The Ocean Supports a Great Diversity of Life and Ecosystems – Tides and the Seashore

The Ocean Supports a Great Diversity of Life and Ecosystems – Tides and the Seashore

The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems. By starting at the seashore, we can learn how the changing tides can create extreme environments for all of the animals and algae that live there. Before heading to the seashore, it is important to know the tides, so it is safe to explore. We have come up with some great lessons and quizzes to learn about the tides and the seashore at home. There’s some fun activities including baking some Tidal Retreat cookies, creating a play about Tides and Tales and experimenting with gravity and water.

LESSON PLANS, ACTIVITIES, WORKSHEETS:

The aim of the lesson plan is for the children to develop their geography skills and learn about how the moon and sun’s influence tides on the seashore. This is to be supported by cross curricular activities including baking, a fieldtrip to the seashore and drama activities learning about the animals adapting to the different conditions caused by tides.

1.  LESSON PLAN GEOGRAPHY: All about Tides, Tidal Treats Baking Cookies and Drama of Tidal Tales

WORKSHEET AND ACTIVITY: Learning about the Rise and Fall of Tides

  • Learn about the effects of the moon and sun has on the Earth. Learn how this has an effect on the ocean causing different types of tides at different times of the month.

WORKSHEET: Learning about the Tides - A Fun Tidal Quiz

  • Investigate some fun facts about tides and learn to read a tide table.

ACTIVITY: Learning about Tidal Flows and Baking Tidal Retreat Cookies

  • Learn about tide tables and tidal charts highlighting the importance of understanding the flow of tides and when is the best time to go to the seashore.  Bake some cookies to learn the rule of 12ths.

ACTIVITY: Drama Time - Telling Tales of Tides and the Extremes of the Seashore

  • Observe, investigate and record the daily changes to seashore environment caused by the tides, highlighting how the diversity of animals that live there have to adapt to extreme conditions. Create a drama piece, highlighting the tales of the tides and the extreme conditions the animals have to live in due to the changing tides – every day.

RESOURCES: Explorers Presentation: Explaining the Tides to Children

  • The Explaining the Tides to Children PowerPoint presentation is useful for providing a step by step guide to explaining tides to children using a range of illustrations.

RESOURCES: Tide Phenomenon by Galway Atlantaquaria

  • The video shows an excellent example of a time lapse of the tide going in and out at the seashore on Grattan Beach in Galway Bay.  It also shows some of the animals under the water and how they adapt to changing tides.

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