Atlantic's the name of an ocean,     (Stand and hold up your fingers as you
Pacific, and Indian, too.                    name the oceans.)
The Arctic is also an ocean.
Let's keep the oceans clean and blue.

Chorus
Oceans, oceans, oceans of beautiful blue.   (Move arms as if swimming.)
Oceans, oceans, I can help and so can you!

So many fish live in the ocean,   (Put palms together and wiggle like a fish.)
With coral reefs, plankton, and kelp.
They love their habitat in the ocean.
And now they all need your help.

Chorus

Atlantic's the name of an ocean,    (Hold up your fingers and count.)

Pacific, and Indian, too.
The Arctic is also an ocean.
Let's keep the oceans clean and blue.

Activities:

• Point out bodies of water on a globe and world map. What color is the water?

• Take a paper plate and cut it into fourths. Explain that the plate represents the earth. Put three of the four sections aside and explain that they represent the area of the earth that is covered by water. Take the final piece and explain that 1/4th of the earth is covered by land. Now cut that fourth in half because half of the land is not habitable. That means it’s too hot, cold, wet, or dry for people to live on. If all the people have just a little piece of the earth to live on, what must we do? How can we work together?

 

• Put out a tub of water and let children predict which objects will sink and which ones will float. Let them collect common classroom items, such as crayons, pencils, paper clips, blocks, plastic toys, etc. and experiment by placing them in the tub of water.

• Give children a ball of clay and challenge them to make a boat out of it that will float.

• Place a Styrofoam plate on the water. Let children predict how many counting bears they can put on the plate before it sinks. Place one bear at a time on the plate and tally results.

• Brainstorm different ways that you can travel on water. How can you travel on land? How can you travel in the air? What’s your favorite way to travel? What’s the best way for the environment?

• Give children a paper plate and scarps of blue and green paper. Challenge them to make a collage of the earth by tearing the paper and gluing it on the paper plate.

 

• How about an ocean snack? First dye cream cheese blue with a few drops of food coloring. Next, let the children spread the cream cheese on a mini bagel (life preserver). Decorate the top with fish crackers and enjoy!

• Make stream catchers with a coat hanger and old pair of hose. Stretch the hanger into a diamond shape. Pull the hose over the hanger and knot at the bottom. Bend up the hook on the hanger and wrap it with duct tape. If you go on a field trip to a park or natural area you can use the stream catcher to catch leaves, fish, and other objects in the water.