Understanding Thematic Learning through a Study of the Ocean: A Photo Essay

Weaving the layers of the sea.

At Lake and Park our thematic approach to learning creates a culture that benefits students in many ways.  Thematic learning is a comprehensive, integrated approach that supports students reaching fluency in the basic skills of reading, writing and math. At the same time, it promotes a scientific mindset and encourages use of the arts to deepen understanding, foster communication and express ones feelings about any given topic.  Because teachers work collaboratively, we can all work from a place of our strengths and interests while supporting students across the grades.  We maintain a flexible schedule that allows for extended learning periods, deep exploration of a topic, and many opportunities for students to take risks, gain practice, and enjoy the satisfaction of a job completed.  The success of this approach rests on careful planning and work behind the scenes, which allows the days to flow and all of the adults to be fully present and engaged with children throughout the school day.  We can then be spontaneous and meet individual needs of children, while at the same time allowing the children to lead the way.

Students reference books throughout a given study. Here Gavin
checks on the color and shape of the whale he is studying.

Looking at our recent Ocean Study it is possible to see many examples of student learning, reaching, and growing in progress.  In literacy students read a variety of books, from biographies of Charles Darwin, Jacques Cousteau and oceanographer Sylvia Earle, to classic stories like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and The Jumbilees, and Rudyard Kipling’s short story  How the Whale Got His Throat and Pearl Buck’s The Big Wave.  Students across the grades read nonfiction books to research particular ocean creatures.  With clear purpose and strong motivation students spent hours reading about the ocean, the creatures that live in the ocean and people that live near the ocean gaining confidence and fluency and often surpassing their own expectations.

Students were inspired to write poetry and creative stories about the ocean.

Children respond to experiences and reflect on time in the field when they return to school.

Math skills take on new meaning when connected to real world learning. How many fish can be caught in the ocean while we still maintain healthy fish populations?

 How long is a blue whale and how does it compare to an Orca whale?  One class may measure the size of the whales yet all of the students learn as they walk by the sidewalk graph.

Science is happening everywhere.  The Beginning Room children respond to the prompt, "can you shape the clay so it will float?"

 Primary students expereince cold water with and without the added insulation of blubber as they imagine whales and other sea mammals swimming in the cold waters of Puget Sound.

Upper Primary students examine and disect squid as they focus their study of the ocean around chephalapods.

Children learn about the water cycle as they chart the journey of an individual raindrop.

They learn to do water monitoring and record the data to share with students everywhere.

Students explore the physical world.

Moving, running and jumping.

Whale watching was an opportunity to observe amazing phenomena.

And students also observed ocean life up close.

Students look at photoplankton at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center with our National Center for Science Education science partner, Mary Fisher.

Students use science journals to collect data, make observations and consolidate their thinking.

Everyone extends their learning through work in the field and reflection in the classroom.

Morgan's class joined Camille's class to learn about SCUBA rescue from the Seattle Fire Department.

Back in the classroom students used pictures and words to retell the story of their experience with the SCUBA divers.

Students across the elementary grades met with the head of the University of Washington Fish Collection to learn about adaptations and how scientists study and catalog the ocean's fishes.

Then it was time to try and identify some fish based on physical characteristics.

After weeks of exploration and time at school researching and writing and creating displays it was time to share what was learned.

The Ocean Museum opened for students and families.

Classes presented to one another.

And to parents and friends.

Students felt honored by the attention and careful listening offered by parents and teachers and children.

The whole community came together to learn about the ocean. We will continue to celebrate our learning through music and art.

The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.
                                                          Jacques Cousteau

Whale Watching in the Puget Sound by Morgan Padgett

In mid October, in the midst of a vast exploration of the ocean, the Primary Classroom's attention was captivated by the largest mammals on Earth: whales.

Choosing to focus their ocean study on these colossal sea creatures, they discussed how to best learn about them.

"We could go to the library."

"We could invite a whale scientist to our school."

"We could go to the aquarium."

"Maybe we could go see the whales in the ocean."

Being a school that truly believes in learning through doing combined with the close proximity of whales to Seattle made it almost impossible to imagine not adventuring into the Puget Sound to learn as much as we could about these sea creatures. During our preparation for our journey with children throughout the school, we studied maps of Puget Sound and its islands and traced the migration routes of gray, killer, minke and humpback whales through these waters. We learned how to identify different whale and dolphin species by the color of their flukes and size of their dorsal fins. We studied the vast variety of seabirds that roam our coastlines as well as the seals and fish that make the Puget Sound their home.  We learned about the different orca pods and how their numbers have grown and declined over the years. And, we prepared ourselves to spend a day on the water searching for marine life.

On November 6, we were welcomed aboard the Chilcat Express, a catamaran capable of reaching speeds of 40 miles per hour. After a quick introduction from our captain and crew and a discussion of the possible marine life we might encounter, we exited the harbor ready for the hide and seek game that might give us a glimpse of the whales and other ocean life we had been studying for almost a month. Skipping quickly over the dark waves we pressed our faces to the windows in great anticipation of what might emerge from below.

