Ali Carrizal and Patti Sutphen's Kindergarten Classes - La Porte ISD, La Porte, Texas
Phase I
Phase
1: Beginning the Project
Preliminary
Planning
Our project on ocean animals was the result of earlier
conversations with our classes. During share time, a student brought shark
teeth for show and tell. The children became very excited and began
talking about sharks as well as other ocean animals. We began to ask the
students questions about the ocean and what animals live there. We told
the children about The Aquarium at Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas. This
tourist attraction has a lot of different ocean animals they could observe
in their natural habitat. The students became very excited and asked if we
could visit the aquarium.
Due to the student’s interest in discovering more about
ocean animals, this was our clearest choice for a topic. Next, we sent
home a letter to the parents informing them of our topic on ocean animals
and the grant we received for Project Approach.
Project
Introduction
Before we introduced the topic of ocean animals to our
classes, we gathered and purchased all of the necessary resources we would
need to successfully introduce the topic. We collected many non-fiction
trade books, educational resources, posters, videos, sea specimens, and a
Male Betta Fish for observation. We also discussed the curriculum goals
that we anticipated meeting through this unit, center activities and
possible fieldwork. Next, we made our topic web to help us with a starting
point with the project and organized our existing knowledge of ocean
animals. Finally, we were ready to begin.
(click to enlarge) 
Topic Web
Curriculum Web
Our experience began after we introduced the topic of ocean
animals to the children by reading a book about ocean life. We discussed
the different ocean animals and recalled the shark teeth that a student
had brought for show and tell. We asked the students to share their
experiences regarding ocean life and we listened to each other stories.
Then we began an EKWQ chart on ocean animals with the class,
shared the topic web and added new information to it.
|
What
We Wonder About? |
|
|
v
Sharks
live in the ocean. v
Whales
are big sea animals. v
There
are different sizes/kinds of fish in the ocean. v
Sharks
eat fish and can attack people. v
Whales
blow water from their spout. (Blowhole) v
Dolphins
dive and swim in the ocean. v
Turtles
swim in the ocean and they hide in their shells. v
Eels
live in the ocean. v
Hermit
crabs live at the bottom of the ocean. v
Seals
live in the ocean. v
Octopuses
have eight legs with tentacles. v
Seahorses
live in the ocean. v
Stingrays
can sting. v
Starfish
look like a star. v
Sea
snakes live in the ocean. v
Sea
flowers or sea anemones are on the bottom of the ocean. |
v
How
do Dolphins hunt for food? v
How
do Jellyfish and Stingrays sting? v
How
do Sharks bite? v
How
do Lobsters use their pinchers? v
How
do Whales shoot water out of their Blowhole? v
How
do Octopuses hold onto their prey? v
How
do Eels shock other ocean animals? v
How
do Sea Turtles hide in their shells? v
What
do crabs eat? v
How
much does a Killer whale weigh? v
What
do Sharks eat? v
Why
do Jellyfish sting? |
Phase I Information Copyright © 2001, Ali Carrizal and Patti Sutphen | Design Copyright © 2001, Cory Moravits | Property of LaPorte ISD