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How do Fish Breathe Underwater Fun Activity & Animal Science Homeschool Curriculum

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

If you are planning or are in the middle of an animal science homeschool curriculum you are going to get a lot of great questions. Also, you’ll love more ideas on my Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook.

 A fun way to answer them is by adding in some simple hands-on ideas.

My favorite part of any study is including lots of fun hands-on ideas that help a child easily understand a concept.

With that in mind, I have some of the best activities to answer animal science questions.

The first question we are going to answer that goes along with our experiment today is what are gills.

How do Fish Breathe Underwater Fun Activity & Animal Science Homeschool Curriculum

Just like we do, fish need to take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide to survive.

But they do not have lungs, they have gills. 

Gills are branching organs that are located on both sides of the fish’s head that have a lot of small blood vessels called capillaries.

What Are Gills

Gills work as pumps to move the water while they absorb oxygen and move out carbon dioxide.

The part that you can see on the exterior of the fish is not the gills, rather they are a “gill cover” called opercula.

Watch How Do Fish Breathe Underwater on YouTube for a great video explanation of this process.

What Other Animals Use Gills To Breathe

Mostly fish crabs and mollusks also use their gills to breathe. Larvae like tadpoles and dragonfly larvae use gills in the water at first where they start.

There are many fantastic and inexpensive experiments out there that let your child get deeper involved in the learning process rather than just being read to.

How do Fish Breathe Underwater Fun Activity & Animal Science Homeschool Curriculum

They can help answer questions kids might not even have asked yet or ones you may not be quite sure how to answer yourself.

Animal Science Questions Asked And Answered

For example, look at these questions below.

These are all fantastic ways to teach or learn as a supplement to your box curriculum or used as your very own DIY animal science homeschool curriculum.

How do Fish Breathe Underwater Fun Activity & Animal Science Homeschool Curriculum

Next, look at some of my very favorite books and resources for animal science that help children answer many questions.

Resources and Animal Science Homeschool Curriculum

Animal Science Homeschool Curriculum

Add some of these books and resources to build an animal science curriculum.

Moreover, look at some more activities for learning about animals.

More Ideas for Learning About Animals

How do Fish Breathe Underwater Fun Activity & Animal Science Homeschool Curriculum

Finally, how do fish and other animals with gills breath underwater.

How Do Fish and Other Animals with Gills Breathe Underwater Activity

This experiment helps children understand the process of how fish, crabs, and mollusks breathe with gills rather than with lungs underwater. 

Note: The coffee represents the oxygen in the water, the filter the gills, and the water is fresh or salt water the fish takes in.

You will need:

  • 2 glasses or bowls
  • Water
  • Ground Coffee or Dirt
  • Coffee filter
  • Rubber band
How do Fish Breathe Underwater Fun Activity & Animal Science Homeschool Curriculum

First, begin by explaining that the water is ocean water, the coffee is the oxygen in the water, and the filter is the fish’s gills.

Draw gills in the center of your coffee filter to help with the visual.

How do Fish Breathe Underwater Fun Activity & Animal Science Homeschool Curriculum

Place a cup or so of water into a container.

Stir in 1-2 Tablespoons of coffee/dirt allowing the color to absorb somewhat.

How do Fish Breathe Underwater Fun Activity & Animal Science Homeschool Curriculum

Place the coffee filter on top of the second clear container and secure it with a rubber band.

Press it down a bit in the middle so it has a dip in the center to hold the water as it is poured through.

How do Fish Breathe Underwater Fun Activity & Animal Science Homeschool Curriculum

Carefully pour coffee and water through the filter. 

How do Fish Breathe Underwater Fun Activity & Animal Science Homeschool Curriculum

Watch as the filter “gills” traps the coffee “oxygen” as the water passes through them but the grounds ”carbon dioxide” is filtered out.

How do Fish Breathe Underwater Fun Activity & Animal Science Homeschool Curriculum

Show your child how the filter/gills allowed what was needed through and the rest was filtered out (grounds/carbon dioxide).

It is easy to see in this demonstration because now the water has turned brown.

How do Fish Breathe Underwater Fun Activity & Animal Science Homeschool Curriculum

Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity

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This adorable shark and oceans for kindergarten fun sight word activity is such a fun activity for practicing sight words, letters, or even numbers. Also, grab my other tips, ideas, and crafts for kindergarten on my page Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum and look for ideas on my page Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook.

Do you need a learning activity that feels more like play and less like school?

For example, how about one that is themed to go along with a study of oceans for kindergarten?

I’m sharing a list of other helpful resources to round out your day like videos and hands-on activities.

Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity

Our shark is made from just one piece of foam board and a little paint.

