These family and homeschool activities are designed to complement the Ocean Habitats topic on BrainPOP Jr.
If possible, visit an aquarium with your child. Go through the exhibits together and observe different living things. How do plants and animals survive in their environment? Encourage your child to take notes, draw pictures, or take photographs (where permitted) and make inferences based on his or her observations. See if your aquarium contains any endangered species, and discover what is being done to improve their chances of future survival. Many aquariums have programs specifically for students or have experts on staff who can answer questions. Write down species that interest your child so you can research more about them later.
Many ocean animals migrate, just like birds, caribou, and other animals. Together with your child, learn about migrations that happen across the ocean. Do any fish migrate between the ocean and freshwater? Certain species of whales travel hundreds and hundreds of miles to warmer water or breeding grounds. Millions of living things migrate from the twilight zone to the sunlit zone every day to get food. Choose an animal together and track its migration on a map.