As part of our ocean unit, all three Kindergarten classes were thrilled to welcome Mr. Wilson from Under the Sea. Mr. Wilson brought with him all types of ocean creatures for us to observe.
James was able to hold a mud crab and was tickled when it crawled across his hand. We learned that crabs have an exoskeleton that acts like a shield for their body and that their teeth are in their stomach.
While some whales can hold their breath for two hours, we only held ours for a few seconds!
One way we can help take care of the oceans is by recycling our trash. Plastic grocery bags can look like jellyfish to ocean animals and thus they eat the bags and get very sick.
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Crabs can grow new claws, eyes, and antennas. A Hermit Crab’s
tail is super soft and the shell protects it like a helmet protects our head.
We loved feeling the shark skin which felt rough like sandpaper.
Just like humans, fish can often spread germs and illnesses to other fish. Sharks help prevent the spread of germs by eating fish that are sick.
We pretended we were whales swimming through the ocean.
We were mesmerized by the puffer fish.
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We could hardly contain our excitement when it took in water and puffed up to several times its original size. In the ocean it does this when it feels threatened thereby fooling a predator into thinking that the puffer fish is too large to be eaten.
We were able to watch three snails have a race. A snail travels by using its “foot” which is actually a muscular organ located underneath its body. Thank goodness we can run faster than a snail! Mr. Wilson said it would take a snail all day to cross our playground!
Sea stars have radial symmetry and can regrow or regenerate an arm if they lose one.
Currently there is research taking place to try and understand how exactly this process of regeneration takes place within a sea star. Perhaps
some medicinal applications will even be discovered through this research. Also, did you know that sea stars move by using hundreds of tube feet, which are located on the underside of their arms?
Mr. Wilson's cooler was filled with ocean animals. We were bursting with excitement to learn about each and every one of them.
Unlike a Hermit Crab, a sea snail like this Florida Horse Conch, never outgrows its shell. Rather, it adds on to its shell as it grows bigger. You can tell how fast a sea snail has grown by "reading" the lines on its shell just like you can tell the age of a tree by "reading" its rings.
Mr. Wilson brought a replica of a jaw of a great white. We loved learning about how sharks regrow their teeth. One student asked why sharks can regrow as many teeth as they need. Mr. Wilson taught us that sharks cannot take care of their teeth as well as we do. They also like to tear and rip their food which is often very hard on their teeth. Did you know that elephants and manatees also have the ability to regrow teeth?
We loved being able to touch many of the specimens that Mr. Wilson brought including: sea stars, the baleen of a whale, shark skin, and so much more. Thank you Mr. Wilson for a great morning under the sea!
