Learning objectives

Knowledge

  • To describe some ways humans affect the ocean.

Working scientifically

  • To investigate what happens to different materials in the ocean.

Success criteria

Knowledge

  • I can recall some different types of litter that affect ocean habitats.
  • I can describe some of the problems linked to ocean litter.
  • I can suggest ways to reduce how human litter affects the ocean.

Working scientifically

  • I can begin to plan an experiment to see what happens to materials in ocean water over time.
  • I can predict changes to materials over time.
  • I can observe and make comparisons of materials soaked in water.

National curriculum

Science

Plants

Pupils should be taught to:

  • Identify and name a variety of common wild and garden plants, including deciduous and evergreen trees.
  • Identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants, including trees.
  • Observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants.
  • Find out and describe how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy.

Seasonal changes

Pupils should be taught to:

  • Observe changes across the four seasons.
  • Observe and describe weather associated with the seasons and how day length varies.

Animals, including humans

Pupils should be taught to:

  • Notice that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults.
  • Find out about and describe the basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival (water, food and air).
  • Describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amounts of different types of food, and hygiene.

Living things and their habitats

Pupils should be taught to:

  • Explore and compare the differences between things that are living, dead, and things that have never been alive.
  • Identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited and describe how different habitats provide for the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants, and how they depend on each other.
  • Identify and name a variety of plants and animals in their habitats, including microhabitats.
  • Describe how animals obtain their food from plants and other animals, using the idea of a simple food chain, and identify and name different sources of food.

Working scientifically

Pupils should be taught to use the following practical scientific methods, processes and skills:

  • Asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways.
  • Observing closely, using simple equipment.
  • Performing simple tests.
  • Identifying and classifying.
  • Using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.
  • Gathering and recording data to help in answering questions.

See National curriculum – Science - Key stages 1 and 2.

Before the lesson

Watch
Watch
Resource: Super Science skills poster (one A3 colour copy for display).

Lesson plan

1: Recap and recall

Display the Presentation: Sorting ocean objects or arrange the equivalent objects in front of the class (see Have ready).

Presentation: Sorting ocean objects

Ask the children to discuss with a partner how they would sort the objects into two piles:

  • Things that belong in the ocean.
  • Things that do not belong in the ocean.

Ask for a volunteer to be in charge of either moving the objects or dragging the items in the presentation. Take class votes for each item to help decide which pile it belongs in. Encourage the children to justify opinions that differ from the majority, for example, the toy fish should not be in the ocean but a real fish should.

2: Attention grabber

Hold up the storybook ‘Somebody Swallowed Stanley’ by Sarah Roberts and inform the class that things that do not belong in the ocean can be very confusing for the ocean animals that live there. Point to Stanley, the carrier bag, on the front of the book and ask the class:

  • Does Stanley belong in the ocean? (No.)

Explain to the class that they should try to remember as many things as possible that do and do not belong in the ocean.

Read the story aloud or use the link: CBeebies - Somebody Swallowed Stanley and pause at key moments to draw attention to things found in the ocean or to relate to the feeding relationships explored.

Questions

  • What things did you see that belong in the ocean? (Jellyfish, fish, seaweed, the whale, barnacles, anemones and the sea turtle.)
  • What things did you see that did not belong in the ocean? (Stanley, the carrier bag, Stanley as a kite and its string.)
  • Why did the animals keep trying to eat Stanley? (Carrier bags floating in water look like jellyfish, which is food or prey for many ocean creatures.)
  • Why is it dangerous for the animals trying to eat Stanley? (Carrier bags cannot be eaten and may harm or stop the animals from eating real food.)

3: Main event

Ask the class:

  • How could scientists investigate what happens to litter if it ends up in the ocean?

Take initial ideas and emphasise that the method must not actually cause any harm to ocean habitats by testing it directly on them. Display slide 1 of the Presentation: Investigating ocean litter, which shows the enquiry cycle.

Presentation: Investigating ocean litter

Click on the question to reveal the focus of the class investigation:

  • What happens to litter if it ends up in the ocean?

