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Ocean Unit Study Ocean Layers Hands-on Fun Activity

June 20, 2024 | 16 Comments
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We’re doing an ocean unit study ocean layers today. Also, look at my page Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook.

Since Tiny was reading about the ocean layers in our atlas, we decided to keep it fun and make dessert before supper and learn at the same time while our furniture was being loaded up and hauled away. 

Ocean Unit Study Ocean Layers Hands-on Fun Activity

Besides, most all of these ingredients we had at the house and I needed something Tiny could do while we were dealing with people in our home.

First, add some of these books to your ocean unit study.

We love to add living books when we can find them. Then we add reference books.

Table of Contents

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  • Ocean Books for Kids
  • More Learning About the Ocean Hands-on Activities
  • Ocean Unit Study – Ocean Layers

Ocean Books for Kids

16 Ocean Books for Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To

Choose a few of these ocean themed books to go along with your study of the Oceans. Whether you're looking for a spine for a unit study or literature, you'll love this roundup.

The Burgess Seashore Book for Children in color

Join Danny Meadow Mouse, Jimmy Skunk, and Reddy Fox as they explore the seashore and take a closer look at the habits and habitats of the creatures they find. Discover the Seahorse, Shrimp, Crab, Anemone, Gull, and so many more.

The Burgess Seashore Book for Children is a wonderful way to introduce young ones to the fascinating world beneath us and is a perfect compliment to earlier books in this series, the Bird, Animal, and Flower books.

This edition is complete and unabridged with all of the beautiful illustrations by W.H. Southwick and George Sutton

Seaside Naturalist: Seaside Naturalist

Seaside Naturalist is an illustrated guide to marine plants and animals includes the characteristics of protozoa, arthropods, sponges, mollusks, reptiles, birds, fish, and mammals.

The Big Book of the Blue (The Big Book Series)

The book opens by explaining how different types of animals are able to breathe and survive underwater, and the different families to which they belong. Subsequent pages are dedicated to specific creatures, including sea turtles, whales, sharks, stingrays, and seahorses, and show varied life in specific habitats, such as a coral reef or deep sea bed. The Big Book of the Blue also explores the underwater world thematically, looking at animals in danger, learning how to spot creatures at the beach, and discovering how to do our part to save sea life. Beautiful and filled with fascinating facts, young, curious readers won’t be able to tear their eyes away from the page.

Scott O'Dell Set: Island of the Blue Dolphins + Zia

Island of the Blue Dolphins begins with a young girl named Karana who is living on the Island of the Blue Dolphins (fancy name, right?) with her younger brother, Ramo, and sister, Ulape. One day, a group of Russian hunters (Aleutians) land on the island to hunt for otter. This is when the trouble really begins.

Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau (Underwater Picture Book for Kids)

Once upon a time in France, a baby was born under the summer sun. His parents named him Jacques. As he grew, Jacques fell in love with the sea. He dreamed of breathing beneath the waves and swimming as gracefully as a fish. In fact, he longed to become a manfish. Jacques Cousteau grew up to become a champion of the seas and one of the best-known oceanographers in the world. In this lovely biography, now in paperback, poetic text and gorgeous paintings come together to create a portrait of Cousteau that is as magical as it is inspiring.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas (Illustrated 1875 Edition):

A beautiful edition with 110 images from the 1875 English edition. Use Amazon's Look inside feature to compare this edition with others. You'll be impressed by the differences. Don't be fooled by other versions that have no illustrations or contain very small print. Reading our edition will make you feel that you are traveling the seas with Captain Nemo himself.

Swiss Family Robinson (Illustrated Classic): 200th Anniversary Collection

More than 100 original illustrations by Louis Rhead. You want to read this book with illustrations.

An introduction by W. D. Howells.

Nicely formatted text in an easy-to-read font.

A beautiful cover from the 1891 edition.

Ocean: A Visual Encyclopedia

Embark on a captivating tour of the waters that cover 70 percent of our planet! See our oceans come to life in mind-blowing detail. This is the ultimate children’s visual encyclopedia about the awe-inspiring blue planet! 

Secrets of the Sea: The Story of Jeanne Power, Revolutionary Marine Scientist

How did a nineteenth-century dressmaker revolutionize science? Jeanne Power was creative: she wanted to learn about the creatures that swim beneath the ocean waves, so she built glass tanks and changed the way we study underwater life forever. Jeanne Power was groundbreaking: she solved mysteries of sea animals and published her findings at a time when few of women’s contributions to science were acknowledged. Jeanne Power was persistent: when records of her research were lost, she set to work repeating her studies. And when men tried to take credit for her achievements, she stood firm and insisted on the recognition due to her.

Ocean Anatomy: The Curious Parts & Pieces of the World under the Sea

Follow Rothman’s inquisitive mind and perceptive eye along shorelines, across the open ocean, and below the waves for an artistic exploration of the watery universe. Through her drawings, discover how the world’s oceans formed, why the sea is salty, and the forces behind oceanic phenomena such as rogue waves. Colorful anatomical profiles of sea creatures from crustacean to cetacean, surveys of seafaring vessels and lighthouses, and the impact of plastic and warming water temperatures are just part of this compendium of curiosities that will entertain and educate readers of all ages. 

The Fascinating Ocean Book for Kids: 500 Incredible Facts!

Do you know a kid who’s captivated by what goes on beneath the ocean’s surface? This amazing entry into ocean books for kids is packed with hundreds of incredible facts for hours of underwater exploration. Pages of full-color pictures feature life in and around the sea including fish, dolphins, and shipwrecks!

