YOUR NEWSPAPER’S NAME HERE
2: OCEANS OF FUN
YOUR NEWSPAPER’S NAME HERE
ave you ever been to the ocean?
You probably wonder how big it is
or whether it’s dark down below.
What lives in the ocean? Is the water
good to drink?
People have been curious about the
ocean since the beginning of time. Some
spend their lives studying it. Others just
love to go to the ocean to have fun.
The ocean IS fun, whether you’re sailing
along the outer banks or wading in its
shallow tide.
As you’re about to see, the ocean is
also fun to learn about. In this special
look at the ocean, we’ll discover a whole
new world “down under” – without even
getting wet.
Water, Water Everywhere ...................................3
By the Seashore ..................................................4
Go Fish! ................................................................5
The Oceans by Martyn Bramwell
Incredible Facts About the Ocean,
The Restless Blue Salt Water by W. Wright Robinson
The First Book of the Ocean by Sam and Beryl Epstein
Shell by Alex Arthur
Let’s Discover the Sea, Raintree Publishers
Mammals in the Sea by Jacques Cousteau
Dangerous Sea Creatures, published by Time-Life Films
Faces of the Sea, published by the Miami Herald
World Book Encyclopedia
Wonders of Sea Horses by Anne Ensign Brown
Discovering Crabs and Lobsters by Jill Bailey
More Art & Children’s Crafts, The Australian Women’s Weekly
Fish Go to School, Too .......................................6
When is a Fish Not a Fish? ................................7
Oceans of Fun - Craft Activities ........................8
There She Blows! ..............................................10
Strange But True ...............................................11
Friend or Foe? ...................................................12
Feathered Friends .............................................13
Exploring the Ocean .........................................14
Protecting the Ocean .......................................15
YOUR LOGO HERE
Written by Terri Darr McLean
Illustrated by Camille Weber
Designed by Chris Canfield
© 2001-2006 KRP, Inc. All rights reserved.
YOUR NEWSPAPER’S NAME HERE
he ocean is a great body of
water that covers much of
the Earth’s surface. The
water is too salty to drink, but the
ocean provides us with many
other things, including food,
energy, and minerals. Large
ships use the ocean as a highway. And the ocean is a great
place for swimming, boating,
and other fun activities.
The world has five oceans. The two
largest oceans - the Atlantic and the
Pacific - border the United States.
• Find the weather map in your newspaper and locate
the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. Which ocean lies
on the right side of the United States? On the left? Find
and circle your state. Does it touch the ocean?
OCEANS OF FUN: 3
Playing in the waves is one of the most fun
things to do in the ocean. Waves are
caused by winds that blow across the top
of the water. You can find out how waves
begin with this simple experiment:
1. Fill a large bowl with water.
2. Blow across the surface.
3. Watch as ripples move over the water
toward the far side of the bowl.
4. The harder and longer you blow, the
higher the ripples will grow.
Adapted from The First Book of the Ocean
by Sam and Beryl Epstein
Even if you don’t live near the ocean, it is very important in
your life. All rainwater comes from the ocean.
• Check your newspaper’s weather map each day for a week and
keep track of the number of days rain is predicted for your state.
In the space below, draw your own weather symbol for rain.
The ocean
inside you
Did you know that you have a
little bit of the ocean inside
your body? The human body
contains salt water, which is
similar to the water found in
the world’s oceans.
4: OCEANS OF FUN
YOUR NEWSPAPER’S NAME HERE
and that lies along the ocean is
called a beach. Many beaches are
made of sand, much like the sand in
a sandbox. Others are made of pebbles or
rocks. People all over the world visit the
beach to play in the sand and swim in the
ocean.
When you walk along the beach, you can’t help but notice
the seashells that have washed up on the sand. They come
in all shapes, sizes, and colors.
• Plan a Show and Shell day for your class. Take turns showing off
your shell collections. Have someone bring a conch (pronounced
konk) shell and listen to the ocean inside.
The seashells you see on the beach were once the homes
of living animals. As these animals grow, they leave their
shells behind and make new ones.
• Unscramble the words below to learn the names of animals that
live in shells.
_________ brac
_________ laisn
_________ yersto
_________ loplsac
(Answers: crab, snail, oyster, scallop)
• Now, make your own word scramble. Cut out letters in the newspaper that spell five ocean words found on this page. Paste the
letters onto construction paper and cut them out. Mix up the
letters in each word and ask a friend to try to unscramble them.