Remind the class that scientists use various methods to find answers to questions. Click on the icons in turn to make the following points:

  • Researching: the book read at the start of the lesson has shown some problems linked to litter in the ocean so it is a form of research.
  • Observing over time: this would show what happens to litter when left in ocean water and whether it stays to carry on causing problems.
  • Comparative and fair testing: this is more suitable for testing one particular type of litter or specific conditions.
  • Grouping: the question does not require sorting or grouping objects.
  • Spotting patterns: this question does not involve spotting patterns.

Explain to the class that they will observe over time to see what happens to different types of litter when soaked in ocean water. They can then decide how likely different litter is to cause problems in an ocean habitat.

Return to slide 1 by clicking on the pink arrow and select the observe, test and measure tile to display a shuffled method on slide 2. Read the steps aloud and allow the children to discuss in pairs which order they think the steps should go in. Ask for a volunteer to rearrange the steps in the presentation. Encourage the children to think about being fair in the method steps by giving exaggerated differences between groups, for example, asking if it is fair if one group shakes their bottle for one second compared to ten seconds or if a group leaves their bottle for one day but another leaves it for a week.

Questions

  • What do you think will happen to the different litter over time?
  • Why?

Allow time for paired discussion and ask them to write their prediction in their book.

Demonstrate how to complete the experiment with the available equipment or watch the Pupil video: Investigating ocean litter, until 00:50 if preferred.

Pupil video: Investigating ocean litter

Arrange the class into pairs and allow them to collect their equipment (one bottle, one piece of litter and one whiteboard pen or permanent marker). Show the children where to fill up their bottles, either from a water source within the classroom or available jugs.

At the point of shaking the bottles and observing initial changes, take feedback.

Questions

  • Which litter has stayed the same so far?
  • Which litter has begun to change? (At this point of the experiment, it may only be tissue and biodegradable packing chips that have broken apart.)
  • How does this match your prediction?

4: Wrapping up

Choose one bottle for each type of litter that has been soaking. Ask for a volunteer to hold each bottle at the front of the class. Invite the class to observe the changes to the materials inside the bottles. Ask them to help rearrange the volunteers from ‘most changed’ to ‘least changed’, based on what they can see. Discuss which material could be the worst for ocean animals. Ask the children how confident they are in their choice at this stage of the experiment. They may begin to justify their reasons based on the animals trying to eat Stanley from the book.

Explain to the class that they will leave their bottles in a set place for one week and return to check their predictions and observe the results.

Ask the class:

  • Can you think of any ways we can help look after ocean habitats based on what we have learnt? (Ideas may include picking up litter on beaches so that it does not end up in the water; taking litter home with them after being on a beach; choosing materials that break up in water easily.)

Adaptive teaching

Pupils needing extra support

Could watch the Pupil video: Investigating ocean litter up to 00:50 as a pre-teaching opportunity to prepare for the investigation; could draw a picture or use the vocabulary on slide 2 of the Presentation: Investigating ocean litter (results table) to help predict what will happen.

Pupils working at greater depth

Should consider different time frames when predicting the changes to the litter in water over time, for example, predicting which will break up the quickest and which will only change after a week; could predict the outcome of further litter or material types based on the initial observations in the lesson.

Assessing progress and understanding

Pupils with secure understanding indicated by: recalling some different types of litter that affect ocean habitats and some of the problems they cause; suggesting ways to reduce how human litter affects the ocean; beginning to plan a method to investigate ocean litter; predicting changes to the litter soaked in water over time; observing and making comparisons of litter soaked in water over time.

Pupils working at greater depth indicated by: predicting the outcome of a variety of materials or litter soaked in water, with consideration of which will be affected during the lesson or over a week.

Vocabulary definitions

  • litter

    Waste or rubbish left out in spaces.

  • method

    Step-by-step instructions.

  • observe

    To watch carefully.

  • predict

    To guess what will happen.

  • test

    A way to find the answer to a question.

Our team comprises experienced classroom teachers who love the foundation subjects
Find out more
Kapow logo

Maintained by: Kapow Primary team

_
For copyright reasons, you may not screenshot this page.
Press esc to exit
close popup

Are you sure you want to download this lesson plan?

Downloading may not be your best option. Be sure you are looking at the most up-to-date version by always viewing your resources online.

Bookmark or save the link to this lesson so you can find it quickly! Do you want to continue?