Active learners retain more information when the lesson includes hands-on activities.
Active learners retain more information when the lesson includes hands-on activities. Teaching lessons about dolphins and ocean life proves more effective if the children create craft items that reinforce the lessons taught. Imitating dolphin sounds and creating dolphin habitats provide children with opportunities to exercise and improve cognitive and motor skills which improves their ability to retain information.
Dolphin Puppet
Teach a lesson about dolphin sounds and what the sounds mean. Then instruct the preschool children on create dolphin puppets. Provide each child with a white paper lunch bag. Hold the bag so that the bottom is facing up and fold down each corner so that the flap of the bag resembles a rounded dolphin head. Secure the corners so that the shape remains in tact. Ask the children to color both sides of the bag with a gray crayon. Provide the children with a pre-cut dolphin nose, pre-cut beak, two side fins, and a back fin. Instruct the children to glue the pre-cut fins and beak into place. Place the nose onto the the top flap of the upside down bag so that it moves. Glue the beak underneath the nose so that it shows at the end of the nose. Glue the side fins onto the sides of the bag and the back fin onto the back of the bag. Show the children a pre-made model to make it easier for them to place the parts correctly. After the glue dries, show the children operate the dolphin puppet. Place the children into small groups and instruct them to put on a puppet show while imitating the dolphins sounds form the previously taught lesson.
Dolphin Habitat
Give each child a shoe box or have them bring a shoe box from home. Teach a lesson about ocean life involving dolphins and their habitat. After the lesson, provide the preschool children with construction paper, card-stock, glue, tacks, string or yarn, crayons and markers. Instruct the children make paper dolphins and other sea animals, sea plants, coral, and other ocean life items typical of a dolphin's habitat. Ask them to turn the shoe box onto its side. Have them glue the sea plants and coral to the back and bottom of the box. Then tell them to hang the sea animals including dolphins from string so that they hand freely and "float" around inside the box habitat.
Ocean Inside a Bottle
Purchase small plastic dolphins and other sea animals from a party shop or oceanside store. The dolphins should fit through the spout of a water bottle. After teaching a lesson about ocean life involving dolphins, help the children create an "ocean inside a bottle." Provide each child with an empty, clean, plastic water bottle. Bottles with wide spouts work best. Fill each water bottle half full of water. Add enough food coloring to turn the water a transparent blue. Ask each child to slide plastic dolphins and other sea animals inside the bottle. Fill the remainder of the bottle with cooking oil, allowing enough room inside the bottle for water movement. After sealing the bottles, instruct the children to lay the bottle on its side and gently rock the bottle to simulate ocean waves. Watch the dolphins swim.
Tags: each child, ocean life, children create, children with, dolphins other, dolphins other animals