Ocean Theme for Preschool and Kindergarten Lesson Plans

Preschool and Kindergarten Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Activities for the Ocean Theme

Preschool and Kindergarten Activities

Printable Emergent Reader One - "Exploring the Sea with Ollie Octopus"
The alphabet emergent reader "Exploring the Sea with Ollie Octopus" introduces the letter "Oo" and "Jj" within its story context (found in the theme unit). The reader would be displayed as a big book, predictable chart or on the smartboard for all the children to view as a shared reading experience.

The songs "Ollie Octopus if Off" and "The Jellyfish Jiggle" from the Kinderplans Alpha Tunes CD could be used after for reinforcing the letter-sounds learned.

Interactive Component - The children would be required to cut and paste matching pictures.

Sample Page from the Reader

Big Book Color Sample Page

Kindergarten Preschool and Kindergarten Activities

Connection to Literature

As an introduction and connection to literature you can read the story "Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale" by Marcus Pfister.

Printable Emergent Reader Two - "Whale Watching"

The reader "Whale Watching" introduces the letter "Ww" and could be used in conjunction with the alphabet song "Whale Watching" from the Kinderplans Alpha Tunes CD.  The children would have fun listening to and identifying all the "w" sounding words in this emergent reader and on the alphabet CD.  There are also colored enlarged pictures to make a big book version.

Sample Page from the Reader

Bonus Readers  - Total of Six Readers Available

The emergent reader "Whales" is one of the bonus readers (not used in the alphabet program).

Sample Page from the Emergent Reader

Color Sample Page

Rainbow Fish Retelling
If following the alphabet program, this reader is introduced closer to the beginning of the year, however, it can also be accessed in this theme unit.
Rainbow Fish Retelling Emergent Reader Sample Page

More Printable Emergent Readers
"Five Fish" and "Making Guesses" are also found in the theme unit or member's area.

Preschool and Kindergarten Activities - Picture Mnemonics

Research has shown that children have a better recollection of letter-sound associations when it is taught in conjunction with picture mnemonics.  In these craft activities the children are actively involved in associating the picture to the letter-sound. This association becomes more meaningful to them.

Preschool and Kindergarten Activities - Picture Mnemonics

Letter "Oo" Recognition - Picture Mnemonics

The children would paint or use another method to color the octopus.  The one in the photograph was stamped with green and blue bingo markers.  Loose leaf reinforcements were placed on the octopus to represent the letter "o" for octopus.

Letter "Jj" Recognition - Picture Mnemonics

The word "jellyfish" found in the "Exploring the Sea With Ollie Octopus" reproducible emergent reader would be used to introduce the letter "j".  The jellyfish template would be painted or colored (the one in the photograph was stamped with different colors of bingo markers).  Letter "j" would be added to the bottom to represent the tentacles of the jellyfish.

Letter "w" Recognition - Picture Mnemonics

Children turn the letter "w" into a whale as shown in the photograph to the left.

 All the Picture Mnemonic Craft Templates are Found in the Theme Unit or Member's Area.

Preschool and Kindergarten Lesson Plans and Activities

Center Activities

Alphabet Review

Game for the Younger Children - The children would roll the die and move the chosen game player accordingly.  They would say the name of the ocean animal they landed on and mark this off on the game board chart. The first person to complete the game board chart would be the winner.  This game is great for counting and identifying ocean animals. 

Games for Older Children -  The children would use a different game board and game board chart.  They must mark off the sight word or another skill (number recognition) that you wish to focus on.  This offers a great deal of flexibility to fill in the blank squares as you wish.

Visual Discrimination

The photographs found in the theme unit or in the member's area are great for visual discrimination activities or read around the room.  The children would match the words provided with the ones on the picture.  The words could also be stamped or made using magnetic letters.

Word Family Whale Wheel - Word Families "all", "op" "ock" and "ick"

The whale would be copied on card stock and cut.  The square window would be cut and the word family printed on the line.  The focus word family would be attached with a fastener.  The children spin the wheel to make a new word using the same word family. 

