Activity: Blue: Fish, Turtles and Sharks – Early Learning

 Quick summary: This activity is designed to introduce children to some of the amazing animals that live in our oceans. Children will focus on fish, turtles and sharks. Both younger and older children are invited to respond to a series of fish, turtle and shark flashcards. Older children will also participate in role-plays through which they will investigate some of the physical and life cycle features of these animals. This activity is designed to help connect children to the wonders of the natural world through sensory and play-based learning.

Blue is a feature documentary film charting the drastic decline in the health of our oceans. With more than half of all marine life lost and the expansion of the industrialization of the seas, the film sets out the challenges we are facing and the opportunities for positive change. Blue changes the way we think about our liquid world and inspires the audience to action. Find out how to screen or download the film. Along with the film is an ambitious global campaign to create advocacy and behaviour change through the #oceanguardian movement. To become an ocean guardian, see the website.

EYLF Learning Outcome	Elaborations
Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world	3. Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment
Outcome 4: Children are involved and confident learners	1. Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity 2. Children develop a range of skills and processes such as problem solving, enquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating 3. Children transfer and adapt what they have learned from one context to another 4. Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, place, technologies and natural and processed materials

Equipment needed:

Ages 0 to 2 –

• One set of each of the following – cut each flashcard in half and glue the corresponding questions to the back of each image:
  • Fish Flashcards
  • Turtle Flashcards
  • Shark Flashcards
• If possible, find a plastic or stuffed version of a fish, shark and turtle for children to hold and play with.

Ages 3 to 5 – 

• One set of each of the following – cut each flashcard in half and glue the corresponding questions to the back of each image:
  
  • Fish Flashcards
  • Turtle Flashcards
  • Shark Flashcards

One of the following for each child. (Note: You may choose to do all of the animals or just one or two; however children will gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between these marine animals if they investigate all three):

• Fish Headpiece
• Turtle Shell
• Shark Fin

Unit of Work: Blue The Film: Early Learning

Cool Australia and Northern Pictures would like to acknowledge the generous contributions of GoodPitch² Australia, Shark Island Institute, Documentary Australia Foundation, The Caledonia Foundation and Screen Australia in the development of these teaching resources.

Cool Australia would like to acknowledge the support of the Seedlings Early Years Education for Sustainability (EYEfS) program.

© 2017 Northern Pictures and Cool Australia