All About Bioluminescence: Deep Sea Animals

Dive into the mesmerizing world of bioluminescence with "All About Bioluminescence." In this captivating book, readers embark on a journey through the depths of the ocean to discover the extraordinary glow-in-the-dark creatures that inhabit its mysterious realm. From the enchanting sea angel to the infamous anglerfish, each page is filled with stunning illustrations and fascinating facts about these luminous beings.With a focus on deep-sea dwellers, readers will uncover the secrets behind bioluminescence and learn how these creatures use light to communicate, camouflage, and lure prey. But the adventure doesn't stop there! "All About Bioluminescence" also includes hands-on activities like a glow stick experiment, allowing readers to experience the magic of bioluminescence firsthand.

Treasure Island (Dover Thrift Editions: Classic Novels)

One of the most enduringly popular adventure tales, Treasure Island began in 1881 as a serialized adventure entitled "The Sea-Cook"in the periodical Young Folks. Completed during a stay at Davos, Switzerland, where Stevenson had gone for his health, it was published in 1883 in the form we know today.Set in the eighteenth century, Treasure Island spins a heady tale of piracy, a mysterious treasure map, and a host of sinister characters charged with diabolical intentions. Seen through the eyes of Jim Hawkins, the cabin boy of the Hispaniola, the action-packed adventure tells of a perilous sea journey across the Spanish Main, a mutiny led by the infamous Long John Silver, and a lethal scramble for buried treasure on an exotic isle.

Oceans and Seas!: With 25 Science Projects for Kids

In Oceans and Seas! With 25 Science Projects for Kids readers ages 7 though 10 dive into the underwater world of some of the most amazing landscapes on Earth. On this amazing underwater adventure, kids experience the ocean’s tropical reefs and spot crabs, sea sponges, and thousands of kinds of fish darting in its crags and folds. They’ll meet a giant squid with eyes the size of dinner plates and an mbrella-like bioluminescent jellyfish.

Discover the Oceans: The World's Largest Ecosystem (Discover Your World)

From both a historical and scientific point of view, above and below the surface, this engaging guide brings the world’s oceans to life through fun facts, illustrations, and in-depth information. Interactive activities appear throughout, ranging from making solar stills and simple fishing spears to experimenting with a homemade diving bell and figuring out how much water it really takes to survive. With the oceans being the least explored environment on Earth, this reference illuminates some of the most incredible and surprising plants and animals as well as how to survive and navigate these vast expanses.

Pagoo

An intricate study of tide pool life is presented in text and pictures through the story of Pagoo, a her-mit crab.

Here is the short list of ingredients. We normally are not big eaters for packaged cookies because we prefer homemade, but we make an exception for Oreo cookies anytime.

Ocean Layers
  • Oreo cookies
  • Chocolate pudding
  • Banana cream pudding
  • cool whip
  • blue dye
Ocean Layers 1Ocean Layers 2

To show the darkest part of the ocean or the trench, he put crumbled Oreo cookies at the very bottom of a large glass. 

Then, because we had chocolate pudding, he used that for the next layer which is the abyss layer.

Both of those ocean zones are dark and forbidding so I think his choices for yummy layers to help him remember those layers will stick!

I wished though we had a lighter shade of chocolate to show the separation a bit more clear, but I try to use things we have in the house already.

Ocean Layers 3Ocean Layers 4

A little bit of blue dye with some whip cream was  perfect for the midnight ocean layer. 

Though it’s still dark at this layer, a large amount of animals live there and produce their own light. 

In his mind, the blue color equates to finding more ocean life at this layer.  I thought that was a good connection.

Next, we had banana cream for the twilight layer. 

It was a great color choice for this ocean zone because though the light gets here, it is still light or faint.

Ocean Unit Study Ocean Layers Hands-on Fun Activity

Of course the pudding has a heavier weight than the whip cream, so his ocean layers began to sink a bit.

More Learning About the Ocean Hands-on Activities

  • Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten
  • How To Make Your Own Edible Beach Sand And Shells: A Creative And Delicious Recipe
  • The Fascinating World of Sea Geography | Paddle to the Sea Craft
  • Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids
  • How to Make a Fun Paper Plate Fish | F is for Fish

But—uhmmm—it never bothered him!

Ocean Unit Study Ocean Layers Hands-on Fun Activity

Then, one more delicious layer for the bright white light or whip cream called sunlight and he got out of labeling a worksheet he can already name the ocean layers.

Ocean Unit Study Ocean Layers Hands-on Fun Activity

Ocean Unit Study – Ocean Layers

I think with all the mayhem we had in the house with our furniture leaving, this was a fun and easy way to learn the names of the ocean layers. 

Finding the right combinations of sweet treats that tasted good together just kind of fell into place on this activity.  That sometimes is not so easy to do with edible activities.

What is the Ocean Minibook
Message In a Bottle Language Arts
Ocean Unit Study: Vocabulary Words & Wave Pocket
Hands-On Edible Geography Sea Levels
InLinkz.com

16 CommentsFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: geography, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, middleschool, ocean, oceanlayers

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  1. Ultimate Guide to Geography Lessons and Activities for Homeschoolers says:
    July 27, 2018 at 9:36 am

    […] Edible Ocean Layers […]

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  2. Geeky Educational Link Up 6/17/14 - More Than A Homeschool Mom says:
    May 9, 2018 at 3:02 pm

    […] . Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus shared a delicious way to study the ocean layers. This would make a great summer fun project with a side of learning. You can find it here.  […]

    Reply

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