Complete Curriculum
Grades K-5 National Standards
Grades 3-5 Florida Sunshine State Standards
Kindergarten-5th Grade Lesson Plans
Resources designed for elementary school students, with age appropriate activities and materials focused on dolphins, marine science, conservation and the ocean.
Acoustics: Songs and Sounds
3rd-5th Grade
To increase students’ awareness of: dolphin acoustics & the various interpretations and myths concerning their songs or sounds. To demonstrate their knowledge of dolphins in a creative way: the power of song.
Lesson PlanAcoustics: What’s for Lunch?
2nd-4th Grade
Students will be able to experience how dolphins use echolocation to find food
through this activity.
Conservation: Conservation Canvas
K-2nd Grade/3rd-5th Grade
Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the concept of reuse in terms of the 3 R’s – reduce, reuse, & recycle – in a creative way.
Lesson PlanConservation: Conservation Crafts
K-2nd Grade/3rd-5th Grade
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the concept of recycling by making something new and useful out of something thrown away.
Lesson PlanConservation: Do You Know Your Trash?
3rd-5th Grade
Students will understand how our habits can effect the problem of marine debris, and how proper waste disposal methods and recycling can not only help prevent the problem, but also help solve it!
Lesson PlanConservation: Don’t Teach Your Trash to Swim
3rd-5th Grade
Students will increase their awareness of the fact that what goes into our ocean can either be ingested by marine animals, entangle marine animals or wash out of the ocean as litter on the shore. The student knows that reusing, reducing, and recycling natural resources improves and protects the quality of life.
Lesson PlanConservation: Helping Hand
3rd-5th Grade
In a creative way, students will understand some of the threats facing dolphins & other marine mammals and will be able to identify ways they can help protect marine life.
Lesson PlanConservation: Out of the Ocean
3rd-5th Grade
Students will increase their awareness that what goes into our ocean can either be ingested, entangle marine animals or wash out of the ocean onto land. Students will demonstrate their knowledge that every high tide leaves an array of objects on the beach by writing an ocean journal of the various objects they have found. Students will research their discoveries by tracing each item back to its use, or misuse, before it ended up into the ocean and onto shore. Students will combine their concept of “story” and environmental awareness in a creative way.
Lesson PlanConservation: Turtle Trouble
5th Grade
Students will understand the different ways numbers are represented and used in the real world, the effects of operations on numbers and the relationship among these operations, select appropriate operations, and to compute for problem solving. Students will select the appropriate operation to solve specific problems involving addition, subtraction, and multiplication of whole numbers.
Lesson PlanCoral Reef: Sea Life Musical Chairs
K-2nd Grade
Introducing the concept of a food chain will enable students to learn more about the interdependence of ocean life forms in the Florida Keys habitat in a fun way and understand the need for protection of the natural systems on earth.
Lesson PlanCoral Reef: Whale Jump
3rd-5th Grade
Students will be able to compare and contrast the various lengths of examples of marine life in an active way and identify the need to protect them.
Lesson PlanNatural History: A Whale of a Meal
3rd-5th Grade
Students will understand the different feeding techniques of toothed whales and baleen whales. Students will understand that some of the largest creatures on earth feed on some of the smallest animals.
Lesson PlanNatural History: Picture Find
K-2nd Grade
In a creative way, students will apply their knowledge of operations (addition) and even and odd whole numbers and demonstrate the ability to follow directions.
Lesson PlanNatural History: Dolphins in Tune
K-2nd/3rd-5th Grade
Students will identify the characteristics of mammals in an active way.
Lesson PlanNatural History: Legends, Myths, and More
3rd-5th Grade
Students will construct their own meaning from a variety of legends and myths about dolphins and then create their own dolphin legend or myth.
Lesson PlanPhysiology: Adaptations
3rd-5th Grade
Students will demonstrate their understanding of animal adaptations in a creative way by designing an animal labeled with adaptations appropriate to its environment and then writing about how their animal’s adaptations help them survive in their environment.
Lesson PlanPhysiology: Dolphin for a Day
K-2nd Grade
Students will become familiar with dolphin physiology by naming the following body parts: flippers, flukes, and fins, and describing the function of each. By role playing how a dolphin/whale moves, they will demonstrate the difference between fish and whales.
Lesson PlanPhysiology: How Many Students Make a Whale?
3rd-5th Grade
Students will understand the enormous size of whales and that some of the largest creatures on earth can be effected by the smallest pieces of trash, and will compare, contrast, and convert within systems of measurement.
Lesson PlanPhysiology: The Poetry of Dolphins
3rd-5th Grade
Students will develop an appreciation for various styles of poetry; will demonstrate knowledge of dolphins in a creative way; will create a class poetry book.
