Marine Science Unit Study: Marine Biology Resources
I’ve pulled together a few ideas to get you started in creating your own Marine Biology Unit Study. Biology is the scientific study of life. Marine biology is the study of ‘life in the sea’ or, if you prefer, ‘the study of marine life’. Marine biology is less about the physical properties of the ocean – such as the dynamics of the waves and the chemical make-up of the water – and more about the life which exists within it.
Ocean life is divided into categories which become increasingly complicated. For my lessons and workbooks I’ve tried to cover the basics – leaving plenty of room for side projects! In my workbook 1 (children ages 5+) I have 3 lessons – plants and those organisms which have similarities to plants, animals and habitats. For workbook 2 (children ages 7+) I still include plants, and animals but I build on the concept of a habitat by including ecosystems.
What’s in this post?
Principles of Marine Biology
My workbooks I introduce the basic principles of marine biology in the second unit over three smaller sections; Plants and Plant-Like, Ocean Animals and Ocean Habitats or Ocean Ecosystems. In case you would like to build your own lesson plans I’ll quickly go over the main principles and ideas that I’ve used.
The principles of marine biology that this unit covers are; that there is a great diversity of life in the oceans, and there are many kinds of living things ranging from the very smallest to the very largest, with structures and adaptations that help them survive in the ocean. Also, these living things are grouped by similarities. With regards to habitats, the main message I convey is that; there are a range of distinct environments where animals live. And with ecosystems, I focus on the connection between individuals, populations and communities of animals, their habitats and food chains.
Plants and Plant-Like
The marine biology unit starts with Plants and Plant-like. The ocean literacy principles, which are also referenced in the oceanography unit, touch on the diversity of ocean life in principle 5 grades K-2. Plants and Plant-Like looks at:
- Seagrass
- Seaweed
- Phytoplankton
- Parts of the plant
- Energy and Nutrients
Finding resources to teach ocean plants is challenging. There are multiple ways of classifying what is and isn’t an ocean plant. This leads to a lot of confusion about what is a plant (or not a plant). Personally, I teach that there are ‘true-plants’ and ‘plant-like organisms’. But others teach different definitions, even at university level.
Ocean Animals
Ocean animals! Everyone’s favourite unit and often what marine biology lessons are all about. There’s so much out there about ocean animals – I didn’t want to duplicate what had been done already, but to complement the materials which people may already have. So, with that in mind I’ve focused this unit on;
- Animals adapt to the oceans
- There are groups of animals
- Anatomy
If you like to start your lessons with a video then
1. Then Ocean Animals for Kids – Whales, Sea Otter, Orca, Sea Lion + more, introduces a wide range of ocean animals to kids. The video does touch (very briefly) on reproduction at the end, which isn’t covered in workbook 1, but it is not emphasised in any way.
2. Learn Bright’s Ocean animals for kids video is a bit more of a list of animals but it is a really good way of demonstrating the diversity of life which is in the oceans.
Ocean Habitats
Ocean habitats will have a lot of overlap with the oceanography unit, which includes ‘features’. I’ve put it beside animals and plants as the interaction between the habitat and their living components is key to understanding ocean ecosystems. Which are introduced in the marine biology unit in workbook 2. The ocean habitats section encourages kids to look up the habitats for different animals and spend time drawing them. This is to help convey the message that there are distinct environments in which animals live throughout the ocean.
If you like to start your lessons with a video then check out
Ocean habitats by Ocean Life Education
Mini Units
Creating marine biology lessons can be challenging. To help I’ve broken the workbook units and lesson packs down into mini-bundles which include slide decks, lesson plans, activities, worksheets, exit tickets and booklets. There is currently one for children ages 5+ and another for children ages 7+.
Other Resources
If you’re looking for some more videos then I would recommend Nat Geo Kid’s
I hope this helps!
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