Part of:
Convex Seascape SurveyThis lesson helps students understand their connection to the ocean through its many benefits, or what scientists call "ecosystem services." These are the benefits that nature provides to people, from necessities like food and clean air, to jobs and places for recreation. While young students won't use technical terms like "ecosystem services," understanding that nature provides these "gifts" helps build early environmental literacy.
For teachers unfamiliar with this concept, ecosystem services are typically grouped into:
Providing services (food, materials)
Regulating services (clean air, fresh water)
Cultural services (recreation, well-being)
Supporting services (nutrient cycling, habitats)
This lesson focuses on the most tangible of these "gifts" for young learners - food from the sea, ocean-related jobs, and fun at the beach. Through sensory experiences and creative activities, students discover how the ocean enriches our lives, laying the groundwork for understanding why ocean care matters.
Use our senses to explore ocean sounds and feelings
Sort different gifts the ocean gives us
Match ocean workers with what they use
Make our own ocean gifts poster to share
1. Ocean senses exploration (15 mins)
The lesson begins with a sensory journey to connect students with their ocean experiences. Begin by creating simple "ocean wave shakers" - containers partially filled with rice or dried beans that create wave-like sounds when tilted. Use the ‘Activity Overview Ocean wave shakers’ for full guidance.
Guide the class in making ocean sounds together, encouraging them to move their shakers slowly and quickly to create different wave effects.
Lead a discussion about ocean experiences using slides 4 to 7, asking students to share what they hear at the seaside, how sand and water feel, and what smells remind them of the ocean. Record their sensory words on a class word web, building vocabulary that will be used throughout the lesson.
2. Ocean's gifts discovery (20 mins)
This step explores the different ways the ocean helps us through three discovery activities. Each activity requires students to sort cards to explore three categories of ocean gifts: food, jobs, and activities.
Set up the stations before the lesson and divide the class into three groups.
For the ocean food station, print out and cut up Student Sheet Ocean food cards, and slides 18 to 19. Students will have to sort the cards into foods that they connect to the ocean life it comes from, and ones that they don’t know.
For the jobs station, print out and cut up the Student Sheet Ocean job cards, and slides 20 to 21. Put all the job cards on slide 20 and all the object cards on slide 21. Students will have to match the job cards to the object cards.
For the activities station, print out and cut up the Student Sheet Ocean activity cards, and slides 22 to 23. Students will have to sort the cards into activities that they have done and ones that they would like to try.
Slides 24 to 49 provide an overview of the information on all the cards if needed.
Groups spend 5 minutes at each station, with a quick 30-second transition between stations. One adult-guided station is ideal if support is available, rotating with the groups. Students complete the sorting activities as a group, discussing their choices with one another. No written recording is needed, but encourage them to use and practise the vocabulary displayed at each station.
Use slides 9 to 14 to introduce and brief the activity.
After all rotations, bring the class together for a 4-5 minute plenary discussion. Ask each group to share:
One new food they learned about
One job they didn't know about before
One ocean activity they would like to try
Use this discussion to address any misconceptions and create a quick class list of ocean gifts that students can refer to in the next activity.
3. My ocean gifts poster (20 mins)
Students now bring their learning together by creating individual or pair posters. Provide each student or pair with an A3 template divided into four sections (see Student Sheet Ocean gifts poster). Explain that they should choose 2-3 sections to complete, using simple drawings and keywords to show their understanding. Support their work with word banks (see Student Sheet) and picture cards (see slides 24 to 49) arranged at the front of the class. Keep drawings simple and focused on clear connections between the ocean and their lives. Encourage them to use vocabulary from the earlier sensory exploration.
4. Share and celebrate (5 mins)
Conclude the lesson with a quick gallery walk of the posters. Have students place their work on tables or stick to walls, then guide the class in a brief walk around the room. Ask each child to share one ocean gift they learned about today. Use slide 16 if needed.. These might be foods we eat, jobs people do, or ways the ocean makes them feel. Add the completed work to your class ocean display, building on previous lessons about ocean habitats and life. This creates a visual record of learning that shows how the ocean supports both marine life and human communities.
As part of the strategy to embed climate and sustainability learning throughout primary school, this lesson has been designed to develop pro-environmental values and build the foundational knowledge needed to address climate and conservation topics more fully in later years.
Values integration
Appreciation for ocean benefits
Respect for ocean workers
Understanding human-ocean connection
Care for ocean environments
Climate change links
This lesson introduces young students to the concept that the ocean provides essential benefits (ecosystem services) that support human well-being. By connecting ocean health to tangible benefits in their lives - like the fish they eat, the clean air they breathe, and the beaches where they play - students begin to grasp why changes to ocean systems affect both marine life and people.
Understanding these ocean "gifts" helps students begin to see how climate change might affect both nature and people. For example:
When oceans warm, fish might move to find cooler waters, affecting fishing communities
Rising seas can change or damage beaches where people work and play
Changes in ocean temperature can affect marine plants that help make our air clean
Storms and flooding can affect coastal jobs and activities
This early understanding that people rely on healthy oceans creates a foundation for learning about climate impacts and solutions in later years. When students grasp that the ocean provides many benefits we depend on, they can better understand why protecting ocean health matters for everyone - from marine animals to coastal communities. This helps build environmental literacy and prepares them for more complex discussions about sustainability, climate adaptation, and nature conservation as they progress through school.
Ocean foods: salmon, cod, fish fingers, haddock, fish & chips, prawns, tuna, seaweed, mussels, seafood.
Ocean jobs: fisher, scientist, marine scientist, submarine pilot, ship's captain, sailing instructor, wind turbine engineer, lifeguard, harbour worker, diver.
Ocean activities: swimming, surfing, paddling, sand castles, rockpooling, beach clean, collecting shells, coastal walking, exploring caves, dolphin watching, birdwatching, canoeing.
Ocean gifts: clean air, fresh water, food, jobs, fun, habitat, protection, medicine, materials, waves, tide, energy.