It will give your child hours of learning that is fun and memorable.

Creating an activity that feels more like play is a great way to teach your child basic skills that they need to learn.

I created this activity to be used with sight word recognition but then realized that there were so many more possibilities with it.

You can have your child also feed the shark letters, numbers, and sums to orally given math problems, or have them choose the math problem that matches the number you give, and have them feed cards with rhyming words, and beginning letter sounds.

It can be a blank canvas for learning skills, anywhere your early learner is.

8 Awesome Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Facts

  1. There are over 500 different species of sharks, and almost 150 of them are listed on the at-threat list.
  2. The largest sea mammal, the blue whale, is also known as the largest animal in the world.
  3. Sharks live in almost all ocean habitats from tropical coral reefs to the Arctic, and down in the deep parts of the seas.
  4. Sharks are apex predators, which means that they are at the very top of the food chain with very few to no predators.
  5. Most sharks are cold-blooded, but a few are warm-blooded, like the great white shark for instance.
  6. Here is a super gross fact about marine animals that kids will love. Lobsters pee out of their faces, and they pee on each other to communicate. (Their urine nozzles are located under their eyes).
  7. Octopuses have three hearts. Two of those hearts move blood beyond the animal’s gills, and the third heart keeps circulation moving for the organs.
  8. Dolphins can sleep with one eye open and with one-half of their brain in use.

Then, hands-on activities to teach kindergarten is the best way for children to learn.

Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity

Look at some hands-on activities below to learn about sharks and oceans.

 More Activities For Shark & Oceans for Kindergarten

Include a great book as a resource for your child to look at that has great illustrations and information.

Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity

I think Oceans Anatomy by Julia Rothman is a must-have addition to your science stack.

Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity

Everything is included in this book, from ocean tides to shark sizes, and sea grass to small and large ocean creatures.

More Kindergarten Homeschool Resources

Also, add some of these fun books and resources to learning about sharks and oceans.

Kindergarten Ocean Unit Study Resources

Add a fun ocean unit study resource for kindergarten to your study for the day.

Finally, look how to make this fun feed the shark activity to use for learning.

Shark & Oceans for Kindergarten Sight Word Activity – Feed The Shark

Supplies needed:

  • Foam board
  • Grey and black craft paint
  • pencil
  • Scissors or straight-edge razor
Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity

Using a pencil, lightly trace a shark head shape using most of the board.

Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity

Cut out one side and flip it to the other side of the board matching up the corner.

Next, trace it so that both sides match exactly and set these pieces aside. We’re going to use them later.

Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity

Use sharp scissors or a straight-edge blade to cut around the top of the shark’s head.

Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity

Then, draw an open mouth in the middle that is flatter across the bottom with an arch at the top.

Cut this out and set it to the side.

Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity

Paint the border of your shark gray and paint a thin black border around the mouth. Allow the paint to dry completely.

Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity

Too, while the paint is drying, take the excess piece from the mouth and cut a bunch of triangles for the shark’s teeth.

Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity

Once the paint is dry, hot glue teeth on the back side of the shark’s mouth on top and bottom.

Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity

Paint eyes on either side of the head.

Flip the board over and take the two scrap pieces you cut off in the second step, hot glue them on either side of the opening.

Be sure they are both lined up with the bottom as these will serve as your stand.

Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity

Now, for the activity itself, you can either make cards with your sight words, letters, numbers, or whatever you want to work on, or use purchased flashcards.

Additionally, you can also use alphabet magnets, scrabble tiles, or whatever else you already have to work with.

Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity

Moreover, spread a few out on the floor and call them out to your child, who then picks up the corresponding card and “feeds the shark”.

Easy, fun, and enjoyably repetitive, this activity will help sharpen skills and create a memorable learning experience.

Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today I have an easy mosaic art sea turtle activity. Add ideas from my fun From Egg to Sea Turtle Nature Unit Study & Lapbook page to make it for multiple ages.

Activities for middle schoolers can be a little more challenging to find.

So, we did this mosaic sea turtle activity to let them show off their artistic side while they learn at the same time.

It uses only 3 items and is great for art but also helps continue developing fine motor skills, patience, planning, creativity, and problem-solving.

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

 While putting together the mosaic your middle schooler can watch a video on sea turtles, listen to an audiobook, or listen to you read aloud.

While this is a more challenging activity, a patient elementary student could handle this as well.

Studying marine biology covers science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and is a wonderful option for middle or high school.

Even without a curriculum, your child can get a well-rounded education through interesting texts, videos, field trips, and hands-on learning like this sea turtle activity.

5 Fun Sea Turtle Facts

First, look at these sea turtle facts.