Within thirty minutes, our captain informed us that there was chatter on the radios about orcas not far from our location. As Seattle disappeared in the East, our boat skirted around islands and beaches and suddenly came to a stop. All was quiet as we made our way outdoors onto the bow of the boat. Binoculars appeared as we scanned the surface for activity.

And then we saw it, a single dark dorsal fin, signaling the presence of one of the Northwest's most iconic species. The naturalist aboard our boat knew the orca's identity within seconds and began telling us the story of the whale and her pod. Her story was interrupted by the arrival of several other female orcas, rising above the surface with such grace, it was difficult to imagine their enormous weight and length.

For many of us aboard the Chilcat Express, this was our first time being so close to a wild animal of such size and power. Shouts of joy erupted as our excitement grew:

"There! Over there! No, look there! Oh my! Wow, look at that one!! They're coming closer!"

Within ten minutes it felt as though we were surrounded by orcas. They surfaced in every direction, swimming in beautiful synchrony. Soon, larger individuals began breaching, lifting their entire bodies out of the waves, twisting in mid air before crashing down and disappearing again. The six-foot-tall dorsal fin of a male orca sliced through the water, as a mother orca surfaced with her calf just 100 feet from out boat. Even the captain and crew seemed surprised by the number of orcas and their willingness to approach our location. As a female approached the left side of our boat, we grew quiet and were reminded by the naturalist aboard that the orcas could see and hear us as well as we could see and hear them. As if she desired a closer glimpse of us, she broke the surface within ten feet of our boat, fiercely blowing water through her blow hole and immediately inhaling a new breath of air. We won't ever forget that sound.

















After an hour of watching the orca families dance around us, we set sail for Port Townsend. There, we played on the beach, immediately drawn to the enormous strands of kelp, driftwood and seashells. We were welcomed in the Marine Sciences Museum where different groups of students flocked to exhibits on cephalopods, tide pools, cetaceans and plankton. While some of us quietly observed the fully articulated orca skeleton in complete awe, others gently stroked anemones and starfish in a cold touch pool. The museum offered so much to explore. We all left hoping to return another day.

Before returning to Seattle, we slowly cruised through a narrow channel where bald eagles lined the firs and pines beside us. Enormous seals hauled their bodies out of the salty currents to rest upon buoys. Their barks and grunts brought smiles and laughter.

Settled back at school the following week, we all took time to reflect upon our time in the Puget Sound. We pondered, "Why are orcas special?" "Why are whales important for the ocean?" "Why should we care about the ocean and its life?" "Why does the ocean need our help?" The children drew pictures and wrote poems to share their thoughts and feelings on these questions.


Oceanographer Sylvia Earle says, "You have to love it before you are moved to save it."

We know that it's when we care about our ocean and its species that we do what we can to protect them. We all came away from our day on the ocean with a heightened understanding of the complexity and fragility of our ocean. We came away with a newfound curiosity for the life we saw and touched. And we came away and continue to talk about our love for the orcas that also need our recognition and our help. All of us look forward to visiting the ocean again soon.

Beginning Room Heads to the Aquarium by Maudie

In the middle of October, the Beginning Room had the opportunity to go on an urban adventure to the Seattle Aquarium.  Tom McQueen and I led small groups over a three day period in order to experience the aquarium in a relaxed fashion.  We were able to take an up-close look at deep water animals and at tide pools. Each day had different experiences and the children had various wonderings.

We hopped on the Metro bus and ventured downtown. The children talked to each other about what they saw out the window and pondered what they may see at the aquarium. We followed route fourteen through the International District where they noticed dragons and some remembered eating at the Chinese restaurant last year after our study of China. They got excited when they saw the arches of the sport stadiums. We got to see some of the first trial runs for the new train as our bus drove along the tracks. Some children were introspective, while others were experts on the city, sharing all they knew.

We hopped off the bus in the heart of downtown and “buddied up” to meander through noticing businesses. Many children mentioned that their parents worked here or there. We even saw two Lake and Park parents as we walked!

Each day was unique. Our first group enjoyed walking through Pike Place Market where they got to sample fresh Honeycrisp apples and view fresh seafood up close.

The next group went into the famous Metzgers Map to look at oceans from a different perspective. They sampled salmon candy at we navigated the market and found a spectacular view of Elliott Bay.

The third group attempted to see the fountain in Westlake, but it was under construction. We also got a close look at seafood and even glanced at the famous gum wall. They loved looking down at Elliott Bay and noticed all the ships going to and from Seattle.

Once at the aquarium, all children visited the tide pools, but each group followed its own interests. Some were amazed by the scuba diver and got to ask the diver questions directly. They noticed the different varieties of fish, eels, sea stars, and other sea life found in our local waters. Some got to see the harbor seals doing tricks for food. They also got to go out on the pier and smell the slightly salty air while imagining the creatures they just saw inside living in their natural habitat.

After we saw many parts of the aquarium they took time to reflect in different areas. The children took their time drawing detailed pictures of scuba divers feeding fish, floral-like sea anemones, spiky sea urchins, the young octopus named Jellybean, seals rolling over for fresh fish--and much more.   The children’s drawings and descriptions will soon be on display, as well as collages they are making that depict the fish tanks, the bus, and other features that they remembered.   Photos of the children are  being incorporated into  the collages.  These will also be on display.