Lesson by Kelly Mathias
Learning Intentions:
- To learn facts about seahorses.
- To understand how and why creatures use camouflage.
- To create camouflage artwork.
Step 1: Activity overview for parent, carers and pupils
This activity has two videos a story ‘Mister Seahorse’ by Eric Carle and an information video about camouflage and seahorses (approximately nine minutes in total).Resources needed:
Paper, scissors, glue, pencils and scrap materials to create a collage; colours will depend on your choice of sea creature.
The main activity can be completed offline.
Step 2: Introduction to the activity and additional information
Listen to the story ‘Mister Seahorse’ by Eric Carle. Click on the link below.
- Can you describe what a seahorse looks like?
- Did you know that male seahorses carry the babies in their pouch until they were ready to be born?
- Did you see any of the hidden creatures in the story?
Was it difficult to see them? They were ‘camouflaged’. Camouflage means using the environment to hide or changing how you look so that you can blend in.
Step 3: Tasks to carry out for this activity
Activity 1
Watch the information video about seahorses and camouflage below, can you spot the seahorses in the ‘hide and seek’ section at the end?
- Can your child tell you what camouflage means?
- Can your child think of any other animals that use camouflage?
Activity 2
Gather together resources to create your own camouflage collage, this could include scraps of coloured paper/ tissue paper/ different textured materials.
- Look carefully at the shape of a seahorse. See some examples below.
- Paint/ draw/ collage a picture of a seahorse.
- Add some seaweed, coral, rocks etc to your picture to create an underwater scene, camouflaging your seahorse.
- Ask a family member if they can spot your seahorse.
Once you have completed the task you can email anything you create (photos, documents, screenshots etc.) directly to your teacher or directly upload it to any of the available places in Step 6.
Step 4: Look over the success criteria for this activity:
Success criteria #1: I can talk about what camouflage means.
Success criteria #2: I can tell you some facts about seahorses.
Success criteria #3: I can create a picture of a seahorse.
Look at the learning intentions ‘how well do you think you have done?’
Step 5: Extension and follow on activities/challenges (optional)
Activity 3
- You could make a short zig-zag book and write down some facts that you have learned about seahorses. Don’t forget to include some drawings.
Step 6: Upload your work
Click on the relevant link below if you have any work to upload to your online areas J2e Google Drive OneDrive Seesaw