First Grade Ocean Animals Project
First graders embarked on a learning journey under the sea!
From sea stars and sea turtles to seals and sharks, the first graders discovered how vast and intriguing the ocean and its animals can be. This interdisciplinary unit with Library, Makery, Art and Science supports the strategic priority of Connection: Caring for Our Community and Planet.
In all four classes, each first grader was assigned one of eight animals to study:
- Dolphin
- Sea star
- Sea turtle
- Seal
- Shark
- Octopus
- Otter
- Whale
Their research started in the library and the science classroom where they read about their animals before creating diagrams and labeling key body parts. They continued their research in science class, learning about the ocean as a habitat and how its creatures interact with (or eat!) one another. What do octopi eat? What animals eat sharks? How do kelp and urchins connect to sea stars? In one activity, first graders drew individual pictures of their assigned animals, their food, and their predators, and then collectively as a class, created a huge ocean food chain.
In art, the Class of 2031 learned what it means for elements like sand to be cycled back into nature. In small groups, they practiced making sand mandalas by connecting the ends of colored pencils and creating shapes. A few weeks later, the first graders visited Baker Beach, where they gathered natural materials and created an art piece as a class, which included a tower of wet sand, wood, stone, and seaweed. The experience strengthened their connection with nature and allowed them to practice non-attachment to their work. The first graders also created murals of spirals and swirls on the sand, showing everyone that while nature-based art may be impermanent, the fun is certainly not!
Lastly, the first grade experimented with shapes, shadows, and light in their Makery class. They learned about the art and history of Indonesian shadow puppets and made cardboard shadow puppets of their sea animals with the Glowforge laser cutter. Stay tuned for the final video recordings of the shadow puppet plays—they will be displayed in May at the Arts Festival!