The beaches along the United States are popular vacation
spots. People travel from all over the world to visit beaches
in Florida, California, Hawaii, and other coastal states.
• Pretend you are going on a trip to the beach. First, pick a character from your newspaper’s comic strips to go with you. Then look
through your newspaper’s advertisements and make a list of
things you and your friend would take along. Don’t forget the
sunscreen!
• Now, cut out your newspaper’s weather map and paste it in the
space below. Draw a line from the state in which you live to the
nearest ocean state. How many states would you have to travel
through to get to the beach?
YOUR NEWSPAPER’S NAME HERE
OCEANS OF FUN: 5
any animals live in the ocean. The
most common are fish. Fish live in
the water their whole lives. They
have fins to swim and gills to breathe
under water. Fish come in all shapes and
sizes. Some are flat, and some can blow
themselves up like balloons.
Fish come in all colors, too. The variety of fish that live in
the ocean make it one of the most interesting places on
Earth.
• Color the fish on this page. Remember that fish have stripes,
circles, and all the colors of the rainbow. Use your imagination!
Many people like to catch fish for sport. Others like to keep
fish as pets.
• Look up “fish” in an encyclopedia to see the many types of fish
that live in the ocean. If you could pick one for a pet, which one
would it be? Draw your pet fish in the fish bowl below. Then cut
and paste letters from the newspaper to spell your pet fish’s name.
Fish are very important to human beings. They provide
food for us to eat. Plus, big fish eat little fish, and little fish
eat plants. This is called a food chain, and it helps keep
nature in balance.
• The four parts of this sea-food chain are pictured below. Number
the panels in the correct order from one to four.
Now, look through your newspaper’s grocery and restaurant ads
and cut out pictures of the types of fish people eat. Make a seafood
collage.
My fish’s name is
________________________________
6: OCEANS OF FUN
YOUR NEWSPAPER’S NAME HERE
ome fish live alone in the ocean.
Others live in close groups called
“schools.” Fish travel together in
schools to protect themselves from
other fish.
All the fish that live together in a school are usually alike in size.
Some schools have 25 or less fish, while others might consist of
hundreds of millions.
• Count the number of fish in the school on this page. Then find
that number eight times in the newspaper. While you’re searching,
look in your newspaper for numbers less than 25. Circle them in
red. Then look for numbers greater than 25. Circle them in green.
See who can find the largest newspaper number.
• Although fish in schools are usually alike, let’s make this school of
fish different. Color three fish blue. Color two fish red. Color two
fish green. And color one fish the color of your choice.
Fish in schools often break up at night to search for food. But
they regroup during the day to swim.
• Make a day and night chart on a piece of construction paper. Clip
pictures from the newspaper of things YOU do during the day and
things you do at night.
Fins are a fish’s arms and legs. Most fish swim by moving their
tail fins from side to side.
• Look through your newspaper for examples of the ways people
travel. Make a collage with pictures that show different modes of
transportation. Are any of them seaworthy?
• Unscramble the letters below for the name of a fish that might like
to come to your school!
ogldifhs
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
YOUR NEWSPAPER’S NAME HERE
OCEANS OF FUN: 7
When it’s a shellfish, of course!
ot all animals in the ocean are fish,
and not all fish are true fish. Some
animals with shells are called shellfish but they’re really crustaceans.
Crustaceans – crabs, lobsters, oysters,
and shrimp – are animals with many legs
and hard shells that protect their boneless
bodies.
The oyster is another sea animal that lives in a shell. It is an
important source of food. An oyster’s pearls are also valuable.
They are most often used to make jewelry.
Crabs are an important part of animal life in the ocean. They
have five pairs of walking legs. When they’re on the move, they
walk – or run – sideways.
• Write a sports headline about a crab named Chester winning
a big race against another ocean friend, Larry the Lobster.
(Remember, a headline tells a little about a story and makes
people want to read more. Look at other sports headlines in your
newspaper for examples.)
• The most valuable pearls are perfectly round in shape. They are
used in necklaces and other jewelry. Look through your newspaper for pictures of other items that are round. Pick one that is
valuable because of its round shape. Cut it out and share your
thoughts with the class.
• While you’re looking through the newspaper, watch for ads for
jewelry stores. See if you can find pictures of jewelry made of
pearls. How much do the pearls cost? Compare pearls to other
gems, such as diamonds, rubies, and sapphires.
