Oceans Week

Celebrating World Oceans Day on Monday 8th June

This week we’re learning about our oceans and what we can all do to protect marine life.

Main TaskWhat you need: Empty plastic bottles, containers, bags and wrappers. You may also need scissors, glue and

string. For the extra challenges, you will need the internet, books, papers and pens.

The Main challenge: Make an ocean creature purely from plastic waste you find at home.

What we are looking for: Collect and clean out any plastic bottles, containers, bags and wrappers you may normally recycle or throw away. Using these items, construct an animal that lives in the ocean. This could be a fish, whale, seahorse, octopus or jellyfish. Make it as realistic as possible. Plastic pollution is one of the world’s most pressing environmental issues. By recycling correctly and finding new uses for our waste, we can help protect our oceans.

Now for some extra fun…….

Extra Challenges:

1. Research the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and answer the questions below.1. How big is it?2. How was it created?3. Are there any other garbage patches in the oceans?4. What is found in them?5. What harm can they cause?

2. Learn about the apex predators in the oceans. List as many shark species as you can. Draw your favourites and describe what you find most interesting about them. Include information such as where they live, and which is the largest and smallest shark species.

3. 3. Discover undersea volcanoes. Did you know there are thousands of volcanoes erupting on the ocean floor? Find out what happens when a volcano erupts under the water and discover more about the animals that live near these unique habitats.

Extra Challenges continued:

4. List the world’s oceans and seas. Over 70% of the surface of planet Earth is covered in water. How many ocean and seas can you name? Which is the smallest and which is the largest?

5. Become a coral reef expert. Find out about the unique habitat of coral reefs. How are they created? How biodiverse are they? Why are they under threat? Where are the world’s biggest coral reefs? Make a poster telling people what you have learnt and what we should be doing to protect these important habitats.