  • Jellyfish are the main food for the leatherback sea turtle.
  • The digestive systems of adult hawksbill sea turtles can neutralize the sharp, glass spicules and the toxic chemicals that are found in many of the sponges they eat.
  • Olive ridley turtles practice nesting in large groups, known as “arribada”, in fact, the mass group can include up to 300,00 individual females laying their eggs on the beach.
  • The Kemp’s ridley turtle is the most endangered sea turtle species, and the smallest.
  • Loggerhead turtles take up to 39 years to reach sexual maturity.

We used Ocean Anatomy as our reference for the design and found plenty of great sea turtle information like the life cycle, identifying different species, and what types of things endanger them.

The first thing you need to do before starting is decide on your design.

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

 It can be simpler than mine if you like, you can just make one larger sea turtle with a rainbow of beads all the way around it or come up with an even more intricate design.

You can create adult or baby sea turtles for your design, a nest on the beach, swimming in the ocean, or a combination of both.

More Sea Turtle Activity Ideas

Also, look at some of these books about sea turtles.

10 Sea Turtle Resources

Add some books about sea turtles and hands-on resources to your lesson or unit study to bring it to life.

Finally, look how to make thise fun mosaic sea turtle activity.

How to Make a Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity

You will need:

  • Pony beads
  • Cheap round cake pan (Dollar Tree)
  • Permanent markers
Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

Grab a small round cake pan.

I suggest using a Dollar Tree pan because you will not want to use it for food once the chemicals from the beads have contaminated it.

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

Place it where you will be working, you want to move it around as little as possible once you start working on it.

If your beads are not sorted, spread them out so they are easier to sort through, we put ours on a larger baking sheet.

The easiest way I found to lay out the design is to start in the middle with your turtle. Start with a diamond shape and a head and flippers.

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

Tweezers are very helpful to put beads into place, especially when you get into more detailed or crowded areas.

Ocean Mosaic Art

Continue working on your design, you can create a water and sand background.

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

Add white for waves and you can even make a baby sea turtle popping out of an egg on the beach. 

Fill the entire surface, you want your beads to not be able to move much at all.   

Until you fill it all in you will probably need to reposition your more detailed work a bit.                                                                                                                             

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

Once your pan is filled in carefully move it into an oven preheated to 375℉.

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

Bake for 20-30 minutes until melted.

Here is the design after 10 minutes in the oven…

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

20 minutes…

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

30 minutes…

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, you will hear a little crackling and popping as it cools and releases from the pan.

Once cool it will flip right out of the pan.

Trust the process, even when you flip it over to the smooth side you are gonna think it doesn’t look like much, but we are going to fix that in this next step.

Flip to the smooth side and use a black Sharpie to trace the outline of your turtles, this gives them a little definition and really makes them pop.

If you want to hang it for display, you can hot glue a loop of ribbon to the back.

Fun and Easy Mosaic Art Sea Turtle Activity For Kids

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today we’re making a jellyfish lights crafts. Also, look at my page Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook.

Learn how to make this easy jellyfish lights craft with just a few inexpensive supplies and learn a lot about the life and characteristics of the fascinating jellyfish at the same time.

This is a great way to incorporate a hands-on activity that is fun and themed for summer learning into your day.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

Your jellyfish can be as small or large as you like.

Upcycle empty fruit cups or use large plastic clear bowls from the party section to create an entire swarm.

Then use your child’s creation to teach them how to identify the anatomy, learn jellyfish vocabulary, and terminology, as well as create an adorable ocean craft for decoration.

Hands-On Activities-Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

Ocean Anatomy was the perfect book for our easy jellyfish lights craft.

There is so much to learn in just a few pages.

You can reference it for the life cycle of a jellyfish, the anatomy of a jellyfish, facts, and a quick blurb on 5 different types of jellyfish.  

The watercolor illustrations and tidbits of information are wonderful for reference.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft
  • Make these fun Jellyfish in a Jar to observe their movement.
  • This stunning wooden Jellyfish Puzzle would make a wonderful hands-on activity as well as a keepsake for the whole family, especially middle to high school ages.

Jellyfish Facts

  • A group of jellyfish is known as a swarm or a bloom, which can contain millions of jellyfish and spread out over 10 square miles.
  • Jellyfish are not really fish or made of jelly, they are made of 95% water and classified as invertebrates from the phylum Cnidaria.
  • There are at least 2000 different species of jellyfish and they come in a wide range of shapes and colors like pink, white, yellow, orange, green, and blue, as well as multicolored.
  • They have no brain and no heart.
  • Jellyfish eat and poop from the same spot.
  • While some are tiny, the lion’s mane jellyfish can stretch its tentacles as long as 120 feet.