• Crabs are fun to watch, but they do not make good pets. Even in
large aquariums, most crabs die within a few days. Look through
your newspaper’s classified section for “Pets for Sale” and make
a list of the advertised animals. Talk about why they would or
would not make good pets.
Have you ever eaten lobster? People all over the world love
lobster for the tasty white meat found in its claws and tail.
• The popularity of lobster makes lobster fishing an important job in
many areas of the United States. Using your newspaper’s weather
map or another U.S. map, locate the state of Maine, where millions of American lobsters are caught each year.
• If you traveled north from Maine, you’d be in another country
where lobster fishing is important. Can you name that country?
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
8: OCEANS OF FUN
YOUR NEWSPAPER’S NAME HERE
You need:
1 round clear plastic lid
Tissue paper
Stickers
Felt pen
Thread
Glue
Scissors
You need:
A small balloon
1 1/2-inch newspaper strips
Shallow pan
2 cups flour
1 cup water
Scissors
Paint
Instructions:
Instructions:
1. Cut the plastic
lid in half.
2. Glue the lid
halves together
(insides facing).
3. Cover both sides of the lid with glue and place it in the center
of a large rectangle of tissue paper (about 1 1/2 ft.).
4. Fold the tissue paper over the rounded edge of the lid.
5. Glue and fold the paper around the curved edge
of the lid. Scrunch the paper to give it a bumpy appearance.
6. Cut the paper hanging from the straight edge of the lid into
strips to make the jellyfish’s “legs.”
7. Make eyes with stickers, or use construction paper
and a felt pen.
8. Hang it in the window with thread and watch
the light shine through.
1. Blow up and tie balloon.
2. Mix flour and water in shallow
pan until smooth paste forms.
3. Dip both sides of paper strips
into paste.
4. Apply strips to balloon in
two layers.
5. Allow to dry 24 hours.
6. Paint the octopus’ body
and legs.
7. Paint a funny face on the
octopus’ body.
8. Poke a hole to deflate balloon.
YOUR NEWSPAPER’S NAME HERE
OCEANS OF FUN: 9
You need:
A styrofoam cup
Five 6-inch pieces of yarn
Pencil
Scissors
Patterns of fish (6)
Construction paper
Crayons
Tape
You need:
Construction paper
Patterns of fish
Paper clips
A yard stick (or long branch)
String
Small magnet
Newspaper activities (listed below)
Box or trash can
Instructions:
Steps for teachers:
1. Trace and color the fish patterns below onto construction
paper.
2. Cut out the patterns.
3. With your pencil, poke a hole in the top of your cup; poke
four more holes around the bottom edges of cup.
4. Knot one end of each piece of yarn.
5. Thread one piece of yarn through each of the four holes
in the bottom edges of the cup, with the unknotted ends
dangling.
6. Thread the last piece of yarn through the top of cup with
unknotted end at the top.
7. Tape the fish on the dangling ends of the yarn.
1. Enlarge and copy the patterns below.
2. Trace and cut out fish for students to try to “catch.”
3. On each fish, write newspaper-related activities, such as
those listed below. You might also want to come up with a
couple of surprise catches: “Teacher’s helper for the day,”
“Free reading time,” etc.
• Cut out a newspaper picture with at least three
people in it.
• Cut out the letter A four times from newspaper
headlines.
• Find an advertised item that costs less than $5
and one that costs more than $5.
• Find a comic strip with an animal in it.
4. Put a paper clip on each fish.
5. Tie string on one end of yardstick or branch.
6. Tie magnet on the other end of string.
To play:
1. Put fish with clips in a box or
trash can.
2. Take turns fishing for a
newspaper activity. When
you catch a fish,
complete the activity.
10: OCEANS OF FUN
YOUR NEWSPAPER’S NAME HERE
ome of the smallest animals in the
world live in the ocean. So does the
world’s largest animal: the whale. Not
even the giant dinosaurs that once lived on
Earth were as big as some types of
whales. The blue whale is the biggest
whale of all. It weighs up to 50 times more
than an elephant.
Even at birth, whales are big. A blue whale gains about 200
pounds a day during its first few months of life.
• Make a big-and-small chart. Using your newspaper, cut out big
and small pictures, big and small headlines, and big and small
stories. Paste small items on one side of a piece of construction
paper and big items on the other.
Whales, as well as dolphins, look a lot like a fish but they are
not fish. They belong to a group of animals called mammals.
People are mammals, too.