Writing and Craft Connection

The children would color the mouth of the whale, paint (sponge-paint) the whale template and cut it out.  The arms would be cut to hold the writing template.  The writing template would be copied (colored paper) and cut.  There are two versions available (blank one and complete the sentence version). 

Preschool and Kindergarten Math Lesson Plans

Math Activity 1 - Game of Probability - Review of 2D or 3D Shapes

Place 2D or 3D shapes in a bag.  Show the shapes that are in the bag to the children.  Explain that there is 1 out 4 chances that they will pick one of these shapes out of the bag.  Have them guess what will be the most popular shape pulled.  Have the children play the game.  Each time they pull a shape out of the bag they must say the name and mark this on their chart.  Once a column of the chart is completed, the game is finished.  Discuss what shape was the most popular to be pulled.  Explain that this will be different each time the game is played.

Math Activity 2 - Greater or Less Game

The number cards are face down. Each child picks a number card.  Several copies of the cards may have to be made. If they pick a greater number, they mark this off on their individual game boards.  The person to complete the game board first is the winner. 

Math Activity 3  - Making Sea Urchins

The children select a number card (same as above). The children  place that many spines (toothpicks) into a playdough ball.  These represent sea urchins.  After, the sea urchins are ordered from the least to the greatest amount of spines.

Children sort the whale pictures cards according to their physical features.  Both color and black and white cards are provided.

Math Activity 5 - Ordering and Recognizing Numbers

Children can match the numeral to the correct number of dots found on the whale templates.  These can be cut like a puzzle as shown in the photograph.  The whale templates can also be arranged in correct number order. 

Math Activity 6 - Preschool and Kindergarten Measuring Activity          

The children can predict how many snap cubes long these whales are.  They can measure to confirm how close their answer is.  The whales can also be arranged in correct size order from the smallest to the largest.

Math Activity 7 - Ocean Animal Graphing

The children select a picture of their favorite ocean animal.  These would be graphed and the results would be discussed.

More math activities are outlined in the Ocean theme unit.

Preschool and Kindergarten Activities

Ocean Crafts

Paper Pate Octopus Craft - Ollie Octopus    

The paper plate was painted and construction paper was accordion folded for arms.  Wiggly eyes and a bow were added.           

The jellyfish template was sponge-painted two different colors.  Colored crepe paper was  added for the tentacles. 

Fish Templates

In the theme unit or member's area you will find fish templates that can be used for a variety of crafts.  Some suggestions are listed below:

1.  They can be enlarged, painted and stuffed

2.  They can be dotted with different colors of bingo markers.

3.  They can be colored and tissue paper and sequins can be glued on

Shapely Fish

The children paint the fish template (light color).  The shapes would be copied on colored paper.  The children cut the shapes and  glue them accordingly as marked on the template. 

More Ocean Animal Crafts

Sea Star

The sea star was painted and cereal added for texture and to promote more fine-motor activity.

Seahorse

The seahorse was sponge-painted with shades of yellow and green.  Crepe paper was accordion folded and glue on for the dorsal fin. 

Whale Crafts

Week two of the plans focus more on whales. 

Thumb-Painted Whale

The whale displayed to the right was thumb-painted using two different shades of blue.

Whale with Macaroni Teeth

The mouth opening was colored pink and whale was painted light gray.  Macaroni was glued to represent the teeth of the whale.

Checkerboard Whale

The whale template was traced on a checkerboard template.  After, it was cut and colored as displayed in the photograph to the right. 

Whale Watching Craft

 Music Integration

The songs Ollie Octopus sung to the tune of Down by the Station and Five Colorful Fish sung to the tune of Polly Wolly Doodle are meant to be used in conjunction with using the emergent readers.

Ollie Octopus Song

Five Colorful Fish Song

Dot to Dot Octopus Using Numbers 1-10 in the Link Below

Connect the Dots Octopus

Dot to Dot Fish Using Alphabet Letter A-Z in the Link Below

Connect the Dots Fish

Follow-up Visual Discrimination Activity

The children can cut and correctly organize the words to match the sentences on the dot to dot activity sheets.

Scrambled Word Sentences

Note:  All the templates to complete the projects above are found in the Ocean theme book and member's area.

Information on How to Gain Access to This Theme