Learning objective

Working scientifically

  • To report on changes to ocean numbers.

Success criteria

Working scientifically

  • I can describe the role of a marine biologist.
  • I can tally the number of living things found in the ocean.
  • I can record data as a pictogram.
  • I can compare two sets of data and summarise my findings.

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.

Animals, including humans

Pupils should be taught to:

  • Find out about and describe the basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival (water, food and air).

Living things and their habitats

Pupils should be taught to:

  • 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.
  • 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: Ocean observations (one class set - laminated if raining and using in an outdoor space).
Activity: Recording ocean observations (one each).
Activity: Knowledge and skills catcher: Ocean protectors (optional – one each).

Lesson plan

1: Recap and recall

Display the Presentation: Agree or disagree? Read the slide to the children. Instruct them to discuss the statement with their partner and decide whether they agree or disagree.

Presentation: Agree or disagree?

Take feedback.

The children may suggest:

  • Some scientists work in laboratories with chemicals and wear white lab coats.
  • There are lots of different types of scientists and not all of them do experiments wearing lab coats.
  • Some scientists work outdoors and some do not work with chemicals at all.

2: Attention grabber

Remind the children that they have previously looked at the work of a scientist in Science, Year 1/2 (A), Plants: Introduction to plants; Dr Percy Julian discovered how to make medicines from plants. Ask the class if they have ever heard of a marine biologist before and take feedback on the meaning behind the two words. Play the Pupil video: What is a marine biologist?

Pupil video: What is a marine biologist?

Ask the class:

  • Why do you think a marine biologist is so important? (Answers may include that they help to protect living things in the ocean, teach others about living things and help to discover new things.)
  • What was so special about Jeanne Villepreux-Power’s work? (She invented aquariums that are useful to scientists and people even today; she invented something important and studied science in a time when women did not often do this.)
  • Who would like to be a marine biologist when they grow up and why?

Optional: read the book ‘Secrets of the Sea: The Story of Jeanne Power, Revolutionary Marine Biologist’ by Evan Griffith to further explore Jeanne Villepreux-Power’s interests and inventions.

3: Main event

Play the Audio: A message from Marlin the marine biologist.

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Remind the class that marine biologists often count the number of animals and plants in an area of water year after year to check whether something is causing problems. Display slide 1 of the Presentation: Recording living things in the ocean to show the class Marlin’s previous results.

Presentation: Recording living things

Ask for volunteers to read the number of tallies and drag the corresponding number of pictures to form the completed pictogram.

Hand out the tally chart from the Activity: Recording ocean observations (one each) and remind the children how to record numbers as tallies. Explain to the class that they will work like marine biologists and pretend to explore the same part of the ocean as Marlin to record numbers of the same plants and animals. They will need to use their observation skills to spot seaweed, shrimp, fish, jellyfish, sea turtles, sharks and anything else interesting in the habitat that may be affecting living things.

Lead the class out to the open space and allow time for them to tally the numbers of ocean wildlife. They can use the lined space at the bottom of the sheet to record anything else that may be affecting the habitat.

Display slide 2, which provides a blank results table and pictogram template. Take feedback from the class about the number of each living thing they found and use the pen tool to record this as tallies in the table. Hand out the second page from the Activity: Recording ocean observations, which provides a pictogram template. Remind the children how to complete the pictogram and allow time for them to draw the relevant shapes into each column to reflect the class results. Drag the pictures on the slide to demonstrate how to complete the pictogram if required. Alternatively, the children could record circles or simple shapes in the spaces instead of the plant and animal shapes (see Adaptive teaching).

Return to slide 1, selecting the answer button to show the completed pictogram of Marlin’s data. Ask the children to discuss in pairs what they would tell Marlin about their results compared to his. They should consider:

  • Which numbers of living things stayed the same? (Seaweed, shrimp and sharks.)
  • Which numbers of living things are less than Marlin’s results? (Fewer fish and sea turtles.)
  • Why might it have changed? (Litter, carrier bags and sponges were observed in the area. Animals may have mistaken these as food and eaten them accidentally, which caused them harm.)

4: Wrapping up

Ask for volunteers to share their prepared answer for Marlin. Play the Audio: Voicemail message before each response.

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Assessment task (optional)

Hand out the Activity: Knowledge and skills catcher: Ocean protectors (one each) and ask the pupils to use the pictures to complete the questions.

The task is an opportunity to apply knowledge learnt during the unit.

Optional: provide each pupil with the Quiz: Pupil answer sheet and work through the Unit quiz (see Assessment – Science Y1/2 (A): Ocean protectors.). Read each question aloud to the class and give them time to mark their answers on the sheets independently.

Adaptive teaching

Pupils needing extra support

Could draw simple shapes or use stickers of different shapes or colours to complete the pictogram; could use a device to record a response to Marlin and play this back to the class.

Pupils working at greater depth

Should use their knowledge of food chains to predict what may have caused changes to population sizes, such as sea turtles eating litter instead of their normal food, which is why there are more jellyfish than before.

Assessing progress and understanding

Pupils with secure understanding indicated by: describing the role of a marine biologist; tallying the number of living things observed and recording this as a pictogram; comparing two sets of data as tallies or pictograms.

Pupils working at greater depth indicated by: predicting what may have caused changes to populations using their knowledge of food chains.

Vocabulary definitions

  • data

    Information collected when observing.

  • invention

    Something that has been made for the first time.

  • marine biologist

    A scientist who studies plants and animals in the seas and oceans.

  • pictogram

    A type of chart to show data using pictures and symbols.

  • protect

    To keep something safe.

  • record

    To keep a copy of something.

  • scientist

    Someone who asks questions about the world and tries to find answers by observing and experimenting.

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