• Whales have the same senses that people have. They can see,
hear, feel, smell, and taste. Using your newspaper, cut out:
Things we see
Things we feel
Things we taste
Things we hear
Things we smell
• Now, talk about some of the things whales and dolphins might
see, hear, feel, smell, and taste in the ocean. Ask your teacher to
make a list on the chalkboard.
The largest whale can grow up to 100 feet long! But some
whales are only 10 to 15 feet long.
• With your teacher’s help, go outside or in the gym and measure
100 feet. Describe how big a whale can grow.
• The blue whale on the right is 12 inches long. Cut it out and use it
as a ruler to measure things on the front page of your newspaper.
Measure to the closest number.
How long is the longest headline? ______________________
How long is the main story? ___________________________
How wide is the biggest picture? _______________________
From top to bottom, how long is the front page? _________
How wide? ____________________________________
YOUR NEWSPAPER’S NAME HERE
OCEANS OF FUN: 11
any strange creatures live in
the ocean. There are sea
horses, kissing fish, starfish,
and flying fish. There are sea cucumbers,
sponges, and sand dollars, too.
There are even fan worms, purple
sea urchins, and giant spider
crabs! These unusual creatures
make the ocean a mysterious – but
exciting – place.
One strange creature you’ll find in the ocean is an
octopus. It has eight dangling “arms” but is no bigger
than the size of a man’s fist. Octopuses are
sometimes called devilfish.
• The first four letters in octopus, OCTO, mean eight. Find the
number 8 eight times in your newspaper. Cut out the numbers
and paste them on the octopus’ arms above.
• Sometimes octopuses change colors to show
how they feel. When they’re scared, they
might turn white. If they’re excited,
they might turn orange. Look
through your newspaper
and find pictures of people
who are happy and people
who are sad. How do you
know how they feel? What
color would you use to
describe how they feel?
The sea horse is another unusual animal that lives in the ocean.
It looks like several animals rolled into one. Complete the
sentences below to see for yourself. (Fill in the blanks with the
words provided.)
The sea horse’s head and neck look like a ____________.
It has a tail like a ___________________________________.
The sea horse has a pouch like a ____________________.
It has a spiny, knoblike body like an __________________.
The sea horse wears a crown like a __________________.
Monkey
Kangaroo
Armadillo
Horse
King
• Make your own unusual creature. Start by cutting out people and
animals from your newspaper’s comics. Then put the head of one
character on the body of another. You can also mix up legs and
arms, eyes and mouths - anything to create your very own
straaaaange being. Be sure to give your unusual friend a name.
Could it live in the ocean?
12: OCEANS OF FUN
YOUR NEWSPAPER’S NAME HERE
eople once believed that monsters
lived in the ocean. That’s because
many ocean animals look scary.
Some ARE dangerous. The great white
shark, for example, is the most feared
animal in the sea. It is big and powerful
and can eat sea turtles, fish – even
dolphins if they get close enough.
Sharks have a bad reputation! They are known for their attacks
on people. Truth is, fewer than 100 shark attacks are reported
each year throughout the world.
• Most of the time, sharks will leave people alone. Still, people
should follow these rules when swimming in the ocean:*
— Never swim alone.
— Never swim with an open wound. Blood attracts sharks.
— Never swim in the ocean at night or if the water is dirty.
You won’t be able to spot a shark.
— Leave the water immediately if you see a shark.
— Never grab or hurt a shark, even if it’s small and seems
harmless.
Can you think of any other rules? Make a shark safety poster.
With its slimy, snakelike appearance, the eel is an ocean fish
that looks scary. Some eels, like the moray eel, have dangerous
jaws with razor sharp teeth that can deliver a painful bite. Eels
usually will not attack people.
• People in Europe and Asia eat eels.
Plan a dinner menu in which
eel is the main course. What
would you fix to go with this
delicacy? Look through your
newspaper’s restaurant and
grocery ads to help you plan
your menu. Cut out pictures of
what you would serve and
paste them onto a piece of
construction paper. As a bonus,
ask your school librarian to help
you find out how eel is cooked.
Jellyfish are spineless ocean creatures
that have a powerful sting. Some types
of jellyfish look more like plants than
animals. They have bell-shaped
bodies that they open and close like
an umbrella when they swim.
• Find words in the newspaper
that begin with each of the
letters in the word “jellyfish.”
Cut and paste the words in
the blanks below.
