èßäAV

Learning Objectives 

Students will: 

• Identify and describe the five senses. 
• Organize information using a visual map.
• Describe the ocean using sensory imagery. 
• Describe the constant change that occurs at an ocean shoreline through erosion and deposition.
• Write a sensory haiku about the virtual ocean visit.

Standards Alignment

National Core Arts StandardsNational Core Arts Standards

Common Core State StandardsCommon Core State Standards

Next Generation Science StandardsNext Generation Science Standards

Recommended Student Materials

Editable Documents: Before sharing these resources with students, you must first save them to your Google account by opening them, and selecting “Make a copy” from the File menu. Check out Sharing Tips or Instructional Benefits when implementing Google Docs and Google Slides with students.

Video

Books: The recommended books for this lesson are suggestions and can be exchanged for other haiku poem books available at your public library, school library, personal collection, or digital book resource.

• by Jane Yolen
• (Jane Yolen)
• by Pamela Michael and Robert Hass

Websites

Additional Materials

• Sand (optional)
• Saltwater (optional)
• Seashells (optional)
• Sea plants (optional)

Teacher Background

Teachers should review the videos and websites prior to teaching the lesson. 

Student Prerequisites 

Students should be able to identify their five senses.  

Accessibility Notes 

Adaptive ocean sensory resources can be used for students with disabilities. Explore the videos, 360° photos, paintings, and physical adaptations (sand, saltwater, seashells, and sea plants) to determine the best sensory experience for your students. Modify handouts, text, and utilize assistive technologies as needed. Provide preferential seating for visual presentations and allow extra time for task completion.

Engage

1. Capture the sound of the ocean. This exercise works best as students transition from another area of the school or between subjects (lunch, recess, art, etc.). Have only the audio of the playing as students enter the room.

2. As students begin to recognize the sounds, gesture to students to remain quiet. Bring students together in whole group. Model for students how to generate words in connection with what they hear. Write one word to describe what you’re hearing on the board and encourage students to add additional words.

3. Activate the 5 senses of students. Ask students: What are the five senses? How do we use our senses? When do we use our senses? Review the five senses with students (sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste). 

4. Create a sensory portrait. Model how to draw a portrait. Have each student draw a self-portrait, showing only their five sensory locations (eyes, ears, hands, nose, mouth). Distribute available art materials to students and allow time for completion. 

Build

1. Introduce haiku as a form of poetry to capture senses and moments in time. Tell students that a haiku poem is a traditional form of Japanese poetry. 

2. Share the student-written, award-winning poem . Discuss McMullen’s nature haiku with the class. Ask students: What patterns do you notice in the poem? What elements of poetry or characteristics do you notice? Focus on the use of thoughts rather than complete sentences. Tell students that McMullen entered his poem into the youth poetry contest, and any student can submit an original poem as well. 

3. Share the characteristics of a haiku. Tell students a haiku consists of 3 lines, with 17 syllables in total (five, seven, five). 

4. Introduce children’s author and poet Jane Yolen. Share selected nature haiku poems from her books, and . Ask students to count the beats of each line as the haiku is read aloud. Ask them to identify sensory words. Note: This exercise can be used with any teacher-selected haiku or children's haiku book. 

Apply

1. Take a virtual field trip to the ocean. Select a virtual ocean video to share with students. Have students use their five senses to capture the experience.

2. Have students write descriptive sensory words near the appropriate body parts on their sensory portraits. For example, the word “gritty” could be placed by a hand; the word “crashing” could be placed near an ear. Encourage students to use their imaginations to provide words for smell and taste. Ask them to notice any changes that occur throughout the videos as the ocean is in motion.

Reflect 

1. Have each student write one or more nature haikus using the sensory portrait and corresponding words. Remind students that haiku poetry has a 5-7-5 pattern and involves thoughts and phrases, not complete sentences.

2. Create a classroom sensory haiku display. Have each student showcase their art and haiku on the display. Allow students to present their haiku to the class to learn how each student's senses created a different haiku.