Y1/2 (A): Lesson 5: Being a marine biologist
Role playing as marine biologists to measure and record population sizes and assess the impact of litter on the ocean habitat. This lesson is part of the mixed-age scheme.
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.
Before the lesson
Watch
Watch
Lesson plan
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.
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.
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?
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.
Play the Audio: A message from Marlin the marine biologist.
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.
Ask for volunteers to share their prepared answer for Marlin. Play the Audio: Voicemail message before each response.
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.
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In this unit
Assessment – Science Y1/2 (A): Ocean protectors
Y1/2 (A): Lesson 1: Rockpooling
Y1/2 (A): Lesson 2: Life cycles of ocean animals
Y1/2 (A): Lesson 3: Ocean litter
Y1/2 (A): Lesson 4: Ocean food chains
- Current lesson
Y1/2 (A): Lesson 5: Being a marine biologist
