Dive into Ocean Habitats with Four Cross-Curricular Activities
Transport your Year 2 students beneath the waves with this engaging resource featuring four hands-on activities that explore ocean ecosystems, marine life, and geography through science, art, and creative exploration.
Four Complete Activities Included:
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Ocean Habitats Collage: Create stunning underwater scenes depicting ocean habitats! Explore coral reefs, kelp forests, rocky shores, and open ocean, discovering the diverse marine environments and creatures that live there while developing artistic skills and understanding of ocean ecosystems
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Map The Five Oceans: Discover Earth's vast oceans! Explore world maps showing the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern Oceans, learning their locations, sizes, and features while developing geographical knowledge and understanding that oceans cover most of our planet
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Salt Dough Starfish: Create beautiful starfish sculptures! Make and paint salt dough starfish, exploring the unique five-armed shape of these fascinating sea creatures while developing fine motor skills and learning about marine invertebrates
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Ocean Depths: Explore the different zones of the ocean from surface to deep sea! Discover the sunlight zone, twilight zone, midnight zone, and abyss, learning which creatures live at different depths and how they're adapted to survive in these varying conditions
Why Teachers Choose This Resource:
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Cross-Curricular Excellence: Seamlessly combines Science (habitats), Geography (world oceans), and Art & Design
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Curriculum-Aligned: Supports Year 2 Science objectives for living things and their habitats and KS1 Geography objectives
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Hands-On Learning: Practical activities that make ocean habitats tangible and memorable
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Ready to Use: Complete lesson plans with learning objectives, resource lists, and step-by-step instructions
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Age-Appropriate: Activities specifically designed for 6-7 year olds with achievable, engaging tasks
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Develops Multiple Skills: Builds scientific knowledge, geographical understanding, and artistic abilities
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Environmental Awareness: Introduces children to ocean conservation and marine biodiversity
Perfect For:
- Year 2 Science lessons on living things and their habitats
- KS1 Geography lessons on world oceans and locations
- Cross-curricular ocean-themed topic work
- Homeschool science and geography curriculum
- Building understanding of marine ecosystems
- Developing environmental awareness and ocean conservation understanding
Learning Outcomes:
Through these activities, children will identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited, understand that ocean habitats provide for the basic needs of diverse marine animals and plants, explore different ocean zones and the creatures that live at various depths, locate and name the five oceans on world maps, understand ocean biodiversity and ecosystems, and develop awareness of marine conservation.
What Makes This Resource Special:
Oceans cover over 70% of Earth's surface yet remain mysterious to most children. These activities bring ocean habitats to life, helping children understand the incredible diversity of marine life and the different environments within the ocean—from sunny coral reefs to the dark deep sea. The combination of geography, science, and art makes learning rich and memorable.
Understanding Ocean Zones:
The ocean depths activity is particularly fascinating because it reveals that the ocean isn't just one habitat—it's many different environments stacked on top of each other. By exploring how light, pressure, and temperature change with depth, children understand why different creatures live at different levels and develop appreciation for the ocean's complexity.
Building Global Awareness:
Understanding oceans helps children develop global awareness and environmental consciousness. By learning about the five oceans and their importance to our planet, children begin to understand Earth's interconnected systems and why protecting oceans matters—building the foundation for environmental responsibility and marine conservation awareness.
Dive into ocean learning! These engaging activities help Year 2 students discover marine habitats through hands-on exploration that combines science, geography, and art—building knowledge, creativity, and environmental awareness while making the vast underwater world tangible and inspiring.
