Ocean Heroes: Dive In, Speak Up!

Learning Goals & Products

Learning Goals

Students will be able to explain how ocean zones, habitats, plants, animals, and food chains work together as an interconnected ocean system

Students will be able to research an ocean animal’s habitat, zone, food-chain relationships, and survival needs using multiple age-appropriate sources and expert observations

Students will be able to analyze how pollution, ocean warming, or the loss of an animal can affect ocean habitats and food chains

Students will be able to investigate the needs and questions of families and library visitors to define a clear ocean-protection message for the community

Students will be able to create an ocean-protection opinion with a clear claim, three evidence-based reasons, a conclusion, and an achievable action

Students will be able to refine an ocean habitat and advocacy message in response to peer, sixth-grade buddy, expert, and audience feedback

Products

individual

Ocean Animal Research and Design Portfolio

Each student creates an illustrated report and annotated design for a 3D-printed ocean animal in a Delightex habitat, explaining its zone, habitat, food-chain relationships, survival needs, a human-caused threat, and a protective action. The portfolio includes a five-sentence opinion, audience notes, feedback-based revision, and a drawing, audio, or sentence-stem reflection.

team

Ocean Action Pamphlet and Open-House Museum Exhibit

Teams use PicCollage or Book Creator to design and revise a family-friendly advocacy pamphlet, then combine members’ animal research and digital habitats into an Ocean Action Museum station with a clear problem, ocean-system effects, evidence-based actions, and a rehearsed tour-guide presentation. Sixth-grade buddies, families, and a marine biologist or aquarium partner provide user feedback that teams use to make one documented improvement before the exhibit and library display.

Rubric

Competency Progression Rubric Competency-first rubric

Category	Learning Goal	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 4
Deeper Learning Competencies	Effective Communication	I can share a simple idea about ocean animals or habitats using a drawing, labels, or a sentence stem when I am helped by my teacher or buddy.	I can tell a classmate or visitor one fact I learned about an ocean animal or habitat and ask or answer a question with support.	I can speak clearly about my ocean project, use reasons from my learning, and listen to feedback from my sixth-grade buddy to improve my message.	I can present my research and advocacy message to visitors, explain how people can help protect ocean animals and habitats, and respond to questions using kind, clear communication.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Collaboration	I can work with my partner and sixth-grade buddy to share materials, listen, and help build our ocean project together with teacher support.	I can work with a partner or small group to take turns, share ideas, and use feedback from buddies to make our ocean work better.	I can help my group make decisions, solve simple problems, and revise our pamphlet or model after listening to ideas from peers and buddies.	I can collaborate with my group by sharing ideas, using feedback to improve our work, and helping others prepare to present our ocean action project to visitors.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Critical Thinking & Problem Solving	I can name one ocean animal or habitat from pictures or facts and say a simple idea about how to help protect it with support from my teacher, class, or buddies I can sort ideas into helpful or harmful with guidance when we look at ocean problems like pollution or warming.	I can explain a problem, like pollution or warmer water, using a fact from a book, picture, or expert share and tell one way people can help I can choose a helpful action for my pamphlet or model and use support to show why it matters.	I can compare more than one ocean source or observation to decide which ideas best help my animal or habitat survive I can use evidence to solve a simple problem, like matching an action to a need, and begin to revise my idea after feedback from classmates or buddies.	I can connect facts about ocean zones, habitats, food chains, and cause-and-effect to propose a clear, realistic way to protect ocean life I can independently use evidence from sources and feedback to improve my pamphlet, report, or model so my solution fits the ocean problem and answers the essential question.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Content Expertise	I can name or point to one ocean animal, habitat, or ocean zone and say one or two facts about what it needs to live.	I can describe how an ocean animal, habitat, or ocean zone works with another part of the ocean, using pictures, words, or a model.	I can explain a few important details about an ocean animal or habitat and tell how a problem like pollution or warming can affect it.	I can use facts from books, class learning, and expert feedback to clearly explain an ocean animal or habitat and how we can help protect it.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Self Directed Learning	I can use teacher feedback and a picture or sentence stem to choose one next step for my ocean project, then finish it with help I can tell what I am working on when reminded and share a simple reflection about what I did well.	I can use feedback from my teacher or sixth-grade buddy to fix one part of my report, pamphlet, or habitat model I can name one goal for my work and say whether I met it using a picture, word, or sentence.	I can use feedback from a buddy or teacher to improve more than one part of my project and explain my choices with simple reasons I can check my work against a checklist, make changes on my own, and share a short reflection about how I grew as a learner.	I can set a goal for my ocean work, use feedback from others, and make strong changes to improve my report, pamphlet, or habitat model I can explain what I learned, what I changed, and what I want to do next, showing that I can direct my learning during the project and exhibition.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Academic Mindset	I can tell when I feel proud of my learning about ocean animals and habitats, and I can share one thing I learned with help from my teacher or buddies.	I can use feedback from my teacher or sixth-grade buddies to fix one part of my work, and I can say what I changed.	I can use feedback to improve my ocean project and explain how my ideas help protect ocean animals and habitats.	I can set a goal, revise my work with feedback, and reflect on how I grew as a learner while sharing my ocean advocacy ideas with confidence.