Building an understanding of Earth is important, but if your school is anything like mine, I was provided very little in the way of material for teaching social studies in my elementary classroom. I created a resource for covering the 5 oceans of the world in a format that allows teachers to start teaching right away with little hassle. I was teaching the seven continents, and decided that a lesson on the 5 oceans only made sense to cover as well. This resource includes a slide show of key facts and features, flip book, pocket chart cards, activities, and an assessment.
Facts and Features Slide Show:
I created a slide show as a way to share content with students that includes both informational text and stunning visuals as well. This slide show goes over the meaning of ocean words, key facts and features of each of the five oceans, and includes images for each ocean. This could be presented whole group, in small groups, or assigned as independent work. Just keep in mind that informational text often includes key words or vocabulary that might be higher than grade level.
FlipBooks:
Flipbooks are an easy and engaging way for students to record important information. To meet different learning needs, I've included 3 different flipbook versions. Version 1 coincides with the slide show. Students fill in the blank with key words. Version 2 is open-ended and is perfect for internet or book research. Version 3 contains concise and easy to read text and provides a space for student illustrations.
Pocket Chart or Word Wall Cards:
If you have a word wall or use a pocket chart for vocabulary, it can be really helpful to add the ocean words so that your students can refer to the terms in their writing. This resource contains pocket chart cards for all 5 oceans (Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Southern Ocean).
Label the Map Activities:
With remote and in-person learning, I've included several label the map options. A printable and digital option is included. This is great for practice but could also be used as an assessment tool as well.
Oceans Fact vs. Opinion Sorting Activity:
In this activity, students will pick a card and determine if the sentence is a fact or an opinion. Students will then use the sorting sheet to place the card under the correct label. A full color and blackline version are included. With the blackline version, you could have students do this activity independently and simply cut out and glue the cards to the correct sorting sheet. I've also included a digital version of this activity. In the digital activity, students drag and drop the sentence to the correct category. This activity could be done whole group or send students to complete on their own.
Looking for more world geography resources?
Lesson planning takes time, and in elementary that means juggling multiple subjects. If you are looking to save time and money, all of the ocean resources mentioned in this post are also included in my Seven Continents & Five Oceans Unit. This unit is jammed packed with everything you need to cover the major landmasses and oceans of the world.