J ______________________________
E ______________________________
L ______________________________
L ______________________________
Y ______________________________
F ______________________________
I ______________________________
S ______________________________
H ______________________________
* From The American Elasmobranch Society
YOUR NEWSPAPER’S NAME HERE
OCEANS OF FUN: 13
henever you go to the ocean, you will
see the many birds that live nearby.
Birds of the ocean depend on fish
and other animals for food. Some even
drink the salty water.
Sea gulls are great scavengers. They
search the beach for food that people or animals have left behind.
• Let’s see if you would make a
good scavenger. Instead of searching for food, though, let’s search for
numbers in the newspaper.
Find and circle the following:
— A number over 10
— A number less than 1,000
— A number between 10 and 100
— A telephone number
— Numbers in an address
— A fraction
— A money number
— A number written in letters or words
Pelicans are large water birds. Just as large are
their appetites. They use the pouches under their
bills to scoop small fish out of the ocean.
• Although pelicans love seafood, our
pelican wants to try your favorite
foods. Go shopping through the
grocery ads for food you love to eat.
Cut out pictures and food words to fill
up the pelican’s grocery cart.
Penguins are fat, fuzzy birds that live in cool areas along the
ocean. They cannot fly, but they are good swimmers and divers.
Penguins love to have fun. One of their favorite activities is to
float on ice.
• Pete the Penguin is planning a night out. Help him
decide where to go. Look through your newspaper’s
entertainment or weekend sections for a place to
have dinner and a fun activity to attend afterward.
Hint: Penguins love to eat fish, shrimp, and lobster.
• Some people think penguins look like little fat men in
tuxedoes. Give Pete a new look by cutting out new
clothes from newspaper advertisements. Pick out
a different set of clothes for each day of the
week.
14: OCEANS OF FUN
YOUR NEWSPAPER’S NAME HERE
Oceanographers have special tools to help them explore the
ocean. These tools include vehicles that can go all the way to
the bottom of the ocean floor. They also use satellites,
computers, and underwater cameras.
ecause we depend on the ocean for
so many things, it’s important to find
out as much as we can about it.
People who explore and study the ocean
are called oceanographers. They discover
new and exciting things that help us
understand the ocean better.
• Look through your newspaper for pictures of tools people use on
the job. (Hint: computers, pens and paper, screwdrivers.)
Interview a parent or other adult about the tools he or she uses
at work. How important are these tools?
Some oceanographers travel deep into the ocean to take
photographs. Photographs provide valuable information about
the ocean.
The ocean can be studied in many ways. Some oceanographers explore the ocean floor. Others study the waves and
tides. Still others study the plants and animals that live in the
ocean.
• Talk about what it would be like to be an oceanographer. Then
pick a newspaper comic strip character you think would make a
good oceanographer. Cut out the character, paste him onto a
piece of construction paper, and draw ocean scenery around
him. What is he studying?
• Unscramble the words below to find out which
subjects you need to study to be an oceanographer.
incesce
_________________________
amticathmse
___________________________
• Find a photograph in your newspaper that provides readers with
important information. Describe what’s happening in the photo to
a classmate.
• Now, draw or describe in writing something
you would like to photograph in the
ocean. For extra credit, write a
cutline – the copy that provides
information about the photo –
for the photo you would take.
YOUR NEWSPAPER’S NAME HERE
s you’ve learned, the ocean is a very
important part of our world. That’s
why we must do everything we can
to protect it. We must take care of the
water, as well as the plants and animals
that live in and around it.
The biggest threat to the ocean is people. Sometimes people
are careless and spill things into the ocean. At other times,
people deliberately dump garbage and other items into the
water.
• Unscramble the word below to find out what this careless and
deliberate dumping of wastes is called. Hint: It also harms the
air and land.
OLPLUITON
OCEANS OF FUN: 15
Many people work hard to protect the ocean. They keep
watch on those who harm the ocean and teach others about
pollution’s effects.
• Create a newspaper advertisement that encourages people to
take care of the ocean. Draw your ad on a piece of construction
paper and make the words big and the pictures colorful. The idea
is to draw attention to your ad. Look through your newspaper for
ads that get your attention.
Pollution is very harmful to the animals that live in the ocean.
Many are called endangered animals because they are in
danger of dying out.
_____________
• Watch your newspaper for stories about pollution. Talk about how
harmful pollution is and what might happen if people continue to
pollute Earth’s water, land, and air.
• Connect the dots from A to Y to discover one of our endangered
ocean friends, the manatee. They are gentle, peaceful animals that
have only one enemy – people.
YOUR NEWSPAPER’S NAME HERE