PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Project description: The video conference would address pollution and how to keep the beaches and sea clean while exploring sea creatures that live in the ocean.

Facts:

-Every year almost 25% of U.S beaches are closed at least once because of water pollution.

-Plastic waste being a major water pollutant is causing a huge destruction of marine life and is believed to be responsible for deaths of m ore than 100,000 sea mammals, sea birds, and various types of fishes.

These facts are eye opening and sad because we are the problem to this major destruction of innocent mammals and beautiful beaches. If people are more aware and are educated about this major destruction of innocent mammals and beaches we love, I feel people will put an end to it. I feel that showing and educating students as young as preschool will help open their eyes so that will learn to throw away their garbage and not litter because of the consequences it has on other lives. They can be big leaders and make an impact from learning what can happen to our sea creatures if we do litter and they themselves can put an end to it. The video conference would be with Abbie Hine, a Marine Educator, Diver, Conservationist and Founder of WiseOceans.

My students are learning about sea life and how to keep our water and beach clean. Now that it is summer and we spend most of our time either playing in the water or at the beach we have been learning about the different kinds of sea animals that swim and live in our ocean. After reading numerous books about them and playing with the toy creatures in our water sensory table, I thought it was a great idea for my students to see them visually in real life as well as hearing from a Marine Biologist who keeps the creatures safe. The student’s have learned about the diversity of the ocean and how it is necessary to keep our water and beach clean by not polluting. Polluting can do serious harm to our sea life and plant life in the ocean. I want the students to learn how to clean up after themselves while visiting our beaches as well as knowing what living creatures they may harm if they don’t. Before the global encounter with the Marine Biologist, I would have my students prepare questions for the Marine Biologist and what they want to know or learn. I would create a KWL chart which is a chart of what we know, what we want to know, and what we learned after the encounter. After preparing the questions, I would then have my students create and paint a collaborative ocean and beach on butcher paper. My students would work as a team to paint the ocean, beach, and any sea creature they want on their mural.

After the video conference, I would have my students create and paint another mural that shows our beaches and water with pollution. Learning about the consequences of pollution would mean killing out sea creatures, plants, and having a dirty beach. After this mural is finished, I would ask them which mural they like better. Do they like to see less sea creatures, plants, and a dirty beach or would they rather see beautiful sea creatures, plants, and have a clean beach to play on.

For a conclusion of the lesson, I would take the students to a near by beach with parent and school permission to do a beach clean up. I would get the entire school and community involved because not only my 5 Preschool students can make a difference. The entire school and community need to make a difference because we need to keep the beach and water clean. Awareness needs to be communicated and learned at an early age so our little ones will make sure they clean up after themselves for years to come and hopefully teach others as well. The ocean makes life on Earth possible. It nourishes our bodies and our souls. It influences our weather, fuels economies and connects distant lands. It is vast, deep, powerful and mysterious. We should keep it as beautiful as it should be.