Ocean Food Chain

Overview

This 30-minute session introduces preschool students to the concept of ocean food chains as part of the "Adventures in Ocean Habitat" unit. Using images of marine animals, students will create a simple food chain to understand how living things in an ocean habitat depend on one another.

Curriculum Links

• Science Learning Area (New Zealand Curriculum Refresh Years 0-2)

  • Strand: Living World
  • Achievement Objective: Understand that living things are suited to their habitat and depend on it and other living things .
  • Nature of Science: Exploring in science involves curiosity and asking questions about the natural world to build understanding.

• Key Competencies

  • Thinking: Engaging students in making connections and order in the marine ecosystem.
  • Relating to Others: Collaborating in group tasks.
  • Using Language, Symbols and Texts: Using pictures and storytelling to communicate scientific ideas.

Learning Intentions (WALT)

• We are learning to understand that animals in the ocean depend on each other to survive.
• We are learning to create a simple ocean food chain using pictures of marine animals.

Success Criteria

• I can identify at least three animals that live in the ocean.
• I can explain who eats whom in the ocean using our food chain.
• I can participate in creating a group food chain.

Materials Needed

• Large laminated pictures of common marine animals (e.g., plankton, small fish, bigger fish, sharks, seaweed).
• Velcro or magnets to attach pictures on a board.
• A simple, durable board or wall surface.
• Sensory-friendly props such as textured animal figures or tactile cards.

Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Briefly revisit what was learned about ocean animals in previous lessons.
• Sensory Engagement: Pass around a tactile seaweed or fish figure for students to touch and describe.
• Use clear, simple language and visual supports.
• WALT discussion: Use a visual or personalised photo prompt with the words "We Are Learning To" and the learning intentions.

2. Guided Group Activity – Build the Ocean Food Chain (15 minutes)

• Explain the term “food chain” in simple terms: "Some ocean animals eat plants, some animals eat smaller animals."
• Show laminated pictures one by one and discuss, e.g., "Plankton is eaten by small fish."
• Sensory Support: Use textured cards and allow students to touch and explore pictures to promote engagement.
• Place the pictures on the board as the food chain is formed, starting from producers (seaweed/plankton) to predators (sharks).
• Encourage students to help place pictures in order.
• Use questions tailored to the group’s verbosity levels:
  • "Who do you think eats the little fish?"
  • "What do you see in the ocean?"
• Reinforce with simple phrases and visual cues.

3. Exploration and Reinforcement (5 minutes)

• Ask simple, sensory-friendly questions to individual students or pairs:
  • "Can you find the small fish?"
  • "Who eats seaweed?"
• Allow students to move the pictures to show the flow of energy (who eats who).
• Celebrate participation with positive feedback and visual reward tokens.

4. Reflection and Closure (5 minutes)

• Sit in a circle and review the food chain together, pointing to pictures and retelling the sequence.
• Recap key points with simple statements supported by pictures: "Seaweed makes food. Small fish eat seaweed. Big fish eat small fish."
• WALT recap and success criteria checklist visually presented.
• Sensory calming activity: Students can colour a simple colouring page of the ocean habitat or sea animals individually.

Differentiation

• For Diverse Learners & Sensory Needs:

  • Use clear visual supports and allow tactile interaction with materials.
  • Keep verbal instructions short and give multiple visual demonstrations.
  • Create a calm, low-stimulus environment; use headphones if needed.
  • Allow movement breaks as needed.

• For Non-verbal or Less Verbal Students:

  • Use picture exchange communication system (PECS) for participation.
  • Provide one-on-one support during the activity.

• For Advanced Learners:

  • Challenge them to think of more animals to add sequences to the food chain.
  • Invite them to explain why some animals cannot be at the start or end of the food chain.

Dyslexia-Friendly Supports

• Use clear, sans-serif fonts if any text is displayed.
• Use high contrast colours for pictures and text backgrounds.
• Keep text minimal and highly contextualised with images.
• Present information orally alongside visual supports.

Assessment for Learning

• Ongoing observation of students' ability to:
  • Recognise and name ocean animals.
  • Understand the order of who eats whom.
  • Collaborate in group settings.
• Use anecdotal records and simple checklists aligned to success criteria.

Notes for Teachers

• Incorporate Maori language equivalents, e.g., "Tangaroa's creatures" or "ngā ika" (the fish).
• Use positive reinforcement tailored to individual sensory needs.
• Repeat vocabulary throughout the lesson to aid language development.
• Consider peer support to assist students with communication.

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This lesson plan acknowledges the needs of preschool autistic and sensory learners, ensuring engaging, accessible, and multisensory experiences that align with the New Zealand Curriculum's refreshed objectives for early childhood science learning. It fosters curiosity about the natural world while building foundational ecological understanding relevant to New Zealand’s ocean environments.