Mother Goose Time- Whale, Octopus, Dolphin, Shark and Sea Turtle Preschool Lesson Plans

Feel free to use any of these ocean theme (large sea creatures)  Mother Goose Time lesson plans.

 

Many of the lessons (art, games and songs) can be differentiated for Pre-K through elementary age children.

 

Ocean Commotion Theme

Our theme for this month is Ocean Commotion. The kids have learned about ocean scape (ocean water, ocean floor, ocean caves & crevices, ocean plants and coral reef). This week the kids learned about large sea creatures (whale, octopus, dolphin, shark and sea turtle). This web shows the curriculum sequence.

 Ocean Animals A to Z Book

We began learning about ocean animals by reading and tracing each alphabet letter in this beautiful book by Leslie Falconer.

This interesting book has beautiful photographs and large letters for the preschooler to trace. It also has a short description of each animal. It incorporates reading and science in a very visual and kinesthetic manner. My daughter had no trouble going all the way through the book in one sitting.

I highly recommend this book. My daughter loved it. I was so impressed that it came in our Mother Goose Time box for the month.

Here are some examples of pages in the book...

Whale Blowing Art Craft

Each day we discover a new animal to learn about. We begin with the whale.

There was tons to do...

• W is for whale
• Whale Blowing Art
• Big as a Whale
• Hold Your Breath

Here's the girls' favorite, Whale Blowing Art.

This little whale activity was pre-cut into the whale shape. The girls used straws to push the paint around the whale shaped paper. It helped them think about how a whale blows through a blowhole on the top of it's head. Children are often surprised that some marine mammals don't breath through noses, but through a hole on top or their head.

"Mom, does a whale really breath through a hole on top of it's head? Why?"





















We discussed how it's easier to pop their head up out of the water for a quick breath of air when their blowhole is on top of their head.

The hole on top of the whale's head helps show the child exactly where a blowhole is.

After a while, they had to get their hands onto the paint and get messy. Kids love getting paint all over their hands. The girls used paintbrushes, too. It was fun to see all the different types of ways the paint looks while using different techniques. :)

 

 

Octopus Windsock and Counting to Eight

 Our favorite activities for this animal included an octopus counting game and octopus windsock craft.

















This octopus game came with little orange counters. Children learn that the octopus has eight legs "octo", while practicing counting to eight. We also like to practice counting to eight in Spanish.


The girls loved making little octopus wind socks. The Mother Goose Time template was pre-made. The kids just cut the legs on the dotted lines, added tape, white hole punch reinforcement stickers (the white circular things you use to reinforce broken holes in papers inside a binder) and googly eyes. You could easily create an octopus windsock with construction paper, scissors, tape, crayon and googly eyes. I've made this craft without the template, too. But it's nice that Mother Goose Time saves so much time. All you do is pull it out of the bag and it's ready to go.

Multiplying by Eight for Your Older Child

For older children, you could use the octopus legs to teach multiplication.
So, for 8 X 1, just have the child line up eight counters (instead of just one counter) underneath only the number one.

8 X 2, just have the child line up two rows of eight counters under the 1st and 2nd leg.
You can get out a white board marker and have the child write the multiplication problem.

It may be helpful to make more circles underneath each number, so each leg has eight, rather than just 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

You can use pom poms, if there aren't enough orange counters.

 

 Dolphin Song for Pre-K Through Elementary Children

Here's a fun dolphin song. This was our favorite activity for the dolphin day.

You can still sing this Swimming Dolphin song without the Mother Goose Time CD for the month. You can print out and save the picture below.

(Here is a Frere Jacques  song on youtube, if you don't know the tune.)

You can sing the dolphin song to the same tune at Frere Jacques.

 

 

 

Shark School Theatre Script Teaches Social Relationships

This is a great way for children to explore social relationships and communication, while learning about science (animal behavior).

You will need:

• Teacher Guide (pictured below)
• Little Theatre Script (pictured below)
• Shark fin for each child
• Blocks

Teacher Guide, Shark School

 

 



 Little Theatre Script, Shark School

 

 

Example of Shark Fins and Clapboard

 

 



Shark fins are gray construction paper cut into triangles.

Sea Turtle Game, Who Is Hatching?

This fun game teaches the children patterns and sorting, while working on gross motor skills.

This sea turtle match game also reviews identifying letters, numbers and sight words:

• W
• I
• 8
• am
• X
• 18
• what
• O

 

Sea Turtle Game, Who Is Hatching Teacher Guide

 

Mother Goose Time is a Time Saver

Feel free to use any of the above lessons, and check back soon for our adventures with Small Sea Creatures (plankton & jellyfish, sea star, seahorse, sea sponge, sea sponge, x-ray fish).

Mother Goose Time can be used for preschool classrooms or for homeschool families. It's amazing what they fit inside the little box each month. It's so nice to be able to use these lessons with our older, elementary-age daughter, too. She does have her own advanced elementary curriculum, but Mother Goose Time does offer fun and engaging ways for her to learn and have fun with her sister, too.

Ocean Theme Children's Picture Book Suggestions

Please feel free to share your ideas for ocean theme children's picture books below.

Thank for visiting. I hope these lessons are helpful for you.

:) Caroline Brooke