I have a free coral reef printable lapbook. Grab more ideas on my Coral Reef, lapbook ideas, and on my best homeschool unit studies pages.
My coral reef lapbook is a fun one to do anytime of the year.
Besides a coral reef being an ecosystem, you’ll want to learn about the organisms which live there.
The Great Barrier Reef is so vast it can be seen from space.
At one time it was thought coral reefs were only in shallow depths, but scientists are discovering that some are as deep as 19000 feet.
However, most coral reefs are found at 150 feet where sunlight penetrates.
What Is Coral
Coral reefs are formed by colonies of tiny coral animals.
It is formed from the hard outer skeletons of tiny animals called polyps.
When the tiny animals die, the old skeletons remain, and new coral animals grow over them.
That is how coral reefs grow.
Too, coral can only grow in warm water because polyps only eat algae.
Moreover, living polyps are what give the coral color. If they die, the reef bleaches. It becomes white or loses it color.
Coral is a type of animal that lives in colonies. Each animal consists of a polyp that is the size of an ant.
Polyps have stinging tentacles which they use to catch small plankton as they drift by.
Coral reefs have a symbiotic relationship with tiny algae called zooanthellae.
The algae live inside the polyp tentacles.
Two Main Types of Coral
There are two main types of coral. One is hard coral with an outer skeleton made of calcium carbonate and soft coral which have bits of calcium carbonate inside their bodies.
Then, add a few of these words to your coral reef unit study and lapbook.
Coral Vocabulary
- algae – a plant like organism that turns light into energy but does not have leaves or roots
- coral reef – have been described as underwater gardens and coral polyps have the unique ability to thrive in nutrient poor water
- ecosystem – a community of plants and animals relying on each other to survive
- habitat – the place where an organism or group of organisms live
- polyp– it’s a tiny animal that looks like an upside-down jellyfish and comes in many sizes and shapes
- phytoplankton – a type of plankton that gets its energy from the sun through photosynthesis
- zooplankton – tiny ocean animals like some jellyfish
Next add hands-on ideas.
Look at these hands-on ideas to study about coral reefs.
Coral Reef Hands-on Ideas
- Make a fun edible coral reef
- Coral Reef Activities for Preschoolers and Kindergarten
- Coral Reef Habitat Diorama
- How to Make a Coral Reef with Clay
- Light Up Reef Craft
Coral Reef Unit Study Resources
Add some of these coral reef unit study resources to your unit study.
In this level 2 reader, young readers explore the amazing underwater world of coral reefs. Beautiful photos and carefully leveled text make this book perfect for reading aloud and for independent reading.
What is life like in a coral reef? What do corals eat? Why are corals more colorful at nighttime? Learn about some of the most beautiful locations in the natural worldMarine biologists believe coral reefs existed 400 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Today this active environment is home to about 20,000 kinds of brilliantly colored corals, plants, and animals--more sea creatures than are found anywhere else in the world. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is so large that astronauts can see it from outer space! Children in early elementary grades will enjoy Gibbon's informative text and clear, detailed illustrations on this journey into the unique lives of coral reefs.
The world is keen to protect the coral reefs. Why? The coral reefs provide shelter to all kinds of sea creatures. If they die, life below the sea will become very difficult. It is important to educate the young about the whole new world under the sea. This beautiful nature encyclopedia will be just the right tool to use!
Sea animal toy, approximately 2 inch, creature including Octopus,hippocampus, seahorse, jellyfish, turtle,clown fish, crab,shark Otter and etc
Use for a diorama or for play fun.
MARINE BIOLOGY GAME - Learn about underwater creatures and their habitats in this nature card game! Players use aquatic animals such as sea turtles, sharks, and clownfish in a grid formation in this ecosystem building game. Earn points by aligning ocean life with the habitats and food sources where they most flourish.
Hardy adventurers ages 6 - 9 dive into a silent watery world where tiny coral animals grow together to form rock gardens of white, pink, and red-orange. In this action-packed undersea circus, jaws snap, tentacles sting, ink gets squirted, and fish suddenly glow while animals that look like plants sway gently and bashful clams hide the lively secrets inside their shells. Surprisingly dry and armed with a few pieces of equipment and their boundless imaginations, children explore this magical realm one small square at a time
Coral reefs are some of the largest natural structures in the world, and they are created by tiny coral polyps no bigger than a grain of rice. This Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science book introduces readers to the amazing world of the coral reefs and the many marine animals who lived there.
CREATE AN UNDERWATER WORLD -- Use chemical reactions to create colorful underwater scenes. Mix solutions, build an artificial coral reef and grow instant chemical coral with this coral reef kit.
Travel-Friendly Educational Toys: Coral Reef features 48 challenges, from easy to expert. Thanks to its compact size and new tin box portable travel case, you can put this puzzle at the top of your family's travel games list.
More Lapbook Ideas
Additionally, grab these other free homeschool lapbooks.
- Amazonian Rainforest Animals Lapbook For Kids
- Lewis and Clark Exploration Lapbook
- Free Pirates Lapbook
- Free Printable Strawberries Lapbook
- Free North American Robin Bird Lapbook
- Free Toad and Frog Lapbook
- Free Ocean Lapbook
- Free Titanic Lapbook
- Bird Unit Study and Lapbook
- US Westward Expansion Lapbook
Coral Reef Printable Minibooks
Also, look at these minibooks which come in the free coral reef lapbook.
- 1 Color Cover for outside of the file folder
- 1 Black and White Cover for outside of the file folder
- 3 Main Types of Coral
- Anatomy of Coral Polyp
- Layers of a Reef and Soft and Hard Coral
- How Fast Do Reefs Grow, Where Do They Form and How Many Formations Can You Name
- Life At The Reef
- What is a Coral Reef – Plant or Animal and What is Coral
How to Get the Free Coral Reef Lapbook
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