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Our oceans and many of the creatures that live in them are in big trouble! We must do everything we can to protect them!
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Endangered Oceans Activities
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Our oceans and many of the creatures that live in them are in big trouble! We must do everything we can to protect them!
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The ocean covers more than seventy percent of the surface of the earth. Our oceans are in trouble as the result of pollution and over fishing. Many species of marine wildlife are in danger of extinction, and our coral reefs, wetlands, and kelp forests are disappearing. It is important that we teach children about protecting our oceans which are a major source of resources for our planet.
Activities:
To teach the concept of entanglement which is one of the greatest
dangers to sea turtles and shorebirds, give each student a rubber band
which they loop around their thumb and fourth finger. They must try to get
the rubber band off without using their other hand.
Clean up an
oil spill: Fill a
tub with water. an oil spill. Get used oil from an
automotive shop and pour some into tubs. Give
the students, detergent, sponges, strainers, alum, coffee filters, etc. Each
group tries to get their water as clean as possible.
Experiment
with an algae bloom: Get two glass jars and fill them with water.
Place a water plant in each jar. Label one jar pond water and the other
jar fertilized water. Place 1/4 teaspoon of liquid lawn fertilizer in the
jar labeled fertilized water. Stir it thoroughly to dissolve. Place
the jars in sunlight. Observe the jars and record any observations
daily. The second week, place another 1/4 teaspoon of liquid lawn
fertilizer in the jar. Students should notice that the pond plant in the
fertilized jar is rapidly growing and taking up all the space in the jar.
Algae blooms in the oceans can decrease light penetration, causing seagrass beds
to die and deplete oxygen levels in the water., If there were fish in the jar,
the fish would die because of the plant overgrowth.
Fish
Tales is a wonderful activity about the effects of pollution on marine life.
Read books
about the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
Play
the game Turtle Hurdles from Aquatic Project Wild
Back to Under the Sea ~ Fishy Links - Ocean Life Links ~ Teacher's Guide
Fishy Tales - Student Storybooks for Under the Sea ~ Fishy Fun
© 2001 S. Seagraves
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