Exploring Sea Week

Overview

This is a 4-minute English lesson plan designed for year preschool students in New Zealand (approx. 4 students). The theme is centred on Sea Week, encouraging awareness and curiosity about New Zealand’s marine environment. The plan aligns with key goals and competencies outlined in the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, particularly for early childhood oral language development and connecting learning to students' environment and culture.

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Curriculum Links

• Learning Area: English
• Level: Early Childhood / Foundation Phase (Years 0–3)
• Strands Emphasised:
  • Oral Language (speaking and listening)
  • Developing vocabulary within meaningful contexts
  • Using narrative elements (beginning, middle, end) through storytelling and play
• Key Competencies:
  • Thinking: Learning about the environment
  • Using language, symbols, and texts: Building communication through focused vocabulary and oral interaction
  • Relating to others: Working collaboratively in small groups
• Progress Outcome:
  • Children communicate ideas in simple sentences and use descriptive language
  • Show curiosity about the natural world and use familiar vocabulary to describe it
  • Engage in shared storytelling and play to build narrative skills and social interaction

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, preschool students will be able to:

• Recognise and name some common sea creatures and elements related to Sea Week
• Use simple descriptive words orally to talk about the sea and its creatures
• Participate in a shared storytelling activity related to the sea
• Develop awareness of New Zealand’s marine environment as part of their community and culture

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Resources Needed

• Soft toys or pictures of NZ sea creatures (fish, starfish, seaweed, shell, dolphin)
• A large colourful picture or felt board with ocean/sea background
• Simple storybook or short poem about the sea (preferably NZ context, e.g., "The Little Blue Penguin")
• Sea Week poster or display with visual symbols (optional)

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Lesson Activities (4 minutes total)

1. Introduction and Engagement (1 minute)

• Gather children in a small circle. Show the Sea Week poster or ocean picture.
• Say: “This week is Sea Week! We are going to learn about the sea and the creatures that live in it around New Zealand.”
• Sing a short, simple song or rhyme about the sea to grab attention (e.g., “Down by the Bay” or a adapted NZ sea creatures rhyme).
• Use encouraging facial expressions and gestures to model enthusiasm and non-verbal communication .

2. Vocabulary Exploration (1 minute)

• Introduce 4-5 sea creature toys/pictures one by one (e.g., fish, starfish, dolphin, shell).
• Name each creature slowly and clearly, encouraging children to repeat after you: “Fish… starfish… dolphin...”
• Use simple sentences to describe each, e.g., “The fish swims in the sea.” Use gestures or point to the picture.
• Encourage each child to pick one creature and say its name aloud or repeat a sentence about it. Provide scaffolding as needed .

3. Shared Storytelling (1.5 minutes)

• Show a simple Sea Week storybook or short poem with images about the sea and NZ sea animals.
• Read aloud with clear expression, pointing to pictures as you describe the story.
• Encourage children to join in repeating key phrases or animal names (choral response).
• Use simple narrative elements: “First the fish swam, then the starfish rested. Finally, the dolphin jumped!”
• Ask one or two children to share what their favourite sea creature is from the story.

4. Closure and Reflection (0.5 minutes)

• Recap the main words learned by showing the toys/pictures again quickly.
• Ask the group: “What lives in the sea? Can you tell me one sea creature?”
• Praise all attempts and encourage positive interactions for communication skills and confidence.
• Close with a goodbye wave and a reminder: “We will learn more about Sea Week this week!”

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Assessment

• Use observational assessment during activities: Listen for children’s participation in naming sea creatures and repeating sentences.
• Note who attempts to use the new vocabulary and simple sentences.
• Provide positive verbal feedback to encourage oral language development and participation .

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Teaching Tips

• Use clear, slow speech and repetition with young learners.
• Provide plenty of non-verbal cues (gestures, facial expressions) to support understanding.
• Use flexible groupings within the small class to encourage peer support and confidence.
• Emphasise oral language over writing given age and curriculum focus for this stage .
• Connect the learning to the children’s lived experiences and environment to foster engagement and identity .

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This lesson plan is designed to be a dynamic, interactive taster that lays the groundwork for further Sea Week-themed learning experiences aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh's emphasis on early language, identity, and connection to Aotearoa's unique environment.

If needed, the teacher can expand this session with playful sensory activities such as water tables with sea creatures, drawing sea animals, or singing songs related to the ocean in subsequent sessions.

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If you would like, I can also produce detailed follow-up lesson plans for the weeks after to sustain Sea Week learning aligned with the curriculum.