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Tide Pooling Field Trip

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The GIANT Encyclopedia of Science Activities for Children 3 to 6

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The GIANT Encyclopedia of Science Activities for Children 3 to 6

Materials

Each child will need a pair of rubber boots Many adults will be needed on this field trip

Crayons Watercolors

Blank book for each child

Instructions

1. Read a tide table to find out when a low tide is expected and arrange to go on your field trip at that time.

2. Before the field trip, go to the tide pools and look at what kind of sea life lives there.

3. Tell the children before the trip that they are only going to LOOK at the animals in the tide pool. They are not to pick any up or take any home.

4. Divide the children up into groups of three to four per adult. Let each group explore the tide pools and discuss which animals they see in each one.

5. When the class returns to school, give each child a blank book with this poem written on the front page:We went to the tide pools, you and meAnd this is what we saw in the sea...

6. Still in small groups, ask each child to dictate one sea animal per page. The adult writes the animal names and the children illustrate to complete their book. Older children can copy the names of their sea animals.More to doArt: Let the children make "tide pools" out of Styrofoam bowls. Give them modeling clay to make the animals in their tide pools. When they are done, cut a piece of blue cellophane to fit over the opening of the bowl and glue it to the top. * Let the children draw pictures of their tide pools and use crayons to color their pictures. Show the children how to do a watercolor wash on top of their drawings, to make the pictures look as if they are underwater.

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