.

Teacher-Directed Activity 2: Sink It

Objectives:
At the sand and water table with one side filled with salt water resembling the ocean and one side
filled with regular tap water, students will manipulate objects that float to sink with sand and cups
of water.

Materials:
Sand and Water Table
Salt Water
Tap Water
Penny
Cork
Rock
Toy People
Toy Ocean Animals
Varying Plants (with roots, without, etc)
Toy Ship
Various size plastic cups
Play Sand

Activity Description:

1. Given the objects above and a sand and water table with one side filled with salt water and
labeled resembling the ocean and one side labeled with regular tap water, students will
reinvestigate objects that float.
2. Utilizing sand and cups to pour sand and water, students will investigate how to make
objects that float, sink.
Example, placing the cork under a pile of sand will keep it on the bottom.

Child-Directed Activity 1—Aquarium Observations

Materials:

Aquarium
Fish
Fish Flakes
Drawing Paper
Crayons
Markers
Colored Pencils
Magnifying Glass

Activity Description:

1. Given an aquarium with fish, students feed the fish by shaking a few flakes into the
aquarium.
2. Students record their observations of the sinking and floating of the fish flakes and the
movement of the fish in the water through simple drawings.
3. Given an aquarium with an air filter/diver man at the bottom of the tank, students will
observe how the bubbles start at the bottom of the tank and float the top.
 4. Students record their observations of the floating bubbles through simple drawings.

Child-Directed: Choral Reading/Echo Reading Sing-A-Long

Materials:

Laptop
Computer Screen
Song “Down By the Bay” youtube video with ocean bay photography
Song Poster with Words in Two Colors
---First Line in Blue
---Second Line for Students to Echo/Repeat in Red

1. As students watch and listen to Raffi’s “Down By the Bay” they will utilize the Choral
Reading/Echo Reading Strategy by following along and repeating the song lyrics.
2. Students can create their own silly reason to be down by the bay….have you seen a shark
chewin’ on some bark, have you ever seen a fish eating out of a dish…..
3. As students say their own silly reason, other children can repeat/echo in turn

Learning Center 1: Movement

Assessment

Name Did Did student Did student Did Additional

student correctly investigate student Comments/Observations
correctly categorize ways to build a
copy an X? objects in float or sink ship that
sink/float? objects? floated for
10
seconds?
Susie

Jimmie

Millie

Bobbie

Kellie

*Y= Yes, independently

*WA= Yes, with minimal assistance of adult
*E=Emerging skill, attempts made
*NO= Not Observed
VISUALIZE REPEAT OF PAGES 2-9
FOR:

LEARNING CENTER 2
(OCEAN ANIMALS)

AND LEARNING CENTER 3

(OCEAN PLANTS)

**** SCROLL DOWN FOR NEWSLETTER SAMPLE ON NEXT PAGE

Parent Newsletter
This week we are learning about oceans and how they are special homes for animals and
plants. Here are some of the activities we’ve been working on, the foundations that the
activities help your child to develop, and some ideas how you can continue the fun and
learning at home!

Put objects in salt water SC1.55 Sort things by attribute Have your child practice
and fresh water to see if or characteristic sorting objects that sink or
they would sink or float float in the bathtub. Other
things to practice sorting by
attributes are laundry
(towels and clothes) and
toys (lego pieces by color or
shape)
Practiced copying the letter ELA 4.110 Copy an X Have your child practice
X copying the letter X with fun
markers, colored pencils,
glitter sticks.
Guessing the ocean animal SC1.56 Compare Think of other animals
by a physical trait (claw, characteristics of living (jungle, desert, pets) and
shell, fin, etc)** things talk about characteristics
they have in common and
their differences
Retold the story of A House M1.37 Apply one-to-one Have your child count out a
with Hermit Crab and correspondence with set number of objects
matched the number of objects (example, counting out the
ocean animals that silverware when setting the
decorated his shell** table)

**Activities that come from Learning Center 2 & 3