Lesson PlanPhysiology: What’s for Dinner?
K-2nd Grade
Students will apply their knowledge of fractions to real world situations.
Lesson PlanResearch: Mission Observation
3rd-5th Grade
Students will be able to observe and record data and enhance their experience and understanding of the scientific method in a meaningful way.
Lesson PlanResearch: What’s in the News?
3rd-5th Grade
Students will be able to summarize current events regarding marine mammals, gather information from media resources, and present a brief summary to the class.
Lesson PlanTraining: Counting Calories
3rd-5th Grade
The student will be able to understand the different ways numbers are represented and used in the real world. Students will also demonstrate their understanding of place value by writing out in words the numbers provided.
Lesson PlanTraining: Problem Solving at Dolphin Research Center (DRC)
5th Grade
Students will understand the different ways numbers are represented and used in the real world and the effects of operations on numbers, and the relationship among these operations, select appropriate operations, and to compute for problem solving. Students will select the appropriate operation to solve specific problems involving addition, subtraction, and multiplication of whole numbers.
Lesson PlanTraining: The Whistle Game
3rd-5th Grade
Students will be able to enhance their communication skills using body movements and gestures to portray an idea.
Lesson PlanGrades 6-8 National Standards
Grades 6-8 Florida Sunshine State Standards
6th-8th Grade Lesson Plans
Resources designed for middle school students, exploring marine science, dolphin behavior, research, conservation and ocean ecosystems.
Dolphin Acoustics
6th-8th Grade
Students will be able to explain how dolphins use sound to communicate and navigate through their underwater environment.
Lesson PlanConservation: Marine Mammal Law Debates
6th-8th Grade
Students will be able to understand the positive and negative consequences of
human actions on Earth’s systems. Students will also be able to understand how laws are developed, implemented and enforced. Students will be able to practice formulating an organized argument, anticipating opposing views, preparing counter-arguments, and presenting these arguments and counter-arguments to an audience of their peers.
Conservation: Marine Mammals in the News
6th-8th Grade
Students will be able to identify and explain current events in the news that pertain to marine mammals. Students will also be able to identify ways in which humans impact these animals, or are impacted by these animals, in positive or negative ways.
Lesson PlanConservation: Who Polluted the Bay?
6th-8th Grade
Students will be able to identify human causes of environmental degradation in the Gulf and beyond.
Lesson PlanPhysiology: Dolphin Bodies
6th-8th Grade
Students will be able to identify and explain the characteristics that make dolphins so well adapted to their aquatic environment.
Lesson PlanConservation: Dolphin Divers
6th-8th Grade
Students will be able to apply their knowledge of buoyancy and density to the physiology of diving dolphins.
Lesson PlanPhysiology: The Retia Mirabilia
6th-8th Grade
Students will be able to explain how physiological adaptation allow dolphins to maintain a steady flow of blood to the brain despite the drastic increases and decreases in heart rate that occur while a dolphin is diving.
Lesson PlanPhysiology: Temperature Regulation
6th-8th Grade
Students will be able to explain how dolphins regulate body temperature by conducting a laboratory investigation.
Lesson PlanConservation: Viruses and Dolphins
6th-8th Grade
Students will be able to explain how viruses operate within cells and how they can be transmitted. Students will be able to apply their knowledge of viruses to a case study involving dolphins.
Lesson PlanNatural History: Classifying Marine Mammals
6th-8th Grade
Students will be able to develop a classification system for marine mammals by examining physical characteristics. Students will also be able to describe the marine mammal classification systems most widely accepted by the scientific community.
Lesson PlanNatural History: Mapping Cetaceans Distributions
6th-8th Grade
Students will determine the geographical distributions of various cetacean species by plotting their locations on a world map. Students will also examine how and why geographical distributions change over time.
Lesson PlanResearch: Estimating Population Size
6th-8th Grade
Students will be able to describe the reasons that cetacean populations are constantly fluctuating by participating in a class discussion. Students will also be able to explain how cetacean population estimates are calculated by completing a population sampling activity.
Lesson PlanResearch: Photo Identification
6th-8th Grade
Students will be able to identify individual dolphins by observing unique characteristics in a series of dorsal fin photographs. Students will also be able to explain ways in which wild dolphin identification projects can help with research and conservation projects.
Lesson PlanMarine Mammal Meals
6th-8th Grade
Students will be able to identify individual dolphins by observing unique characteristics in a series of dorsal fin photographs. Students will also be able to explain ways in which wild dolphin identification projects can help with research and conservation projects.
Lesson PlanIf you have any difficulty in accessing these materials please contact our School Program and Outreach Coordinator via email: Kimberly.Browne@dolphins.org or via phone 305-289-1121 ext. 244
