Pre-Visit Lesson

BeachcombingA Day At The Beach

Grade Level: 1-2 Teaching Methods: Brainstorm, Creative Expression, Discussion, Listening, Storytelling Time: Preparation Time: 10 minutes Activity Time: 30-40 minutes Materials: A Day At The Beach story Drawing paper Crayons

Summary:

Students verbally participate in a story about a trip to a beach while recognizing vocabulary words that are beach related.

Objectives:

Students will identify living and non-living components of a local ecosystem. Students will recognize words that relate to a trip to the beach. Students will illustrate a beach that includes at least two or more living or non-living components that are found there.

PA Environment & Ecology Standards:

4.6.4. Ecosystems and their Interactions A. Understand that living things are dependent on nonliving things in the environment for survival.

PA Science & Technology Standards:

3.2.4. Inquiry and Design B. Describe objects in the world using the five senses.

Other PA Standards:

Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening Arts and Humanities

Background:

Beaches are special places to many people. We go there to relax and play, to enjoy the sunset, and to observe unique natural areas. Beaches are also outdoor classrooms where children can investigate a dynamic and changing environment. Theres a lot to discover on a walk along the beach. Look closely and you may find pieces of rocks and minerals, shells, animal bones, plants, seeds, feathers, tracks, driftwood, and litter. These items reveal evidence of natural processes, as well as human activities on land and water. Beaches can look entirely different from season to season or even from one day to the next, since the sand and water are always in motion. Because they are constantly changing, there is always something new to explore.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of State Parks

Getting Ready:

Write the following words on the board with the accompanying sound next to it: Wind - whoosh Picnic lunch - yum, yum Beach ball - boink Lake - aaah Gull - squawk Sand - oooh Mosquito - buzz

References:

www.surfrider.org, Surfrider Foundation, Respect the Beach, 1993.

Developed By:

E-Concepts LLC, Albert, JoAnn and Davis, JoAnn, 2005.

1. Ask the students if any of them have been to a beach or seen pictures of beaches. Have them close their eyes for a moment and think about a beach. What would they see? What would they hear? Does it smell different? Have the students open their eyes and ask them to name some things they might do if they went to a beach. 2. Tell the students that they will be taking an imaginary trip to the beach. Explain that you will read a story to them about a day at the beach. As you read the story they are going to hear special words. When they hear the special words they should make the sound that goes with that particular word. 3. Show the students the words on the board and say each word. After you say the word, make the appropriate sound that the students should make as you read the story. Have the students repeat the sound after you. 4. Begin to read the story. As the students hear the special words, they should make the sound. You may have to make a pause to cue the students to make the sound. 5. Give the students a piece of drawing paper and crayons. Have them draw a picture of something from the story that includes at least one of the words. Encourage them to include themselves in the picture. 6. Upon completion of the activity explain to the students that they will be visiting a beach at Presque Isle State Park. Ask them to remember the story and try to recognize some of the things at the beach that they heard in the story.

Activity:

Evaluation:

Students conceptualize a beach scene from the story and draw a picture to show comprehension of the vocabulary words.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of State Parks

The Beach Story

On a warm sunny day my family and I went to the beach. When we got out of the car the air smelled so fresh, and I felt a gentle wind (whoosh) blowing across my face. We took along a picnic lunch (yum, yum) and a beach ball (boink). Before we ate our picnic lunch (yum, yum) my brother and I swam in the cool lake (aaah) where we saw lots of little fish swimming with us. When we came out of the water I saw a gull (squawk) looking at our picnic lunch (yum, yum). I shooed the gull (squawk) away because I know that wild animals should not eat food that people leave on the beach. My family and I were still not hungry so we played with the beach ball (boink). The wind (whoosh) caught the beach ball (boink) and blew it into the lake (aaah). As I ran over the hot sand (ooh) to get the beach ball (boink), I almost stepped on a beautiful shell. I stopped and picked it up. My Mom told me that it used to have an animal living inside and that it lived on the bottom of the lake (aaah). By now, we were pretty hungry and Mom put out the picnic lunch (yum, yum). Dad took some soda out of the cooler. The soda had a plastic six-pack ring around the cans. Dad said it was important to break the rings apart before throwing it in the trash, because birds and other animals can get caught and may be injured or sometimes even die. After eating we decided to take a walk along the beach where we saw more gulls (squawk) and lots of shells laying on the sand (oooh). At one point, I looked down on the ground and saw footprints in the wet sand (oooh). My brother and I very quietly followed the tracks up into the sand (oooh) dunes and came face to face with a red fox. I dont know who was more surprised, the fox or us. The fox quickly turned and ran into the tall grass. Later in the day, pesky mosquitos (buzz) started to fly around my head. It was time to go home! In the car on the way home, I fell asleep and dreamed about the cool lake (aaah), the warm sand (oooh), and the delicious picnic lunch (yum, yum). I cant wait until the next time we come to the beach.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of State Parks