Anchors Away

How It Works: Anchors Away explores the unique world of the ocean community.  This unit incorporates oral language, written language, reading, poetry, vocabulary development, spelling, critical thinking, math, social studies, science, health, and art by integrating the theme with technology.  These exciting lessons are bursting with motivational lessons that yield individual growth. 

The activities provided were well thought out to accommodate the many learning styles in the classroom. Students will be able to create spreadsheets and graphs, multimedia presentations, and keep an electronic journal throughout the duration of the unit.

So lets plunge right in and explore the depths of our marvelous oceans!

Standards: 

Students will:

• describe and illustrate different cloud formations

• discuss ways in which habitats are destroyed

• identify a community as a group of animals and plants the live together in a specific area

• arrange living things in a food chain, identifying the producers and the consumers

• identify ways that pollution can endanger plant life and wildlife

• construct models of the ocean floor

• research ways in which the oceans influence weather and climate

• explain the relationship between weather and ocean currents

• describe how technological devices have enabled scientist to gather data and formulate hypotheses concerning oceanography

• use desktop publishing software
  use an online service to search and gather data to be used in research

• use an appropriate spreadsheet program
  use multimedia authoring program to develop a presentation

• maintain an electronic journal

Estimated Class Periods To Complete:  10 or more

Software Materials Used:  Software needed to complete projects include multimedia presentation software such as HyperStudio, PowerPoint, KidPix, and a word processor with spreadsheet program

Keywords:  ocean exploration, underwater Life, oceanography, ocean, marine life, sea, earth science, food chain, habitat, consumer, producer, current, cloud, weather

Students:  This project is suitable for a range of grade levels within the elementary school.  The teacher may need to modify some of the lessons in order to meet the individual needs of the students being taught.  The lessons incorporate activities suitable for different learning styles.  The lessons can be adapted to work with small groups or large groups of students.  The only prerequisite are basic skills in reading, writing and computers.

Overall:  The intent of this project is to develop students' skills in technology and to develop awareness of the ocean environment.  The project integrates multimedia and high interest software to captivate its audience.  The lessons incorporate many subject disciplines, which helps in the students retention and understanding of the concepts.  This unit's goal is to captivate the students' curiosity with the fascinating underwater world.

Tips: Students need basic computer and Internet navigational skills.  Teacher should check that all sites are still active before presenting lesson to students.  Teacher should print out all printable to have on hand for students. 

About the Teacher: Rosa M. Sampedro has been teaching in the Miami Dade Public School System for 15 years.  She received her Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree from Florida International University.  

She is currently the Technology Specialist at Lorah Park Elementary School.  She provides computer training to teachers, parents and students.  She is also the Parent Trainer for the Citibank FamilyTech Program, the Site Coordinator for the AT&T TeachNet Grant and facilitator of the Allegany Franciscan Foundation Parent Advisory Group and Parent Technology Mentoring Group.

Subjects:  Computer Science and Science

Grade Levels:  3 through 6

Email Rosa