Challenge your child to create more than one jellyfish species.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

Get creative using other craft supplies to make each one as unique as their real counterparts.

I was able to find everything I used at Dollar Tree, but you may already have most of it around the house.

More Ocean Themed Activities

And add Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

Moreover, look at some of these books and fun resources to learn about jellyfish.

7 Books and Resources about Jellyfish

Add some of these books and resources to your study of jellyfish.

Finally, look how to make this fun jellyfish light craft.

Easy Jellyfish Light Craft

You will need:

  • Push light (or battery-operated tea light)
  • Clear plastic bowls or cups
  • Tissue paper
  • Ribbon
  • Hot glue gun/ stick
  • school glue

You want to make sure that your light fits inside of your bowl.

The tea lights fit everything, but they put out less light than the little tap light I used (from Dollar Tree).

First, place your bowl upside down and paint the outside with a full coat of watered-down school glue or use mod podge.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

Cover with tissue paper in whatever color you like and press firmly into the glue. You can add multiple layers, but I like the translucent look.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

“Paint” another coat of glue all over the top of the tissue paper to seal it well. Press the paper until it is mostly smooth. Allow it to dry.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

Once it is completely dry you can rip off or cut the excess tissue paper left on the edges.

Flip the bowl over and glue the light into place on the inside.

I used a generous amount of hot glue and only secured the back so that I could twist off the front to change out the batteries.

You could also secure your light with adhesive velcro strips for easy removal.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

Cut 2 or more types of ribbon to the same length, ruffled or shimmer ribbon is fun with the lights and resembles the tentacles more.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

Hot glue the ribbon just inside the edge of the bowl all the way around.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

If you want to, add a little detail to the body with markers or watercolor paint.

Finally, to hang your jellyfish, make a little loop on top with some of your leftover ribbons and secure it with hot glue.

How fun and simple was this easy jellyfish lights craft?

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

Free Carnivorous Plants Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

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Today, I have a free carnivorous plants lapbook and fun unit study ideas. Also, I have my page Carnivorous Plants.

Besides, carnivorous plants are a fascinating topic for every age.

For example, like all green plants they make their food by photosynthesis.

In addition, they are sometimes called insectivorous plants.

Free Carnivorous Plants Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

Carnivorous plants are plants which derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods.

And as mentioned they still generate some of their energy from photosynthesis.

6 Types of Traps

Next look at some of the types of traps which can be found in insectivorous plants.

  • Lobsterpot trap
  • Snap trap
  • Bladder trap
  • Flypaper trap
  • Pitfall trap
Free Carnivorous Plants Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

Also, look at the types of plants.

Types of Carnivorous Plants

Next, look at some of the names and facts about the types of plants.

Carnivorous plants are plants that can absorb certain nutrients from animals they trap. 

All plants need nitrogen to live. They can live in areas where there is poor soil and where nitrogen is not easily absorbed.

So, the plants do not eat the insects for food but digest the captured insects as a source of nitrogen.

Some common carnivorous plants are

  • venus flytrap,
  • bladderworts,
  • pitcher plant
  • and sundew.

Vocabulary Words

  • nitrogen – A nutrient needed in order to make molecules so that a plant can thrive and reproduce. This is normally taken from the soil but if the soil is poor in nitrogen, it gets it from the insect.
  • nutrients – A nutrient is a chemical that an organism needs to live and grow, or a substance used in an organism’s metabolism which must be taken in from its environment.
  • angiosperm – Plants that make their seeds from pollinated flowers.
  • insectivorous – Another term used to describe carnivorous plants.
  • photosynthesis – The process by which plants produce food. By using light, leaves put together carbon dioxide and water to make sugar and oxygen.

More Activities and Resources about Plants

Also, look at more resources for learning about plants.

In addition, look at these books and resources for a fun unit study.

11 Carnivorous Plants Resources

Add some of these books and resources for a carnivorous plants unit study for multiple ages.

More Best Homeschool Unit Studies

Minibooks for the Lapbook

Moreover, look at these minibooks which come in the free download.

  • 2 color covers
  • Where can you find carnivorous plants in the US?
  • The sower and the seed
  • Types of trap
  • Venus flytrap
  • Pitcher plant
  • Bladder wort
  • Sundew
  • Vocabulary words
  • What is a carnivorous plant
Free Carnivorous Plants Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

Now, how to grab the free carnivorous plants lapbook. This is a subscriber freebie.

How to Get the Free 12 Page Carnivorous Plants Lapbook

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get instant access to this freebie.

 1) Sign up on my list.
2) Grab the freebie now.
3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!